What is inflammation, and why does it makes us fat?

Inflammation is the biological reaction to a harmful stimulus (infection or tissue damage), in which a movement of blood, especially white blood cells, move about the area of the problem, and these changes, along with our immune systems both destroy harmful tissue and heal necessary tissue.

There is acute inflammation, which refers to a short-lived and ‘contained’ type of inflammatory response, which is a healing process from a short-term assault. There is also chronic inflammation, which refers to the body’s long-term response to physical distress. This long-term inflammatory response causes a substantial shift in bodily functions and is a contributory factor in the development of obesity, high cholesterol, depression and persistent anxiety, high blood pressure, gout & arthritis and certain types of infertility. Other conditions associated with inflammation are acne, autoimmune disorders, asthma, chronic prostatitis, inflammatory bowel disorders (such as diverticulitis), hypersensitivities and intolerances, some cancers, pelvic inflammatory disease and cystitis.

What causes us to inflame?

There are many reasons for an onset of inflammation, and remember that acute inflammation is a good and necessary healing process. The problems only arise and affect other parts of our bodies when we have long-term and repeated assaults by inflammatory causes. These can include:

Burns and frostbite

Chemical irritants (such as smoking and alcohol in excess), toxins and poisons

Infections

Physical Injury

Hypersensitivity caused by reduced immunity (after invasive surgery or immune compromise, such as AIDS)

Radiation

Physical and emotional trauma

 

Looking at these causes, one might be forgiven for thinking that one is exempt from inflammatory attack. However, think harder, and you will notice that we live a life that definitely favours inflammation:

 

We are exposed to ultra-violet radiation by the hot South African sun. We are exposed to alcohol and cigarette smoking (with or without personally partaking), and our environment spews out plenty of air pollution. We bump and scratch ourselves often (often without remembering), and have all had one or other operation at some time. Our immunities are often somewhat compromised by poor diet, lack of sleep, too much alcohol and ongoing emotional and psychological stress.

 

It has been shown in research that our appetite, and thus our dietary intake is affected by the body chemicals associated with inflammation, and we have now found ways to keep this inflammation at bay, despite the fact that our lives may induce it.

 

We need to focus on a lifestyle that includes regular sleep, stress-relieving techniques (exercise, meditation, deep prayer, yoga etc.,), regular application of sunscreen, healthy psychological thought processes (and dealing with depression anxiety if necessary) and a diet that incorporates the following important factors, that prevent and control inflammation to alleviate other lifestyle disorders:

