Part I

The Inflammation Cure Food Choices

Inflammation is an altered state of a body part that suggests a flame. Inflamed tissue is on fire. It ishot and red and painful. It can take many forms and have many causes. Sometimes inflammation isappropriate as part of the body's response to infection or injury. In these cases, inflammation takeshold of a body part, fights off the infection, repairs the damage, and subsides, returning the tissueto its normal state of health.

Inflammation can become a permanent fixture and cause diseases like rheumatoid arthritis andmultiple sclerosis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a pattern of inflammation that usually begins in the jointsbut can spill over into other parts of the body. Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease thatresults when one's immune system starts attacking the sheaths that surround nerve fibers. A host ofother diseases can result from abnormal patterns of inflammation and will be discussed briefly.

Inflammation occurs when the body mistakes some harmless substance in the environment as athreat to life. Such inflammation is behind allergies, asthma, and skin rashes like that of poison ivy.When ragweed throws its microscopic pollen grains into the air, the noses and sinuses of millionsof people act as if they are breathing in dangerous germs and become inflamed in an effort to battlethe invasion. This leads not only to sneezing and wheezing, but can impair sleep, concentration,ability to think, and in some cases cause overwhelming generalized fatigue.

The body uses inflammation as part of the mechanism to beat us down as we age. The plannedobsolescence built into bodies is to a great extent the result of inflammation. In a magnificentexample of biological economy, the same system that protects us from germs when we are youngdoes us in when we get old. Though there is nothing we can do to prevent aging, we can do things toslow the process of aging. The flip side is that we can also make dangerous choices—from smoking tousing cocaine—that accelerate the aging process. Degenerative diseases of aging, such as hardeningof the arteries leading to heart attacks and strokes, can be forestalled by a healthy lifestyle, anti-inflammationfood choices, and other modalities discussed in Part IV of this book.

The Inflammation Connection refers to the fact that inflammation in one part of the bodyinfluences inflammation elsewhere. Evidence of this comes from research that shows correlationsbetween diseases related to inflammation. We now know that inflammation of the lining of theblood vessels is behind heart attacks and strokes. People with heart attacks and strokes are atincreased risk to have inflamed gums. People with inflamed gums are more like to have heart attacksand strokes. Inflammation is related to obesity, insomnia, depression, and diabetes. Allergies andasthma are related to insomnia and depression. Obese people are more likely to develop asthmathan people with normal weight. People with rheumatoid arthritis are more likely to develop heartdisease. Inflammation connections are everywhere we look.

All sorts of things in our environment increase the risk of diseases associated with heart attacks.The small particulates in the air from burning fossil fuels can inflame the linings of our arteries andlead to heart attacks. So can cigarette smoke, whether from smoking or breathing someone else'ssmoke. Leaky furnaces can also play a role when we seal up our houses in winter and have roaringfires inside our homes.

The importance of food choices in reducing one's risk of inflammation, avoiding diseasesassociated with inflammation, and even slowing down the process of aging, is overwhelming. Thereare several ways that diet plays a role in the inflammatory process. Foods are complex mixtures ofa host of chemicals with diverse sizes and shapes. These can have profound positive and negativeeffects on the body. In addition to chemicals that occur naturally in foods, wild assortments ofchemicals are added to foods from farms to processing and distribution networks. Some of thesefood chemicals—both naturally occurring and added—are pro-inflammatory and increase our riskof diseases associated with inflammation. Other food chemicals reduce the risk of inflammationby providing essential nutrients or by providing potent antioxidants to counteract the dangerouseffects of oxidants that damage inflamed tissues.

Sometimes a single food or collection of foods drives inflammation in an individual's body.Identifying these highly individualized problem foods and eliminating them from the diet can resultin remission of chronic diseases. Techniques for identifying personal problem foods are presentedin Part III.

The Inflammation Cure recipes presented here are designed to be appealing, nutritious, andhealthful.

Nutrition Primer

Knowledge of the basics of nutrition is essential to eating properly and maintaining good health.Most have studied nutrition in school health and science courses. The nutrition primer given hereis presented as a refresher course for those who want to review the basics. Others may want to skipthis section. The basic chemistry classes of nutrients are proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals,a group of bioactive organic chemicals that include vitamins and antioxidants, and water. Theenergy yielding nutrients, carbohydrates, fats and proteins, plus water are the major proportion ofmost foods. Vitamins and minerals, while they do not provide direct energy, aid in the process ofenergy production within our cells. Without the proper mix of the energy yielding and non-energyyielding nutrients our bodies cannot function properly. All are necessary for ideal nutrition butmust be consumed in an appropriate balance. Too much of a good thing, most importantly for themetals, can cause serious diseases. Further, there are preferable fats and carbohydrates and othersthat should be eaten in moderation or avoided.

Proteins

This class of compounds consists of chemicals called amino acids hooked together like the boxcars ona train to make a long chain. Just as train cars have couplers that hook together to join two cars, theamino end (consisting of a nitrogen atom and three hydrogen atoms) of one amino acid hooks to the acidend (consisting of a carbon atom, two oxygen atoms, and a hydrogen atom) of another to couple them.Once the protein chain is complete, the long line folds to form a three dimensional structure. Differentproteins have different functions in the body. Hemoglobin is a protein that carries oxygen in the bloodstream, greatly increasing the amount of oxygen that can be carried to our tissues. Others are enzymesthat effectively speed up chemical reactions. Many proteins, including insulin, are hormones....