Weight loss
Inflammation is your body’s natural response to protect it from disease, irritants, and tissue damage. Inflammation is how your body fights back to restore your body back to its normal working state. When an area becomes inflamed, immune cells are released to the affected area.
These immune cells perform a variety of different functions to help fight back against disease and destruction. Immune cells expand blood vessels to allow more blood to enter the affected area, activate nerve signals to send pain messages to the brain, and carry fluid to the affected area to help flush out toxins.1
Some of the signs of outer inflammation include:
- Redness on the skin
- Skin that is hot to the touch
- Swelling of tissue
- Pain
- Immobility
These are just the signs of inflammation that we can see on the outside. Inner inflammation is not as visible. When inflammation happens on the inside we may not notice it right away. The inflammation can become chronic and cause various health problems.2
Symptoms of chronic inflammation:
- Pain in the abdominal area
- Rash
- Sores in the mouth
- Chest pain
- Fever
- Joint pain
- Fatigue
Many diseases are linked to chronic inflammation including arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, asthma, diabetes, and obesity. Our modern lifestyle can also contribute to chronic inflammation. Exposure to toxins in the environment and consumption of processed foods can irritate our cells. Lack of proper nutrition, sufficient sleep, and physical activity in our busy lives can weaken our immune system. Having a food allergy can also cause inflammation flare ups, wreaking havoc on our ability to digest food and send much-needed nutrients to other parts of our body.3
Inflammation and Weight Gain
If you are having trouble losing weight, it might be due to inflammation. Chronic inflammation can interrupt the signals that let you know when you are hungry and when you are full. Inflammation can also interfere with your metabolism, often slowing it down and making it difficult for your body to process extra calories. This in turn can cause those extra calories to be stored as fat instead of being processed by your body.4,5
Inflammation can also negatively affect the production and absorption of insulin in the body, which in turn leads to weight gain. Excess fat leads to higher levels of inflammation in the body. Cytokine, a small protein, is released during periods of inflammation. Cytokine has been positively linked to insulin resistance.6
If you are wondering whether your weight gain might be related to inflammation, here are a few key symptoms you might look for:7,8
- You carry a lot of excess weight around your middle: Most of the extra fat gets stored in the abdominal area. The abdomen is a major area of inflammation, as fat cells produce a strong inflammatory response.
- You experience a lot of gastrointestinal distress: If you experience bloating, gas, diarrhea, or constipation on a regular basis, these might be caused by inflammation of the gut, which leaches out toxins which further spreads inflammation to other parts of the body.
- Your blood glucose levels are high: High blood sugar leads to higher levels of cytokines and advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which lead to further inflammation in the body.
- You suffer from fatigue: It seems that no matter what you do, you’re still tired. That’s because inflamed cells have to work twice as hard to do their job.
- You have skin problems: Red or blotchy skin, eczema, or psoriasis could all be signs of inflammation underneath the skin. Psoriasis has been positively identified with insulin resistance.
- Your thinking is “foggy” or you feel anxious or depressed: Inflammation changes your brain chemistry, which can then affect the way you think or how you feel about yourself. You might find yourself constantly anxious, even when everything is going well. Weight loss can be more difficult when battling despondent thoughts, dealing with anxiety, or not being able to think clearly.
- Your face seems swollen or puffy: If you are constantly battling puffy bags under your eyes or your whole face seems puffy, it might be a sign that inflammation lies underneath.
The good news is that there are many ways to avoid inflammation. One easy way to fight inflammation is to avoid toxins in our environment that irritate our cells. Avoid food with emulsifying agents, cigarette smoke, antibiotics, antacids, NSAIDs, and other harsh chemicals.
There are many foods that fight inflammation – salmon, blueberries, turmeric, tart cherries, and green tea are just a few examples of anti-inflammatory foods. Be sure to pick organic fruits and vegetables to reduce the toxic overload on your immune system and choose free-range organic meats and wild caught seafood.9,10
The stressful, fast-paced life we live in modern society can take its toll on our bodies and increase inflammation. Take time out for self-care on a regular basis. Get plenty of sleep, find ways to relax and reduce stress.
When you do all these things, you should see inflammation begin to clear up and your weight loss goals become more achievable.
We can help!
The Clean Start Weight Loss Program is a medically designed and supervised program created to eliminate the body’s fat deposits, specifically created to target the abdomen, hip and upper thigh area, neck and face.
You will also learn how to implement a healthy eating, plan and cultivate healthy lifestyle habits.
For more information visit us at www.renewmetoday.com to take the Healthy Eating and Weight Loss Survey to see if you are a candidate for our excellent program.
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