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When considering home health care, Southern Alabama residents visit Mercy Medical. Learn more at http://mercymedical.com/.

s avoid salt or avoiding processed foods. Many convenience and processed foods contain high amounts of salt and sugar, so read labels carefully and keep a healthy weight and blood pressure in mind.

Healthy eating takes on even greater importance as you get older. Visit Trinity Medical Group today for a check-up and to get more healthy eating tips that are personalized for your age and your lifestyle. Also check out our new Blog Post on Healthy Eating Tips For Seniors.

 

By Juanita Swindell
 

There are a few things people take on a regular basis that can absolutely destroy their sleep cycles without them knowing it. And some of those substances might come as surprise to you because you may think they usually help you relax and fall asleep. But the opposite is true. Not only are those substances bad for your health in general, but they also are bad for your sleep.

Listen, if you want to improve your sleep dramatically and you are currently doing one or more of the things listed below, I urge you to stop doing them. And if you can't stop, find some help. But it is absolutely critical that you get rid of those bad habits. So here is a list of what not to do, and why you shouldn't do it.

1. Alcohol: Yes I know exactly what you are thinking and I can already here you. "But I have a glass of wine or two at night and it actually helps me sleep". False, false and more false. Alcohol, after stimulating you, will make you sleepy, drowsy and might help you pass out faster, but you will remain in the first phases of sleep (light sleep), and never enter deep restorative sleep. Because of its sedating effect, people with sleep problems tend to drink at night. But even though you may think the results are positive because you were able to fall asleep faster, they are in fact rather negative, because alcohol will actually disturb your sleep cycles and phases. Plus alcohol should not be something you rely upon to fall asleep.

Here is another interesting fact: if you thought drinking earlier in the day would not affect your sleep well think again. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa41.htm) "Alcoholic beverages are often consumed in the late afternoon (e.g., at "happy hour" or with dinner) without further consumption before bedtime. Studies Roehrs, T., and Roth, T. Alcohol-induced sleepiness and memory function. Alcohol Health Res World 19(2):130-135, 1995) show that a moderate dose of alcohol consumed as much as 6 hours before bedtime can increase wakefulness during the second half of sleep. By the time this effect occurs, the dose of alcohol consumed earlier has already been eliminated from the body, suggesting a relatively long-lasting change in the body's mechanisms of sleep regulation" Landolt, H.-P., et al. Late-afternoon ethanol intake affects nocturnal sleep and the sleep EEG in middle-aged men. J Clin Psychopharmacol 16(6):428-436, 1996; Vitiello, M.V. Sleep, alcohol and alcohol abuse. Addict Biol (2):151-158, 1997.)

Another interesting fact about alcohol, is that it actually inhibits the secretion of a hormone called ADH (Anti Diuretic Hormone), which when in normal levels makes you retain the appropriate amount of water. But when you drink alcohol, this hormone stops being produced, and therefore your body looses more water than it should. This is called dehydration. So what does it mean for you? Well the more alcohol you drink, the more your body will dehydrate and this has 2 consequences:

1. When you are dehydrated, you can't sleep well and wake up thirsty in the middle of the night.

2. You wake up in the middle of the night with the urge to urinate.

So here are 2 more ways alcohol disrupts your sleep. Knowing all this, we can come to the conclusion you will be better off without drinking alcohol at all. Does that sound too hard for you? Well you make the choice: the pleasure of booze or restful healthy deep restorative sleep.

2. Nicotine: Do you smoke? Do you find you need that last cigarette at night otherwise you just can't relax from the busy day you had and won't be able to fall asleep. Maybe as you are reading these words it's late, you can't sleep and you have a cigarette between your fingers. Well let me tell you something interesting: just as I said it with alcohol, you'd be better off without it. So put it out right now! Yes you heard me; that last cigarette of the day that is supposed to relax you, will in fact have just the opposite effect.

If you are under the impression the cigarettes you smoke actually help you relax, you have been fooled. Nicotine is a stimulant!

Nicotine stimulates your nervous system, and instead of helping you sleep, it is going to keep you awake and tossing and turning in bed. It has the same effect as drinking a cup of coffee.

