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Living an Anti-Inflammatory Lifestyle: Week Two

7/29/2015

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Hello again!

                We are now entering the second week of our talk about inflammation.  This week I would like to touch on the spice Turmeric.  This spice is commonly used in Indian food and in American mustard to make it yellow.  Evidence is piling up to show that this spice has an abundance of possible health benefits.  Most widely proven now is its positive effect on inflammation. 

                Turmeric’s active ingredient is curcumin which acts as a powerful antioxidant.  Antioxidants are good for our body because they chase down and destroy free radicals.  Free radicals are molecules in our bodies that can damage cells, tissue and sometimes destroy our DNA.  Curcumin also lowers the amount of enzymes in our body that cause inflammation.  So on a microscopic level this spice helps to inhibit the bad molecules and promotes a healthy environment for all the good molecules to live in. 

                Research is showing that this microscopic change in the bodies environment leads to decrease in inflammation and arthritis in joints, healthy digestive tract, stimulates healthy bile production from the gall bladder, prevents build up of plaque in your arteries that leads to heart disease, helps in the immune system response to infections and may help slow down neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Multiple Sclerosis.   Turmeric has been used for hundreds of years as an herbal medicine and there are no negative side effects for using this as a supplement or additive in your food.  Turmeric as a supplement may interact with some medications so always check with your doctor before starting. 

                This as a supplement is definitely something to consider adding to your daily regimen especially if you suffer with achy joints, arthritis, or just wide spread inflammation.  Remember this is not meant to be used on its own.  Diet changes, exercise, water intake, and lots more also play a hand in inflammation.  We will be touching on all of these in the weeks to come.  So remember these are suggestions for a lifestyle change not a quick fix.  If you do want to add this to your regimen you can pick up turmeric at any health food store or online health food stores.  Remember to do your own research for a good quality brand.  Sometimes we “save money” with the cheaper brands but you pee or poop most of your supplement out, wasting money in the end. 

 

Tune in next week for another tip on inflammation!

Yours in Health, Dr. Jessica

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Living an Anti-Inflammatory Lifestyle: Week One

7/20/2015

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Hello Everyone!


I have had a lot of questions lately about inflammation and how to control it naturally.  My advice has stayed consist with what you put in your mouth has a huge impact on your body!  Therefore for the next couple weeks I am going to write about things you can eat or drink that will help inflammation in the body.  Our first topic is WATER!!

Water is one of the most important beverages one could have.  Your body is made up primarily of water (it makes up about 70% of your body weight).  Almost every very tissue, organ and system in your body needs water to survive.  Without water our digestive system would slow down causing constipation allowing the junk that is suppose to leave our body to leach back into our body.  Without water our joints lock down and the discs between each one of our bones begins to shrink allowing the bones to grind on one another.  Without water our tendons, ligaments and muscles get brittle and stiff not allowing nice fluid motion of our joints or our body.  Without water our skin can’t regenerate properly leaving us with blotchy, irritated, and dry skin.

When we become dehydrated our bodies actually start to pull water from some parts to give it to other more important tissues or systems.  When the conditions in your body become so scarce your body will start to pull water from the nervous system.  When this happens people can start to get headaches that will become migraines.  Another popular place your body likes to pull from is your muscles, ligaments and joint spaces.  When this happens you become stiff and over time inflammation starts to build up in your joints.  Chronic inflammation in a joint is the perfect environment for arthritis. 

As you can see once this cycle starts it is very important to stop it or a lot of damage can occur.  I hear all the time that people drink a lot of other stuff like pop, coffee, and tea which they count as part of their water intake.  Unfortunately the truth is that those other beverages will actually aid in the dehydration process.  In other words the more pop, coffee and tea you drink the MORE water you have to take in to rehydrate.  For every cup of coffee you have to drink 3- 8oz cups of water to re-place the water the coffee has taken out.  

Rehydrating your body is definitely not an overnight process either.  It takes a long time to get dehydrated therefore it will take time to become rehydrated.  As you rehydrate your body changes will occur- clearer skin, better digestion, regular bowel movements, less headaches, less achiness throughout your body, better joint function, and just simply feeling better!!  My recommendation is to start drinking at least a gallon of water a day.  I know it sounds like a lot but remember to rehydrate we must over load a little to bring us back into balance.  Your pee should be clear or have a tint of yellow.  If it isn’t then you are not drinking enough water!!  And if you must have a pop or coffee or tea then just make sure you also get that gallon of water down too! 

Definitely let me know if you have any questions! 

Yours in Health, Dr. Jessica­­­­


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    Dr. Jessica Ireland, DC

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