Reinventing Aging – Part 1 – Inflammation

Years ago, I had a discussion with a medical doctor regarding what we thought contributed to cellular breakdown in the body. We both agreed it was chronic high blood sugar as well as constant inflammation in the body. Inflammation occurs as a response to something foreign or broken in the body. Think of your finger when you get a sliver, how immediately the body responds to the area by swelling. This is system is self regulated meaning the inflammatory response will start reactions to stop further inflammation. However, when our bodies are overwhelmed with “irritants” (creating by foods we eat, environments we are exposed to, stress, as well as the ability for our body to detox to name a few), our inflammatory response is continually “on”. It’s like your body is constantly on fire. This adds to tissue breakdown. Tissue breakdown (without adequate repair) can lead to an increase in the aging process ie. increase in wrinkles, longer recovery times, more illness.

Okay, now that we know, briefly, what inflammation is and the problem it can create, what’s the cure? Remember, the body has an amazing capacity to rejuvenate. Lessen inflammation in your body. There’s great references out there that discusses inflammation in great depth (ie. more science), however it comes down to a few simple steps…increase the amount of plants in your diet (colorful food is recommended), reduce processed foods, adopt stress busting strategies which work for you, and make sure you incorporate detox practices weekly.