Dr. Keila Roesner ND
  • Home
    • Services >
      • Conditions Treated
  • Work with Me
    • About Me
    • Case Studies
    • Contact
  • Articles
  • Media & Events
  • Patient Portal

How to Reduce Inflammation Naturally

6/25/2018

2 Comments

 
Picture
​Pain, swelling, redness, immobility and heat -- these are all common signs of inflammation with injuries or an infection. Chronic inflammation also occurs inside our body and can present itself in other ways. When inflammation triggers sensory nerve endings, it can result in symptoms such as fatigue, rashes, and chest, abdominal and joint pain.


What is Inflammation?
Inflammation is a natural function with a bad reputation. It’s a word most of us associate with pain, discomfort and poor health -- yet its ultimate purpose is actually to help us. Without inflammation, injuries could fester and infections could become deadly.

When the body is injured, inflammation is a signal to the immune system to send white blood cells so the healing process may begin. Unfortunately, when inflammation continues on for too long, it can potentially trigger numerous other chronic health issues in the body including cancers, depression, food sensitivities and asthma. In fact, some say inflammation is the “new cholesterol” due to its direct link to heart disease.

In some cases, inflammation occurs when the immune systems revolts against us and attacks our own bodies. Autoimmune diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, IBD, among dozens of others. There are over 80 different autoimmune diseases.


Top Tips to Reduce Inflammation
First, let’s take a quick look at inflammatory foods that you definitely don’t want to put into your body. You probably already know all the usual suspects by name – sugar and artificial sweeteners, fried foods and saturated fats, processed meats and grains, dairy, caffeine and alcohol. These foods can disrupt gut bacteria, spike insulin levels, and bolster inflammation. Identifying and eliminating your food sensitivities via IgG Blood testing or an elimination diet can be a very helpful next step.

Wondering what those anti-inflammatory foods are? The good news is they are delicious.

1.
 Eat Raw, Organic Fruits & Veggies
Organic foods are a great place to start when looking to adhere to a more anti-inflammatory diet. Grown in mineral-dense soil, organic foods tend to be more alkalizing and have a higher vitamin and mineral content.
In order to keep those vitamin and mineral levels high, it’s also helpful to eat raw fruits and veggies, which are also known as life-giving foods. Cooking can deplete minerals, which is why it’s important to take every opportunity you can to get eat fresh and raw so you get to enjoy the full nutritional benefits. For example, Vitamin K is found in dark leafy greens like broccoli and spinach, and is excellent for reducing inflammation.


2. Add in lots of Alkaline foods
In addition to fruits and vegetables, nuts and legumes are also alkaline foods that can help balance your pH and reduce acidity. While being mindful of your body’s pH, you might be wonder about the impact of acidic foods, like tomatoes or citrus, and how they affect inflammation. Surprisingly these foods don’t create acidity in the body. Instead they may actually help to restore your pH balance. Even apple cider vinegar is alkaline-forming (however, other vinegars are not).


3. Fish & Plant Proteins
Believe it or not, most high protein foods, like meat, can actually be acid forming. In this case, plant proteins, such as almonds and beans, are great alternatives to reduce acidity and inflammation.

Need your meat? Then eat more fish. Fish oils, as well as other foods rich in healthy fats like omega 3, are proven to have a variety of health benefits, including significant anti-inflammatory effects.

Fish is also a great source of Vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with a wide range of inflammatory conditions.

Grass-fed meats are a good option if you prefer red meat, due to their higher concentration of conjugated linoleic acid and omega 3s.


4. Antioxidant-Rich Foods
Those susceptible to chronic inflammation may also benefit from supplementing their diets with food sources that contain bioactive molecules. For example, curcumin is the compound found in turmeric root that gives curry its bright yellow color. A powerful antioxidant, curcumin’s ability to reduce brain inflammation has been shown to be beneficial on both Alzheimer’s disease and major depression. Curcumin has been shown to not only prevent memory problems from worsening, but also to improve them.

Complement your curry with a little watercress salad on the side, including pears, dill weed, onion and chives – all sources of the antioxidant known as isorhamnetin.

Add a little red wine and some berries for dessert, which are rich in resveratrol, and you’ve got yourself an anti-inflammatory party. Resveratrol is an antioxidant produced by certain plants in response to injury or when under attack by bacteria or fungi. This is what makes dark-coloured grapes and berries such excellent health boosters for your body.

And of course, you can’t forget the dark chocolate! The flavonoids found in cacao are extremely potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, which are great for your brain and your heart. New research also shows that consuming dark chocolate with a high concentration of cacao (minimum 70% with 30% organic cane sugar) has a positive effect on stress levels and inflammation, while also improving your memory, immunity and mood. You read that right – chocolate really is good for you (but make sure its good quality and that you are not over doing it).


