Lower heart damaging inflammation....

Today's post: Friday, 9-26-2008

The measure of systemic or body-wide inflammation called CRP and often measured by something the labs and doctors call HS CRP is important. If the blood tests for it show up as high instead of low in you when you have that test done, it means you are at serious risk of heart disease and the events it causes.

In fact, it’s one of the three or four most predictive tests.

Many doctors know this and will order this test for you when they have you get your blood tested for the so called “cholesterol panel” that shows your HDL, LDL, & triglycerides.

But some doctors don’t know this yet & many more don’t yet know what to tell you to do to lower it if your CRP tests as high. Statin drugs do lower it some. And, they may well get more of the small amount of protection they provide from lowering inflammation than they do by lowering your LDL cholesterol. But as you’ll see shortly, it’s not necessary to take the risks of statin side effects or costs when there are better methods to use that also help prevent heart disease in several other ways.

Here are those better methods.

As I often do, I’ll quote an article from today’s email from Early to Rise's Total Health Breakthroughs. Then I’ll add my comments and additions.

"This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise's Total Health Breakthroughs, offering alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription,
visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com"

“Friday, September 26, 2008

Do the Foods You Eat Keep You in Pain?

By Steve Hefferon, CMT, PTA

What's Causing Your Pain?

When I say the word "inflammation," it's likely to evoke thoughts of painful joints and muscles, swelling, and a loss of mobility. But did you know that recent research shows that chronic inflammation in your body can lead to serious diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, some cancers, and Alzheimer's disease, to name just a few?

The amount of inflammation in your body varies and is dependent on a number of factors including your activity level, the amount of sleep you get, the degree of stress in your life, and even the foods you eat. What you have to realize is that these factors are cumulative -- meaning they build up over time. And the more that any or all of these factors get out of whack, the higher the risk for disease.

Early in life, these levels can be so low that you might not even be aware that you have any inflammation in your body. That's because our bodies do a fairly decent job of controlling the inflammation -- at least for a while. Then one day you wake up and you're in your 40s and something is just not right. That's when the fear begins to set in, and you think to yourself, What did I do wrong? or, What can I do now to help myself?

The first step is to get your C-reactive protein (CRP) levels tested. CRP is produced by the liver, and it rises when there is systemic inflammation in the body. Ask your doctor about this test (you may have to demand having it done). All it requires is a blood sample that will be evaluated by your doctor. And because diet can play a large role in how much or how little inflammation you have, you may want these levels looked at by a registered dietician who can help you formulate an appropriate eating plan.

If you have pain due to inflammation, you may choose to take the traditional medical path, which includes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), steroids, and even joint-replacement surgery in extreme cases. The good news is that there are natural ways to fight inflammation without the undesirable side effects that often result from the treatments listed above.

What You Eat Makes All the Difference

The food you eat is a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to controlling inflammation. The typical American diet consists of too much fat, tons of sugar, loads of red meat, and a frightening amount of processed foods -- all of which are likely to increase inflammation and contribute to obesity -- and obesity itself can cause inflammation.

By switching to an anti-inflammatory diet plan consisting of healthy whole foods, you can actually decrease inflammation and ease the pain and discomfort associated with it.

The first step is to avoid processed foods, foods high in sugar, and junk food whenever possible. Instead, choose fresh whole foods, especially anti-inflammatory varieties such as lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables. But choose carefully. Many vegetables and pre-packaged "health" foods can actually work against you.

Use this handy list of the best and worst foods for controlling inflammation:

Anti-inflammatory foods

Atlantic salmon (wild)
Fresh whole fruits, vegetables
Bright multi-colored vegetables
Green tea
Water
Olive oil
Lean poultry
Nuts, legumes, and seeds
Dark green leafy vegetables
Old fashioned oatmeal
Spices, especially turmeric and ginger

Inflammatory foods

Sugar, from any source
Processed foods
French Fries
Fast Foods
White bread
Pasta
Ice Cream
Cheddar cheeses
Snack foods
Oils, such as vegetable and corn
Soda, caffeine, and alcohol

In addition to these dietary changes, it is also recommended that you:

Maintain a healthy weight. There is no question that eating healthy is not easy nowadays, whether you're at home or at a restaurant. But at the very least, you must try to decrease your intake of sugars and hydrogenated oils and increase your daily intake of fiber. Ideally, you should consume 35 grams of fiber per day (that is a ton of fiber, but it's worth shooting for).

Get better sleep. 7 to 9 hours of sleep is a must for optimal health; getting a good night's sleep is key to controlling systemic inflammation.

Relax more often to lower stress levels. Find time for yourself throughout the day to focus on your breathing and clear the clutter from your mind; learn to stay focused on the most important tasks in your life.

Exercise on a regular basis. People always ask me, "What's the best exercise to do?" and I always tell them, "Do something you like to do and, if your body can tolerate it, aim for 15-20 minutes three times a week."

Demand to have you CRP levels tested. This simple blood test is the best indicator of the amount of systemic inflammation in your body. Have your levels evaluated by a licensed health care provider who can suggest the most appropriate action.

So, if you are in pain and you've made a conscious decision to help yourself get better, these dietary and lifestyle changes will go far to help you live a healthier, pain-free life.

[Ed. Note: Steve Hefferon is co-founder of LoseTheBackPain.com and The Healthy Back Institute. He has a B.S. degree in Health/Fitness and is both a Fitness Trainer and a Certified Massage Therapist. He has combined these skills to become one of the countries top Post-Rehabilitation specialists…..]”

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A. To make his recommendations work even better, there are several things you can also do.

1. Take the supplements DHA, and purified fish oil daily. And eat safe kinds of fish and or seafood high in omega 3 oils at least once or twice a week. (Canned Alaskan salmon is wild caught. Oysters also are high in omega 3’s. And, restaurants often have wild caught halibut and petrale sole available. Unfortunately, restaurants rarely have wild caught salmon; and the farmed salmon most of them have tends to INCREASE inflammation and contains pollutants that will harm you in other ways.)

In addition, eat no refined grain foods. Eat only grass fed beef when you have beef. And, make a strong effort to avoid corn oil, soy oil, safflower oil, and minimize eating canola oil. Grain fed beef, refined grain foods, and these oils are all high in omega 6 oil.

The bottom line reason for all this is that abundant omega 3 and a minimum of omega 6 oils reduces inflammation. Unfortunately, the reverse is true also. Lots of omega 6 oils and no or very little omega 3 increases inflammation.

2. Drink tea or green tea and consume it between meals &/or with no milk.

Small amounts of dark chocolate or cocoa made only from pure unsweetened cocoa have recently been found to reduce inflammation very well. Do not use milk chocolate for this or have milk at the same time.

Both of these methods tend to increase blood flow and lower your blood pressure if it’s high also.

3. If you are NOT taking prescription blood thinners, take the supplement curcumin. It’s the active ingredient in turmeric and curry. It not only reduces inflammation, there is strong evidence it helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease. And, because it lowers inflammation and activates your immune system it apparently also helps prevent cancer.

4. Be absolutely sure to get at least as much exercise as he recommends. And, if you can get more without overtraining and fit it into your life, do so. Regular exercise is one of the best ways to reduce inflammation.

B. But there’s even more good news. Doing this set of things will also sharply lower your triglycerides and the dangerous kind of small particle LDL in your blood that causes heart disease.

It will also tend to help you lose excess fat and lower your blood pressure if it’s high.

And, THAT set of things will slash your risk of heart disease.

I wish you well in doing it.