Fire is great when it's
burning what you want it to burn
00:00:01.36\00:00:04.10
and you can put it out.
00:00:04.13\00:00:05.47
Some things like
water, fire extinguishers,
00:00:05.50\00:00:08.27
and firemen put fire out.
00:00:08.30\00:00:10.31
Other things like gas or
wind will only make it hotter.
00:00:10.34\00:00:13.88
When a neighbor's burn
pile got out of control,
00:00:14.08\00:00:16.08
it moved into our property and
it took airplanes dumping their
00:00:16.11\00:00:19.05
red retardant to put it out.
00:00:19.25\00:00:21.15
I'm Rise, your
host in this series.
00:00:21.28\00:00:23.52
And today we're finishing
up our section on inflammation.
00:00:23.55\00:00:26.52
We've likened inflammation to
fire just to help us understand
00:00:26.69\00:00:29.69
that we can actively ignite it
00:00:29.72\00:00:31.49
or we can put it
out and live in health.
00:00:31.53\00:00:34.40
Because that's
what we were made for.
00:00:34.60\00:00:36.26
After the last two episodes,
I'm like, no wonder we're
00:00:55.02\00:00:57.99
all fired up with inflammation.
00:00:58.19\00:00:59.95
Today, though, you're
going to get equipped with some
00:01:00.19\00:01:02.36
anti-inflammatory
practical strategies.
00:01:02.39\00:01:05.36
The beautiful part of this is
that a lot of this is fixable.
00:01:05.76\00:01:10.60
A lot of this can be
reversed with simple measures.
00:01:10.70\00:01:13.23
So as Ayesha put it beautifully,
00:01:13.27\00:01:15.64
inflammation is
the body's response.
00:01:15.84\00:01:17.74
And two ways of damaging it: the
response itself is exaggerated
00:01:18.17\00:01:21.58
so it attacks the
cell and surrounding area;
00:01:21.61\00:01:25.15
and the second way is, the
byproducts after the attack
00:01:25.35\00:01:28.88
also are retained so that
they become garbage in the space
00:01:28.92\00:01:33.52
that actually interfere with
regular transaction in the cell
00:01:33.72\00:01:38.09
and surrounding cells.
00:01:38.13\00:01:39.63
And that's why getting
rid of things is important.
00:01:39.96\00:01:41.80
That's why sleep is important.
00:01:41.83\00:01:43.33
But the way out of that
is what reduces inflammation.
00:01:44.07\00:01:47.30
Food definitely; good
food gets rid of inflammation.
00:01:47.50\00:01:51.27
The elimination of bad food
which propagates that further.
00:01:51.87\00:01:55.11
It reduces it and
over time eliminates it.
00:01:55.61\00:01:58.15
But things like exercise.
00:01:58.78\00:02:00.22
Why is exercise important?
00:02:00.95\00:02:02.35
Because when you're exercising,
you're increasing blood flow
00:02:02.65\00:02:05.82
to the most vascular
organ in the body, the brain.
00:02:06.12\00:02:09.29
There are pictures of the
brain where they've denuded
00:02:09.39\00:02:12.29
every other structure, and
all that's left is vessels.
00:02:12.33\00:02:14.73
And you say, "Wait a second.
00:02:14.93\00:02:16.26
How is there room
for anything else?
00:02:16.30\00:02:17.97
Where are the
other 87 billion neurons?
00:02:18.37\00:02:21.04
You know, billions and
billions of glial cells,
00:02:21.70\00:02:24.37
because it's so vascular.
00:02:24.41\00:02:25.84
So if you're
increasing blood flow
00:02:26.27\00:02:28.21
into the brain, what happens?
00:02:28.24\00:02:29.81
The cleansing process happens.
00:02:29.84\00:02:31.71
And also during
exercise you have secretion of
00:02:31.75\00:02:35.08
growth hormones, BDNF, brain
derived neurotrophic factor,
00:02:35.12\00:02:38.49
which in itself is a
potent anti-inflammatory agent.
00:02:38.52\00:02:41.39
We've been married 17 years.
00:02:41.42\00:02:42.89
We finish each
other's sentences.
00:02:42.92\00:02:44.73
So, especially when it comes
to BDNF, which is important.
00:02:44.76\00:02:47.53
We all get
excited about BDNF, yeah.
00:02:47.56\00:02:49.56
So BDNF is growth factor
that grows those connections
00:02:49.76\00:02:54.00
and cleanses the brain.
00:02:54.04\00:02:55.50
When you sleep...
00:02:55.80\00:02:57.14
You know, we get
invited to talks, these resorts,
00:02:58.07\00:03:01.64
and retreats, and
spas, so we give talks.
00:03:01.68\00:03:05.81
We don't get invited
often the second time
00:03:06.01\00:03:07.72
because we say, "The most
important spa is not the spa.
00:03:07.75\00:03:11.39
The most
important is your bedroom.
00:03:11.42\00:03:13.52
Those 7 to 8 hours, if you're
getting restorative deep sleep,
00:03:14.19\00:03:18.59
it's literally the most
important time of day for you.
00:03:19.29\00:03:22.53
It's more important
than your wakefulness.
00:03:23.23\00:03:24.57
What are you
doing in wakefulness?
00:03:24.60\00:03:25.93
Going through Instagram?
00:03:25.97\00:03:27.30
With sleep you're
cleansing the brain.