Smokers will usually stay in a light sleep and spend less time in deep restorative sleep, and may not even enter deep sleep. Nicotine also reduces the amount of REM sleep. You should now be well aware of the health dangers this leads to. Nicotine withdrawal (the decrease of nicotine level in the body and the need to replenish it) usually tends to wake up the smoker 3 to 4 hours after falling asleep. Long-term chronic smokers may also develop respiratory problems and cough, which greatly interferes with sleep. I remember a man I had met some years ago, a chronic smoker; he had been smoking 1 pack and a half a day for many years. He would cough so much at night he wouldn't sleep; he couldn't lay down more than 10 minutes without coughing and also had trouble breathing. The scary part is he was only 45 years old. So if you are a smoker and would like to improve your sleep, you know what to do! I am not telling you to quit cold turkey; you could at least stop smoking 1 or 2 hours before going to sleep. I know to some of you this seems impossible; well would you rather remain with your sleep problem?

A last word on cigarette smoking: even with all this information available to you, if you decide to keep smoking, and can't give up that last cigarette of the day, please make sure you do not smoke it in bed, or fall asleep with your cigarette lit in your hand. Every year many, many people are injured, and others die in fires caused by someone who fell asleep with a lit cigarette. Be responsible, and you may save lives.

3. Caffeine: If you didn't know it yet, caffeine is, according to wikipedia.com "the world's most popular psychoactive drug". It is widely used for its stimulating effect, to stay alert, and fight sleepiness. It is therefore absolutely logical caffeine should be avoided in all its forms as we get closer to the end of the day. But logic is not always followed. Have you ever found yourself drinking a caffeinated drink less than 6 hours before going to bed? Well if you have this bad habit, change it right away because it can take up to 6 hours for caffeine effects to wear off.
Here are some of the known effects of caffeine:

-Stimulates the central nervous system

-Increases alertness

-Increases heart rate

-Diuretic (makes you urinate more)

-Raises body temperature

Another little known fact is that caffeine is not just found in coffee. As a matter of fact it is contained in many other common foods and it also has different names such as:

-Guaranine

-Mateine

-Theine

And here is a list of the foods we can find caffeine in:

-Coffee

-Soft Drinks

-Chocolate

-Energy drinks

-Tea

-Some Diet Pills

Of course not all theses foods contain the same amount of caffeine. Chocolate for example has a low caffeine content. But did you know that a serving of soft drink contains 10 mg to 50 mg of caffeine, when an average serving of coffee contains 40 mg. You see soft drinks are as much of a stimulant as coffee is. Also know that "decaf" does contain caffeine, but in smaller amount. Odds are, you know you shouldn't drink coffee at night and therefore you avoid it.

But are you avoiding soft drinks as well? If you are drinking a couple of cans of soda within 6 hours of going to bed, you are increasing the caffeine in your body, which in turn stimulates your nervous system, and will make it harder for you to either fall asleep, or stay asleep. You may toss and turn in bed with your eyes open for hours and wonder why you just can't relax and go to sleep; the answer may lie in those cans of soda you had a few hours ago, or even the cup of coffee you had after dinner.

As a rule of thumb, if you have trouble sleeping at night, you should avoid all caffeine containing food within 6 hours of going to bed. You will dramatically increase your chances of going to sleep and staying asleep, you will find it is much easier to relax, turn your mind off and finally get the rest you need.

A side note on caffeine: Some people consider caffeine as a substitute for sleep. They will just disregard their lack of sleep and "compensate" with one cup of coffee after another to stay awake and alert. Knowing what you now know about the importance of sleep, I am sure you understand this is not something you should do. Your body will accumulate fatigue, will not be able to repair itself and will eventually breakdown (disease).

There is absolutely NO substitute for sleep. If you are not sleeping enough, drinking coffee, soda or taking caffeine pills to keep you awake and "functioning" is not a solution. It can become a vicious cycle, leading to addiction: someone does not sleep well at night, wakes up tired without energy and decides to drink coffee all day long to "stay awake". Caffeine accumulates in the system and when the time to sleep comes, this person can't relax and stays wired due to all the coffee drunk during the day. The next day, he wakes up tired again and starts the process over. If this is happening to you, your health could be in serious danger and I would recommend you find a way out of the addiction, and stop relying on coffee. You will be tired at first, maybe even completely exhausted, but your body isn't a machine!

