I had a conversation with an acquaintance who proudly told me that she was happy to be in good health in her late 50's.

This is how she described "good health":

• Her cholesterol was under control with Lipitor
• Her blood pressure stayed right around 120/80 with atenolol
• Nexium kept her acid reflux at bay
• Metformin brought her A1C down to under 6%

THAT'S good health? 

This woman is anything BUT healthy.  What she has is a chemically-induced absence of symptoms.

Sadly, people like this sickly, medicated woman are increasingly common in our society today. 

What's behind these health horrors?

While there are many reasons for our abysmal states of health, the number one underlying cause is chronic inflammation.

Chronic inflammation is a leading factor behind all these conditions:

• Autoimmune diseases (Crohn’s disease, colitis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.)
• Heart disease; atherosclerosis
• Elevated cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Cancer
• Accelerated aging
• Type 2 diabetes; elevated blood sugar
• Degenerative joint disease
• Arthritis
• Asthma and allergies
• Eczema

According to the CDC, chronic inflammatory conditions are responsible for at least 7 out of 10 deaths in the US each year.

Put out the fire!

Hopefully, you’ve gotten the idea that controlling and minimizing your body’s level of inflammation would be in your best interest.  After all, your health and life may depend on it! 

And the best place to start is with your DIET—by avoiding foods that are notorious for stirring up inflammation.

Here are the 10 worst inflammatory foods that you should avoid at all cost, followed by how you can help reduce chronic inflammation safely and naturally.

[[big21- Sugar in all forms

Sugar stirs up inflammation in your arteries, increasing your risk of heart disease.  Plus it feeds cancer cells. 

Especially dangerous is the highly used, cheap form of sugar known as high fructose corn syrup.  Your liver must break down all the fructose you eat (versus only 20 percent of the glucose), so consuming HFCS puts a tremendous strain on your liver. 

Plus HFCS doesn’t get “burned up” for energy—it turns into fatty acids, excess cholesterol and triglycerides—all risks for heart disease.

And it’s made from GE corn to boot!

2- Refined carbohydrates

Unlike good carbs like fresh vegetables, refined carbohydrates have little nutritive value and turn to sugar upon digestion.  This makes them no different than #1 above.

Refined carbs have been shown to trigger inflammation in the gut, increasing your risk of inflammatory bowel disease.

3- Vegetable oils

Vegetable oils are unstable and very prone to damage by oxidation.  When heated they form dangerous compounds similar to deadly trans-fats. 

In addition, vegetable oils inherently promote inflammation due to their high Omega-6 fatty acid content. 

4- MSG

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor-enhancer most commonly found in prepared Asian food and soy sauce, but it can also be added to fast foods, soups and soup mixes, salad dressings and deli meats.

MSG can trigger two distinct pathways of chronic inflammation, plus affect your liver health.

5- Factory farmed meats

Instead of being allowed to freely graze in pastures rich in anti-inflammatory Omega-3 essential fatty acids, factory farmed animals are instead fed a grain diet which is high in inflammation-stirring Omega-6
EFAs. 

6- Gluten

Due to hybridization, we have created a gluten molecule that is more inflammatory than previous varieties.  

In addition, the amount of gluten in our wheat is double what it was just 50 years ago.  Gluten is a very dense, sticky protein that is inherently hard to digest—and now our bodies must deal with a lot more of it, and a more inflammatory version of it. 

7- Soy

Although it has long been touted as a “good-for-you” food due to its long history of being consumed by healthy Asian populations, 93 percent of the soy produced in the US is genetically engineered as well as treated with glyphosate.

8- Soda

Soda is the most vile, disease-creating liquid you can drink, with an acid pH of about 2.3 – 2.5. 

Your body has 2 acid defenses—it can neutralize them or expel them.  However, when it is inundated with too much acid day in and day out it becomes overwhelmed. 

And an excess of acid in your body over and above what it can handle can light fires of inflammation.  

9- Processed foods

Processed foods provide little to no nutrients, they create loads of acid in your body and they typically contain refined grains, sugar and/or chemicals.   

In addition, most (non-organic) processed foods are made with GE ingredients.

10- Artificial sweeteners

Studies have linked sugar substitutes to cancer, brain damage and premature delivery in pregnant women, insulin sensitivity, retinal damage and blindness, nerve pain, muscle weakness and memory lapses, to name a few.

Plus they alter your gut microbiome, increasing your risk of inflammatory immune responses.

Natural ways to help fight inflammation

In addition to avoiding the inflammatory foods mentioned above, here are 5 ways to put the power of natural health to work against inflammation in your body:

1) Quit smoking

Smoking hardens your arteries and increases inflammation, in addition to all the other health atrocities it is associated with. 

But research shows you can reverse all the damaging effects to your arteries within 10 years of quitting!  Plus, you’ll certainly be curbing lots of inflammation in the meantime.

Do not be discouraged if you try and fail—most ex-smokers report having to try several times before they quit for good.

Take advantage of smoking cessation aids that are available, but I must warn you against Chantix.  The side effects read like a horror movie, and there are many other safer options.

2) Embrace the anti-inflammatory power of turmeric

Turmeric has emerged as a shining star in the anti-inflammatory world!  With over 10,000 published articles in peer-reviewed journals attesting to its effectiveness, turmeric has truly made its mark in the world of disease prevention and reducing inflammation.

Research has shown turmeric to be helpful with reducing joint and back pain, supporting the cardiovascular system (including healthy cholesterol levels and blood pressure), enhancing brain and nervous system health, preventing cancer and Alzheimer’s, supporting the immune system and much more!  

Turmeric is most often found in Indian cuisine, but the amount of turmeric you typically get from food is far too little to make a measurable difference.

That’s why a supplement like Optimal Turmeric Blend is the perfect way to embrace turmeric’s natural anti-inflammatory properties!

Optimal Turmeric Blend contains 750 mg of soothing organic turmeric, plus BioPerine™ (black pepper extract) to enhance absorption of this awesome natural anti-inflammatory.

3) Exercise regularly

Studies show that exercise has powerful effects in reducing inflammation, which in turn can significantly lower your cancer risk, among other things.  

Plus, exercise shrinks fat cells, which automatically fights inflammation by calming your body's immune system.

Just be sure to get your doctor’s OK first.

4) Reduce stress

Stress triggers inflammation in the body by raising your blood level of cortisol.

So do whatever you need to de-stress, keeping in mind that exercise (#3 above) is the best stress reducer there is.

5) Concentrate on anti-inflammatory foods

Here are some of the most potent natural anti-inflammatory foods and spices to incorporate into your diet:

• Garlic
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Cherries
• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Olive oil
• Spinach
• Kale
• Salmon (wild caught only)
• Mackerel (wild caught only)
• Cloves
• Ginger
• Rosemary

Lower that inflammation in your body now and help keep deadly inflammatory diseases far away from you!

To your health,

Sherry Brescia