Tag: anti-inflammatory

Water is NOT Overrated. Don’t Skimp on it.

Inner Pearl Wellness3 Comments on Water is NOT Overrated. Don’t Skimp on it.

Drinking water is very important and is one of the best ways to maintain your health. It is the best option for hydration. Instead of grabbing, soda, punch, juice, coffee, alcohol…grab water.

It is also gluten-free, sugar-free, nut free, egg free, dairy free, alcohol-free, paleo, aip, keto and whole 30 approved. šŸ˜‰ So basically it’s for everyone…no excuses.

Why should you stay hydrated by drinking WATER? I’m glad you asked. šŸ™‚ Here are just a few reasons:

  1. To reduce fatigue, increase physical, mental capabilities, and motivation. Especially when exercising…be sure to replace those fluids as you lose them.
  2. To increase energy levels and brain function.
  3. To prevent and eliminate headaches which can be triggered by dehydration.
  4. To help maintain body temperature.
  5. To help/keep things (urine/bowels/toxins) moving along eliminating that waste from your body. It helps with digestion.
  6. To help with absorption.
  7. To help treat kidney stones.
  8. To help prevent hangovers.
  9. To aid in weight loss.

Try to drink about 8 glasses a day.

  1. Drink two when you first get up.
  2. Drink at least one 30 minutes before each meal.
  3. Drink one before your bath.
  4. Drink one before bed or at least 2 hours before bed if you have trouble with sleep or urinary incontinence.

Unfortunately, some people don’t like the taste of water or think its boring.

Here are a few tips that might help you drink more water:

  1. Use filtered, spring, or sparkling natural mineral water.
  2. Keep a cup, glass, or bottle of water available to sip from throughout the day.
  3. Infuse it! Add sliced or chopped fruit…citrus, tropical, berries, melon, and others. Add sliced or chopped vegetables…cucumber, carrots, celery, or even hot or sweet peppers. Add fresh grated, or ground spices…ginger, cinnamon, cayenne pepper; etc. Add herbs…mint, sage, rosemary, basil, cilantro, thyme, lavender; etc. Any variety will do.
  4. Keep a large jug or pitcher filled with the amount that you want to drink for that day. Drink glasses from it throughout the day until it’s gone.

For an extra boost to your health, add apple cider vinegar.

Now drink up!!!

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My favorite infused water is frozen mixed berries with a slice or two of lemon in S.Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water. However, I try to drink filtered or Deer Park Spring Water with lemon & lime or lemon & cucumbers more often.

What is your favorite way to drink your water?

Need a Reset for 2018? Start with the Whole30 Challenge & Reset Your Health.

Inner Pearl Wellness2 Comments on Need a Reset for 2018? Start with the Whole30 Challenge & Reset Your Health.

2018 begins in a few days and you want a healthier you. What better way to accomplish that then starting on the inside? Start the process of healing your gut and brain, balancing your hormones, and clearing up your skin. Those who are interested in losing weight…yes, that will probably happen too.

Try the Whole30 approach which eliminates chemicals, preservatives, antibiotics, and foods/drinks that may cause inflammation, gut/skin issues, brain fog or allergies as a result of food intolerances/sensitivities.

Many “diets” exist promising all types of results. There is Paleo, AIP (Autoimmune Paleo), Keto, DASH, Mediterranean, Weight-Watchers, Plant-based are just a few. The truth is, some may work for some yet not for others. That’s because everyone is different and there is no one fix for all. If your main goals are losing weight, healing your gut, or/and reducing nagging symptoms; it is best to up your nutrient density while eliminating the foods/drinks that are known to wreak havoc in most humans.

I'm Not Telling You It's Going to be Easy

Whole30 is a perfect way to get started and to reset. You can do it for 30 days and see how you feel but you don’t have to stop there. After the 30 days, you can choose to do it again or gradually add back other foods selectively but be sure to take notice of symptoms and how you feel. You can also go right from the Whole30 into another healthier eating protocol of your choice.

How do I get started on the Whole30? I’m glad you asked!

Prepare to eat only nonprocessed, nutrient dense foods…basically lots of vegetables, some fruit, meats, seafood, eggs, natural fats, herbs, spices, and selective nuts.

Do NOT eat:

  • Added Sugar (real or artificial)
  • Alcohol (any form)
  • Grains (oats, barley, rye, wheat, quinoa, starch, bran; etc)
  • Legumes (all beans, peas, peanuts, soy)
  • Dairy (Cow, sheep, and goat’s milk products such as cheese, ice cream, butter, sour cream, yogurt)
  • Baked goods, junk foods, or substitutes. (cakes, cookies, chips, donuts, pancakes, waffles, biscuits, brownies; etc.)
  • MSG, carrageenan, sulfites.

Whole30 Rules

A few exceptions from the above “do not eat” list:

  • Ghee or clarified butter (it’s stripped of the milk proteins)
  • Fruit juice (as an ingredient or natural sweetener in some recipes)
  • Certain legumes (green beans, snap peas, snow peas)
  • Vinegar-most forms except for malt vinegar
  • Coconut Aminos (even though it says “nectar”). Great substitute for soy sauce.