4. Sugar: Sugar is not technically a stimulant but its effects are similar. The intake of sugar will cause a raise in your body insulin level to metabolize it, leading to a surge of energy. Amongst other things sugar stimulates the release of dopamine, which can lead to hyperactivity. Knowing this, you will probably want to stay away from all high sugar content foods, especially refined white sugar. This means no sodas (again), ice cream, candy bars, cookies and many other things!

The average soda, for example, contains about 40 mg of refined sugar, which is equivalent to about 10 teaspoons of sugar. Not only does sugar interfere with sleep but it also leads to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. From now on, make a conscious effort to avoid refined white sugar, and yes you will have to change your habits, but there can't be any results without change. You body will thank you for it.

5. Exercising at night: You must know that exercising at night or shortly before bedtime can have the opposite effect and keep you up. To prevent this sort of problem, you should always avoid exercising close to bedtime. As a rule, do not exercise 3 hours before going to bed. It is much better to exercise in the morning, and if you don't have time, you could start waking up 30 minutes earlier.

As you become familiar with your sleep, understand your natural rhythms, and start getting good quality, deep restorative sleep, you will notice that waking up earlier is actually easy and gives you more energy. Take advantage of this extra time to exercise instead of ending the day with it.

So there you have it 5 sleep killers revealed to you. You know what to do!

Dr. Simon Marmier is dedicated to improving the life of mankind worldwide. He maintains a private wellness practice in northern Spain, where he is helping people regain and maintain optimal health naturally. He is the author of "How To Get A Better And Healthier Sleep Starting Tonight". For more information on sleep, visit his insomnia solution website

By Simon Marmier

We all overindulged this past holiday season and are eager to get back into shape or, in the case of some of us, get into shape. One of the most common New Years resolutions is to lose weight and get fit. Sales for gym equipment and nutritional supplements skyrocket in the month of January. The poor UPS driver experiences a large increase in the number of elliptical trainers and treadmills he has to unload and deliver. And everyone starts researching products that help us get started. "Detox" and "body cleanse" are entered into search engines at lightening speed. In the age of instant everything, we expect to find easy remedies for bad habits.

Unfortunately, there really aren't any quick fixes for bodily abuse. You didn't end up overweight and flabby overnight and the problem isn't going to get fixed without that old fashioned stand-by called effort. But, if you're ready to commit to a lifestyle change, a healthier and leaner body can be achieved. And it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg nor does it have to involve drinking disgusting concoctions while fasting and feeling weak. As a matter of fact, the worst thing you can do is restrict calories by fasting. It puts your body in starvation mode and tells it to save fat.

The other day I made myself a berry, citrus, kale, apple, banana smoothie for breakfast. I couldn't finish it so put the rest in a tall glass, covered it with plastic wrap, and stuck it in the fridge. When I got home, it didn't look all the appetizing so I went to dump it out in the sink. I held the glass upside down and nothing came out. The kale and fruit sediment had apparently absorbed all the liquid and it all became kind of a solid mass. It was a great illustration for what happens in the colon when we don't consume enough liquid to keep things flowing. So, number one on the hit parade of products that we need for a total body cleanse is good, clean water. Sip water all day long. Set a water consumption goal. Increase it daily until you are drinking a healthy amount. An average sized woman needs about 70 ounces of water daily. Drink more if you're physically active.

Nature has provided all you need to keep your body healthy. Manufacturers cannot successfully duplicate what is already available. Fruit and vegetables help clean up your body just fine. The only caveat here is to add them slowly if you're not used to all that fiber. Add one serving each of a fruit and vegetable to your diet daily until you are eating healthy amounts. Kale packs a great nutritional punch. Citrus is a great fruit for cleansing your insides. What you want to avoid is twisting your gut up with too much too soon. Drink lots of water so you don't get clogged up like that mass in the glass I had yesterday. Make a good vegetable fruit smoothie and sip throughout the day. Add some ground flax seed to thicken and add fiber. Flax seed is a great source of Omega 3's and fiber and also has some anti-oxidant properties.

