What's the deal with inflammation and why should you care?

Inflammation and “anti-inflammatory” are terms we hear a lot these days, but how many actually know what it means? Essentially, inflammation means there’s an internal fire building within your body. Inflammation in the body begins due to acidosis brought on by what you eat, drink, breathe and what you put on your skin. Even your emotional state (stressed anyone?) can cause a rise in acid levels. It is initially the body’s normal response to injuries, infections and other hazardous conditions.

There are two forms of inflammation: Local and systemic/chronic.

Local Inflammation is confined to a specific area of the body. It works to prevent harmful substances from spreading.

Systemic/chronic inflammation can go unnoticed for years until you finally started showing symptoms. It occurs when the body is constantly in a state of attack fending off . can be caused by a number of factors. The key thing to remember is that the body is not set up to deal daily with toxins, infectious agents or other harmful items. A little is fine, a lot is what causes inflammation to become chronic because the body is constantly fighting.

Initially inflammation is a GOOD thing because it means your body is beginning to detect crisis and using inflammation to ward that off. It is when we continue to self abuse in the same way that the body has no choice but to keep increasing the inflammation levels until disease develops.

Food is one of the main mitigating factors of inflammation. Every food we eat causes either an alkaline (or calming) effect on the body, or an acidic (fiery) effect on the body. Some foods are neutral but many go from one side to the other. The inflammation can be a slow burn, as in chronic rashes, minor infections, poor immune system etc. Or it can manifest in chronic or serious illnesses such as diabetes, autoimmune disorders or cancers. A change in eating habits or a diagnosis of a food allergy can have a significant impact on controlling and preventing systemic inflammation.

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