Are you inflammaging?

Aging is a natural process that everyone has to deal with, however, in today’s modern world, we’re dealing with a phenomenon that has taken a lot of interest in the field of science, known as inflammaging– where chronic inflammation in the body causes premature aging and many diseases associated with the process of aging.

Inflammaging is the result of today’s chaotic lifestyle, also known as, unhealthy eating habits, stress and toxins. To a certain extent, some of these factors can’t be avoided, like the toxins in the air we breathe, however, many of them are within our control, such as the food we eat and the way we react towards stressful situations.

When the body is chronically inflamed, we’re exposing it to premature aging as well as diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, heart disease, type-II diabetes, osteoporosis and many other diseases.

Inflammation is the body’s natural and essential response to any harmful stimuli and is a crucial component of the immune system. Without it, our body wouldn’t be able to react to the bite of a mosquito, for example. However, the chronic and systemic inflammation caused by today’s lifestyle choices is what has lead to inflammaging.

Practically every packaged food or drink you can find in a supermarket nowadays would be categorized as an inflammation causing food. And who happens to eat these foods? Most people.

Processed foods are packed with additives, sugars, conservatives and chemicals. When they’re eaten regularly, your body becomes chronically inflamed. As a consequence, you’re increasing your risk of developing disease and accelerating the aging process.

Have you ever heard the saying that you should only eat foods your grandparents would recognise as food? In that case, you should avoid eating processed foods and opt for natural organic foods instead, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes and fish, just like nature intended.

Toxins are nearly everywhere nowadays, especially when you live in a city. But toxins aren’t only found in the air we breathe, but also in the foods we eat. That’s why it’s important to eat whole organic foods that are free from pesticides and chemicals. Eating a healing diet will also help the liver detox from the inevitable toxins that get into our system.

Without a doubt, stress is necessary to protect ourselves from potential threats, however, the stress we’re experiencing nowadays has very detrimental effects on our health. When cortisol levels are frequently elevated, the body becomes chronically stressed, increasing inflammation. In fact, the elevated levels of inflammation in the body caused by chronic stress, suppresses the immune system by 40-70%.

In this fast-paced lifestyle we’re living in where we need to juggle 1001 things, take time to breathe and relax. It’s important to find your balance and not allow stress get to you. Meditate, exercise, walk in nature and enjoy quality time with your loved ones to disconnect, to reconnect.

Don’t let this modern day lifestyle make you inflammage sooner than you should be aging! By eating a healthy diet, reducing stress levels, limiting toxin consumption and dedicating time to yourself, you’ll manage to achieve a balanced life!