Digestion begins in the mouth. Chew well. Eat slowly. Make sure you're dining in a relaxed atmosphere. Avoid refined sugars and carbohydrates. Switch from coffee to green tea. Add some chamomile in the evening. Dandelion root tea helps clear the system so sip a cup in the afternoon. Have a nice salad for dinner. Make sure to include healthy greens like spinach. Leave out the iceberg lettuce as it has very little nutritional value. Use a basic salad dressing that has an olive oil base. Throw on a few walnuts for protein.

Transit time is important to keep track of so you know you are eating properly and keeping your engine clean. Every now and again, add some beets or some other "dye" to your diet so you can see how long it is taking for food to travel from one end to the other. Carrot juice is a favorite of mine. Experts differ on what constitutes a healthy amount of time for food to commute from to coast but 12 to 24 hours is average for someone consuming adequate fiber.

There's no magic bullet for detoxing or maintaining health. Stay away from recipes that involve putting Epsom salts in any open orifice. Don't spend good money on tinctures that promise quick results. Good nutrient rich food is all any normal body needs to get and stay as clean as nature intended.

By Kirsten Allen

The paleo diet really is more of a lifestyle than a true diet. Its main goal is a healthy living, not direct weight loss. However, this is for many, a side effect of making the required eating habit changes to one's daily diet. There are many benefits to living the paleo way and we will discuss that further in this very article. If you are interested in living a happier, more mentally alert and healthier life, then please keep reading.

The automatic result of changing eating habits to the foods our Paleolithic ancestors ate is, we no longer get bombarded with the complex and dangerous chemicals that are commonly added to the most popular foods in today's grocery stores. It is believed that our bodies have not evolved to properly process many of these chemicals. On the other hand, many of these chemical are plain old Dangerous to our bodies and mental capacity.

Eating real food, not processed foods, will make a noticeable and positive change to your mental and physical health. As stated earlier, this is not technically a diet plan, more of a lifestyle based around making healthy choices to fuel your body with the best wholesome foods possible. The results for many do include weight loss, but please consider the points below when considering what the paleo diet really has to offer to you and anybody who takes the proper steps to make changes in their own life.

Food Coloring May Be Pretty, But...

Did you know many of the most common foods (not found on the paleo diet food list) have food coloring added to them to make them look appetizing? This alone does not sound dangerous, but the actual chemicals to obtain these colors are very problematic. In the 1970's the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) banned red dye no. 2 because it was found that in high doses it would actually cause cancer in laboratory rats. The yellow no. 5 dye was found to increase hyperactivity in children by a British study in 2007 and to worsen asthma symptoms by studies that go back to the 1950's.

Naturally Sweet, Just Makes Sense

High fructose corn syrup has received a lot of negative media in the past few years and for good reason. This sweetener that is derived from corn, an alternative to natural sugar from sugar cane, has some major health concerns connected to it. This sweetener is found in soft drinks, junk food and just about anything that is sweet and carries a decent shelf like at the grocery store. It has been connected to the raise of obesity in America and the body does not metabolize it in the same way as sugar based sweeteners.

Mercury contaminants are found in it and this has yet to be regulated by the FDA. The companies that use this in their foods have spent millions to "educate" the public on its safety, yet the extraction process is still secret and unknown to all. This additive is almost exclusively used in poor quality "food like substances", so that should be enough for you to know you need to stay away from it.

Salty &Healthy Don't Belong In The Same Sentence

Americans love salt. There I said it. Many people love to put extra salt on foods that are already doused with butter (which normally already contains salt) to bring out this familiar taste. There are many dangers of high sodium diets. The most apparent is the hypertension or high blood pressure (that leads to heart issues) that is associated with too much salt in one's diet. In mature adults, high salt intake can lead to premature cognitive decline. Salt also changes the way your kidneys function, not allowing it to regulate the release of water to the body as normal and can lead to kidney stones. Salt can even lead to a skin condition called edema. This condition causes swelling of the extremities.

