Our body uses inflammation to promote healing. Ask me, the mom who took a fall on Mother’s Day at Twin Falls and ended up with a swollen knot on her arm. One week later, the swelling is minimal and my arm is healing. Chronic inflammation, however, is not good for the body. It’s what drives most diseases. So keeping inflammation down in our body is one key to staying healthy and preventing disease—especially when it comes to cancer.
In an interview with Dr. David Jockers on The Fasting Summit, Dr. David Perlmutter, a well-known neurologist posed this question, “What do Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s disease, autism, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease have in common?” His answer might astound you as it did me, “They are all inflammatory conditions!”
Here are six inexpensive ways to reduce inflammation—the hidden factor behind all diseases:
Practice Intermittent Fasting.
Dr. Jockers also said, “When we stress our bodies with fasting, it activates a gene pathway that reduces inflammation.” And he also mentioned that a diet high in carbohydrates and a sedentary lifestyle actually both accentuate inflammation. He recommends intermittent fasting, which is fasting 12-16 hours a day. For example, if you ate breakfast at 8 am, lunch at 1, dinner at 6 pm, and breakfast at 8 am again the next morning, that is a 14-hour fast. Fasting increases the production of ketones and also lowers inflammation.
Exercise daily.
Ketosis (the burning of fat for energy) and aerobic exercise are two lifestyle choices that stimulate the production of BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor), which promotes new brain cells and connections between those brain cells. Research has now proven that we grow new brain cells as long as we live. Exercise increases T and B cells which boost the immune system. It also increases mitochondria in the cell.
Reduce Stress.
Mitochondria are where fuels are utilized to power the cells in your body. The most dense mitochondria are found in our brains. We must nurture our mitochondria with a healthy diet, exercise, adequate sleep, proper hydration, and stress reduction activities. High stress creates high cortisol in our bodies and this can actually kill brain cells in the hippocampus, which is the memory part of the brain.
Eat a Healthy Diet rich in fiber and probiotic foods.
Increasing the health of our gut microbiome also lowers inflammation in the body.
The gut microbiome is composed of bacteria, viruses, and microbes that reside in our gut lining. These microbes have tremendous potential to impact our health and resistance to disease. They contribute metabolic functions, protect against pathogens, educate the immune system, and affect most of our physiological functions. A diet rich in prebiotic fiber from fruits and vegetables and probiotic foods such as yogurt and fermented foods greatly enhances our microbiome.
Keep blood sugar low.
The key to restoring insulin sensitivity is addressing inflammation. Lowering blood sugar and movement decreases your risk for neurodegenerative diseases.
Make sleep a priority.
When we are engaged in restorative sleep for 8-9 hours each night, this is when our bodies detox, regenerate, and repair themselves. Deep sleep also lowers inflammation.
COVID-19’s symptoms are also exacerbated by underlying issues such as heart disease and high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s disease, lung issues, diabetes, and those with cancer and low immune systems. But why? Because these comorbidities are all inflammatory diseases!
There’s never been a better time to implement lifestyle changes to improve your health and your immune system. Intermittent fasting, daily exercise, stress reduction, balanced blood sugar, adequate sleep, and a diet rich in nutrients and gut-building foods are what your doctor would like to order for you. Your immune system stands between you and any chronic disease, cancer, or virus—even COVID-19.
During our crisis that continues with COVID-19 and our desire to return to normal, what changes have you implemented to build your immune system, lower inflammation, and protect your health?
View this message on YouTube:
Six Inexpensive Ways to Lower Chronic Inflammation
Here’s a related message on YouTube:
The Top Anti-Inflammatory Foods You Must Eat
For Your Health,
Ginny
Ginny Dent Brant is a speaker and writer who grew up in the halls of power in Washington, DC. She has battled cancer, ministered around the world, and served on the front lines of American culture as a counselor, educator, wellness advocate, and adjunct professor. Brant’s award-winning book, Finding True Freedom: From the White House to the World, was endorsed by Chuck Colson and featured in many TV and media interviews. Unleash Your God-Given Healing: Eight Steps to Prevent and Survive Cancer was released in May 2020 after her journey with cancer and was recently awarded the First Place Golden Scrolls Award for Memoirs, and Second Place in both Selah Awards for Memoirs and Director’s Choice Award for Nonfiction at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference. It recently received the Christian Authors Network’s (CAN) Gold Award for Excellence in Marketing for reaching 62.5 million people with a message of cancer prevention and survival. It was written with commentary from an oncologist and was featured on CBN’s Healthy Living Show, Atlanta Live, and CTN’s Homekeepers along with over 75 media outlets. Learn more and cancer and wellness prevention blog and book information at www.ginnybrant.com.
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