Inflammation Archives

January 28, 2020 By Sunita Arora 1 Comment

10 Inflammation Fighting Winter Foods You Must Include In Your Diet

Inflammation is linked with so many serious illnesses such as diabetes, heart diseases, asthma, arthritis, etc. The use of anti-inflammatory drugs is very common and sometimes with no alternative as well. As they say, prevention is always better than cure! Eating anti-inflammatory food is a natural solution without any side effects. During winter, there’s less flow of blood which makes the joints colder and stiffer – leading to inflammation. The pain receptors become more sensitive in winters which result in pain, swelling in joints and other parts of the body.

Fight Inflammation with a Healthy Diet

Here’s a list of foods that should be included in your diet during winter to prevent inflammation.

Turmeric: This spice is also known as “Yellow Gold” in western countries. The Indian cuisine is incomplete without this spice. It’s a food enhancer with great health values. It has curcumin which is a very powerful anti-inflammatory substance. Turmeric works great in treating rheumatoid arthritis and fighting inflammation.
Ginger: is a great valuable cooking spice in our kitchen. It has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. It helps in lessen inflammation as well in treating allergic infections, especially during the winter season. We normally use this spice while making tea, soup, curries, etc.
Walnuts: are always my favourite healthy snacking option during winter. It contains phytonutrients which reduce the risk of heart diseases and diabetes. It has omega 3 fatty acids which reduce inflammation in the body.
Beets: are highly rich in antioxidants and they do a good job in reducing inflammation. It’s a valuable vegetable loaded with magnesium. We should not forget beets in our daily diet (in salads, curd, smoothies) during winter.
Green Leafy Vegetables: like spinach, kale, mustard and fenugreek grow best in winter. Due to the richness of antioxidants, omega3 fatty acids, Vit-C, etc. we should include them regularly in winter months.
Pineapple: It contains a substance called bromelain that reduces the infections during winter and lessens the risk of strokes and even heart diseases. It works as a great remedy for people who have high uric acid (Gout). Bromelain also helps reduce inflammation.
Blueberries: are my favorite! It has an antioxidant substance named quercetin which is generally found in citrus fruits. Quercetin is very effective in decreasing many types of infections and fighting cancer.
Broccoli: is a very nutritious cruciferous vegetable that is rich in antioxidants. It has high amounts of potassium and magnesium with anti-inflammatory properties. It reduces stress and the risk of cancer. A disclaimer here: If you have thyroid, avoid eating cruciferous vegetables
Tomatoes: are a nutritional powerhouse. It’s packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Tomatoes are an excellent source of lycopene which reduces inflammation in the body and helps protect the body against cancer as well.
Salmon: As we have already discussed so many anti-inflammatory fruits and vegetables, Salmon is a non-vegetarian option. It’s great anti-inflammatory food with essential omega 3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid. Omega 3 gives relief in inflammation and can reduce the need for anti-inflammatory drugs.

Apart from above you can:

Dress warmly depending on the weather
Stay hydrated and active
Exercise regularly to strengthen your muscles
Get out under the sun to maintain vitamin D levels
Eat a balanced diet and maintain a healthy weight

Include the above foods and #LevelUp your diet to enjoy an inflammation-free winter! If you feel extreme discomfort or inflammation in your body, consult a Doctor.

For more winter tips and remedies, check out Healthy Reads on our app or tune in to GOQii Play. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below.

#BeTheForce

January 24, 2019 By Luke Coutinho 3 Comments

Inflammation – What you should know?

When you think pain, think inflammation. Inflammation is a good thing. It’s your body’s way to rise up to fight germs/bacteria/infections, heal bruises when you fall, heal torn ligaments/tissues/tendons etc. Once it does its job of fighting out these invaders or foreign organisms, the inflammation should reduce to normal. The problem is when that doesn’t happen.

Have a torn ligament or muscle pulls that your struggling to heal? Seen the best doctors, therapists etc., and still not fixed? Struggling with arthritis and joint pain? Check your CRP (C-Reactive Protein) levels and focus on reducing inflammation. The cure is in reducing inflammation.

Many of us live with chronic inflammation and that’s dangerous. It’s also the reason people –struggle to lose weight, experience painful joint pain, age faster than normal,feel tired thru the day. Also with chronic inflammation there are higher chances of heart disease, Alzheimer’s/dementia, struggle with diabetes, feel depressed. Lowsilent inflammation can destroy your nerves and cellular health, suppressing and weakening your immune system, leading to deadly diseases like cancer, etc.

