Your Body Reacts to What you Eat: C-Reactive Protein

Did you know that your body creates both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory chemicals? They are called "prostaglandins" and are from nutrients in the food that you eat. Scientists have learned that imbalances in your diet can lead to the creation of excessive amounts of inflammatory prostaglandins, and that can lead to an increase in your body's inflammatory response. Conversely, the consumption of certain nutrients allows your body to produce more anti-inflammatory prostaglandins, which it uses to reduce inflammation.

According to Meggs (toxicology, Brody Sch. of Medicine, East Carolina Univ.), uncontrolled inflammation is a component of heart disease, lupus, arthritis, atherosclerosis, asthma, and Alzheimer's and many other ailments, even obesity !

Inflammation is not always as obvious or benign as the above examples. It can silently involve every cell in your body and, over time, negatively affect your health and abilities. For example, allergies, joint pain, and premature aging are just a few of the common ailments linked to "systemic inflammation." But if you can't see inflammation, how do you measure it?

The levels of certain chemicals in your blood are known to increase with increased levels of inflammation. One of these chemical markers for inflammation is a protein called C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is often measured in conjunction with other blood tests, and normal values are well established. From a clinical standpoint, a CRP level of less than 5 milligrams per liter of blood is considered normal. "Normal" may not be optimal, though. Many medical researchers believe that even slight elevations of CRP are tied to increased risk for heart attack, stroke, and many other diseases.

If you'd like to have your CRP measured, consult your physician, who can order a simple blood test. Alternatively, you can stop by your local weight loss clinics and we can order it and give you a prescription for LabCorps to have it done, as well as several other health tests.

The foods that were chosen for our diet, the Before and After Diet , or the Belly Buster Diet , as we call it, were chosen by a registered dietitian and a food chemist. The foods on both our diet and our maintenance plan are anti-inflammatory. Some other places to find lists of anti-inflammatory foods are William Megg’s book, The Inflammation Cure, Monica Reinagel’s The Inflammation Free Diet Plan.

Here is my Top Ten List of An-Inflammatory Foods
1. Salmon- cold-water fish contain omega-3 oils and wild salmon has more than farmed-raised and more than most.
2. Grass-fed beef-has omega 3’s but not as much as fish and grain fed have virtually none.
3. Cherries-a study in the Journal of Nutrition showed that eating cherries significantly reduced inflammation. They are also packed with antioxidants and relatively low in calories and low on the glycemic index.
4. Blueberries-frozen is just as good as fresh and has all the natural compounds that will reduce inflammation.
5. Ginger-brew your own ginger tea by peeling several thin slices into a cup of hot water or adding it to your green tea.
6. Green tea-If you don’t like it, mix it with your Lipton! You will still get its wonderful anti-inflammatory effects! May even recue the risk of heart disease and cancer.
7. Tumeric-in many curry spice blends. Go to www.bellybusterbabe.blogspot.com for a great chicken curry recipe!
8. Greens-Salads with dark green lettuce, spinach, and kale.
9. Cruciferous vegetables- broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts—they provide another ingredient, sulfur, which helps the body make its own high-powered antioxidants.
10. Olive Oil-it’s a great source of oleic acid which helps lower blood sugar and is considered an anti-inflammatory oil.