Understanding Inflammation

It’s a term that’s being thrown around a lot lately, but many people don’t understand what inflammation is. Yet we all need to get a handle on it because inflammation has been found to be connected to nearly every chronic disease. 

There are two types of inflammation: Acute inflammation is a short-term response to an injury (such as a cut finger or twisted ankle) or an infection. The painful area will swell and turn red until your body’s targeted white blood cells repair it. This is good inflammation—without it, wounds wouldn’t heal, and infections could be life-threatening.

The other kind, chronic inflammation, is not good. It can happen when your body perceives a threat but there’s no injury to heal or infection to fight—yet the immune system launches an attack anyway. Hashimoto’s Disease is one example: the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid. Cancer is another example. According to The National Cancer Institute, chronic inflammation can cause DNA damage and lead to some forms of cancer.

Five ways to know if you have chronic inflammation:
1. Body pain such as muscle aches and joint pain.  
2. Skin rashes like eczema and psoriasis are linked to a hyper-sensitive immune system.
3. Excessive mucus. If you often need to clear your throat or blow your nose it’s a sign your mucus membranes are inflamed.
4. Low energy. Just like you feel run-down when you’re sick, when you’re chronically inflamed your immune system works overtime and wears you down.  
5. Digestion problems. Bloating, stomach aches, constipation and diarrhea all may be linked to chronic inflammation.
 
The remedy is to avoid inflammatory foods which include refined carbs (white bread, pasta, pastries), fried foods, soda (and other sugary drinks), red meat (unless it’s organic, grass-fed and only on occasion), processed meats (hot dogs, deli meat, etc.), and margarine, and to focus on an anti-inflammatory diet which is basically a Mediterranean diet: olive oil, leafy greens, tomatoes, nuts, fatty fish (like salmon), fruits like berries, apples and citrus, and whole grains.

"Evidence has been mounting that common chronic conditions—including Alzheimer's, cancer, arthritis, asthma, gout, psoriasis, anemia, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and depression—are triggered by low-grade, long-term inflammation." —Harvard Magazine

Mexican Kale & Quinoa Salad
from cookieandkate.com

1 cup quinoa, rinsed in a fine-mesh colander
2 cups water
½ cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
1 small bunch of curly green or Tuscan kale, tough ribs removed and chopped into small pieces (or about 3 cups roughly chopped baby spinach)
Fine sea salt
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
½ cup thinly sliced green onions or finely chopped red onion
½ cup lightly packed chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped
⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
1 to 2 medium jalapeños, seeds and membranes removed, chopped
 
Cumin-lime dressing
¼ cup olive oil
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 medium limes)
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1. Cook the quinoa: Combine the rinsed quinoa and the water in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water, about 15 minutes, reducing heat as time goes on to maintain a gentle simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and let the quinoa rest for 5 minutes, which gives it time to fluff up.
 
2. Meanwhile, toast the pepitas in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and making little popping noises, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
 
3. Place the chopped kale in a large serving bowl. Sprinkle it lightly with salt and massage it in with your hands. Add the cooked quinoa, toasted pepitas, drained beans, onions, cilantro, sun-dried tomatoes, feta (if using), and jalapeño(s). Set aside.
 
4. Make the dressing, combine the olive oil, 3 tablespoons of lime juice, the cumin and salt in a cup or jar. Whisk until blended. Pour all of the dressing over the salad and stir until the salad is evenly coated. Taste, and add another tablespoon of lime juice and/or more salt, if necessary. For best flavor, let the salad rest for about 15 minutes before serving.