Pete and Jaimielle Jacobs dive deep into defining Inflammation. Describing what it is, how it effects us and how to reduce it. Pete and Jaimielle work with clients to reduce inflammation through lifestyle choices, stress management and specific fitness and wellbeing programming.

 

Below is a snapshot of key stress inducing factors that need to be moderated in order to avoid chronic inflammation, if left untreated chronic inflammation will form into more serious health issues.

1. Intense exercise
2. Chemicals/toxins
3. Hormonal exhaustion (emotionally or physically induced)
4. Food intolerances
5. Leaky gut
6. Bacteria
7. Viruses
8. Malnutrition and
9. Lack of sleep

 

So what is Inflammation? 

In a nutshell, inflammation could be described as all the byproducts of day to day life. It could also be called “stress”.

Your body reacts to the inputs and actions it experiences constantly, without you even being aware. A healthy body deals with a moderate level of stress incredibly well, being able to clean out the “stress” mostly during sleep. Make note this is only possible if your hormones have a strong circadian rhythm.

One key factor to keep in mind is how an unhealthy body will influence inflammation in other ways. We’ll use an unhealthy ‘fatty’ liver as an example. When the liver has had to deal with a high level of sugar (particularly fructose/alcohol) high levels of visceral fat store around the liver creating its own continuing inflammation in the body. The visceral fat affects how the liver and certain hormones function in your body.

Inflammation creates more inflammation when it tips past overload. For example: Exercising moderately creates a small amount of inflammation that the body adapts to, and improves from. However high intensity exercise [especially] when unwell can cause an overload of inflammation creating a cascading domino effect. This causes mental clarity to drop, which potentially leads to poor decisions being made. You guessed it! Eating those inflammatory foods several times throughout the day, leading to more inflammation.

 

How Do You Get Checked For Inflammation?

A biomarker for inflammation is called a CRP Blood test. This stands for C Reactive Protein. Ideally you want to see 0.00 to 3.0mg/L (ideally you want to see less than 1.0mg/L. CRP may take several months to improve, you may see positive changes after one month of following our LYF methodology.

 

Signs and Symptoms of Inflammation

• Regular muscle aches and pains
• Joint pain
• Constant niggles and injuries
• Swollen limbs
• Hot spots
• Shortness of breath
• Regularly getting sick
• Loss of function (can’t breath properly, move a joint, smell)
• Long term fatigue (chronic fatigue)
• Chronic illness (auto immune disease)
• Overtraining syndrome and burnout
• Inconsistent energy levels and blood sugar levels with highs and lows
• Inability to focus, brain fog
• Emotional imbalances such as anxiety, panic attacks, depression, mood swings

 

 

“A DAY IN THE LIFE” OF INFLAMMATION COULD LOOK LIKE THIS FOR YOU

You wake up and eat carbohydrates that spike your blood glucose:

1. Inflammation response in the walls of the arteries and veins.
2. Release of insulin to reduce levels of blood glucose
3. Shuts off the ability to use fat for fuel while storing the glucose.
4. Oxygen is reduced throughout the body
5. You’re now reading stressful work emails:
6. Emotional/chemical/hormonal response is released to this perceived threat.
7. Your Sympathetic Nervous System ramps up & stays elevated indefinitely.
8. Your breathing becomes tense/short, lowering your CO2 & oxygen levels.
9. Now your insulin resistance increases (blood sugar/insulin stay higher for longer).
10. Now, doing a ‘High Intensity Workout’.
11. Cortisol increases, releasing glucose from the liver, putting a stop to fat burning.
12. Glucose is used for fuel (instead of fat), creating increased inflammation.
13. Adrenaline (& heart rate) drive the Sympathetic Nervous System to a fight/ flight response – adding stress onto stress.
14. Ego driven exercise can create busy/anxious brain behaviours, fueling the fire for hours/days/lifetime of not being able to truly relax the mind and rest/recover.
15. It’s now lunch time.
16. After hours of stress your digestion will be poorer, with lower acid production and a weaker gut lining. “Healthy” foods may now cause issues due to lactose, milk proteins, lectins, and oxalate’s. You now experience symptoms of “leaky gut” (when toxins from inflammatory foods pass into your blood stream, causing aches, foggy brain & more.
17. During the afternoon, inflammation is high.
18. You feel like you can’t get any “energy” no matter what you eat. Your will power is zero as your brain is just so tired from excess stress/inflammation throughout your entire body. You are now making poor food choices due to ‘decision fatigue’.To put it simply – The above ‘day of inflammation’ sets a clear picture of the cycle many people are in.

    WE CAN SHOW YOU HOW TO GET OUT.

We could go on, and trust us, we are tempted, as this is just the tip of the iceberg!

There are far too many layers to cover all of them here in this one article.

So you’re now thinking….um this picture of inflammation looks like my day. I am done for.

You’ll be happy to know this isn’t true! There is hope.

 

Our cells are constantly turning over and being replaced. If they are replaced during a period of high inflammation they can continue to cause problems even when everything else is being done as best as you can. Sometimes it just takes more time, being mindful to keep inflammation as low as you can so new healthy cells can replace the old diseased cells, the dysfunctional cells screwing up your positive cycle. How long?

This depends on several factors. How long you’ve had the inflammation plus how severe the inflammation was will largely determine your recovery process.

 

You can reduce your Inflammation through simple lifestyle changes consisting of  but not limited to;

1. Nutrient dense foods with anti inflammatory properties (non oxidised fats, quality unprocessed protein, and low glycemic foods that do not create big spikes in blood sugar levels).
2. Wellbeing practices for stress management and emotional balance: Nervous system, Vagus Nerve and Supportie Emotional Techniques.
3. Sleep Hygiene: Quality sleep through sleep protocols to optimise repair and recovery.
4. Fitness and Exercise Programming: Customising Exercises specific to clients needs as opposed to the ‘no pain, no gain’ template so many coaches adhere to.
5. Fat Burning and Aerobic Conditioning: Building an aerobic base to combat Aerobic deficiency syndrome whilst activating the bodies ability to burn fat for fuel.
6. Being accountable and supported by a coach, friend or mentor: Preferably a health and performance coach with a fundamental understanding of the human body and mind – just like Pete and myself!
7. Keep Learning: Learning about your own health and ways to optimise is your job. It is not your doctors job. They don’t get paid for making you better, they get paid more with increased visits. So get curious, conduct your own research, listen to podcasts, read papers, and feel empowered to age well with an abundance of knowledge.

Reach out with any questions, we’re here to see you living  your best mind, body, health and performance.

Your Health and Performance Coaches,

Pete and Jaimielle Jacobs