REVITALIZE YOUR
HEALTH CRUSH CHRONIC INFLAMMATION:
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury or infection and is crucial in promoting healing and protecting us from sickness. However, chronic inflammation, triggered by various factors, including dietary choices, can lead to various health complications. Avoiding foods that cause inflammation is key to maintaining your overall health and well-being. WHAT ARE INFLAMMATORY FOODS? When consumed regularly, inflammatory foods lead to an imbalance in the body’s immune response and create inflammation. These foods often contain high levels of refined sugars, processed ingredients, and unhealthy fat and are linked to diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
diseases, affect your digestive health, deplete your energy levels, and wreak havoc on your skin.
HOW CAN YOU AVOID INFLAMMATORY FOODS? • Opt for whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, nuts, and seeds. • Reduce your consumption of sugary snacks, beverages, and desserts. • Avoid trans fats, commonly found in processed and fried foods. • Limit refined carbohydrates such as white rice, white bread, and sugary cereals. Opt for whole grains instead. • Prepare your meals at home to ensure you have control of the cooking method. • Include anti-inflammatory spices such as ginger, turmeric, and garlic in your cooking. • Stay hydrated to flush toxins out of your body. While inflammation may harm your overall wellness, the good news is you can fight it with proper knowledge and an anti- inflammatory diet. By making informed choices about the foods and beverages you consume, you can lower your risk of digestive complications and elevate your health! in for his morning nap, which means the door locked and the blanket pulled down completely so no light gets in. Within a few minutes, Max is snoring loudly. He needs a CPAP machine. Max is sprawled out on his bed next to Bev in the late morning and early afternoons while she conducts appointments and does paperwork. Occasionally, he goes to the door to go out to visit with the other neighbor dogs. There are 10 dogs in the five adjacent yards. They all like to get together at the fences to bark, sniff, and dog gossip about their masters.
Some common inflammatory foods include:
• Red meat • Processed meat • Sugary beverages • Packaged food
• Margarine • White flour • Fried food
WHY SHOULD YOU AVOID INFLAMMATORY FOODS? Inflammatory foods can not only lead to weight gain and difficulty losing weight, they can increase your risk of chronic
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If he is outside, he sees Bev through the window and barks at her. Bev is usually on a Zoom call with a patient, so she has to excuse herself because Max is so loud. The patients can hear Max in the background and are distracted. Bev lets Max in. He has a big fluffy bed upon which to lie next to Bev’s chair.
But that is not enough for Max. Max is unhappy just coming in, lying on his luxurious bed, or entering his kennel. He needs to be tucked
But at 2:30 p.m., Max needs his afternoon nap. And Bev needs to tuck him in again. It’s the same Max ritual.
Five is dinner time. If I’m late coming home, it’s not good. Max charges me at the door, then runs to the back door and his bowl. If I don’t move fast enough, he comes running back to encourage me. He tries to jump up and down when ravenous to demonstrate his excited impatience. Remember the old expression, “ White men can’t jump” ? That needs to be revised to “ American bulldogs can’t jump. ” Max only gets about an inch or two of air under his paws, but it is entertaining. Imagine an elephant desperately trying to lift off. Then, 8:30 p.m. arrives — the final tuck-in. The nightly tuck-in is a solemn and sacred time. For Max’s nightly ritual, everything stops in the Grimmond household because MAX IS THE DOG WHO TELLS TIME . –Christopher J. Grimmond
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