Choose the best quality eggs/meat/seafood possible. Grass-fed/finished red meat, organic, pastured pork/poultry/eggs, and sustainable, wild-caught seafood. If you can’t find or can’t afford the grass-fed or organic protein, find the leanest cuts available and remove the skin and fat before eating. The skin and fat of the animal stores the bulk of the chemicals, steroids, antibiotics that cause issues in the human body.

If you decide to join us, we don’t want you to stalk the scale. If you choose to, weigh yourself the day or morning before you start the Whole30. Do not touch that scale again until those 30 days have ended. You should also start a food journal/dairy just to keep track of any physical changes. As long as you follow the rules and do not cheat, there will be changes.

So who’s with me? Are you ready to jumpstart your health? There are a few more days left in 2017. Commit yourself to beginning January 1, 2018. You can start now if you like.

Go ahead and plan your market stop. The shopping list is simple:

  1. Meat (best quality you can find or/and afford)
  2. Vegetables
  3. Fruit
  4. Natural Oils (Olive, coconut, avocado, macadamia nut, ghee; etc)
  5. Herbs
  6. Spices

In future posts, I will teach you how to work with what you have and I will also be sharing recipes.

I’m sure the Whole30 concept may sound daunting to you if you’ve never done it before. Fortunately, it is possible and I already know that you can do this. It will take discipline and effort but it will be worth it. No cheat days allowed. Things will change for the better. Just do it…watch…and take note of the results.

Are you ready??? Let’s do this!!!

Join us here for support, directions, and tips!

Food Rehab-The Beginning of Week 3

Inner Pearl WellnessLeave a Comment on Food Rehab-The Beginning of Week 3

Greetings Gems!

How is everyone? How is your November so far?

My last blog was 2 weeks ago plus one day. You can read it here. I advised that I was going back into Food Rehab.Ā  Ā Well, I did and I am still hanging in there.

A quick reminder of what Iā€™ve chosen to do to cultivate my health. My goal was to eliminate all gluten, grains, dairy, soy, eggs, legumes/nuts, added sugar/sweeteners, and caffeine. The only oils that I cooked with are olive, avocado, and coconut oil. Once or twice Iā€™ve used bacon grease from organic uncured nitrate-free bacon. The only fruit Iā€™ve been eating/using are lemons, limes, and avocado.

Disclaimer: Iā€™ve had a Five Guys Burger in a bowl (no bun) 2 times. Each time I requested grilled onions, green peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, and pickles and NO cheese.Ā  Apparently, they frown upon burgers w/o cheese because each burger had cheese. I ate them bothā€¦cheese and all.Ā Ā Then there’s Cassava Chips w/Sea Salt and Plantain Chips with Cinnamon. These are both healthier snacks but Iā€™ve probably eaten at least one bag of each daily.

Hereā€™s an update on my progress. Drum Rollā€¦I’ve lost about 9lbs and 1 inch off my waistā€¦no thanks to the extra carbs from the chips and starchy vegetables Iā€™ve been enjoying such as sweet potatoes and acorn squash.Ā No, we are not concentrating on numbers but I am keeping you up to date on the scale because weight loss just happens to fall into place when healing is in progress.

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My weight Nov 1, 2017
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November 14, 2017

The inflammation is slowly decreasing. My joint/muscle/shoulder pain is gone. My sinuses/allergies arenā€™t as bad. My facial acne started clearing up but it seems to have flared back up after the Five Guys burgers which are cooked in peanut oil.

Adrenal fatigue and brain fog still exists but could be a combination of my working 12-hour shiftsā€¦completing 48 hrs in 5 days and sleep deprivation.

There is still obvious hormonal imbalance and insulin intolerance which I know is a result of some of the foods I continue to eat. My emotions are all over the place which could be a direct result of all mentioned above or/and the time of year. Seems like the last few years, the holiday season always puts me in a funk.Ā  This is the time that I miss my angel parents and big sister the most.

One thing I do know for sure is that Iā€™m still feeding my candida. What is candida? Well, itā€™s a type of fungus residing in or on our bodies. Normally they donā€™t cause any problems but if the yeast is fed or allowed to multiply it can cause an infection called ā€œCandidiasis.ā€ How do you feed candida? Candida feeds on all types of sugar, starch, moldy foods/yeast, dead tissue, and alcohol. This all includes but is not limited to fruit, starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes/carrots/plantains, fungus type vegetables like mushrooms or leftover foods, and factory farmed meats. Eventually, I will wean myself off all of the last foods mentionedā€¦hopefully by the end of the year and do a Candida Cleanse as well. I will write a blog with more detail about Candida at a later date.

Iā€™m going to continue what Iā€™m doing to bring about a better me. I want to feel better, to be better, and to do better. This can be accomplished if I put my mind to it and use the control that I have within me.

Keep_Going_Quotes7

If you are also taking steps to a better youā€¦good for you! Keep up the good work and no matter how fast or slow you see the results, keep in mind that most of the things you are trying to change, increase, eliminate did not develop overnight so donā€™t be discouraged if the change doesnā€™t happen overnight.

What changes are you making to increase your health?

