Do you feel tired?
Are you experiencing unexpected mood swings and unexplained body composition changes?
All of these symptoms can be linked to aging, menopause and chronic inflammation.
Take Heart, there is good news!
With a few small swaps in your diet and shifts in your routine, you can significantly reduce these symptoms.
Chronic Inflammation, Aging, and Menopause.
Here's the truth, chronic inflammation increases with aging and during menopausal hormone changes. But what exactly is 'Chronic' Inflammation?
The word inflammation has received a bad rap because we fear it and know it's not a good thing.
I hope to break down the why, so we can begin to address our health proactively.
Acute vs Chronic Inflammation.
Acute inflammation is a response to an injury or infection which causes visible symptoms like redness, swelling, and pain.
Chronic inflammation is a long-lasting inflammatory response that can go on for months or even years, and has less noticible symptoms, but with potentially harmful effects on our body.
Acute inflammation is our body's immediate defense mechanism, chronic inflammation becomes a problem, because it exists for a long time.
Furthermore, our diet, what we eat & drink every day, is a significant contributor to chronic inflammation. Why? Because when we consistently eat pro-inflammatory foods, we are constantly feeding the fire of chronic inflammation.
Chronic inflammation is linked to weight gain, drowsiness, skin problems, mood disruptions, cognitive decline, digestive issues, and a host of diseases.
In fact, living in a constant state of chronic inflammation exposes our body to many autoimmune diseases;
Cardiovascular Disease
Neurological Disease
Autoimmune Disease
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Cancer
Lupus
Fibromyalgia
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Diabetes
Obesity
Cancer
An anti-inflammatory diet removes or limits our body’s exposure to triggering invaders such as preservatives, chemicals, and processed carbohydrates. Instead of highly processed and engineered nutrition, we get back to basics and eat real food: fruits, veggies, lean protein, healthy fats, and fiber.
What Can I Do?
Let's look at what we are doing each and every day that's either supporting our health, or actually fanning the flames of chronic inflammation.
Reduce Inflammation.
What do you eat and drink each day? Let's begin here.
Coffee is a favorite morning beverage, and many of us enjoy adding cream and sugar, or a bottled creamer and artificial sweetner, believeing we are making a better choice.
When we daily add these additions to our morning brew, we are inviting in common triggers of chronic inflammation to our coffee.
Coffee Upgrades.
Quality matters: organic, mold and heavy metal free is our best choice. When we drink a low-quality coffee that's been contaminated with mold, mytotoxins, and heavy metals, we could be adding stress to our body. Most grocery store brands aren't tested for purity, and poor storage conditions can lead to mold and toxic contamination that contributes to an inflammatory response.
Since coffee is consumed daily, taking the time to upgrade your brew is important.
Source your beans and find an organic toxin-free blend you enjoy.
Here's some good options.
Lifeboost - lifeboostcoffee.com
Atlas - atlascoffeeclub.com
Four Sigmatic - foursigmatic.com
Purity - puritycoffee.com
Subtle Earth Organic - donpablocoffee.com
Sourcing your coffee and finding a brand that you really enjoy is something worth the effort and expense.
Now consider what's also going into your morning cup?
Ditch the bottled or powdered creamers and artificial sweetners. There's nothing good inside these products and they are harming your body.
I always suggest that black, organic well-sourced coffee is a great option. But many of us, me included like something besides coffee in our cup.
Organic, grass-fed milk, half & half or heavy cream
Full-fat canned coconut milk
Organic ghee or mct oil
Vanilla, cinnamon, cacao powder or cardamom
pinch of sea salt [it really balances the coffee]
If coffee isn't your jam, peppermint tea is excellent to perk up your sluggish mornings, and ginger tea is a spicy and delicious drink that can also help to reduce inflammation; both can aid with digestion.
If you don’t want to give up the caffeine, green tea is rich in polyphenols which are powerful antioxidants that can help to fight inflammation.
Hydrate throughout the Day.
Here is a game-changer: Instead of soda, try a thirst-quenching infusion of still or sparkling water with lemon and cucumber. Orange slices and mint are other delicious combinations. A pinch of sea salt will add back those necessary minerals lost in our need to filter our water.
Snack Wisely.
