​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.
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• 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?

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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,

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

Understanding the effects of Electromagnetic Radiation (EMF)  and Radiofrequency Radiation (RF) on Your Health


Our health is directly affected by a variety of things we cannot see but know to be true. We don’t see the air, but we are sensitive to air quality on a smoggy day. We cannot see UV rays, but we can certainly feel their effects while baking at the beach. Gravity is also not visible but if you're clumsy like me, you'll be very familiar with its effects as well (I was famous in high school for not only falling down but also up stairs... it happened a lot).

And while we cannot see electromagnetic radiation (EMF), a growing number of people are reporting symptoms that directly correlate to electrical hypersensitivity (EHS) and radiofrequency radiation (RF).

Over the last 20 years, physicians with the American Academy of Environmental Medicine have been seeing patients whose symptoms appeared to be triggered by “dirty electricity” – which is when high frequencies travel along electric wires between the power source and electric grid. This includes power lines, televisions, computers, and other electrical devices. Those suffering from EHS might experience varying symptoms including headaches, dizziness, chronic fatigue, depression, memory loss and confusion.

Now, more than ever, we are living in a world of convenient luxuries that depend heavily on electrical pollutants. We have phones in our pockets, microwaves in our homes, and satellite systems in our cars. As science attempts to keep up with our technology leaps and bounds, we are only beginning to comprehend the effects RF waves have on our health. 

What is Radiofrequency Radiation?

The electromagnetic wave spectrum is composed of two parts: ionizing radiation and nonionizing radiation. Ionization radiation includes X-rays and ultraviolet rays, whereas non-ionizing radiation includes radiofrequency (RF). For years we have focused on the negative impact of ionizing radiation, but now we are starting to understand the impact of non-ionizing radiation or radiofrequency.  

RF is what allows you to borrow your neighbour’s WiFi while you’re waiting for the service guy to come (thank you university roommates!). Without the need for wires, RF has the power to pass through walls and go just about anywhere it pleases – and that includes inside our body. In this digital age, almost anything we can imagine can be a source of radiofrequency radiation. Our cell phones might seem obvious, but what about our Smart Meters, our children’s gaming systems, the baby monitor? They all use wireless communication, surrounding us in a constant invisible fog of over-stimulation and electrosmog. 

Our society encourages us to keep up or fall behind. Have you ever passed the Apple store the day a new iPhone hits the market? So many of us are willing to stand in lengthy lines, just to be early adopters of the latest technology. We prioritize and depend on technology to make our lives better. And no doubt, it does. However, most of us never consider how our addiction to technology also impacts our health by inundating our bodies with a constant barrage of radio frequencies.

How Can EMF & RF Affect Your Health? 

While EMF and RF radiation is considered "biologically safe" according to safety data provided by Health Canada and other organizations, the reality is that the level of our constant low-grade exposure is not reflected in their guidelines.

Some scientists have been researching the impacts of electrosmog on our bodies long before our world became so highly digitized. In 1987, one study proved that exposure to electrosmog at levels considerably lower than those observed in urban areas created changes in human brain waves and behaviour.

EMF may also affect the mitochondria -- our cellular energy factories, which are fundamental to every energy-dependent process in our body, most notably our nervous system. As a result, EMF-induced disruption of our mitochondria may effectively bolster neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, as well as playing a part in other diseases and health issues where mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated. These include psychiatric disorders, autoimmune diseases, headaches and migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, reproductive disorders, cancers… the list goes on and on! 

If EMF and RF are already having an impact our lives, what are the long-term effects for our children raised in a world choked by electrosmog? Only time will tell. 

Minimize Your EMF & RF Exposure

While more data is required, we already know that there are larger health ripple effects associated with our beloved devices. You can start reducing your exposure to EMFs by:

• Getting rid of your cordless phones (old-school land-line?). 
• Turn off your WiFi- Internet can be hard wired into your home to prevent WiFi exposure, as can your television “box” and any other things that are wireless and transmitting and receiving signals. 
• Switch your cell phone to airplane mode or turn it off at night. 
• STOP CARRYING YOUR CELL PHONE IN YOUR BRA, PANTS POCKET OR DIRECTLY ON YOUR BODY. .. especially if you are also pregnant and using your phone near your belly. JUST STOP IT. 
• Use headphones or speaker phone while making a call on your cell phone instead of holding it to your ear.
• EMF-reducing sleep sanctuary or canopies may help block EMF according to renowned German physician Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, from the Academy for the Healing Arts and Neural Therapy and Biology.
• Finally, there is one other thing you can do to neutralize the toxic effects of EMF and RF exposure, and that is to GET OUTSIDE!

By simply spending time in nature and grounding yourself so you have direct contact with the earth, you are opening the gateway for an influx of electrons to be absorbed and distributed throughout your body. This transfer of electrons can help to neutralize oxidative stress and minimize any derangements in the electrical activities of your body.  Put down the damn phone and open the door to a healthier future!

I want to help you take control of your health! If you believe you have symptoms that could be related to electrical hypersensitivity, please book a free Health Discovery Session to find out more.

​In health,