" Inflamed ... "

And now you turn to me and say

Is your heart on fire? ...

And now you look at me and say

Is your soul aflame? ...

Inflame my fantasy

Enhance my reality

Kindle the fire in my soul

Give me the energy

To face my own destiny

Give me the strength to keep moving on

Is your soul on fire? Is your heart on fire?

Is your soul on fire? Is your heart on fire?

~ Loudness ~ Inflamed ~ 

***

Here’s a warning ... the next time your doctor tells you “inflammation is cancer”, don’t take it as face value.  Trust me ... do your homework and check the facts.  There is a difference between acute and chronic inflammation ... and their implications.

Acute inflammation is a normal immune system response to injury in a localized area.  It is an essential part of the healing process as when the site becomes red, swollen, warm and/or painful, inflammation is at work.  This is when nutrient-rich blood rushes to the area and immune-system cells heal the injury and inflammation subsides.  This is good news.

Chronic inflammation isn’t limited to a specific area or amount of time.  And since there is no obvious symptoms it can harm the body over time.  Oxidative damage to cells caused by free radicals in the body, inflammatory foods and overactive immunity can initiate chronic inflammation.  And this is where degenerative dis-eases come into play.  

Anti-inflammatory diets can help ...

We can shift our bodies back into balance with what we consume.  Dietary components may modulate inflammatory responses within the body.  Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and wild seafood.  Add generous portions of deeply-pigmented vegetables to every meal and snack for their fiber and natural anti-inflammatory compounds. Many herbs and foods such as oregano, garlic, green tea, blueberries, and ginger contain bioflavonoids and polyphenols that limit free-radical production in the body

Also, particular vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals may have therapeutic benefits in inflammatory diseases.  Studies show that certain spices such as turmeric (curcumin) and ginger may inhibit the pro-inflammatory pathways.  In addition to specific dietary components, achieving or maintaining a healthy body weight is important to prevent or control chronic inflammatory diseases. 

An anti-inflammatory diet begins with choosing the right foods, but it continues with using anti-inflammatory cooking methods to prepare those foods. You can undo a lot of the good in your healthy foods by cooking them the wrong way.  Avoid the microwave as it destroys the nutrients in the food due to high heat.  Try steaming, poaching, grilling, broiling or stir-frying instead.  Take care not to over cook your food.

Personally most of my food is in raw form to ensure I not only ingest the nutrients of the food but also those amazing enzymes to nourish my body.  And the food that we do cook is cooked slow to ensure that we retain as much goodness as possible.

As said before ... do your research.  It can be tough at first to make changes but the payoff is huge.  From experience, it can make a tremendous difference in how you feel in a surprisingly short period of time.  So take the time to tip the balance away from pro-inflammatory, toward anti-inflammatory and heal your body ...