What’s scary is the fact that you can be extremely healthy and fit, but silent inflammation could

be eating into you from inside, which is one of the many explainable reasons why cancer or heart attacks can strike down a healthy and young human being.

Checking cholesterol levels, Vitamin D3, B12, SGOT, SGTP is imperative, but what most people miss out on is checking their CRP levels. (C-Reactive protein). This is such an important protein level to check and a simple blood test will cover that for you.

CRP level will tell you volumes about the amount of inflammation you have in your body. In my years of experience what stands out in a cancer report of a person is an increase in CRP levels and white blood cells and the immediate action is to reduce inflammation thru food and lifestyle change.Diseases breathe in inflamed environments, in environments that are acidic and in environments where there is less oxygen supply to the cells.

Over training causes inflammation.Vigorous exercise, inconsistent exercise and high intensity training which is not planned for your body type will make your CRP levels soar and kill your immunity, which is why many trainers ask their clients to take a Vitamin C and E post workouts. Running marathons without proper nutrition causes massive inflammation.

Chronic stress, Improper nutrition (high fat foods, sugar, artificial sweeteners, doughnuts, white sugar, aerated drinks, salty foods, packaged foods), Smoking causes inflammation. I’ve seen CRP levels fall in a smokers blood report within 10 days of kicking the butt.

How to keep your inflammation in check:

– Smart and moderate exercise

– Meditation and controlling your stress and BP levels,

– Nuts and seeds,Green leafy veggies and fruits.

– Good fats (like nuts, olive oil, coconut oil).

But, it has been proven that a small amount of alcohol can actually lower CRP levels.

-Vitamin D3, Curcumin (turmeric extract) is one of the best spice based inflammation fighters

June 28, 2017 By Luke Coutinho 2 Comments

All you want to know about Inflammation

When you think pain, think inflammation.   Inflammation is a good thing. It’s your body’s way of rising up to fight out germs/bacteria/infections, heal bruises when you fall, heal torn ligaments/tissues/tendons etc. Once it does its job of fighting out these invaders or foreign organisms, the inflammation should reduce back down to normal. The problem arises when that does not happen.

Have a torn ligament or muscle pull that you are struggling to heal? Seen the best doctors, therapists etc and still not fixed?Struggling with arthritis and joint pain?  Check your CRP (C-Reactive protein) levels and focus on reducing inflammation. The cure is in reducing inflammation.

Many of us live with chronic inflammation and that’s dangerous. It’s also one of the reason people –struggle to lose weight, experience excruciating joint pains, age faster than normal feel tired through the day, higher chances of cancer and heart disease, Fibromalgia / Headaches/Migraines, higher chances of Alzheimer’s/dementia, struggle with diabetes, feel depressed and low.

Silent inflammation like the ones described above can destroy your nerves and cellular health, suppressing and weakening your immune system, leading to deadly diseases like cancer, etc.  

What’s scary is the fact that you can be extremely healthy and fit, but silent inflammation could be eating into you from inside, which is one of the many explainable reasons why cancer or heart attacks can strike down a healthy and young human being. Checking cholesterol levels, Vitamin D3, B12, SGOT, SGTP is imperative, but what most people miss out on is checking their CRP levels. (C-Reactive protein). This is an important protein level to check and a simple blood test will cover that for you.This level will tell you volumes about the amount of inflammation you have in your body.

In my years of experience what stands out in a cancer report of a person is an increase in CRP levels and white blood cells and the immediate action is to reduce inflammation thru food and lifestyle change. Diseases breathe in inflamed environments, in environments that are acidic and in environments where there is less oxygen supply to the cells.

Overtraining causes inflammation. Vigorous exercise, inconsistent exercise and high-intensity training which is not planned for your body type will make your CRP levels soar and kill your immunity, which is why many trainers ask their clients to take a Vitamin C and E-post workouts.

Running marathons without proper nutrition causes massive inflammation. Stress causes inflammation (chronic stress). Improper nutrition (high-fat foods, sugar, artificial sweeteners, doughnuts, white sugar, aerated drinks, salty foods, packaged foods), and Smoking causes inflammation. (I’ve seen CRP levels fall in a smokers’ blood report within 10 days of kicking the butt)  .

How to keep your inflammation in check:

Smart and moderate exercise such as meditation and controlling your stress and BP levels, nuts and seeds, green leafy veggies and fruits, good fats ( like nuts, olive oil, coconut oil) helps in keeping your inflammation under check. Finally, I should not be saying this but it has been proven that a small amount of alcohol can actually lower CRP levels.Vitamin D3 Curcumin (turmeric extract) is one of the best spice based inflammation fighters.