If you have been reading my blogs, I know a lot of it seems like Pie-In-The-Sky-Cheer leading type stuff, but you are what you think you are, who and what you tell people you are, and eventually what others agree that you are. The thought is king!

 

Most of the current literature concerning health care heavily emphasizes encouraging the patient that he is well and will do fine ABOVE almost any other treatment or therapy save of course crisis management- but even then, words of encouragement can be very helpful.

 

So, you want to have a great, happy, healthy life?

 

Honestly, it has nothing to do with exercise, or vegetables, or mediation, or pills- simply help your fellow man do better in life, help him realize his goals and dreams, and stop worrying about your body! Spoiler alert- no matter what you do, one day the body falls apart and dies, but the goodwill you extended to your fellow man can live forever!

 

I really guess I should have been a preacher!
But in terms of your body, there are a number of things a person can do to reduce chronic inflammation, and live as full, and as healthy a life with a body that they can.

 

Most important is:

 

     1. Diet
         The following categories of foods are highly inflammatory and injure the body and keep the immune system burning day and night.
        a. Grain flours
            – These are flours that come from grains-wheat, corn, oats and this includes the
              grains themselves.
        b. Sugar
           – Enough said.
        c. Poly-unsaturated Vegetable Oils
           -Corn Oil, Safflower Oil, Sunflower Oil, Palm Oil- any oil except mono-unsaturated oils like Olive Oil and Coconut Oil. Trans Fats
           – These are hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. Read the label- if it says
             this, it’s got trans fats regardless of what the manufacturer says on the label.

 

There is SO much stuff out there about what to eat and how to eat. You’ll just have to eat and see how you feel. Do you feel calm, sated and alive? Then it’s probably okay for you.
Do you feel bloated, tired, hungry, agitated or sick? SOMETHING IS WRONG!

 

     2. Sleep and Rest
         -Some say 8 hours, some 9, some 6 or 7. Get some sleep and see how you feel. Like everything you will just have to see what works best for you-and DO IT!

 

My younger brother was involved with youth hockey leagues and spent some time talking to professional NHL players. One for one they said that the best training “thing” was sleep. More so than foods, exercise, and gimmicks.

 

Sleep and rest are very important especially if you exercise or participate in sports.

 

As was mentioned in earlier blogs, activity, and inactivity are both destructive and body/immune system need time to repair and resolve the damages that were done. Sleep will go a long way!

 

Look at it this way. When you are active in sports or exercise the body needs time to repair and resolve the damage that was done. I wish I could say this is a day or a week- it really depends on the person himself, his general state of health and unfortunately age.

 

As one continues with the activity, the body will begin to adapt and make itself better at handling the stresses and strains placed upon it, BUT… that is ONLY if it is given the time necessary to do this. If not, each time a person participates in some activity it signals the immune system and inflammation to break down the injured tissues. If not allowed to recover this immune response and inflammation continue and will eventually destroy the ligaments, cartilage, and bones. More so, it can destroy the tissues of your internal organs!

 

The inflammatory response must be shut off once it has done what it needs to do.

 

Now some people get the idea that they should then just take NSAIDs or other over the counter anti-inflammatories- what better way to shut off the inflammatory response, right?

 

Well, firstly they don’t work that way, and extended use will damage the tissues of your stomach, intestines, liver, and kidneys, and guess what? These injured tissues will signal an inflammatory response from the immune system and this will only cause more low-grade, chronic inflammation and destruction. So, this is a bad idea!

 

Well, I hope this makes sense- you have an inflammatory response to injured tissue, it does its thing, and then SIGNALS AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE so you heal and recover. Pretty simple. But keeping the inflammatory response constantly on- NOTHING HEALS OR RECOVERS!

 

So what’s the take-home message? As usual, lifestyle. The way you think, the way you look at life, the food you eat, the sleep you get, the happiness you derive from friends and family and the groups to which you belong. The way you live and what you think about it is really the best medicine to keep you going for years to come!

 

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. I would be happy to help! There is just SOOOOOOOO much information out there and it can be misleading. Let me know!