3 important nutrients to help fight inflammation

Sarah is 35, lives in Northern Ontario, and has come to see me for a nagging persistent back pain.  She has tried physiotherapy in her hometown but without much relief. She also lists on her her intake that she is troubled by fatigue, insomnia and irritable bowel syndrome. When I palpate and test her muscles they tight or hypo-tonic which, in my experience,  is a sign of low grade inflammation in her body.

Inflammation in our bodies is a normal response of our body's immune system. For example, if you sprain your ankle it will often become swollen. In this case, the swelling is caused by your immune system sending molecules to the area to begin repairs. Once their job is done the molecules leave and the inflammation subsides, a sign that your immune system is behaving properly. On the flip side, as in Sarah's case, where there is general body inflammation which has been there for a while, is a sign that her immune system is behaving badly or dysregulated.

If your immune system is behaving badly it often a sign that it has been overworked. If you imagine that your immune system is an army who's main job is to defend your body. When it comes under attack the immune soldiers respond, deal with the threat and then go back to their barracks. If however the attack is more like a siege where your immune soldiers are having to defend your body over a prolonged period at some point they are going to become disheartened, fatigued and less likely to follow orders.

In today's polluted world, this situation is very much the norm with our bodies having to deal with any number of invading hostile elements in our food we eat, the water we drink and wash in, and in the air we breath.

It is no wonder our immune system gets overwhelmed!

In any siege, the defenders are protected behind walls which in our bodies case is our skin, the lining of our intestinal tract and lungs. Like the defending soldiers, after sustained attack these protective barriers will become weakened and holes will appear through which the attackers can enter. In our bodies the intestinal lining can become weakened, among many things, by medication such as antibiotics or birth control, and eating gluten. In medical terms this weakening of your intestines is called intestinal permeability or leaky gut.

Just by hearing Sarah's symptoms I can see that her barriers have been breached, a battle is raging inside her body and her defending immune system is starting to behave badly.

When a your immune system behaves badly 3 negative things begin to happen. 

1. The defenders become over zealous and fire continuously.
2. The defenders begin to see anything that comes into the body as hostile - how multiple food sensitivities develop.
3. The defenders begin to see parts of your body as potential threats and begin attacking them - how autoimmune diseases begin.

To help her out of control and overwhelmed immune system Sarah needs to step in and help out. she can do this by:

1. Identifying and limiting the number of hostile invaders her body has to deal with.
2. Stop weakening her barriers and find ways to rebuild them.
3. Ensure that her immune system is strong enough to sustain some form of siege without losing the plot.

To strengthen her immune system and make it less likely to go rogue, the body needs to have sufficient supplies of three essential nutrients:

1. Vitamin D
2. EPA and DHA from Fish Oils
3. Glutathione

Ensuring her body has access to foods high in these nutrients and or taking supplements where her supplies are very low will be crucial if she is to keep her immune system in order. 

Finally

I hope you found this information useful. More importantly, I hope you do something with it.
 
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

GM foods linked to Digestive Inflammation

One of the best studies ever done to document the dangers of GM foods found that overall, inflammation levels were 2.6 times higher in GE-fed pigs than those fed a non-GE diet, and male pigs fared worse than the females.

Most pigs raised in the US are fed a genetically engineered (GE) diet; typically a mixture of GE soy and corn. Recent research shows that such a diet causes severe inflammation in the pig’s stomach.

While sows were 2.2 times more likely to have severe stomach inflammation on a GE diet, male pigs were four times more likely to get severe stomach inflammation.

The GE diet tested simulated that consumed by a typical American, who will be exposed to a variety of different GE crops through their daily diet, not just one specific one at a time.

Besides the hurdle of obtaining the GE seeds for testing, protected as they are by rigid patent laws, researchers who venture into GMO research must also be prepared to survive the personal and professional abuse.

Dominick Hussey

Osteopath and Functional Medicine Practitioner

Osteopathy and Functional Medicine

Ottawa Health Wellness Centre

Source: Mercola.com

This information given in this article is not intended to replace the services of a physician. Information in this article is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult a physician in all matters relating to your health, and particularly in respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. Any action on your part in response to the information provided in this is article at the reader's discretion.

Bad gut bacteria linked to Diabetes and Heart Disease

Health problems such as obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, periodontal disease, stroke, and heart disease are all rooted in inflammation, which must be properly addressed if you wish to be healed.