5. Going Beyond Diet- get your stress in check!
While diet definitely plays a role, stress is also a major contributor to inflammation in the body. Stress can be triggered by lack of sleep, lifestyle changes, or any other number of factors. Getting a good night’s rest and making time to meditate or practice other stress-reducing activities, like yoga or Tai chi, are also very effective ways to promote good health and reduce inflammation.


All it takes is a few conscious decisions about your diet and lifestyle and you are on your way to a healthier you.
​
  • Are you dealing with chronic health issues triggered by inflammation?
  • Do you still have more questions about how you can make greater changes towards a pain-free life?
  • Do you want a customized approach to managing inflammation and preventing disease?
​
Please feel free to contact our clinic and we can find your best solutions together. Call or book your complimentary Health Discovery session at 519-275-2187 ext. 7 or book online.


In health,

Picture
Dr. Keila Roesner BHSc ND

References
  1. Dark Chocolate Reduces Stress and Inflammation                                                                            https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180424133628.htm
  2. Ford CT, Richardson S, McArdle F, et al. Identification of (poly)phenol treatments that modulate the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines by human lymphocytes. The British Journal of Nutrition. 2016;115(10):1699-1710. doi:10.1017/S0007114516000805. 
  3. Ridker PM. Closing the Loop on Inflammation and Atherothrombosis: Why Perform the Cirt and Cantos Trials? Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association. 2013;124:174-190. 
  4. Reddy ST1, Wang CY, Sakhaee K, Brinkley L, Pak CY. Effect of low-carbohydrate high-protein diets on acid-base balance, stone-forming propensity, and calcium metabolism. Am J Kidney Dis. 2002 Aug;40(2):265-74.  PMID: 12148098 DOI: 10.1053/ajkd.2002.34504
  5. Campbell AW. Autoimmunity and the Gut. Autoimmune Diseases. 2014;2014:152428. doi:10.1155/2014/152428.
  6. Memory and Brain Amyloid and Tau Effects of a Bioavailable Form of Curcumin in Non-Demented Adults: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled 18-Month Trial                            https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1064748117305110?via%3Dihub#bib0015
2 Comments

    ​Top 75 Naturopath Blogs & Websites For Naturopathic Doctors

    Get Your Copy

    Author

    Dr. Keila Roesner is a Naturopathic Doctor. When not treating patients she is also an enthusiastic barefoot-strolling, music-loving, yoga-doing kitchen wiz - who also happens to be a wrestling fan.

    Categories

    All
    Acne
    Allergies
    Anxiety
    Asthma
    Autoimmune
    Bioidentical Hormones
    Bloating
    Blood Pressure
    Canada
    Canadian College Of Naturopathic Medicine
    Cancer
    Chronic Disease
    Cold & Flu
    Constipation
    Depression
    Detox
    Diarrhea
    Digestion
    Diy
    Earthing
    Eating For Health
    Eczema
    Energy
    Environmental Medicine
    Exercise
    Family Health
    Fatigue
    Fertility
    Food Sensitivity
    GERD
    Healer
    Health Care
    Health Policy
    Healthy Aging
    Heartburn
    Hemorrhoids
    Herbal Medicine
    Holidays
    Home Remedies
    Homesteading
    Hormones
    IBS
    Inflammation
    Insomnia
    Irritable Bowel Syndrome
    Keila Roesner Nd
    Keila Roesner Nd
    Keto
    Lab Tests
    Menopause
    Mental Health
    Migraine
    Migraines
    Natural
    Nature
    Naturopath
    Naturopathy
    On
    Pain
    Pediatrics
    PMS
    Poll
    Primal/Paleo
    Recipe
    Self Care
    SIBO
    Skin
    Stratford
    Stratford Perth Centre For Business
    Stratford Wellness Centre
    Stratford Wellness Centre
    Stress
    Success
    Sun
    Supplements
    Thyroid
    Traditional Chinese Medicine
    Vitamins
    Weight Loss
    Welcome
    Wellness
    Weston A Price/ WAPF

    RSS Feed

Let us take you from hormonal to whole.
​Dr. Keila Roesner, BHSc ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Hormone Warrior and Your Wellness Cheerleader


247 Church Street, Stratford ON N5A 2R7
(519) 273-0900
drkeila@roesnerwellnesssolutions.com

Let's Connect

  • Home
    • Services >
      • Conditions Treated
  • Work with Me
    • About Me
    • Case Studies
    • Contact
  • Articles
  • Media & Events
  • Patient Portal