What's That Burning Inside?

The fire that grows inside us get us moving. The fire of passion, desire, or motivation help us to strive to do our best. But maybe there's a different fire that is putting your health at risk. Recently I attended a conference on oral and systemic health. For years we have treated our body in parts. If the gums bled, it's a gum problem. If cholesterol is high, it's a heart problem. Finally, we are connecting the dots that our body works together, not separate. So why not treat the whole body?

What I'm most interested in is the low burning fire of inflammation that many of us deal with. The biggest problem is we don't even know it's there. An acute problem, wound, or injury triggers our inflammatory response to get busy with healing, but anything lasting three months or longer is deemed chronic.

Diseases like those of the heart, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, autoimmune, have been linked to chronic inflammation. This low burning fire, if you will, lingers causing disease to grow. This imbalance along with other imbalances in our life, give rise to symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, weight gain, lack of sleep, or stress. Any number of these symptoms are then treated. Typically with medications. 

Unless the root of the problem is solved, the cycle of medications will continue. Those with heart issues or high blood pressure are predisposed to diabetes. An autoimmune condition like lupus or Hashimoto's thyroid disease, may continue to manifest into rheumatoid arthritis or diabetes. We simply just don't know how our genes will express themselves. What we do know, however, is that it's linked by chronic inflammation.

How do you know if you have chronic inflammation that could lead to heart disease or other diseases? A simple blood test that measures the C-reactive protein can be done. According to the Cleveland Clinic, a reading of less than 1 mg/L indicates you’re at low risk of cardiovascular disease. A reading between 1 and 2.9 mg/L means you’re at intermediate risk. A reading greater than 3 mg/L means you’re at high risk for cardiovascular disease. A reading above 10 mg/L may signal a need for further testing to determine the cause of such significant inflammation in your body.

An CRP reading of greater than 10 mg/L is especially high and may indicate:

• a bone infection, or osteomyelitis
• an autoimmune arthritis flare-up
• IBD
• tuberculosis
• lupus, connective tissue disease, or other autoimmune diseases
• cancer, especially lymphoma
• pneumonia or other significant infection

Three of the biggest inflammatory triggers are sugar, dairy and gluten. Any one of these triggers inflammation, but combined builds a bigger fire in our system. As I continue to work to heal my own body, it's become easier to make good choices. I've noticed that having abstained from certain foods I feel better, but when or if I have a known inflammatory trigger, I can tell the difference in how I feel. That feeling makes me think twice before having it again. How about you? Will you wait until you have a diagnosis to begin to put your fire out or will you start today to live better longer? 

Maybe you need some help in getting started.  Let me know how I can help you. Contact me today and let's get started. Together we can meet your goals.  "Health is not valued til sickness comes." ~ Thomas Fuller

health-bite: Become your body's fire marshal

source: http://www.healthline.com/health/c-reactive-prote

Chronic Inflammation and Sugar

soda

People are living longer, largely due to better medical care and early diagnosis. Yet, in spite of information to live healthy, pharmaceutical companies continue to grow and thrive. Why, with so many people taking statin drugs (cholesterol), is heart disease still the number one killer? Recently, I had a patient who informed me he is pre-diabetic. I inquired by asking him if he was doing anything differently with this new health concern. He confided that he is now monitoring what he is eating so he doesn’t have to take more pills. Apparently, his wife does not feel the same way. Her recommendation was to take the medications and eat he wants. Two very different ways in dealing with a health issue. What would you do? Our culture has moved far away from healthy living, and now many are paying the price for it. Prepared, processed foods loaded with sugars and harmful fats have expanded our waistlines and caused our health to decline. It’s so easy to unknowingly purchase foods that have added sugars. As a matter of fact, I recently purchased some chips that were certified organic, gluten free, etc. However, I neglected to read the ingredients prior to the purchase. Once at home, I was made aware that cane sugar was an added ingredient. Our tongues are so used to sweets; nothing else tastes quite as good.

The more I research sugars, the more I’m convinced it’s the leading cause of chronic health related concerns. When sugars are consumed, the pH in the mouth drops making an acidic environment conducive to cavities and dental disease. Studies have shown that consuming sugars and inflammation go hand-in-hand. As a matter of fact, chronic gingivitis (bleeding gums) could mean a future diagnosis of Type II diabetes. Medical literature continues to publish the connection between the oral-systemic link, making it crucial we monitor what we eat.

So why don’t we just give up sugar? Because it tastes so good. When I ask people why they chose to drink soda instead of water, the answer is always the same. Soda tastes good and water doesn’t. We have trained our brains to love and crave sugar, and as a result, we need more and more to feel satisfied. Our blood sugar rises rapidly then drops down making us feel lethargic. But, that’s okay…..just have more sugar! What a vicious cycle.

Challenge yourself this week to give up sugars; at least the added sugars in foods and drinks. See how you feel by day seven. Will you have more energy? Will you loose weight? Will you feel better?

Health-bite: you are what you eat