The Root of all Disease and Obesity -- Part 1

The Root of all Disease and Obesity -- Part 1

As I continue to study one of my favorite topics on wellness, fitness and weight management, I am inhaling books as fast as I can digest them. I read books by MD's, PhD's, ScD’s, biochemists, nutritionists, personal trainers and their colleagues on topics of the metabolism, the food industry, the human body, food politics, and pharmaceuticals. As more information presents itself, two common themes recur. I would like to share these themes with you today so you can make informed decisions regarding your health and wellness. 

As I sat down to write this blog, I was bombarded with tempting links with headlines like "new diet pill sales soar" and "no exercises needed weight loss," which leads to theme #1. 

Theme #1: We are recognizing a problem with our weight and our health. 

The diet industry is a billion dollar enterprise -- growing by the day. There is no secret that we are aware that we need to control our weight. What causes obesity and what are we going to do about it? I will stand with the experts to exclaim from a mountain that a fad diet or pill is NOT the solution to our problems.

Theme #2: Chronic inflammation is a root cause of all diseases and obesity. 

Inflammation is defined as a non specific protective immune system response to cell injury of irritation characterized by capillary enlargement, attraction of white blood cells to affected area, redness, swelling and partial reduction of normal cell function. Stay with me, the technical language is almost done.  

What causes inflammation in our bodies?  The food we eat and drink and our environmental choices cause inflammation. You can go through the following list to determine if yours is chronic. 

Causes of inflammation:

1. High consumption of simple sugars like fructose (think corn syrup), white flour, refined grains, and sugary beverages.

2. Trans fatty acids (Trans Fats) from cheap oils, partially hydrogenated oils and fast food.

3. Pollution on and in our foods and beverages like herbicides, pesticides, hormones and antibiotics.

Dozens of medical journals list chronic inflammation (C-Reactive Protein) as a cause of heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, age related macular degeneration, Alzheimer's, Crohn's disease, Parkinson's disease, asthma, osteoarthritis, stroke, metabolic disorders, digestive conditions and -- obesity. 

Knowing this, what will we do to reduce inflammation and prevent and reverse this treacherous list of diseases?

Start with Reduce, Replace, Reduce:

1. Reduce your consumption of simple sugars like fructose (think corn syrup), white flour, refined grains and sugary beverages and instead, drink more filtered water. 

2. Replace Trans fatty acids (Trans Fats) from cheap oils, partially hydrogenated oils and fast food with healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, avocado, wild-caught salmon and raw nuts. 

3. Reduce pollution on and in your foods and beverages like herbicides, pesticides, hormones and antibiotics by purchasing organic produce and hormone-free meat. 

Email me for a consultation on reducing inflammation in your body to prevent and reverse chronic diseases. You are worth more than mediocre health. 

There is more to come on this topic in the near future!

Ashley Darkenwald, CPT, PES, owner inFIT and Anytime Fitness, Albertville

Ashley@inFITtraining.com ~ www.inFITbody.com