Be careful with your 'snacks'. I suggest you think of these in-between foods as a support to your dietary choices to fuel well instead of a treat. That said, your snack should contain protein + a good quality fat. This will actually satisfy your hunger and keep your blood sugar stable. Instead of insulin spiking choices like a muffin or bar, try a greek yogurt cup with nuts, meat stick, veggies & hummus, hard boiled eggs, or cheese. There are some good options that are already pre- packaged - perfect for carrying along on your day.
Be Prepared.
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.- Benjamin Franklin
When it comes to healthy, anti-inflammatory eating, a key is to manage your stress instead of eating sugary, carby foods. This is vital to our health so spending some time preparing some meals or snacks will really help your health. I can’t emphasize the importance of food prepping enough.
Truth.
We rarely make healthy choices when rushed, tired, or under stress. Knowing what to eat, how much to eat, when to eat, and then preparing your meals is a discipline that pays off and provides a healthy, balanced, anti-inflammatory diet.
Meal prep helps you have a few staple foods to prepare and cook ahead in batches, then use in several different ways.
Well-balanced doesn’t have to be boring. One hour of food prep on Sunday equals healthy eating all week, and you won’t have to worry about dinner each night.
Try This.
Make use of mason jars to store snacks and meals for on the go meals.
Hummus & Veggies.
Add hummus to the bottom of a 1/2 pint jar.
Sprinkle with Everything But The Bagel seasoning.
Place carrot sticks, celery and cucumber slices on top of hummus.
Add a lid and store in fridge.
Berries & Cream.
Place berries in bottom of 1/2 pint jar.
Layer 1/2 cup greek plain yogurt.
Sprinkle with nuts & cinnamon.
Add a lid and store in fridge.
Buffalo Eggs.
Peel & cut 1-2 hard boiled eggs.
Add a dollop of prepared Buffalo Sauce to each egg half. You can mix the buffalo sauce with the yolks and then replace it in the whites [Primal Kitchen makes a great sauce].
Place eggs in a jar, add a lid &store in fridge.
Make Dinner Easy.
We all experience the lack of creativity at the end of the day and find ourselves looking in the fridge for magical inspiration!
When I take an hour or two each week to make ahead some parts of what we will eat, I can usually put something together that actually tastes good fast.
Why not...
Roast a chicken or two, break it down into portions to use throughout the week.
Roast a large tray of your favorite veggies to enjoy throughout the week. They will store beautifully until you need them.
Make some egg bites.https://www.janlindquistntp.com/post/baked-egg-bites
Buy pre-cut veggies.
Purchase organic frozen vegetables to pop in the air fryer.
Make a batch of Chia Pudding https://www.janlindquistntp.com/post/protein-packed-chia-pudding
Create Mason Jar Salads for quick lunches.
Place your favorite dressing in the bottom of a quart mason jar.
Add a protein.
Add nuts, cheese,chopped vegetables, & fruit
Finish with leafy greens
I love a deconstructed burrito bowl with black beans, ground beef, chopped tomatoes & onions, guacamole & salsa.
Or try a Thai inspired salad with shrimp, peppers, pickled onions, grated carrots, roasted cashews, and spinach.
The point is to find something to make ahead and have ready for your busy week, so you won't be tempted to fill your body with inflammatory foods that are not serving you well, especially during these challenging years.
There's no prize for you if you cook all your meals at home, so if meal prepping isn’t your thing or you just can’t carve out the time, consider stocking up on grab & go meals.
Try;
Hungryroot - eat.hungryroot.com
Green Chef - greenchef.com
Factor - factor75.com
Kevin's - kevinsnaturalsfoods.com
Costco for lots of grab & go items. [Here's what I buy].