ā€œItā€™s not about weight loss, itā€™s about cultivating health.ā€

Inflammation: Friend or Foe?

Inner Pearl Wellness3 Comments on Inflammation: Friend or Foe?

Inflammation can be your worst enemy while trying to be your best friend.

Merriam-Webster defines inflammation as “a local response to cellular injury that is marked by capillary dilatation, leukocytic infiltration, redness, heat, and pain and that serves as a mechanism initiating the elimination of noxious agents and of damaged tissue.”

Medicinenet.com defines it as “A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a result of infection, irritation, or injury. Inflammation can be external or internal.”

So although inflammation occurs to protect you it ends up causing many other problems for you and your body.

There’s acute inflammation and chronic inflammation. Acute inflammation occurs rapidly and escalates quickly. It can last from 1-2 days or even up to a few weeks. A few examples of when acute inflammation may happen is:

  1. Injury to the body (a scratch, a fall, a blow, exercise)
  2. Acute Sinusitis
  3. Acute Dermatitis
  4. Infected Ingrown Toenail
  5. Acute Bronchitis
  6. Acute Appendicitis
  7. Acute Tonsillitis
  8. Acute Infective Meningitis
  9. Allergies

Chronic inflammation can occur gradually but lasts for several months…even years. This can result from not purging whatever caused the acute inflammation. It can also be caused by exposure to irritants, chemicals, as well as an autoimmune response where the immune system attacks your body mistaken it for disease causing bacterium, viruses, or microorganisms. A few examples of diseases/conditions that include chronic inflammation are:

  1. Chronic Sinusitis
  2. Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
  3. Rheumatoid Arthritis
  4. Chrohn’s Disease
  5. Chronic Periodontitis
  6. Tuberculosis
  7. Lupus
  8. Diabetes
  9. Psoriasis
  10. Allergies

There are many other things that contribute to overall inflammation like stress, lack of sleep, and eating certain foods. Yes, the food we eat can cause inflammation! Foods high in Omega 6 fatty acids such as processed vegetable oils, grains, fast/fried/processed foods are some of the inflammation causing culprits.

Not sure if you have inflammation? Ā Some symptoms are:

  1. Red/Itchy Skin
  2. Memory Loss/Forgetfulness
  3. Abdominal Issues (Bloating/Flatulence/Diarrhea/Constipation/Indigestion)
  4. Itchy Eyes/Ears
  5. Painful/Stiff/Swollen Joints or/and Muscles
  6. Fever/Chills
  7. Skin Issues (Rash/Hives/Acne/Itchy/Rough/Dry/Scaly)
  8. Fatigue
  9. Allergies/Infections
  10. Excess Weight
  11. Water Detention
  12. An Autoimmune Disease (caused by excessive inflammation)

People often treat their inflammation with supplements/vitamins, prescription and/or over the counter medications (anti-inflammatory) such as:

  1. NSAIDs (naproxen, ibuprofen, and aspirin)
  2. Acetaminophen
  3. Corticosteroids
  4. Glucocorticoids
  5. Mineralocorticoids
  6. Serrapeptase
  7. Magnesium
  8. Zinc
  9. Vitamin D
  10. Probiotics

*Before trying any medication or supplement…consult with your doctor first!

Now let’s get back to the food. If you decrease or eliminate certain foods more than likely you will see a decrease and for some maybe even complete elimination of the inflammation along with the symptoms associated with it. Let’s start with the top inflammation causing foods:

Let’s start with the top inflammation causing foods:

  1. Trans Fats
  2. Sugar
  3. Gluten (Bread/Pasta)
  4. Grains (Wheat, Rice, Corn)
  5. Alcohol
  6. Omega-6 Fatty Acids
  7. Dairy (Milk, Cheese, Ice Cream)
  8. Nightshades (White potatoes, Peppers, Eggplant, Tomatoes)
  9. MSG
  10. Processed Foods & GMO’s
  11. Vegetable/Hydrogenated Oils

You may not be willing to give up all or even any of these foods. If you suffer from acute or chronic inflammation, you should definitely give it a try. Start with eliminating at least one and try it for at least a month. Keep a journal documenting what you eat and have eliminated as well as the symptoms (and their severity) you have before, during, and after eliminations. Ā Your best bet and quickest results will come from eliminating all of those foods for a few months until all symptoms are gone and then gradually reintroduce the foods one at a time to see if the inflammation/symptoms return.

There are foods, herbs and other lifestyle changes that can help reduce your inflammation such as:

  1. Blueberries/Strawberries
  2. Green Leafy Vegetables
  3. Turmeric/Ginger
  4. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  5. Omega 3 Rich Oily Fish
  6. Avocado
  7. Beets
  8. Broccoli
  9. Celery
  10. Chia Seed
  11. Coconut Oil
  12. Walnuts
  13. Bone Broth
  14. Pineapple
  15. Spices (Ginger/Rosemary/Turmeric/Oregano)
  16. Antioxidants
  17. Allergen-Free Diet (avoiding those foods you are allergic/sensitive to)
  18. Yoga/Deep Breathing
  19. Regular Exercise

Now that you suspect or know that you have inflammation, what are you going to do about it?