The 6 Steps to Definite Reduction in Inflammation and Weight!
Many people who have inflammatory conditions tend to have visceral fat and excess weight too. As explained beautifully in books such as ‘Anti Inflammation Zone’, ‘The Autoimmune Fix’ and ‘Microbiome Solution’, there is a relationship between fatty tissue and inflammation. The authors explain the role of arachidonic acid, insulin resistance and other biochemical pathways that keep a proinflammatory cascade going in the body.
Speaking as a Health Coach who uses Lifestyle Medicine to help those with Chronic Illnesses, I have seen the wonderful effect of weight loss on inflammation levels, pain etc. in my clients. In this article, I would like to share some steps you can take to drop excess weight and reduce inflammation levels. Whether your weight gain is part of the problem or part of the steroid based treatment, the following should be quite effective. Remember however, that though these steps are powerful, it is the consistent implementation of this knowledge which will actually create the change you are looking for.
Fibre, fibre, fibre!
Go ahead, help yourself to that slow cooked creamy bean soup, voluminous green salad, sprouts, the steamed, stir fried, sauteed, roasted or grilled veggies of all kinds. Indulge yourself in the crispy crunch of microgreens on anything you eat! Enjoy the light spices filled with antioxidants which enrich the flavours of your food. Truly, fill yourselves up with all this, and end with some nutty-fruity dessert bursting with fresh flavours.
Not only will you be satisfying your hungry bellies with excellent fibre which keeps you feeling full for a longer amount of time, you are also providing enough munch for your microbiome. This kind of eating additionally ensures that you are getting a whole lot more nutrients than before. Sure you are going to turn away from a whole lot of processed foods in the shops but with the variety of fresh produce in each season, and how light, active and good you feel, it won’t be long before you never look back at that which was never real food anyway.
Goodbye Sugar
Sugar is hidden under an extraordinary number of names on labels of foods you may buy. Please look for products that contain no added sugar. Or at the very least, ensure that it is not among the first three of the listed ingredients. As you do this, you may find yourself avoiding most processed and packaged foods. It is safest to buy only fresh whole foods and make sauces, dressings etc. at home on weekends and store in sterilised jars for later use.
Not all calories have the same kinds of effect on your system. Sugar and other foods with high glycemic index tend to create large fluctuations in blood sugar levels, leading to all kinds of problems in your brain function and mood, and play havoc with your hunger signals. Totally cutting sugar out will go a long way in reducing your insulin resistance and reducing your hunger levels.
Cut Grains back or out
Some experts on autoimmunity recommend avoiding grains altogether unless you are ready to buy them whole, soak, sprout, ferment, cook and then consume them. For the purpose of weight loss though, it is useful to cut back on the quantity of grains consumed in a day to match our physical activity. For a moderately active person the proportion in your plate would look like this: Half the plate has vegetables, a quarter has legumes, lentils, peas and the like, and the last quarter can be shared between healthy fats and grains.
Whole grains are generally preferred to polished grains for the fibre they contain but often some of the proteins in the bran and germ can be problematic to sensitive digestive tracts. After a few weeks of Eliminating all Grains, enjoying weight loss and potentially better gut health, you may want to try adding back each grain one by one in a small quantity and observing the effect on your body for the following three days. If you notice any disturbances in your digestion, skin, focus or energy levels, it would be best to avoid that kind of grain in the future. Here the objective is not just weight loss, but to identify potential irritants to your system and prevent them from contributing to the inflammatory pathways.
Go Gluten Free
Speaking of grains to avoid, many people benefit from eliminating wheat, rye and barley from their diets. Wheat is the primary culprit eliciting the oddest symptoms that are seemingly unrelated. Many doctors may say that Celiac Disease is the only diagnosis known to be triggered by gluten intolerance, and that if you don’t experience immediate digestive distress after eating wheat, it is unlikely to be contributing to other inflammation in the body. This has not been my observation. I know countless examples of inflammation targeting various parts of the body (sinusitis, eczema, uveitis, joint pain to name a few) that have been greatly mitigated by eliminating wheat from the diet.