Canned Fish for a quick salad [Season Sardine Fillets, Kirkland Wild-caught Salmon, Safe Catch Wild Ahi Yellowfin Tuna]
Sweet Kale Chopped Salad Kit [ditch the dressing]
Mixed Spring Greens or Romaine
Avocados, Mushrooms & Fresh Organic Berries
Organic Raw Cucumbers, Celery, & Carrots
Nature's Garden Organic Trail Mix Snack Packs
Organic Hemp Hearts, Nature's Intent Organic Chia Seeds
Organic Frozen Berry Blend
Kirkland Organic Frozen Vegetables
Pura Vida Frozen Vegetable Blends [really yummy}
Kirkland Organic Roasted Seweed Snacks [pair with boiled eggs for a super snack]
Frozen Wild Caught Alaska Sockeye Salmon
Chicken Skewers [in the deli case]
Chomps Beef Sticks
Bellwether Farms A2 Organic Whole Milk Yogurt
Manchego, Gouda, Parmesean and other imported cheeses
Raw Nuts
Remember, you will have to carefully read the labels to avoid the addition of added sugar, dairy , gluten and inflammatory oils .
Take all the help you need to make sure you have delicious anti-inflammatory meals ready to go, because this can be a game changer for eating well.
When we feel worn down and stressed, we fall into the habit of letting meal prep go and just grab whatever is easiest like chips, or fast comfort food, like pizza or take-out.
To avoid falling back into old habits, start each morning by taking 10 minutes to consider the day ahead.
What's my schedule going to allow?
Will I actually be cooking tonight?
Is there something I can put together easily?
Do I need to defrost something?
This short time each day creates focus and a reminder that eating well will be the very best choice, and helps us to be able to face what our day will bring.
Recognizing feelings of stress and finding ways to reduce stressors can be a huge leap toward improved health. Pizza always tastes so good while we are eating, but for many of us, it's the beginning of a downward spiral.
Real Life.
The best of intentions can still end up with us feeling rushed and harried. Keep simple ingredients for grab and go snacks to avoid the vending machines and drive thru windows. Quick and easy staples to have ready and waiting are string cheese, pre-measured nuts, hard boiled eggs, or single serve guacamole or hummus and pre-cut veggies for dipping.
Get Moving! Incorporating a mix of some cardiovascular activity you enjoy, weight or resistance training and yoga or stretching each week will help to manage stress while strengthening your heart, lungs, muscles and bones.
Avoid consuming caffeine late in the day and reduce or avoid alcohol consumption that can tank your progress.
Goodnight - Sweet Dreams.
Finally, our body needs time to fully rest and repair. We often miss the importance of sleep in how our body functions and no amount of healthy foods, mindfulness practices, or exercise can replace the necessity for its restorative powers.
Sleep is where our body regenerates on a cellular level.
For instance, human growth hormone is secreted in higher levels during deep sleep, hunger triggering hormones are regulated, and the stress hormone, cortisol, decreases.
Lack of sleep can cause weight gain and moodiness and increase the risk of diabetes and autoimmune recurrence.
Optimal Sleep Strategies.
Download the app; Circadian to help align your lifestyle for better sleep support.
Wake with the sunrise and get outside.
Avoid blue light exposure 2 hours before bedtime.
Wear blue-light blocking glasses after sunset.
Turn off your screens and open the pages of a book.
Make sure your bedroom is at a comfortable, cool temperature.
Don’t consume caffeine late in the day.
Avoid alcohol.
Make your room dark so your circadian rhythms can get in synch.
Go to bed early and practice deep breathing to slow your pulse.
To optimize a healthy body and combat the effects of diminishing hormones there are several factors working together to keep our body running without the glitches caused by chronic inflammation.
None of these alone are the magic bullet, so try adding them in one, by one.
Remove the dietary and environmental stressors that initiate inflammation.
Make simple, healthy food swaps to sustain a happy gut, reduce inflammatory responses, and stabilize blood sugar.
Practice self-care, like meditation, gentle movement, massage and connecting with others.
Help de-stress by getting your blood pumping through exercise.
Prioritize sleep by setting up a regular time to go to bed and wake each day.
Move The Needle - a lifestyle approach to life long health.
Have you become discouraged with your lack of progress?
Do you feel as though nothing ever changes?
Are you weary of making changes and then something happens, and you find yourself back at square one?
Are you finally ready to find a way to move away from the diet culture model, and find a permanent life-long path to live well throughout your years.
I can help you find a way to live free from the constant need to "get back on track" and learn sustainable, real ways to incorporate real, whole foods to support better health and improve your outcomes.
This is NOT a class or program, but an individualized approach designed just for you.
You can find everything you need to know right here.
click; Explore Services.
Thanks for reading,
Jan
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