1. Plenty of antioxidants. It is recommended to have 5 servings of fresh fruit and vegetables per day, and for weight loss and cholesterol control, it is most appropriate if this is mostly uncooked and undried. It has even been speculated in some studies that to prevent cancers, one must consume at least 1kg per day of these super-foods, for there to be a sufficient effect. We dieticians have noticed that the public no longer eats sufficient amounts of these, and one of the saddest (and most distressing) myth, propagated by unscrupulous ‘diet clubs’ is that fruits and most vegetables should be completely cut out of the diet because they are ‘fattening’!!! Fruits and vegetables should be consumed in regular, large portions each day, in order to prevent obesity and lifestyle disorders. Please don’t fall for these silly stories.
2. We should keep our guts healthy. It is increasingly shown that we need more ‘good’ bacteria in our guts. You see, there are many ‘bad’ bacteria attacking our guts on an hourly basis, from the air, the food we eat etc., but this makes no difference to a healthy gut containing plenty of ‘good bacteria’ that can fight them off. The problem arises, however, when our guts are affected by a bad lifestyle, and the good bacteria are no longer flourishing in the gut environment, and we have colonising of the bad bacteria, causing gas, bloating and indigestion as well as spastic colon (irritable bowel syndrome), diverticulitis and certain ulcers. What’s more, the people with this imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut also have a bloodstream that is constantly ‘alerted’ to a bad invasion. As a result, the rest of the body suffers from the inflammatory process, and secondary problems have been attributed to this: ADD, autism and depression are suggested to be substantially worsened by this gut imbalance. The solution? Use a good probiotic with the right strains of good bacteria in them in high dosages, and which also contains prebiotics (food for the good bacteria). If one starts with a huge loading dose for the first week or two, then moves to a regular, lower dose, one can maintain a good and healthy gut flora. If this is maintained indefinitely, the chances of the gut flora becoming out of balance again is hugely minimized, and the body has a chance to start lowering the inflammatory processes. Will this lead to weight loss? Well, the jury is still out, but it does seem to make logical sense, doesn’t it?
3. We should take regular amounts of anti-inflammatory fats. These are very powerful metabolic oils that are found in some plant oils (sunflower oil, canola oil and avocado oil) and also in fish oils (salmon, krill and mackerel). These oils need to be taken in on a daily basis, because our bodies cannot manufacture them. If you are not a daily fish eater, or are on a fat-reducing diet such as this Low Fat, Low GI plan, it is difficult to get in sufficient amounts of these essential oils, and so supplementation becomes necessary. One can freely buy good doses of salmon oil and evening primrose oil, to take in supplemental form in a dose that your dietician recommends, depending on your specific problems and your dietary intake of fats. These amazing oils have been shown to block the actions of prostaglandins, which are very proactive in the inflammatory process.
4. We should protect the liver. Taking foods that contain chemicals which aid the liver are important on a daily basis. Very powerful foodstuffs in this aspect are the cabbages, brussel sprouts, cauliflowers and broccolis. Plenty of these vegetables each day are absolutely necessary in both an anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory capacity. Also including a supplement that contains glutathione is important in this process, and will be a ‘safety net’ for those people who don’t necessarily include the abovementioned brassica vegetables daily.
5. Keeping our blood sugar levels constant by consuming regular portions of Low GI carbohydrates will go a long way to preventing inflammation. When the blood sugar level drops (after eating a meal with insufficient carbohydrates), our livers have to work much harder at manufacturing new glucose, and the fight or flight response is activated, contributing to the inflammatory process. Eat regularly, don’t skip meals, but make sure the foods are all the right kinds for anti-inflammatory and weight control, and most of all, delicious!

 

Below is a great, anti-inflammatory, slimming supper, with recipes:

 

2 Pilchard fishcakes, cauliflower cheese, glazed carrots, followed by baked apple and plain fat free yogurt.

 

Pilchard Fishcakes:

Ingredients:

400g sweet potato, peeled and chopped into chunks

1 large tin pilchards in tomato

1 clove garlic

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon parsley

1 egg

¼ cup fat free milk

½ cup Kellogg’s breadcrumbs

 

Method:

1. Dry-fry the onions and garlic in the dry-fry mixture (using chicken stock and white wine/apple juice – see method), until soft and slightly golden.
2. Meanwhile, boil the sweet potatoes in water, until soft. Drain, mash well and set aside.
3. Into the pan containing the cooked onion and garlic, place the pilchards, mashed sweet potatoes and parsley, and mix very well until combined evenly.
4. Take portions and fashion into fishcake shapes.
5. In a small bowl, beat the egg and milk together well, and place breadcrumbs in another flatter bowl. Coat each fishcake with the egg mixture, and then coat with the breadcrumbs mixture. Place on a non-stick baking tray (or one covered with greaseproof paper) and bake in a preheated oven at 200C until fishcakes turn slightly more golden and become more crispy.
6. Serve immediately with tomato sauce and vegetables.

 

Cauliflower cheese: (Serves 4)

Break a head of cauliflower into florets in a baking dish, and add a drizzle of water, Place in the microwave on high (with a microwave splash-lid) for 5-8 minutes, until cauliflower slightly softer to the bite. Drain the water and cover with microwave-warmed Reduced Fat Cheese Sauce (Ina Paarman’s is a lovely packet variety). Serve immediately whilst piping hot.

 

Glazed carrots: (Serves 4)

Peel and chop 8 large carrots, and microwave with a small amount of water until softer to the bite (but not too soft). Drain and sprinkle over 1 tsp white sugar, ½ tsp ground ginger and ½ tsp mixed spice. Toss and serve hot.

 

Baked apples: (Serves 4)

Core and roughly chop 1 apple, including the skin, and place into a baking dish. Add enough water to just cover the apples, and add 2 tablespoons soft brown sugar, 1 heaped teaspoon cinnamon and ½ lemon with the skin (just place it in, whole, and remove after cooking). Cover with microwave splash-lid and microwave on high for 15 minutes, or until the apples are soft to the touch.