2022 Biggest Trend: Healthy Aging
Jump into 2022 on trend! I am not talking about what you wear or how you look, but instead what you put IN your body to change the way you FEEL. This month we are going to slow drip you 28 key messages to change how you think about aging; and, ultimately, to feel better within your body so you can wear whatever you want and feel great!
Day 1: Inflammation, inflammation, inflammation!
This guy gets a bad rap because he is associated with pain, stress, and disease. This is only half the story. Yes, he is all of those things, but only if there is chronic inflammation. The body uses inflammation to tell the repair men to get to work when there is something wrong with a certain system or body part. The simplest example of this is when we cut our finger. The finger might get red, swollen, and start bleeding. This triggers a response for the body to start the healing process. Once the finger is healed, inflammation goes away. Without inflammation, though, your finger would continue to bleed and bleed. the problem lies when inflammation does NOT go away. An example of this is when you have pain in your stomach after you eat. This might result in runny stools that do not go away. This is a sign the gut is inflamed and therefore not able to absorb nutrients to keep you healthy and full of energy.
So, what am I saying? Inflammation, itself, is not something to fear - chronic inflammation IS. Over the next few days we will look at foods that you can eat and that will help prevent chronic inflammation. Remember to check back.
Olive Oil: One of Nature's Answers
Olive oil has a key ingredient called Omega-3's. Omega-3's are essential healthy fats that our body needs to keep us spinning on all cylinders. They also help block the enzyme that our body produces to trigger excess inflammation. Try a drizzle of olive oil in the pain when you cook instead of butter. Another easy swap you can make today is using an olive oil-based dressing instead of the creamier dressings such as ranch or blue cheese.
