Inflammation

I'm back!  Get caught up on what's been going on and I'll tell you about another good company to get your essential oils from!  I discuss the different kinds of inflammation, what causes it, and offer some ideas on how to reduce it.  

Music composed and performed by V. Karaitis

Transcript

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Hey!  Thanks for listening!  I’m Chris Wagenti, and this is Who Gets It, Naturally.  Music was composed and performed by V. Karaitis.  

This podcast does not replace the advice of a medical professional.  Consult your physician before making any changes to your diet or regular health plan.

 Happy New Year!  I know, it’s been a while.  The past 6 to 8 months have been wild.  My physical issues, which I’ll get into in a bit, have wreaked havoc, kind of in a good way.  I’ve celebrated a new birth in the family; grieved a loss; and found out about a few more additions on the way, a wedding and a birth coming up.  I moved, and traveled to celebrate a milestone birthday.  Now I’m trying to get back into at least monthly episodes; ideas for another book or two are spinning around; I’m trying to get better with posting on social media and other updates on Buy Me A Coffee; and trying to get stretching habits to build on the progress I’ve made physically.  Let’s see how this all works out!  

I want to start off by welcoming lots of new listeners in many new locations…in the U.S.: Lindsay, Perris, San Juan Capistrano, San Mateo and Trabuco Canyon, California; Callahan, Daytona Beach, Leesburg and Sanford, Florida; Athens, Covington and Loganville, Georgia; Boise, Idaho; Algonquin, Illinois; Sioux City, Iowa; Augusta, Maine; Brockton, Cambridge, Marlborough and Taunton, Massachusetts; Eastpointe and Southfield, Michigan; Queens, New York; Elk City and Skiatook, Oklahoma; Umatilla, Oregon; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Sumter, South Carolina; Dover, Tennessee; Colville and Kent, Washington; Evansville, Wisconsin; and Casper, Wyoming.  Internationally, Waterloo, Onterio in Canada; Monterrey, Mexico; and various locations in Albania, Brazil, Egypt, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Moracco, Pakistan, Palestine, the Philippians and Sweden.  Welcome and thanks for listening!  

 Don’t forget to check out my book, HOW TO SURVIVE BEING A HOT MESS without taking any meds, available in e-book and paperback at Barnes & Nobel bn.com; and now available on Amazon.  I’m working on my second book where I go in depth with how to use Witch Hazel.  I’ll let you know when that’s available.

Also, check out the community center at BuyMeACoffee.com/vobyjypsee4.  There’s a place to share recipes, experiences and other alternatives, as well as options for memberships that include one-on-one time with me, and samples.

I’m still recuperating from the fall and rushing into the custom soles a bit, but I am noticing a difference, for the better.  My doctor noticed a big shift and took new X-ray’s…I saw a difference just looking at them quickly.  He took measurements…the top of your hip bones should pretty much be level.  Five years ago when I first starting going to this doctor, the difference between my hips was a 15 degree angle.  It’s down to about 7 degrees.  HUGE improvement.  The curve in my lower spine improved as well.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m still working things out, every day is different.  One day I feel great, the next day I can’t move.  But it is improving.  I’m standing straighter.  People are noticing I’m walking better, on good days.  The bad days are on and off, and not as bad as they were.  And, if that wasn’t enough, I also moved…packing and unpacking on top of all this, which has increased the bad days.  Baby steps.  

