Pop singer and queer icon, Hayle Kiyoko opened up in an Instagram live video about her health problems that proliferated after booming success in 2018, otherwise known as 20gayteen. The singer expressed her frustration that doctors could not answer her confounding medical problems, the only underlying factor being chronic stress and inflammation.
Earlier this year, Kiyoko started an anti-inflammatory diet which has helped her overall health more than any medication or treatment. Finding a solution after months of suffering was an added bonus to beginning to feel better in her body again.
Kiyoko isn't the only person who anti-inflammatory diets are helping. According to public health professionals, chronic inflammation is the leading cause of death today, and women are at a higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases than men. Choosing the right foods will help decrease chronic inflammation, but constantly choosing the wrong foods will only create health problems at some point. The information in the article regarding the science behind inflammation and health, as well as following an anti-inflammatory diet was reported on research from Harvard Medical School.
What Is The Relationship Between Inflammation And Health?
Chronic inflammation is a stress response that declines overall health and mental health and attributes to diseases like arthritis, Alzheimer’s, cancer and depression. When your body detects something foreign - chemical, plant, medication, allergic compound - it has an immune response that causes inflammation.
Inflammation is a stress response. If your body is in a constant state of stress, chemicals released to attack “potential threats” are only causing self-damage, thus the term autoimmune. When Kiyoko expressed feeling stressed all the time, it indicates that the stress was like a never-ending circle contributing to poor health: having inflammation + causing stress = causes more inflammation and stress.
Stress, inflammation and stomach health are interrelated. Most of the things that directly enter our bodies are foods and drinks, which go right to the stomach. Inflammation responses are constantly starting in our stomach and signaling to our brain to release a stress response, creating a strong relationship between gut health and mental health according to Harvard Health.
Whether inflammation is affecting your body, mental health, or maybe isn't causing a problem yet, knowing that chronic inflammation is avoidable with caring for our stomachs and preventing the number one cause of physical and mental illness can help us live longer and healthier lives.
Or if you are like Hayley Kiyoko, it is possible to be having medical problems, whether physical or mental and not know why. Women for centuries have felt gaslit by medical professionals for reporting chronic pain and being dismissed for their experiences. Take health into your own hands by becoming informed about ways to prevent illness. Choosing anti-inflammatory foods is a better measure of prevention than anything in the medicine cabinet.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Do's and Don'ts
Eating an anti-inflammatory diet is more effective in decreasing inflammation than medical treatments, claims Harvard health. Due to the link between gut health, mental health, and physical health, eating anti-inflammatory foods is one way to take care of yourself for the long term.
A good model to follow for an anti-inflammatory diet is the Mediterranean kitchen because it is rich in fresh fruits, fish and vegetables.
Do choose foods such as:
- Olive oil
- Tomates
- Green vegetables
- Fish
- Nuts
Good news for coffee fanatics, coffee is shown to be anti-inflammatory!
Foods that Harvard Health suggests increase inflammation, therefore increase health risks include fried foods, processed foods and sugars.
Don't choose (when possible):
- Fried foods
- Red meat
- Sugars
- Refined carbs (white bread)
- Soda
- Margarine
Harvard Health provides some general rules to follow such as, avoid processed foods when possible, as they are high in sugars and refined carbs. They also suggest reducing the amount of red meat and substituting for fish or plant-based proteins is another easy way to cut down inflammatory foods. For example, cut out the ground beef from the pasta dish, or put salmon on the salad instead.
Diet culture can be very fat-phobic and toxic for body image. While obesity is a public health issue and an inflammation risk, losing weight is not the goal of an anti-inflammatory diet, reported Harvard Health. This is a way of thinking about the foods we consume in order to prevent disease and support life longevity and wellbeing.
Have you ever had a bad day, and eaten fried or fast food? It is easy to turn to chips or cookies as comfort, but it is true that sugars and processed foods don't improve our mood or mental state. This is another reason why choosing anti-inflammatory foods isn't just about longevity, it is about improving the now.
To improve your mood today, or when you are having a bad day, Harvard Health suggests eating something that gives your brain energy like fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts. That bloated feeling in your stomach after eating fast food is stomach inflammation. If you are already stressed, and your stomach is sending stress signals to your brain, it is the start of a difficult cycle.
Choosing anti-inflammatory foods is a choice for longer and healthier life, physically and mentally, and choosing to help your stress levels today. It is okay to treat yourself but stay informed about how to take stress and inflammation into your own hands and feel better when the stress is high.
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