The root of obesity and chronic disease

When you cut your finger or come down with an infection like strep throat or the flu, 

your body immediately responds by taking measures to repair the tissue damage or stomp out the bacteria or virus. Cells called cytokines are sent out to the site of injury to start healing injured tissue and trapping toxins or germs. This response is acute inflammation, and it is a normal and necessary process that allows our bodies to heal. It can cause pain, discoloration or swelling and indicates that your body is on its way to recovery. This process can last anywhere from a few hours to several days depending on your condition.

Now, what happens when your body continues sending out these inflammatory cells, even when there is no injury or illness? This same process that acutely functions to heal you, is now doing just the opposite. This is known as chronic inflammation, and it is at the root of so many diseases that are plaguing our nation:

• cardiovascular disease
• cancers
• neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
• metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes
• autoimmune conditions like RA and lupus
• gastrointestinal diseases like Crohn’s and IBD
• lung diseases like asthma and COPD
• mental health illnesses like depression and anxiety

Inflammatory diseases are responsible for more than 50% of all deaths globally.

Cortisol, otherwise known as the stress hormone, is elevated in a high inflammatory state. It is a steroid produced by your adrenal glands to prepare your body to respond to perceived danger. Like, if you are out in the woods and a bear starts chasing you. This is the fight or flight response and helps your body essentially survive by either fighting the danger or escaping it. Your blood pressure goes up. So does your heart rate. Your muscles tense up. And your digestive system slows down. And thank goodness for this because otherwise we would not have survived as a species.

But, chronic activation of this survival mechanism is making us sick. It is manifesting as elevated blood pressure, the development of plaque build-up in our arteries, brain changes that may lead to depression, anxiety and addiction and contributing to obesity. Chronically elevated cortisol leads to development/worsening of:

• heart disease
• arrythmias
• hypertension
• stroke
• asthma
• irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflex and symptoms like gas, diarrhea, constipation and pain
• skin conditions like eczema, rosacea and psoriasis
• hives, excessive sweating and hair loss
• tightness and spasms in the neck, shoulders and jaw
• autoimmune conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and lupus
• weakening of the immune system and susceptibility to common colds and flu
• hormonal imbalance leading to skipped periods or even secondary amenorrhea
• poor sleep and insomnia
• depression and anxiety
• weight gain 

So, what are the common causes of chronically elevated cortisol and inflammation? The following are common culprits:

• chronic stress (both physical and psychological)
• sedentary lifestyle
• BMI above 30, particularly excess visceral fat causing increased waist circumference
• a diet high in pro-inflammatory foods
• an imbalance of healthy and unhealthy gut microbes
• truncated sleep, disrupted circadian rhythm and lack of REM sleep
• toxin exposure (more to come in future newsletters)
• tobacco use/cannabis use
• regular use of alcohol

Many of my clients come to me wanting to lose weight for the long run and take charge of and optimize their health. While there are many strategies for this, in order to achieve lifelong success, I believe we must address the root cause, inflammation. Most of the lifestyle changes that I implement in our work together are centered around lowering inflammation levels, not just to prevent and reverse chronic illness but also to achieve sustainable weight loss.

And because my approach is targeting the root of the problem and developing healthy habits that are grounded in real science and medicine, it works.

If you are going to take a few simple and actionable steps today to help you lower your inflammation levels and get closer to whole health and achieving your weight loss goals, I would recommend the following:

1. Embrace an anti-inflammatory diet. Whole food, plant-based deliciousness. Avoid processed foods as much as possible.
2. Make a point to start incorporating movement into your lifestyle. Your goal should be 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity each week.
3. Stop smoking and avoid all tobacco/cannabis products.
4. Limit alcohol use as much as possible.
5. Maintain a healthy weight.
6. Limit toxins in your life. You would be surprised how much exposure we have on a day-to-day basis and how simple steps from your cookware to your deodorant can have a huge impact on not just your weight but your overall health.