Living The Paleo Life

There are many other reasons that the paleo diet has become one of the most popular ways to change your health. The reasons discussed here are just the tip of the iceberg. The real magic starts when you realize that removing the things that have a negative impact on your health are magnified by adding more of the healthy vitamins and nutrients found in the foods that are paleo approved. Changing your lifestyle takes time and of course some work, but hopefully you have found enough reasons here that you find the determination to move forward with some healthy changes starting today!

Many people have already realized the benefits of making healthier choices to change the way they look and feel. If you want to be leaner and more mentally tough, it may be time to make some changes in your own lifestyle. Learn more about healthy paleo diet recipes that work and begin your journey to a healthier you!

Want to get started? Grab these free paleo recipes every week and start empowering your body with true health now!

By Nick Simpson

COPD is the abbreviation used for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. It is also known in different names. For example, chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD), chronic obstructive airway disease (COAD), chronic airflow limitation (CAL) and chronic obstructive respiratory disease (CORD). It is a progressive disease which means it gets worse over time. It causes lungs problems and almost destructs them completely. This is one of the major causes of death in almost all the global nations. In USA, it is the fourth highest death cause disease. It is deadly and almost over than 82,000 people die every year due to this. Generally, the COPD life expectancy is very less and also it causes a large number of severe health problems in people. But, on the other hand, if it is detected early due to their early symptoms and also get it treated in its early stages, then the life expectancy can be greatly increased. If not, the sufferer's life will be greatly limited.

The most common symptom of COPD is breathing difficulty. It can be a huge disability that gets worse as this disease progresses. There are many techniques and exercises that help to decrease. Two of the most well known techniques are pursed lip breathing and diaphragmatic breathing. If you ever feel short of breath and you feel like you are suffocating, it helps to remember these quick and easy breathing tips. Sit and relax in a quiet and comfortable place, breathe in and out through your mouth going as fast as you need to, lower your head and shoulders and begin to slow down your exhalations. Repeat this a few times and you will feel a great deal of comfort as these exercises have been proven to help with breathlessness.

Smoking is one of the most biggest causes of COPD. Each year, three million people are dying as the result of smoking related diseases. Exposure to lung irritants such as dust, smoke, air pollution and other chemicals can also be causes for COPD. Quitting smoking can help but as there is no current cure to COPD, getting rid of cigarettes doesn't help much. It only reduces the risk factor by a little but of course, every little action counts towards the defeat of this chronic disease.

The Pathophysiology of COPD is not very easy to understand. Pathophysiology of COPD shows the structural changes in the airways, dysfunction of Cilia and inflammatory responses. It is these three things that lead to the blockage of airways. The inflammatory response of COPD is usually caused by too much smoking. It can also be caused by the inhalation of lung irritants such as pollens, air pollutants, smoke, dust and other chemicals.

Inhalers can be used to treat chronic diseases such as the first symptom of COPD- the chronic cough. The work that the inhalers do is that they push the medicine or drugs directly into the airways when you breathe in. Some people may get some benefits from using these inhalers but some might not. Some people use inhalers regularly and that might help to reduce shortness of breath and some just use it when they are experiencing troubles of wheezing and breathlessness.

Many people die from COPD every year. as there is no current cure for this disease, it is important that it is diagnosed in it's early stages. If you ever notice a sign or symptom that might mean you or someone you know could have COPD, it is important to contact a doctor of health care provider immediately. If this disease is discovered too late, the results can be deadly.

By Tomy Jose

What Is The Excimer Laser?

The Excimer Laser is actually a process using a broad beam of laser energy to be able to reshape the cornea. It has quite a bit of technical hardware and software required for this method, and also the electricity coming from the laser rapidly wore down all of the optical mirrors and lenses used in the procedure. As a result of continual fixes being made to the units, this got to be fairly pricey.

