The Stupid Saying: ‘’what You Don’t Know Can’t Kill You-Part 1

A client walks into the consulting room complaining of pain in the fingers and legs (arthritis), her gum bleeds (gingivitis), and she experiences chest pains which radiates to her back (gastritis). She is only 33 years old and wants to know what was going on in her life. Lest I forget, she is already on pain killers for her arthritis and Nugel for her gastritis but she is unaware of the underlying factor contributing to all her health predicaments.

Well for your information, it all bores down to inflammation. Have you realized that all her disease condition end in itis; well it means inflammation. She has arthritis (inflammation of the joints), gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and gastritis (inflammation of the stomach).

Inflammation, In fact chronic inflammation has been identified as the cause of many diseases ranging from diabetes to heart disease. Since I encourage most of my clients to adhere to non-pharmacological treatments, I was curious to inquire further. I asked about her eating habits, physical activities, sleeping hours and her general quality of life. I came to the conclusion that she invited these diseases upon herself. She was obese and did not exercise. Also her taste buds yearned for highly processed or refined foods and soft drinks. I explained to her that her diet, sedentary lifestyle, coupled with lack of sufficient sleep and increased stress were causing all her predicaments. I told her what to do that could help improve her overall health. Also, I encouraged her to get enough sleep and take anti-inflammatory foods like green leafy vegetables, pineapples and other fruits, turmeric, tomatoes, chia seeds and flaxseeds. Scientists have identified the common denominator implicated in most diseases as well as reducing one’s life span, and that is inflammation. Inflammation increases with aging, but can be kept under control.

So What Is Inflammation? What most health care practitioners overlook is the impact of inflammation on the body and the fact that it can be reduced drastically. We all have encountered inflammation at some point in our lives. If you’ve sprained an ankle during a football game, you may have noticed swelling at the point where the injury happened. That is acute inflammation. It is the body’s way of telling us that there is something wrong and that it is protecting itself from further damage. Hence, Inflammation is a vital part of the immune system's response to injury and infection. That is; It is the body's way of signaling the immune system to heal and repair damaged tissue, as well as defend itself against foreign invaders, such as viruses and bacteria. Acute inflammation helps by removing dead cells and helping in the regeneration of new cells. However, when inflammation becomes chronic, it is no longer a healthy immune response for healing the body; instead it becomes a disease causing agent. Practically every chronic disease has inflammation as the underlying cause. So what are the Causes of Inflammation? Being obese or overweight: having a waist size of over 35 inches (for woman) and over 40 inches (for men), Eating refined carbohydrates, high sugar diets and saturated fatty oils, being Pre-diabetic or diabetic, leaving a sedentary lifestyle or lack of physical activity as well as indulging in prolong sitting, Smoking tobacco as well as drinking too much alcohol and not getting enough rest or exposing yourself to chronic stress. In fact our diet and lifestyle plays a key role in Inflammation. For instance, since we adopted the standard Western diet, inflammation is on the ascendency. Years ago, when our fore fathers were mainly farmers, half of the health complaints we hear of today were non-existent. This is because that ate healthier and travelled long distances to their farms serving as a form of regular physical activity. Basically eliminating all the foods linked to inflammation and replacing them with whole-food diets, can help one to reverse the effects of the disease and actually cure it. The processed and refined foods that associated with Western diets will rather increase our predicaments and lead us into the temptation if taking drugs to reverse these chronic diseases. This goes to show that diet can play a huge role in how our bodies react to disease. The number one culprit in inflammation is sugar. These days, People are consuming sugar in many forms. When sugar enters the body, it releases inflammatory toxins that result in different types of inflammation. Sugar causes glycation and turns proteins into toxins. These hybrid proteins are referred to as AGEs (Advanced Glycation End Products). By eliminating sugar from ones diet, we can prevent these AGEs from forming in our bodies. Another key factor in chronic inflammation is our lifestyle. We prefer to drive everywhere even to the gym, instead of walking. When I sit in Trotro and I see people board the bus only to alight at two-three stops always, I get so irritated. Inactivity, combined with consumption of high processed foods leads to weight gain and inflammation. In fact, obesity is a now a problem even in children. Also many people have adopted the mind-set that certain diseases are just a part of aging and that everyone will die one day. By this thinking, they live their lives as if there is no tomorrow and are ever ready to embrace all health problems as part of life. Getting older does not mean you have to succumb to illness and disease. In fact in an upcoming article, I will demonstrate to you how stroke is not a disease of old age but rather a result of ones’ doing. Most people who suffer stroke in their old age could have prevented it with the decisions they took in their active years. Remember that, not all old people are confined to walking aids and wheelchairs. Finally, stress is another cause of inflammation. It has a huge effect on our bodies in various ways. We are all guilty in one way or the other. When we are stressed out or don’t get adequate sleep, the body secretes more cortisol, which is the driver of inflammation.

Having knowledge about inflammation and being committed to its prevention, is ones sure bet to longevity and a happy life.

By Dr (MH) Ernest Aggrey, 0543999776/[email protected]