Using Diet to Alleviate Inflammation.

This has been going around and around for quite some time, yet I hear and see it daily in my practice. I talk to people all day long regarding their inflammatory issues, and how to alleviate what it is that’s causing all the snot, the sleeplessness, the eczema, the anxiety, the depression. It may not be what you think. I live in a city with one of the highest allergy outbreaks year-round. Not just the typical grasses and weeds, but molds, cedar fever, and those who still choose to eat junk and wonder why they are feeling rather congested and ill.

Gluten-free and dairy free. Yes, two dietary choices that have made the rounds countless times, still up for debate, and tough to adhere to for many. It’s not as if it needs to happen for everyone, but more often than not, the inflammation that creeps into the body as we age can be attributed to both of these foods—gluten and dairy.

I actually just read in a Natural News Journal that the milk industry is so worried about people bolting from their “glass of milk per day,” that they have decided to add sugar to milk to make it more palatable. Ugh! If that doesn’t send your kid into the crazies…

We have opted now for almond, soy, coconut, rice and hemp milk. All great choices, and quite tasty too! The dairy industry is getting a bit nervous, and the lobbyists are pushing whatever they can to get people to keep drinking milk, albeit the resulting inflammation. Then, there’s mother’s milk…the best kind. Every nutrient can be found when a baby begins with that connection to their mother.

Gluten-free has been going around for years now. Books written on the topic, restaurants offering these alternative choices, and professionals in the industry touting the amazing benefits of eliminating gluten from the diet. When I speak to those who are seeking relief from their inflammation (whatever kind it is), I have to ask what it is they are eating. It all starts with the diet. Every last bit of illness can be traced to what one eats on a daily or lifetime basis. Inflammation can surely be alleviated with quality supplements and creams, but you have to focus on the nutrition.

Not sleeping at night isn’t only traced to late night T.V., constant cell phone usage, and computer screens at midnight. The diet could be responsible for what is causing restlessness and anxiety. It might even be late-night sugar blowouts too. Either way, it begins with what you eat. Too many years of  gluten or dairy will possibly create some unexpected illnesses, allergies and even mild inflammations.

Inflammation, of any kind, is no fun. Start by reducing the amount of dairy and gluten in your diet, if it’s difficult to go cold turkey. See how the body responds. If it’s positive, then eliminate them altogether and consider the wonderful sources of other foods that could fill the gaps and cravings (not too much sugar, either!). I do believe that so many illnesses can be minimized with the elimination of both gluten and dairy. Consult with a health professional to make sure that your body will respond favorably. Go on a cleanse. Eat fresh, eat local, eat organic.

Our food is our main source of health, happiness and being disease-free. Capture the goodness!

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Ed: Brianna Bemel