
Is inflammation affecting your digestion?

How will you show up for yourself today?
As I write this I am knee deep in the busyness of the final days of summer. Coordinating back to school schedule changes, cramming in all the “fun stuff” before school begins… The end of summer and the beginning of fall are usually a time for change for many of us. Amdist all this change, have you taken the time to notice how YOU’VE been feeling lately?
You’re worth it! Check-in with yourself. Have you been feeling tired or fatigued lately? Experiencing brain fog, headaches, bloating, gas? Do you feel achy or inflamed? Joint pain? Sleep issues? Weight gain or the inability to lose weight? Take a good hard look and see what comes up for you.
It’s time to pay more attention to yourself. If you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms (or more), it’s time to pay closer attention to the likely culprit – chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation builds slowly over time, and silently and insidiously wreaks havoc with our health. Most of the time, we don’t even realize it! All the normal signs and symptoms I referenced above normally aren’t thought about, or linked to, chronic inflammation in our everyday life. However, it’s the root cause of all of it. Chronic inflammation has been shown to be the root cause of most diseases – cancer, alzheimer’s, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, all autoimmune diseases (and the list goes on). Those signs and symptoms you are experiencing are telltale signs that you have some sort of chronic inflammation within your body and it’s time to pay attention.
Enough doom and gloom! There are things you can do about it! You have the power to reverse and prevent chronic inflammation – isn’t that exciting???? You have control over your diet, your lifestyle and habits, the supplements/herbs you take. You have control over the elements and components that can help you fix inflammation and that can help you prevent it.
Where to start? Start with your diet. Become a detective. Start paying attention to how certain foods you eat make you feel. For example, when you eat a lof of fried foods – how does your body react? Do you feel bloated? Do you notice swelling or bloating after drinking alcohol? How does dairy from cows make you feel? Flours? Refined sugars? Wheat based grains? I could go on. Even “healthy” foods – how does your body react to citrus fruit, tomatoes, red peppers, nuts, seeds, soy products?
Every person’s body is different and reacts differently to the compounds within our foods. The very first step in taking back control is to notice what affects you negatively. Food matters. The types of food, the quality of your food – it matters. Additionally, how your body process and absorbs the nutrients in your food matters. How healthy is your gut? Fixing your gut can be a key component in handling inflammation buildup.
Where to look next? Lifestyle changes. Sleep and exercise are super important. Are you moving your body enough? Movement helps the detox process. Are you sleeping well – our bodies do a lot of cleaning up while we sleep. Are you allowing ample time for recovery, relaxation, rest? Are you doing things that make you happy? All of these have impacts upon your physical body and levels of inflammation.
What to layer in last? Supplements/Herbs. Once you know you’re body is healthy enough to absorb nutrients properly it’s imperative that you are getting the nutrients you need each day to combat/prevent the long-term effects of chronic inflammation. With supplements remember – food first! That’s the first and best source (the one your body can use in the best way possible). Some of the heavy-hitters here? A high quality multi-vitamin, methylated B-complex, D3, Magnesium, ALA, vitamins and minerals that support your detox processes. There are also a variety of healing herbs at your disposal – but I would tread carefully and consult with an expert. Herbs are very strong medicine and should be tailored and carefully considered for each individual person. The type of herbal support depends heavily on the type of inflammation as well as the constitution of the person.
Too much to take in? Don’t be overwhelmed or discouraged. Take it one step at a time – start with your diet and then make small improvements over time. Chronic inflammation has built up over days, months, years and even decades – it’s not an overnight fix. Small, consistent improvements will help you get there! I’m always here to help if you need it!
Schedule your free 1-on-1 discovery call today. Let’s talk about YOU! Your concerns, your challenges and where you want to be. Let’s talk through some possible solutions! https://calendly.com/svitaleholistichealth/discovery-call