My inflammation score might surprise you!When we think of inflammation, we usually think of the 4 signs that come with something like a cut, or injury: heat, redness, swelling, and pain. This type of ACUTE inflammation is GOOD! It's our immune system doing what it was designed to do, protecting our bodies against "foreign invaders". An acute inflammatory response is immediate, short-term, and should resolve in a few days. But when it comes to CHRONIC inflammation, we need to sit up and take notice. Chronic inflammation is at the root of things like:
One way to measure inflammation is using a blood test called CRP or C-Reactive Protein. CRP is a blood protein produced in the liver in response to inflammation. Another way to look at inflammation is by looking at your Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio Omega 3 & 6 are both ESSENTIAL fatty acids which means we have to get them from food. Omega 3 is more ANTI inflammatory and Omega 6 is more PRO inflammatory. Most Americans consume FAR more omega 6 in their daily diet than omega 3s. You can get an idea of how much of each of these fats you are consuming by just tracking for a week using Cronometer, an online food/meal tracking app. When I entered my food for a week, I realized that my ratio was definitely off. Two of the foods that I was eating consistently that were higher in Omega 6s: Peanut butter(the highest of all nut butters!) and Chicken! "Healthy foods" right?!?! I took an Inflammation test by Dr. Stephen Cabral when he was running a special where the test was free and I only had to pay shipping. For someone who leads a "healthy" lifestyle, you would have thought that my numbers would have been in range right?! WRONG! My Omega 6:Omega 3 ratio was out of range, as was my AA(arachidonic acid) to EPA. Did I freak out? Not really. In the last 2-3 weeks my body was telling me that it was DONE with chicken. I was nauseous just thinking about it. So I stopped eating that 4+x/week and increased my fish and bison consumption(both with a better 6:3 ratio and easier for me to digest too!). For me, my recent CRP was absolutely fine, and knowing I had been pretty slack on taking my omega-3 supplements for the last several months I was honestly not too worried that this particular test came back out of range. Information and knowledge are power, however, you don't need testing to know if you are dealing with chronic inflammation. Pretty much ANY unwanted sign or symptom has inflammation at its route. And no ONE test can give you ALL the information that your body can supply if you just listen and have a knowledgeable guide on your side:) |
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