In 1998, the FDA approved a whole new selection of Excimer Lasers that employed a very accurate laser. All of these more recent Excimer Lasers employed a form of scanning system to discover the specific placement of the eye which really needed modification, and as soon as that point was determined, deliver the ray of energy to it. This method was actually a great deal more patient friendly, because there was indeed significantly less anxiety on the individual to remain perfectly still, because the piece of equipment calculated a person's eye defects on its own. It actually was far more accurate when compared to a laser
eye surgeon previously could possibly be plus didn't come along with as much deterioration than the prior lasers did.

Higher Speeds Lasers

Yet another advancement in LASIK is definitely the development of a higher speed laser. Throughout the 90's, laser devices would typically need to have between 30-90 seconds of being exposed, based on just how major corrections were. At this point, laser treatments need to have between 2-30 seconds of exposure. That's really considerable, specially when considering the fact that when the longer the cornea is subjected to this type of atmosphere, there can be increased assortment regarding results.

Utilizing Wavefront Technology

Wavefront technological know-how is an additional advancement in LASIK. Wavefront technology draws on a theory employed by astronomers for several years. Light is sent inside the patient's eyes, and also the light that is replicated back to the PC is in fact recorded. With such calculations, the laser eye surgeon will be able to identify virtually any errors or distortions in the individual's vision.

Utilizing this type of data, the computer could certainly create a 3-D map of the individual's eyes. The technological innovation has the ability of computing aberrations for example nearsightedness and also farsightedness, and halos and starbursts. Wavefront technology has generated exceptional final results. In VISX's FDA medical study, a year after the procedure, 98% of participants got 20/20 eyesight, or even better, not to mention did not really need eyeglasses or even contacts.

All-Laser LASIK

The most up-to-date advancement regarding laser eye surgery is all-laser LASIK, an entirely bladeless surgery. The iFS IntraLASE Femtosecond laser happens to be providing a lot more people the chance to have vision surgery who prior to this were advised they were not hopefuls. Step one with this eyesight procedure is the development of the corneal flap, that prior to this was initially carried out utilizing a microkeratome blade. While using the innovative technology, a laser is in its place employed in this stage, creating a a lot more correct flap faster.

By Janet S. Singleton

By Francheska Craig

insulin (Type II diabetes). Though high blood sugar is a reliable diabetic symptom when diagnosing the disease, it can often be hard to detect directly. More diagnostic are diabetic symptoms that are side effects of high blood sugar that can act as an indicator to the underlying diabetic symptom, and serve as an early warning to the patient that he or she should get tested for diabetes before the diabetic symptoms worsen into more serious conditions.

By Arturo Ronzon

What is Inflammation?

 Inflammation is a natural process with the biological purpose to initiate healing by increasing circulation. It is a complex process involving both the immune system and vascular system and the interplay of various chemical mediators. Increased circulation brings white blood cells and nourishment to the site of injury or infection so that invading pathogens are killed and damage may be repaired. Characteristic signs of inflammation include pain (dolor), heat (calor), swelling (tumor) and redness (rubor).

When Inflammation Goes Awry:

While some inflammation is beneficial and appropriate for healing, chronic or excessive inflammation, serving no purpose produces damage. Chronic inflammation has a bad reputation because it is implicated in various disease processes including (but not limited to)...

- autoimmune diseases
- arthritis
- diabetes
- Alzheimer's disease
- atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries that leads to heart attack and stroke)
- ADD and ADHD
- allergies & asthma
- cancers
- inflammatory bowel disease

Soft tissue swelling and chemical mediators involved in inflammation can also irritate nerve endings, contributing to pain.

What is the Anti-Inflammatory Diet?

It is a well-known fact that different foods are metabolized differently, some promoting inflammation and others reducing it. The purpose of the anti-inflammatory diet is to promote optimal health and healing by choosing foods that reduce inflammation. If one can successfully control excessive inflammation through natural means (like through diet), it reduces one's dependence on anti-inflammatory medications that have unwanted and unhealthy side effects and don't solve the underlying problem. While anti-inflammatory medications (such as NSAIDs) are a quick fix to ease symptoms, they ultimately weaken the immune system by damaging the gastrointestinal tract which plays an important role in immune system function (1).

