Chronic inflammation
Inflammation is an important part of our immune response. It helps drive white blood cells to the site of injury or infection and helps our body to heal if we get cut, have an infection or are injured. Chronic inflammation is a different beast. This is when the inflammatory response is switched on long-term, leading to chronic conditions and diseases like arthritis, heart disease, but when it gets out of control, we can experience pain, inflammation, swelling and discomfort.
As we being to understand more about inflammation, it seems that it has a role to play in the development of conditions like depression and anxiety, type 2 diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons.
Symptoms of chronic inflammation are varied, but can include pain, swelling, fatigue, joint pain, weight gain, digestive issues, brain fog and mood fluctuations.
There are lots of drivers of chronic inflammation, but diet and lifestyle can help support chronic inflammation alongside conventional treatment.
Pack your diet with colourful fruit and vegetables. A diet rich in antioxidants may have anti-inflammatory effects. Eat as many different colours and varieties of fruit and veg as you can and aim to eat a rainbow every day! Red, yellow, green, blue/purple, orange.
Omega 3 fats – these healthy fats, found predominately in oily fish (but also some in chia seeds and flaxseed) may help to mediate the inflammatory response and ‘cool the heat’. Oily fish like sardines, salmon, mackerel, herring and trout are recommended 2-3 x week, but studies show that using a daily omega 3 supplement is effective in supporting people with inflammatory conditions (always check with your GP before taking any supplements in case of interaction with medications).
Get spicy with anti-inflammatory ingredients like turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and garlic. When using garlic, it is a good idea t crush it, chop it and add it at the end of cooking (or use it raw) for best effects.
Green tea contains anti-inflammatory antioxidants. Aim for 2-3 cups a day if you like it.
Add some nuts and seeds to your daily diet. Anything from chia and flaxseed to brazil nuts and almonds. Mix them up and get a good variety.
70-85% cocoa chocolate, or raw cacao has been shown to have benefits as part of an anti-inflammatory diet. A little every day is fine.
Adding all these goodies in is a great idea, but it is also important to take out anything that is driving inflammation, otherwise the anti-inflammatory foods can only have a limited effect. Although people can have different triggers, there are a few common foods that can increase the body’s inflammatory response.
Sugar
The wrong sort of fat (deep fat fried food, too much saturated fats, processed fats)
White and refined carbohydrates
Processed junk food
Too much red meat and dairy
Alcohol
People can also have an individual response to food, so some folk find that dairy, gluten or nightshade foods (e.g. tomatoes, potatoes, peppers) are a trigger and for others, high histamine foods like leftovers, fermented foods and alcohol are a problem.
That’s where a food diary can really help you to identify foods that help your symptoms or foods that seem to be a trigger. Keep a food diary and track symptoms – pain, energy, mood, swelling and any other usual symptoms you have day-to-day. That way, you can make your diet more personalised and targeted to what your body really needs.
Although nutritional supplements can also be useful, it is important to consider your diet first. Take it a step at a time and see what works for you.
Techniques to help with stress management, daily movement and exercise and good quality sleep can make a difference too.
This is not a quick fix plan. With chronic conditions, it’s the slow, gradual changes that make a difference. The little steps you can build into your daily routine and keep sustained for the long term.