Reducing Silent Inflammation

Silent inflammation is a killer.  I was watching Dr. Oz last week and he was talking amount many things and he mentioned inflammation and how it is the start of all disease....how it is not good to have it in our bodies.  He always scares me when I watch his show.  It is just TOO informative and makes me so AWARE of what I might be doing wrong and what I need to change.  In particular he was talking about gargling...how if we do not gargle, mucus and inflammation literally builds up in the back of our throats and esophagus-es and blocks oxygen.  Gargling reduces it.  I have always been an intermittent gargler.  My bottle of Listerine lasts me a long time.  Since last week, I have been using it each day!

After doing some more reading on the new, I learned about silent inflammation.  How aches and pains, back pain, coughs and headaches are due to that.  Well, I have had this awful cough since Christmas.  Now I have the feeling of inflammation.  I know that it borders on paranoia but I feel filled up and overrun by it.  And I feel the pressing desire to be rid of it. Silent inflammation is manifested by the coughs, aches and pains.   Food is the answer. Food is the solution.

Good fats are one thing that can reduce inflammation.  I grew up taking cod liver oil everyday. My mother was a firm believer in  wheat germ, worm medicine and cod liver oil.   I actually liked it.  I have some in the refrigerator right now that I will be taking when I get home.  I have yet to convince my child it is a good thing.   Ginger  is also something that will reduce inflammation...the fresh kind.  Eating the right kind of sugars can also reduce inflammation.  Starches are wrong and the fruit sugars are the better choice.  So, more fresh fruits like: apples, apsaragus, beans, broccoli, blackberries, blueberries, cabbage, cantaloupe, citrus fruits, green beans, honeydew melon, kiwi, leafy greens, peaches, pears, plums, raspberries, spinach and strawberries.

The best thing we can do is get rid of the free radicals that are everywhere. Antioxidants are what we all need.  These are the things that will keep cancers away.  The key foods we need here are berries, kale and other leafy green vegetables, grains like quinoa , seaweeds or sea vegetables and cacoa or chocolate. The  darker the better.  I feel like I am ready to make a change.  Really.  Less meat and more fruits and vegetables.  I am already a seaweed fan so that will not be an issue.  Seaweed and its benefits are something I have been able to teach my child.  She will eat that with no problem.

I am planning a radical change within this next two weeks.  I am so anxious to have this horrible lingering, inflammation filled cough go away.  We all need to begin to see food as medicine, pay attention to our bodies in regards to inflammation and eat lots of antioxidant filled foods.  Here is to a lifestyle change. And...a big thanks to Dr. Oz for making me so aware of what I need to do!

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Seaweed and Benefits!

I have recently discovered the wonderful world of seaweed! I went to my local Earthfare and found quite a few things there! I ended up leaving the store with a large package of dried seaweed and a shaker of seaweed and sesame seeds to sprinkle on salads and rice dishes! The benefits are out of this world and it is a secret to long life that we Americans need to embrance.

What are some of the benefits of eating seaweed? Seaweed is really a super food packed with essential vitamins and minerals and rare minerals as well. They have a variety of antioxidants that help prevent against a variety of diseases like cancer.

• Seaweed as well as seaweed extract help in detoxification of body.
• Seaweeds in any form are beneficial for skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.
• When added to your food, seaweed extract makes your food 'high fiber food', which helps improve your digestive health and also overall health.
• Alginate from seaweed helps increase metabolism and thus, can prevent weight gain from consumption of high-fat, high-calorie foods.
• Seaweed or seaweed extract can enhance the functioning of the immune system, helping the body fight viral infections such as herpes.
• Seanol, a powerful antioxidant from seaweeds helps boost energy and mental alertness. It inhibits the growth of free radicals which helps reduce the chances of cancer cells growth.
• Seaweed can relieve symptoms of osteoarthritis by around 15%. An increase in mobility and reduction in pain is noticed in patients of arthritis after regular use of seaweed extract.

I do like seaweed and believe in the health benefits. The challenge is now to get a teen to eat seaweed!? She eats the sprinkled variety because I do not tell her what it is and she thinks it is finely chopped spinach! She is going to be healthy even if it kills me!

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder.~~Unknown~~