Ask Dr. Cheryl

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Inflammation is the root cause of so many of our health issues (1:04)
• Understanding what leaky gut is (1:30)
• Frank Hughe, professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health “Some of the foods associated with Type 2 diabetes and heart disease are also associated with excess chronic inflammation” (2:30)
• Top 5 foods that provoke inflammation (3:02)
• Foods that fight inflammation and lower the risk for other health issues (3:57)
• Look out for a future episode about eating blueberries to fight inflammation (4:05)
• “The most powerful tool to fight inflammation are not found in the pharmacy, but they’re in the grocery store” (5:19)
• “Adding an omega-3 fat source at least twice a week slashes the risk of dying from heart disease by more than a third” - Harvard researchers (5:45)
• Omega-3s can protect against menopause (6:12)
• How to get the recommended daily amount of omega-3s when you don’t like fish (6:18)

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Transcript:

What would you eat, drink, or take in order to lower inflammation in your body? Hi, I'm Dr. Cheryl, and welcome to the Dr. Cheryl Wellness podcast, where together we'll learn how food can be your comfort and your cure. I'm a doctor of clinical nutrition who created a proven 20 point nutrition and lifestyle score that can add 10 healthy years to your life and even better, help you feel great today. I have worked for 20 plus years with patients and shown them how to live and eat in such a way that symptoms disappear. Weight is dropped and food is enjoyed. People who take our health score and get an 18 plus out of 20 have seen remarkable life change and longevity. Our members place health in their own hands and know food is the best and tastiest medicine, and it helps us live younger longer. If you wanna find out your score now, head to drcherylwellness.com.

Today we get to unpack a problem that research is showing us is the root cause for almost every chronic illness. What is causing so many problems in our bodies? It's inflammation. Let's take a dive into what causes inflammation and how to get anti-inflammatory foods to fight the battle for us. So what causes inflammation in the body? Let's start with the immune system. Your body's immune system is activated when it recognizes anything foreign in it. This could be invading microbes, plant pollens, chemicals, or even an unhealthy leaky gut, which is essentially when large proteins leak into the blood and they're recognized as a foreign substance. When your immune system recognizes these as foreign invaders, it triggers inflammation. Now it's important to clarify, short-term inflammation actually protects your health. Intermittent bouts of inflammation with heightened immune response. When there's a true threat to your body, protect your health.

For example, when you get a hit by a cold or a flu, you'll be thankful for your immune system's ability to fight it off with good inflammation, but you don't want your body to stay in that state. So what are the risks of chronic inflammation? The problem is when inflammation persists day in and day out, when you're not threatened by a true invader, that's when inflammation can become your enemy. The major diseases that plague us are including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, arthritis, depression, and Alzheimer's diseases are all linked to chronic inflammation.

That's why we need to eat anti-inflammatory foods. Dr. Frank Hu is a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health and he says some of the foods associated with type two diabetes and heart disease are also associated with excess chronic inflammation. Inflammatory foods are also associated with weight gain. However, weight gain isn't considered the sole risk factor for inflammation. Inflammation is considered more related to the compounds in the foods and the beverages in the diet than it is to being overweight. So you might be wondering what foods are pro-inflammatory, meaning they're increasing our inflammation. Here's the top five: red meat and processed meats including bacon, hotdogs, lunch meats and cured meats, processed sugars and processed grains such as white bread and pastries, margarines with hydrogenated fats like shortening and large soda, and other sugar sweetened beverages, and french fries with other fried foods. And this is a big deal. That's why when you take the score I created, two of the 20 points are related to limiting red meat and processed meats along with limiting processed sugars in the diet. The best way to combat inflammation is not in the medicine cabinet. It's in your refrigerator and your pantry. That's the good news. Eating the right foods can fight off inflammation for good.

Now, I'm sure you want to know what foods and beverages reduce inflammation and therefore reduce your risk for chronic diseases like heart disease and type two diabetes. And these are my recommendations. Fruits and vegetables like blueberries. Check out the episode on brain food for more on blueberries. Cherries, oranges, apples, and leafy greens like collards and kale and veggies, like tomatoes and nuts like walnuts and almonds, olive oil. One of my favorite ways to decrease inflammation is by eating flax seed. It has a host of other benefits, including a cancer fighter and a great source of soluble fiber, which means it heals the gut and it lowers cholesterol. It's also easy to add to a smoothie or to your oatmeal or a bowl. And then omega-3 fats are super important because there's omega-3 fats found in whole plant foods like flaxseed, chia seeds, walnuts, and soybeans. They're also found in the fatty fish like salmon and sardines. And if you're going to eat foods that have a mother, these are the ones I would pick and omega-3 supplements with flaxseed oil or fish oil.

The foods that lower chronic inflammation in the body are mostly unprocessed, whole plant foods and should be eaten every day. The score includes all of these healing anti-inflammatory foods. So if you want a perfect 20 on the score, you'll be eating all of these things and getting all of the anti-inflammatory benefits that we're talking about. Reducing inflammation in the body doesn't just reduce your risk for chronic diseases. It also improves mood, mental clarity, arthritis, and overall health and wellbeing. Research has concluded that the most powerful tool to fight inflammation are not found in the pharmacy, but they're in the grocery store.

Choose the anti-inflammatory foods and you may be able to reduce your risk of illness, Consistently choose the pro-inflammatory foods and you can accelerate the inflammatory disease process. You are in control of what you put in your body and how you feel today and down the road. Let's revisit the power of the omega-3 fats. Harvard researchers found that adding omega-3 fat sources or supplementation at least twice a week slashes the risk of dying from heart disease by more than a third. Many researchers have concluded that these health benefits are based on the omega-3 fats that are lowering inflammation, which protects against arthritis, dementia, and even menopause symptoms. Yes, even menopause symptoms. Researchers suggest that omega-3 fats may stop night sweats and protect against depression, mood swings that are brought on by hormone fluctuation. Not a fan of fish? That's okay. You can get the recommended 1500 milligrams of omega-3 fats daily from soybeans, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseed. If you do like fish, choose a fatty fish like salmon or sardines, or you can take an omega-3 fatty acid supplement. Want to know if you're getting your omega-3s daily? Would you get a point for having flax seed today? Find out by taking your score today at drcherylwellness.com. Not only would you earn a point on the score, but you could be feeling the difference in your body right now. Every recipe on drcherylwellness.com will fight inflammation within your body. 12 points of the score were created just to fight inflammation in the body.

Want to know how you score? Click the link in our show notes to take your score today. Ready for personalized nutrition? Become a member today. See you on the inside. Thank you for listening to the Dr. Cheryl Wellness podcast, where together we'll learn how food can be your comfort and your cure.