sunday coffee, vol. 1
8/20/2023
Chronic inflammation is a slow and silent killer that an increasing number of people struggle with. If you don’t struggle with it yourself (yet), odds are that you know someone who does.
While localized inflammation can be good as it helps our body fight infections, chronic inflammation puts our body under constant stress and has been shown to contribute to:
alzheimer’s
cancer
arthritis
auto-immune diseases
diabetes
and more
This is why it’s a slow and silent killer. It doesn’t happen overnight, but over a long and slow period of time. The constant stress our body is under makes it hard for us to regulate and find a healthy baseline, so worse conditions begin to develop.
“Chronic inflammatory diseases are the most significant cause of death in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks chronic diseases as the greatest threat to human health.” 1
3 small changes to prevent chronic inflammation
Thankfully, chronic inflammation effects us slowly over long periods of time rather than all at once. So our best weapon against it is small but smart lifestyle decisions made repeatedly over that period of time (i.e your life).
The 3 small changes that we’re gonna discuss today are both simple to implement, and extremely effective. You may be already doing some of them (go you):
Mindful Dieting
Sleep 7/9 Hours
Stress Management
1) Mindful Dieting
Our diet plays a huge role in inflammation, and what we eat can help or hurt us in a big way. Mindful Dieting is all about being mindful of the foods we consume and the effects they have on us long term.
Below I’ve listed some ‘good foods’ and ‘bad foods’ but the name is situational. Good foods in this case being foods that help fight inflammation, and bad foods being foods that have been shown to cause inflammation.
Good Foods
Here are 9 anti-inflammatory foods to work onto your plate:
Blueberries - help with cognitive function
Cherries - help reduce muscle soreness
Turmeric (with black pepper) - helps with joint pain
Tomatoes - help protect against cancer
Olive oil - help reduce risk of heart disease
Kale - helps with digestion and eye health
Broccoli - helps reduce inflammation and aids in detoxification
Pineapple - helps boost immune system and digestion
Beets - helps lower blood pressure and improve athletic performance
Bad Foods
Here are 6 types of foods that can cause inflammation to avoid as often as possible:
Processed meats
Fried foods
Sodas
Refined carbs
Alcohol
Anything high in processed sugar
Work those good foods in, and try to keep those bad foods off your plate and you’ll be off to a good start. But without proper sleep, it won’t matter very much what you eat. So let’s get into the next one.
2) Sleep 7-9 Hours
Sleep is foundational for our health. If we don’t sleep, or if we’re seriously sleep deprived, we literally fall apart.
It’s where we rest and recover both physically and psychologically, and we absolutely need the time to heal everyday.
How does sleep specifically affect the process of inflammation though?
“In the deepest sleep phases, cerebrospinal fluid rushes through the brain, sweeping away beta-amyloid protein linked to brain cell damage. Without a good night's sleep, this housecleaning process is less thorough, allowing the protein to accumulate—and inflammation to develop.” 2
TLDR: Our body flushes out bad shit when we’re sleeping, to help us recover. If that bad shit doesn’t get flushed out, it can lead to chronic inflammation.
4 things you can do to sleep better tonight:
Take a Magenesium supplement
No caffeine 10 hours before bed
Exercise hard during the day (put another way, make yourself physically tired)
No screens for 30-60 minutes before bed
Pro-tip: try some chammomile + peppermint tea too, works like a charm.
3) Stress Management
When we’re stressed our nervous system often goes into fight or flight. This was extremely useful for us back when we were hunter gatherers, because it helped us survive. Stress is still helpful today too - but like inflammation, it’s useful in small doses, not constantly.
Chronic stress can lead to chronic inflammation in many ways. Here are 3 of the big ones:
Hormonal Response: When you experience stress, your body releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones trigger the "fight or flight" response, preparing your body to react quickly to a perceived threat. In the short term, this response can be beneficial. However, chronic stress leads to prolonged exposure to these stress hormones, which can disrupt the body's normal regulatory processes.
Immune System Activation: Chronic stress can lead to a dysregulation of the immune system. The prolonged presence of stress hormones can lead to immune cells becoming less sensitive to their regulatory signals, potentially causing them to become overactive. This can result in a state of chronic low-grade inflammation in the body.
Inflammatory Pathways: Stress can activate various pathways in the body that promote inflammation. For instance, stress can lead to an increase in the production of pro-inflammatory molecules called cytokines. These cytokines are essential components of the immune response, but when their production is sustained over time due to chronic stress, they can contribute to chronic inflammation.
So the question then becomes, how do we help ourselves avoid chronic stress?
Thankfully for us, these lifestyle tips all tie together.
7 things you can do today to avoid chronic stress:
Practice Mindfulness and Meditation: Engage in mindfulness meditation or deep breathing exercises to help calm your mind and reduce stress. Even just a few minutes of daily practice can make a significant difference.
Exercise Regularly: Physical activity is a great stress reducer. Engage in regular exercise, whether it's walking, jogging, yoga, lifting, or any other form of movement.
Maintain a Balanced Diet: Focus on lots of the good foods we discussed before, combined with a well-balanced diet rich in whole foods, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
Prioritize Sleep: Establish a consistent sleep schedule and create a relaxing bedtime routine. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to help your body recover and manage stress.
Stay Hydrated: Dehydration can contribute to stress and fatigue. Make sure you're drinking enough water throughout the day, 3-4 litres.
Connect with Loved Ones: Maintain strong social connections. Spend time with family and friends who uplift and support you, and share your feelings with them.
Set Realistic Goals: Avoid overloading yourself with tasks. Set achievable goals for the day and prioritize tasks to reduce overwhelm.
Wrap-Up
Chronic inflammation poses a significant threat to our health, but thankfully, we can take actions everday to prevent it from derailing us.
Small lifestyle changes compound in a big way to help us avoid chronic inflammation and live healthier lives. We talked about 3 main areas to focus on:
Mindful Diet: Incorporate anti-inflammatory foods like blueberries, turmeric, and olive oil while avoiding processed meats, fried foods, and sugary items.
Sleep 7-9 Hours: Prioritize quality sleep to enable the body's natural inflammation-fighting processes, enhancing overall health.
Stress Management: Practice mindfulness, exercise regularly, maintain a balanced diet, connect with loved ones, and set achievable goals to minimize chronic stress, a key driver of inflammation.
By embracing these lifestyle changes, you can proactively guard your well-being against chronic inflammation. Start now for lasting health benefits.
Thanks for reading 🙂
Dane
Sources:
‘Inflammation: The Common Pathway of Stress-Related Diseases’ - National Library of Science
‘How sleep deprivation can cause inflammation’ - Harvard Health
‘Chronic Inflammation’ - National Library of Science