 As if all of this wasn’t enough, I’ve also been experimenting, researching and trying different things.  First, I found a new essential oils company.  Remember, I said that the most expensive wasn’t necessarily the best, and the cheapest wasn’t necessarily the worst.  Here’s a perfect example.  To start, you really need to make sure you’re comparing apples to apples.  What do I mean by that?  Company X sells a specific oil in 15 ml bottles and charges $15 per bottle.  Company Y sells the same oil in a 10 ml bottle and charges $10 per bottle.  A good deal?  Not really.  If you break it down, Company X’s oil is $1 per ml ($15 divided by 15 ml = $1 per ml); Company Y’s oil is also $1 per ml ($10 divided by 10 ml = $1 per ml).  Yes, it’s $5 less per bottle, but you’re also getting 5 ml less.   Let’s say Company Z sells the same oil, also in a 10 ml bottle, but for $7.00 per bottle.  That is a good deal, because Company Z’s oil is only $.70 per ml.  ($7.00 divided by 10 ml) Even better, Company Z is also therapeutic grade, 3rd party tested, sourced from all over the world and made in the USA.  But, so are Company X and Company Y.  How can Company Z sell the same quality for so much less?  No middleman.  No downlines.  No membership fees.  They only sell direct to you via their website.  And, there’s no shipping fees and a money back guarantee.  WHAT???!!!???   You heard me.  The website even has a list of popular oils (individual and blends) of the top 2 companies (DoTerra and Young Living) with their comparable oils.  They also sell diffusers, beauty products, cleaning products.  The oils work just as well or better than others I have tried.  I got a few of their diffusers (you can never have enough!)  One is a mister that I put in the bathroom – love it!  And I got a pair of hanging diffusers that I can use in the car.  Love it!  I have tried their version of DoTerra’s Breathe (which smells a little different, but works just as well…maybe a little better) and their dishwasher tabs (which I absolutely LOVE!  No spots or streaks on my glassware, silverware, dishes…my stainless-steel pots shine!  Better than the leading chemicals sold in supermarkets!).  So, what’s the name of this company?  Revive.  You can find them at www.Revive-EO.com.   If you have a question, send in an email & someone gets back to you within 48 hours.  They’ve got all the oils I currently use, and a whole bunch I haven’t tried yet.  Can’t find what you’re looking for?  Send them an email.  Has my opinion of DoTerra changed?  Not at all.  They’re great oils, but they are a bit on the expensive side.  Revive’s Frankincense is a fraction of DoTerra’s.  Saving money is always a good thing!  And Revive has lots of sales.  Again, it’s personal preference, I’m just introducing you to something new I have discovered.  

 I’ve also been adjusting my diet.  Besides cutting back on cheese, I’ve also discovered a few tips to try.  I admit, I got sucked into a rabbit hole because of my curiosity about the “pink salt trick” and the “gelatin trick”.  You know, those ads where they tease that if you click on the link below they’ll share this wonderful secret that you can make at home, with items you probably already have in your kitchen…20 minutes later they’re still talking about other stuff and then finally, in a round about way tell you the ingredients and that they have to be mixed in just the right way, but instead of telling you everything and letting you decide for yourself, they just created a product with the exact measurements needed with the best possible ingredients that you can’t get a hold of, so buy my product.  Uuuuggggghhhhh!!!!  But, I was at least smart enough to take notes.  So, I’ve been researching some stuff on my own…leaky gut, polyphenols, lectins, and so on.  I’ll get some episodes out of this!  But they do tie into the main topic I wanted to discuss in this episode…inflammation.  

 Inflammation is kind of like headaches…the type of headache you have determines the best things to try to get rid of it.  (Season 2 Episode 23)  The same holds true for Inflammation.  There are different kinds and causes of inflammation.  Relief depends on the cause.  

In the first century B.C., Celsus, a Roman writer, identified 4 signs of inflammation; redness, warmth, swelling and pain.  Doctors still use these indicators today.  The suffix “itis” denotes inflammation – appendicitis, hepatitis, bronchitis…appendicitis means the appendix is inflamed; hepatitis means the liver is inflamed; bronchitis means the bronchial tubes in the lungs are inflamed.  Why?  An allergen, a foreign object or a wound can all produce inflammation…your body is fighting against what it deems to be a threat.   

There’s acute inflammation and chronic inflammation.  Acute inflammation is your body’s self-defense against infections and toxins that lasts a short amount of time…usually until the threat of harm has dissipated.  For example, when you break a bone and the area blows up to 10 times its normal size or more.  That’s your body protecting itself against infection, toxins and other issues that can further harm you.  

Chronic inflammation lasts an extended period of time and is caused by an underlying issue.  Some causes of chronic inflammation are a diet high in trans and saturated fats, sugar and processed foods; obesity; poor gut health; autoimmune diseases; the environment, like exposure to chemicals and other toxins; and your lifestyle – smoking, excessive drinking (alcoholic beverages), lack of sleep, excessive stress and inactivity can contribute.  Most people experience multiple causes of chronic inflammation, which makes it that much harder to reduce. 

The article named Chronic diseases, inflammation, and spices: how are they linked?  found at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5785894/ explores reducing chronic inflammation with herbs and spices.  The Background states, QUOTE: “Chronic diseases, also called as non-communicable diseases that include Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and Parkinson’s disease, remain the primary root cause of death and disability worldwide [1–3]. The major risk factors associated with these diseases are unhealthy lifestyle including lack of physical activity, poor diet, stress, excessive tobacco and alcohol consumption, exposure to radiation, and infection with pathogenic microorganisms. It is now well established that these agents induce inflammation and dysregulate inflammatory pathways, which lead to the development of chronic diseases [1–3].

