Artemis Morris - Anti-Inflammatory Diet For Dummies

After the body first identifies — or rather, misidentifies — a particular food particle as an invader, the body starts mass-producing antibodies. When you eat something you’re allergic to, antibodies lock onto an antigen (the offending food particle) and trigger an inflammatory response. In most cases, the inflammation quiets down again; however, if you have a genetic predisposition to food allergies, high levels of toxicity, digestive system imbalances, or a weakened immune system, this normal immune response can kick into high gear and wreak inflammatory havoc in your body in varying degrees.

Think of a bee sting. Everyone has some level of irritation or sensitivity to the stinger, even if it’s not a full allergy. When the bee stings you, there’s a small red bump where your antibodies immediately attack the area and work to protect the rest of the body. The same thing happens with food allergies and sensitivities, only the inflammation comes in the form of arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, or other issues.

Food allergies can be lethal. Some people must avoid not only the product itself but also anything that may contain that product in its ingredients list. People allergic to peanuts, for example, have to avoid anything made with peanut oil. In extreme cases, people must even avoid foods that have come into contact with their allergen.

Most people have some degree of sensitivity to dairy, although the majority don’t even realize it. About 65 percent of people worldwide suffer from lactose intolerance, the inability to digest lactose, which is the main sugar found in milk. Your genes influence your ability to break down lactose, with as much as 90 percent of some of the world’s ethnic groups not able to digest milk beyond infancy.

To be digested properly, the sugar lactose must be split into the smaller pieces glucose and galactose. When the lactase enzyme is either absent or inactive in the body, you can’t break down lactose, and you have lactose intolerance. The body produces less lactase as you age, and in Asian, Native American, and African American populations, lactase production drops anywhere from 70 to 100 percent from childhood.

That’s not to say everyone with a lactase deficiency is lactose intolerant; many people may go years without having any symptoms, or there may be just certain dairy products that trigger symptoms while others don’t have any affect at all. But whenever you eat or drink something your body doesn’t like, it sends out warning signals, usually in some form of inflammation. The most common symptoms of dairy sensitivity are gastrointestinal issues, but other symptoms with a potential relationship to dairy include

Abnormal cravings for sweets

Achy joints and muscles

Acne

Anxiety

Bags under the eyes

Chest congestion

Chronic fatigue

Dizziness or faintness

Excessive sweating

Headaches

Mood swings

Ulcers

Symptoms generally appear anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours after eating or drinking dairy products. Consume too much dairy, and symptoms can worsen, leading to abdominal distention and diarrhea as well as many other stomach problems.

If you suspect you may have lactose intolerance because you’re experiencing any of the symptoms listed, look for the word “lactose” listed in the ingredients of some of your favorite foods — even those you may not think have any dairy. Be sure to get a proper diagnosis so you can rule out any other conditions that may be present.

People who have lactose intolerance can generally tolerate yogurt or other fermented dairy products because they contain helpful live organisms (probiotics) that help with digestion and healing the gastrointestinal system and the good bacteria digest the lactose for you.

Refined sugar — which has been processed and stripped of all its natural nutrients — is bad for everyone. Unfortunately, that’s also the type of sugar that’s found in almost everything you eat. Refined sugar is much too easy to digest, so it quickly enters the bloodstream and raises blood sugar levels, increasing your risk of diabetes. Eat too much sugar, and you quickly see some symptoms of a suppressed immune system: fatigue, joint pain, confusion, forgetfulness. These symptoms can show up within just a day or two of eating a lot of sugar and yet may not be linked to sugar for years.

Sugar affects the body’s insulin levels and can lead to insulin resistance over time, especially when you take in too much. With insulin resistance, the cells in the body have trouble responding to insulin and taking in glucose (blood sugar); when the glucose level in your bloodstream is elevated, it becomes much harder for your body to work. Obvious symptoms of sugar sensitivity are weight gain and pain in the joints.

Artificial sweeteners often aren’t a good substitute for sugar. Artificial sweeteners increase your cravings for food and increase the risk of diabetes because your brain doesn’t register the artificial sugar is different from the real thing. In many cases, you’re simply replacing one bad thing with another. Instead of using processed sugar cane or sugar beets, you’re consuming the chemicals and preservatives found in sweeteners. We discuss sugar, artificial sweeteners, and natural sweeteners in Chapter 9.

You know caffeine as the chemical you turn to when you need a quick pick-me-up or something to help you wake up in the morning. What you probably don’t think about is the other effects that caffeine has on your body. At the same time caffeine is alerting your senses and awakening your mind, caffeine is creating a small rise in your blood sugar. That’s not a big deal for a lot of people, but for people with diabetes, caffeine can turn a simple can of soda into a somewhat toxic cocktail. Caffeine becomes dangerous because it works to increase insulin resistance. ( Note: Interestingly enough, although caffeine may have negative effects on the body’s blood sugar levels, coffee and tea have both been shown to raise insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels.)

Like the taste of that tea but want to lower the caffeine level? Dip the tea bag into hot water once, and then pour the water out. Refill the cup with hot water and continue dipping the teabag. The highest concentration of caffeine comes out with that first dip, so although you’ll still have some caffeine, the level will be lower.

To many people, a piece of toast or a bagel for breakfast is a great way to start the day. For people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, it can be the start of a day filled with pain and discomfort. Everything made with wheat, barley, or rye is off-limits; even the smallest temptation can cause damage to the small intestine and related health problems.

Celiac disease is an inherited autoimmune condition that affects both children and adults. It has to do with gluten, the protein found in all forms of wheat — including durum, semolina, spelt, khorasan (Kamut), einkorn, and faro — and related grains, such as rye, barley, and triticale. People with celiac disease have to avoid all foods that contain gluten.