Anti-inflammatory Diet Basics:

In general, eat an abundance of fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, anti-inflammatory fats and nuts while limiting processed foods, meat protein, milk products, refined sugars, artificial colors/flavors/sweeteners and food sensitivities.

Vegetables:

Eat and Enjoy:

Enjoy an abundance of fresh vegetables and fruits in a variety of colors (preferably organic). Fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber which give the body the essential building blocks for health. Examples include beans, squash, lintels, sweet potatoes, cruciferous vegetables, avocados, dark leafy greens... There are so many choices! As for fruits, pineapple and papaya are particularly good because they are high in bromelain, a powerful natural anti-inflammatory. Fruits and vegetables also make great, healthy snacks.

Avoid / Limit:

Avoid produce that is not grown organically. Toxic chemical residues from herbicides and pesticides can remain and when ingested are foreign irritants to the system. Many crops in North America are also genetically engineered and are put on the market without rigorous scientific study to determine safety for human consumption. Independent research is finally being done to show toxic effects of consuming genetically modified organisms (2). Foreign DNA is randomly inserted into the genome of a crop. Examples include herbicide resistant corn and soy which are resistant to the herbicide Roundup, made by Monsanto. Roughly 90% of all corn and soy sold in North America is genetically modified. Also be aware of derivatives of genetically modified ingredients (such as corn starch and corn syrup etc.). It has also been suggested that consuming GMOs is a contributing factor to the rise in allergies as our bodies are recognizing these food substances as foreign (3). By choosing items with the "certified organic" label, you avoid both GMOs and toxic herbicides/pesticides.

For some people, vegetables in the nightshade family may pose a concern. Examples of nightshade vegetables include tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and eggplant. Nightshades contain alkaloids which are thought to exacerbate inflammation and joint damage in certain susceptible individuals with arthritis (though research is conflicting). Thus, for some individuals, limiting or avoiding nightshade vegetables may be beneficial.

Fats:
Eat and Enjoy:

Enjoy healthy, anti-inflammatory fats including olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, nuts, salmon and sardines. In humans, there are two essential fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3) and linoleic acid (an omega-6). These are "essential" because they are required for good health but the body does not synthesize them. Omega-3 fats are anti-inflammatory. Omega-6 fats can be pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory (as it can be metabolized by two different pathways). Researchers suggest that keeping the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 between 2:1 and 4:1 is best for health. The modern diet tends to be high in omega-6 as it is abundantly available in cooking oils. Thus, including rich sources of omega-3 is important (such as fish, flax and walnuts especially).

Avoid / Limit:

Fats to limit or avoid include margarine, butter, shortening, hydrogenated oils, trans fats, saturated fats, and milk fat. Omega-6 fats are very high in corn oil, safflower oil and sunflower oil. Trans fats are linked with inflammatory diseases (4).

Meat:
Eat and Enjoy:

In general, limit animal proteins because they tend to acidify the body and also promote inflammation. When selecting animal protein, enjoy fish, poultry (especially free-range and organically raised), lamb and omega-3 eggs.

Avoid / Limit:

Limit beef, pork, shellfish and factory farmed eggs. In general, grass-fed is superior to grain-fed. Avoid charred foods, smoked foods and cold cuts. Cold cuts contain nitrates and nitrites which promote cancer. Barbequed foods contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs) which also promote cancer.

Dairy:
Eat and Enjoy:

Enjoy dairy substitutes in moderation (such as almond milk).

Avoid / Limit:

Avoid or limit dairy products in general. This includes milk, yogurt, cheese and ice cream. As we age, we lose the enzyme that digests dairy, resulting in lactose intolerance and inflammation. The milk protein, casein, is also acidifying which (despite what many people are brought up thinking) robs the bones of calcium.

Grains:
Eat and Enjoy:

Enjoy whole grains as opposed to refined grains. Refined grains are grains in which the germ and bran have been removed. This means there is loss of fiber, minerals and vitamins. In other words, the good stuff is removed in exchange for a longer shelf life. Some good examples of healthy grains include (organic) whole wheat/oats/bulgar/coucous, quinoa and whole oats (like steel-cut oats).