Inflammation, which means, “to set on fire” is a body’s natural response against harmful pathogen and stimuli that occurs in two stages namely, acute and chronic inflammation [4]. Acute inflammation is a part of innate immunity initiated by the immune cells that persists only for a short time. However, if the inflammation continues, the second stage of inflammation called chronic inflammation commences which instigates various kinds of chronic diseases, including arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and neurological diseases via dysregulation of various signaling pathways such as nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) etc. [5]. Hence, targeting the inflammatory pathways has high potential in preventing and eradicating these deadly diseases [1]. However, most of the drugs developed till today for the treatment of chronic diseases are highly expensive and associated with adverse side effects [1]. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel, safe, affordable, and highly efficacious agents for the management of these diseases.

Congregate evidence suggests that a diet rich in plant-based agents including spices has the ability to prevent most of the chronic diseases. The earliest evidence of the use of spices by humans dates back to 5000 B.C., and till today their biological activities have been extensively studied [6]. “Spice” originates from the Latin word, “species”, which means a commodity of special distinction or value [7]. Spices have been extensively used since ancient times as means of remedy, coloring agent, flavoring agent, and preservative. Subsequently, tremendous studies have shown that nutraceuticals derived from spices such as clove, coriander, garlic, ginger, onion, pepper, turmeric, etc., remarkably prevent and cure various chronic diseases by targeting inflammatory pathways [8]. This review emphasizes the association between inflammation and chronic diseases and the benefits of spices in warding off these global major health issues.”  END QUOTE

Huh, imagine that!  Added bonus?  Using different spices opens up new flavors during cooking…making the same old boring dishes new and exciting!

There are several pharmaceuticals to reduce inflammation, including NSAIDs, like Advil, and prednisone, to name a few.  There’s also various natural ways to reduce it as well.  Depending on the cause of the inflammation, there are several essential oils you can try.  Frankincense, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Rosemary, Chamomile, Ginger, Black Pepper, Lavender, Turmeric, Clove, Thyme, Basil, Lemongrass, Patchouli, Bergamot, Clary Sage and Sandalwood are the most popular.  They can help reduce inflammation by inhalation or application.  You can diffuse them with a misting diffuser, adding a few drops to a cotton ball, a stone diffuser, and so on.  Or you can apply them topically mixed with your favorite Carrier Oil…massaging it directly into the affected area.  Which essential oil should you use and how should you use it?  That all depends on you.  For example, Ginger works well with the digestive system, so inflammation in the abdominal area would benefit from some Ginger Essential Oil mixed with your favorite Carrier Oil and massaged into your belly, concentrating on the affected area.  You can also incorporate fresh Ginger into your diet, with a tea made from fresh Ginger, for example.  The Mints (Peppermint, Basil, etc), Eucalyptus and other oils containing menthol are great for respiratory issues, such as bronchitis and sinusitis…and inhaling them is best.

There’s a long list of essential oils that reduce inflammation.  Notice many of these essential oils are from herbs and spices…Ginger, Turmeric, Black Pepper, Chamomile, Clove, Rosemary.  You can also relieve inflammation with these herbs and spices, and others such as Cardamon, Cayenne, Cinnamon, Cilantro, Garlic, Ginseng and Green Tea.  Incorporating these herbs and spices into your daily intake, by making teas and flavoring your meals, can also help reduce inflammation.  This is a great opportunity to get creative.  For instance, I was recently at my sister Janet’s.  I made breakfast, scrambled eggs.  I was looking in her cabinets to see what kind of herbs she had, because I had started adding Rosemary and Thyme to my scrambled eggs.  She asked what I was looking for, then said she started putting Cinnamon in her scrambled eggs.  At first I thought, eww.  But then I thought, this could work.  So I added some Cinnamon, too.  They were pretty good…and we both enjoyed breakfast.  Point is, you don’t know until you try it.  There really are endless options…you need to break out of your comfort zone and try different things until you find what works for you.

As always, if you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to email me at vobyjypsee@usa.com, or send a text from the podcast.  You can follow me on X and Instagram … @vobyjypsee; or LinkedIn…search either Chris Wagenti, Who Gets It, Naturally or Voice Overs by Jypsee.  Please download this episode, and make Who Gets It, Naturally a favorite on your preferred channel so you don’t miss an episode.

My book, HOW TO SURVIVE BEING A HOT MESS without taking any meds, is available in paperback and e-book format at BN.com and Amazon. 

You can buy me a coffee or get a membership at www.buymeacoffee.com/vobyjypsee4.  Thanks for your support and for listening!