Additionally, refined wheat has a high glycemic index and adds to insulin resistance in a mechanism very similar to refined sugar. Even if you have no intolerance to wheat, it would be highly recommended to avoid refined wheat for the purpose of weight loss. This means most pastas, pizza, many breads and even many desserts and sweets. If you must use wheat, buy it whole from a trusted source that doesn’t spray chemicals on it or use monstrous hybrids and mill it yourself coarsely to use.
Quit Animal Fat
For the vegetarians out there, this means primarily dairy but for meat eaters, it also includes pretty much all meat and lard. Studies have shown animal fat to be inflammatory in nature and since they provide a dense form of energy, it is easy to eat more than you need, tipping the scale against your favour in the balance of calories in and calories out. Additionally since they don’t come packaged in plant fibre, they give your digestive system a hard time and lead to some unfavourable microbial growth in your gut.
Say Yes to Herbal Infusions
Explore and enjoy herbal teas. If you want to feel full and keep your mouth busy in consuming something. Herbal teas are the answer. They hydrate you, taste good, introduce some antioxidants, reduce stress, detoxify some organs and keep you feeling full all for the cost of no calories. I recommend dandelion, chamomile, ginger-turmeric, reishi mushroom, licorice root, and if you feel immunosuppressed and like a cold might be coming on, you can also have elderberry, echinacea and tulsi. It might be a good idea to consult a herbalist to identify which teas may be most beneficial for you. They can make you feel soothed and cared for.
Intermittent Fasting
Perhaps I have saved the best for last here. A low carb diet can do a lot for you but when you add a 16:8 fasting regimen to the mix, it powers much faster weight loss, a clear reduction in inflammation and a general clean up for the whole body. The fasting time is really up to you. While some people take this as far as One Meal A Day (OMAD), it is also fine to start small with 13–14 hours of fasting and work your way up until you reach a proportion you can sustain long term. Intermittent fasting triggers autophagy which has been implicated to have positive effects on inflammatory conditions.
If you are able to eat two meals and maybe a snack in an eight hour eating window and fast for the remaining sixteen hours, it gives your body a real break from all the digesting it has to do. Twelve hours after you eat, the body is done with digestion. After that every hour of rest you give it, it can allocate it’s attention and resources to start healing other problems in the body. Intermittent fasting has several other benefits such as improving mental clarity, reversing aging, boosting immunity against pathogens and improved cardiovascular health too. Isn’t it wonderful how the mere timing of your food can have such a great impact on your health?
*BONUS*
As a boost to Intermittent Fasting, if you do moderate cardio for 20–30 minutes in a fasted state (walking, Yoga, a jog, or aerobics dance, you get the picture) preceded or followed by green tea, black tea or coffee (no milk or sugar of course!), it amplifies the fat burning further.
Keen on doing more? Take a cold shower or ice bath in a fasted state after your cardio and caffeine consumption and you will convert passive white fat to active brown fat and burn it up very fast. I recommend talking to a qualified health professional before taking it this far though.
Accountability
Whether you are struggling with an autoimmune condition, weight gain due to medication, or other inflammatory condition, following these steps will definitely lead to great improvement in your health. For many, reading about these steps is enough to start implementing them. Others may need accountability and compassionate, creative support from the outside. A Health Coach can help you by brainstorming exactly how to create these changes in your busy life. Inducing adult behavioural change in a positive way is integral to how Health Coaches serve their clients. Empowered by knowledge and a supportive partnership you can take control of your health. Improvement is on the horizon!
Janani Dhinakaran PhD helps those with chronic illnesses improve their quality of life using positive lifestyle changes. She specialises in Autoimmunity but has a wide range of experience with prediabetes, anxiety, acidity, weight loss etc. https://riselife.org/testimonials/ She can be reached at janani@riselife.org