Research suggests there’s a connection between certain types of bacteria and body fat that produces a heightened inflammatory response and drives the inflammatory process.

Superantigens—toxic molecules produced by pathogenic bacteria such as staph—may play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes through their effect on fat cells.

Your oral health can have a significant impact on your cardiovascular and heart health. In a recent study, improved gum health was shown to significantly slow down the progression of atherosclerosis.

Periodontal disease is the result of the colonization of certain pathogenic bacteria in your mouth. This bacterial profile is influenced by the microflora in your gut.

Dominick Hussey

Osteopath and Functional Medicine Practitioner

Ottawa Holistic Wellness Centre

Source: Mercola.com

Two ways to lose weight and reduce inflammation

Abdominal fat actually produces inflammatory molecules, and high inflammation levels in your body can trigger a wide range of systemic diseases linked with metabolic syndrome.

Exercise can have a pronounced effect on your hormone production, naturally raising sex hormones and HGH, for example, which can have a more or less direct bearing on weight management.

For weight loss, opt for high-intensity interval training (HIIT) rather than conventional cardio. Studies clearly show that exercising in short bursts with rest periods in between burns the most fat.

Key dietary corrections needed to optimize fat loss include swapping processed foods for whole foods, and replacing carbs with healthful fats.

Dominick Hussey, Osteopathy and Functional Medicine

Capital Osteopathy and Ottawa Holistic Wellness Centre

10 foods that help fight inflammation

Inflammation is the body's natural way to fight infection and respond to harmful organisms, irritants, damaged tissue or toxic overload. However, this natural response to temporary problems should result in a system-wide "all clear" within a few days or weeks. If it doesn't, you could be suffering from chronic inflammation, which is far from natural or healthy. If you're having persistent trouble with swelling, redness, pain, fever, loss of appetite or general malaise, try alleviating your symptoms with these 10 foods that fight inflammation.

1. Fatty Fish
Start your anti-inflammation journey by heading to the seafood counter for fresh cuts of tuna, salmon and mackerel, then bake or boil them to keep things healthy. Keep in mind that, while whitefish such as cod and sole are beneficial sources of lean protein, they do not provide the same inflammation-fighting properties as their oilier counterparts.

2. Avocado
In addition to being a great source of monounsaturated fats, avocado has the power to reduce inflammation. It's a much healthier source of fat than killer trans fats and goes well with many cuisines. Aim for five to seven servings of healthy fats per day, such as topping your salad with avocado, blending it into a dressing or just eating it plain.

3. Leafy Greens
Dark leafy greens such as kale, broccoli and collards can amp up your body's inflammation-reducing abilities without changing your kitchen routine. Sub in a serving or two per day in place of lighter-colored leaves for the best shot at killing swelling.

4. Turmeric
This traditionally Indian spice is an anti-inflammatory superstar. Its historical use in Eastern medicine has proven its use in treating a variety of inflammatory conditions, such as toothache, bruises, rheumatoid arthritis and general joint swelling. Add a dash of it to your stir-fries or curries for an easy dose of its inflammation-fighting properties.

5. Walnuts
Like other tree nuts, walnuts impart a variety of health benefits to those who eat them regularly. They have anti-inflammatory as well as antioxidant properties and also possess important nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, copper, manganese, molybdenum and biotin. Shoot for an ounce, or about 14 walnuts halves, every day.

6. Peppers
Both bell peppers and hot peppers provide a whole, healthy, colorful addition to your anti-inflammatory regime. The chemical capsaicin, found in a variety of spicy peppers, is often used in topical ointments geared toward reducing pain and inflammation. However, peppers may provoke an even greater immune response in some people. The best idea when adding them to your diet is to keep your other food choices static and watch for any changes: If you notice an increase in symptoms, speak with a nutritionist or cut out the peppers.

7. Olive Oil
Aside from its raft of other health benefits, including weight loss and lowering cholesterol, olive oil helps reduce inflammation. However, studies show that only extra-virgin olive oil obtained from the first pressing of the olives delivers these benefits, so stick with the good stuff.

8. Ginger
Ginger not only fights inflammation but also works to stop it in its tracks by suppressing the formation of inflammatory compounds in the first place. Gingerols, the chemicals in ginger responsible for its anti-inflammatory properties, are reported to reduce pain and swelling in sufferers of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. For the culinarily adventurous, adding ginger requires nothing more than a fresh root and the will to do so; for the novice foodie, try adding a bit of ginger into your next smoothie.