Whole grains are also a rich source of complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates (as opposed to simple sugars) will prevent spikes in your blood sugar level. Sugar promotes inflammation.

Avoid / Limit:

Avoid or limit refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pastries, sweet things and pastas.

Nuts:
Eat and Enjoy:

Enjoy nuts and nut butters such as almonds, walnuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and flax.

Avoid / Limit: 

Avoid any specific nut allergies.

Beverages:
Eat and Enjoy:

Enjoy plenty of pure, filtered water (avoiding chlorine, fluoride and other contaminants which are irritants that promote inflammation). Other great choices are lemon water and herbal teas.

Avoid / Limit:

Avoid sugary sodas, fruit juice (with sugar added) and milk.

Spices:
Eat and Enjoy:

Many spices reduce inflammation. Some great examples are turmeric, oregano, rosemary, ginger, garlic and cinnamon. Bioflavenoids and polyphenols reduce inflammation and fight free radicals. Cayenne pepper is also anti-inflammatory, as it contains capsicum. Capsicum is often used in pain-relief creams.

Sweeteners:
Eat and Enjoy:

Enjoy stevia, molasses, maple syrup or honey as better alternatives for refined sugar.

Avoid / Limit:

Avoid refined sugar, fructose and especially high fructose corn syrup which promote inflammation. Avoid artificial sweeteners.

Other:
Eat and Enjoy:

Enjoy fermented foods such as kimchi, miso soup and sauerkraut. Fermented foods are probiotic and help to rebuild the immune system by supporting healthy microflora in the gut and to reduce inflammation. Fermented foods also tend to be easy to digest and are also factories for B vitamins.

Avoid / Limit:

In general, eliminate processed foods, artificial colors, artificial flavors and preservatives. Also avoid foods that you have a known sensitivity or allergy to as this promotes inflammation. Low grade sensitivities are easy to miss, so if you're unsure, have a food allergy test. Some of the most common problem foods include wheat (gluten), corn, soy, milk and nuts.

Everything we need for health, can be found in nature. We just need to choose well. If you need help and ideas of what to eat, there are plenty of anti-inflammatory diet recipe books available.

What Else Can You Do to Reduce Inflammation?

- Chiropractic care boosts immune system and reduces inflammation!
- Reduce exposure to environmental toxins (such as smoke)
- Reduce stress (5)
- Certain types of exercise reduce inflammation - specifically, long term, gradually progressive training, avoiding over-exertion (6)

1) Singh G & Triadafilopoulos G. (1999). Epidemiology of NSAID induced gastrointestinal complications. The Journal of Rheumatology, Supplement; 56:18-24.
2) Seralini, GE, Clair E & Mesnage R et al. (Sept. 2012). Long term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize. Food and Chemical Toxicology.
3) S. J. Khan, S. Muafia, Z. Nasreen and A.M. Salariya. (2012). Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): Food Security or Threat to Food Safety. Pakistan Journal of Science; 64(2):85-91.
4) Lopez- Garcia, E, Schulze, M & Meigs, J et al. (2005). Consumption of Trans Fatty Acids Is Related to Plasma Biomarkers of Inflammation and Endothelial Dysfunction. Nutritional Epidemiology; 135:562-566.
5) Cohena, S, Janicki-Deertsa, D & Doyleb, W et al. (2012) Chronic stress, glucocorticoid receptor resistance, inflammation, and disease risk. Psychological and Cognitive Sciences.
6) Ploeger HE, Takken T, de Greef MH, Timmons BW (2009). The effects of acute and chronic exercise on inflammatory markers in children and adults with a chronic inflammatory disease: a systematic review. Exerc Immunol Rev. 2009;15:6-41.

Dr. Miron, DC, BSc(Hons) graduated Cum Laude with Clinic Honours from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. Dr. Miron witnesses the benefits of chiropractic care every day in her North York chiropractic office. From pain relief to wellness care, chiropractic works!

By Dr. Elisabeth Miron

Nadine Masseron ND DN MRN is a registered naturopathic physician and nutritionist. She is dedicated to increasing awareness about the benefits of natural health.

By Nadine Masseron