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Two years ago I had a bad accident, involving a horse. I was concussed and broke my collar bone in three places and three ribs. The fire of inflammation was critical to my healing and repair.

So, if inflammation is doing such a good job, why does it get a bad name?
The answer is to do with acute versus chronic inflammation. Acute is good, chronic is bad.

So why do we get chronic inflammation? Sometimes it is because the body can’t rid itself of whatever caused the inflammation be it an infectious organism, an irritant, or a chemical toxin. The immune system is pretty good at finding and neutralising invaders but sometimes pathogens resist even our best defences and hide out in tissues provoking the inflammatory response again and again.
Another scenario is that the immune system goes into “threat mode” when no true threat exists. In an autoimmune disorder, the immune system seems to become overly sensitized to the body’s own healthy cells and tissue. It reacts against the joints, intestines or other organs and tissues as if they were dangerous. As the inflammatory response continues, it damages the body instead of healing it.

In our daily life we come across choices than can be either triggers for inflammation or things that cause it to continue. Examples would be: lack of exercise, smoking, a diet high in refined sugars, a diet low in essential fats and phytonutrients, a diet high in damaged fats or having an imbalance of bacteria in our gut.

The signs of chronic inflammation are not as obvious as those of acute inflammation. There isn’t a broken bone or a bang on the head, no swelling or redness – like I had two years ago – to alert you to a problem. It can be widespread or more localised to specific areas in the body.
This means the symptoms can vary considerably, such as:

• – fatigue and low energy
• – anxiety and depression
• – muscle aches and joint pain
• – digestive issues like constipation, bloating and diarrhoea
• – headaches
• – brain fog

Inflammation, is one of the big 4 along with the microbiome, mitochondria and hormones.  If we want to have more energy and reduce brain fog, then we need to balance the big 4.  Achieving that balance doesn’t need to be complicated.

In health and happiness
Ange
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