9. Beets
Brightly colored and earthy-flavored, beets provide heart and cancer protection as well as vitamin C in addition to their power to reduce swelling. They taste fantastic roasted, boiled and grated raw on salads, and in summer are available in shades of red, orange, yellow and pink as well as multicolored varieties.

Dominick Hussey

Osteopath Ottawa

Source: Natural News

4 Natural Solutions for Fibromyalgia

Though there is still some debate over whether or not it is an inflammatory or a neurological condition, or some combination of both, most everyone will agree that fibromyalgia is a severely debilitating health condition that robs its victims of their energy, their strength and ultimately their lives. But the good news is that there are a number of natural remedies that individuals with fibromyalgia can use to help keep the chronic illness under control, and maybe even cure it altogether. Here are five of the most effective ones:

1) Fish oils. There are numerous theories as to what actually causes fibromyalgia, but it is generally recognized that the poorly understood condition often results in what appears to be systemic inflammation for many of the people that suffer from it. Because of this, it is important that fibromyalgia sufferers stick primarily to an anti-inflammatory diet that includes plenty of fish oils.

Since one of the marked characteristics of fibromyalgia is intense muscle and joint pain, supplementing with high-grade salmon oil, skate liver oil, or a fermented cod liver and butter oil blend, for instance, can provide amazing relief for fibromyalgia sufferers, as these oils help lubricate the muscular system and fortify the body with necessary omega-3 fatty acids, which feed the brain and quell inflammation.

Fibromyalgia is also marked by neurological damage in the brain, particularly as it involves the normal production of brain neurotransmitters such as serotonin. By regularly supplementing with therapeutic doses of high-grade fish oils, fibromyalgia sufferers may be able to help restore proper neural function and balance out their central nervous systems' response to pain and other sensations.

2) Turmeric. Another powerful anti-inflammatory food with amazing pain-relieving properties is turmeric, an ancient spice commonly used in Indian and Asian cuisine. As it turns out, turmeric works better than many painkiller drugs at relieving joint pain, stiffness, arthritis, muscle spasms, and many other debilitating pain symptoms commonly associated with fibromyalgia.

A natural painkiller and COX-2 inhibitor, turmeric has been shown in a number of studies to be a safe and effective remedy for treating both arthritis and fibromyalgia symptoms. This is due to its ability not only to halt inflammation, but also to suppress nerve-related pain. From both a neurological and inflammatory standpoint, in other words, turmeric is a powerful weapon in the fight against fibromyalgia.

3) Fermented foods and beverages. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and various other forms of gastrointestinal upset often go hand in hand with fibromyalgia, which is why it is vitally important for individuals with the disease to actively work towards restoring floral balance in the gut. One of the best ways to do this is to consume plenty of fermented foods like raw sauerkraut and kombucha tea, both of which have helped many fibromyalgia sufferers to avoid the headaches, brain fog, and systemic pain they would otherwise face.

Kefir, which can be made from either dairy or water, is another fermented food that can greatly relieve fibromyalgia symptoms, particularly when taken in conjunction with other probiotic-forming, fermented foods like kombucha tea and kimchi.

4) Avoid wheat gluten. Eliminating wheat and other gluten-containing foods from the diet has helped many people with fibromyalgia all but eliminate their condition and its corresponding symptoms. Most modern wheat varieties contain high levels of complex gluten compounds that greatly upset the digestive tract, which is where many inflammatory and neurological conditions like fibromyalgia are thought to begin.

Eliminating gluten from your diet, along with refined sugars, artificial sweeteners, trans fats, and other unnatural compounds, can go a long way in alleviating fibromyalgia. Other common food allergens like soy and corn are also worth eliminating from the diet as well as these ingredients, particularly when derived from genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), can trigger an inflammatory response in individuals with fibromyalgia.

Dominick Hussey

Osteopath and Functional Medicine Practitioner

Ottawa Health Wellness Centre

Sources for this article include:

http://www.taoofherbs.com/articles/93/fibromyalgiaherb.htm

http://www.naturalnews.com/035840_fibromyalgia_remedies_solutions.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/028696_fibromyalgia_remedies.html