00:03:27.34\00:03:28.70
You're cleansing the
inflammatory byproducts.
00:03:29.07\00:03:31.17
You're cleansing all the waste.
00:03:31.21\00:03:33.64
And you're fortifying memory.
00:03:33.68\00:03:36.41
Study after study shows
that even a couple hours of
00:03:37.15\00:03:39.38
bad sleep, a
couple days of bad sleep,
00:03:39.41\00:03:41.85
significantly reduces
your attention, your focus,
00:03:41.88\00:03:45.05
and your memory.
00:03:45.09\00:03:46.42
So the sleep period, that
sleep period is cleansing.
00:03:46.82\00:03:49.92
So what kind of sleep?
00:03:49.96\00:03:51.63
Deep restorative sleep, where
you go through those four cycles
00:03:51.66\00:03:55.33
four to five times a night.
00:03:55.36\00:03:56.97
And the answer to that
is not just medication.
00:03:57.07\00:03:58.77
Although we're not
against medication short-term.
00:03:58.80\00:04:00.90
But long term
it's sleep hygiene,
00:04:01.40\00:04:04.67
cognitive behavioral therapy.
00:04:04.71\00:04:06.14
The kind of mechanisms
that allow you to sleep calmly
00:04:06.24\00:04:09.74
and restoratively.
00:04:09.78\00:04:11.11
And that actually
is incredibly powerful
00:04:11.15\00:04:13.72
as an
anti-inflammatory fightback.
00:04:14.02\00:04:16.65
There's nothing
else better than that.
00:04:16.69\00:04:18.09
So there it is:
food, exercise, and sleep
00:04:18.12\00:04:21.32
will take care of more than 99%
of your inflammatory response.
00:04:21.36\00:04:25.79
That's incredible.
00:04:26.46\00:04:27.80
I want to get
excited about BDNF too.
00:04:27.83\00:04:29.63
BDNF stands for brain-derived
neurotrophic factor.
00:04:30.00\00:04:33.84
You can see why
it's abbreviated.
00:04:33.87\00:04:35.44
This BDNF is very much involved
in the inflammatory response.
00:04:35.77\00:04:39.77
It's a fire extinguisher.
00:04:40.08\00:04:41.48
It reduces inflammation.
00:04:41.51\00:04:43.04
Depression and poor
brain neuroplasticity
00:04:43.35\00:04:45.91
are actually associated
with low levels of BDNF.
00:04:45.95\00:04:49.55
Our body makes this
powerful anti-inflammatory
00:04:49.92\00:04:52.65
stuff, but our
lifestyle affects how much
00:04:52.69\00:04:55.52
or how little of it we produce.
00:04:55.56\00:04:57.79
Do you remember what Dr.
Sherzai said increases BDNF
00:04:58.26\00:05:01.63
Exercise.
00:05:01.66\00:05:03.00
There's also a class of
micro-nutrients found in
00:05:03.03\00:05:05.63
plant-based foods
called polyphenols that also
00:05:05.67\00:05:08.24
increase BDNF concentrations.
00:05:08.27\00:05:10.41
Polyphenols are
found in plant-based foods.
00:05:10.61\00:05:12.91
And some of the
plant-based food stars are...
00:05:12.94\00:05:15.64
I can speak from
personal experience.
00:05:24.52\00:05:27.72
I suffered with Achilles
tendinitis for about 10 years.
00:05:28.36\00:05:32.89
And I wasn't able to
run anymore because of it.
00:05:33.50\00:05:37.13
And, I mean, I had
all sorts of treatments.
00:05:37.23\00:05:40.10
I had steroid injections,
I had what we call PRP
00:05:40.14\00:05:44.11
platelet injections, I
had stem-cell injections.
00:05:44.14\00:05:47.28
And all those
things were really helpful.
00:05:47.48\00:05:49.81
But it wasn't until I
tried the anti-inflammatory
00:05:50.11\00:05:53.21
diet that I was able really to
make that pain and inflammation
00:05:53.25\00:05:57.65
go away and stay away.
00:05:57.69\00:05:59.29
Can you give us a
picture of what the
00:05:59.32\00:06:00.66
anti-inflammatory diet is?
00:06:00.69\00:06:02.52
Sure. Well when you talk
about the anti-inflammatory
00:06:03.02\00:06:05.79
diet, you're not talking about
simply avoiding certain foods.
00:06:05.83\00:06:11.03
You're also talking about
intentionally incorporating
00:06:11.07\00:06:14.07
certain foods into your diet.
00:06:14.27\00:06:16.37
You know, Hippocrates, the
ancient Greek physician said,
00:06:16.81\00:06:20.84
"Let food be thy medicine
and medicine be thy food."
00:06:20.88\00:06:23.38
And for me, it meant doing away
with a lot of processed foods,
00:06:24.45\00:06:29.58
you know, staying
away from red meat.
00:06:30.49\00:06:32.05
I'm a vegetarian for
the most part at this point.
00:06:32.09\00:06:34.92
I try to eat a whole
food plant-based diet.
00:06:35.12\00:06:38.79
You know, and
stay... I love sugar.
00:06:39.23\00:06:41.46
That's one of my problems.
00:06:41.50\00:06:42.83
But I try to stay away
from sugar as much as I can.
00:06:42.86\00:06:46.00
And then I'm intentionally
eating things like turmeric,
00:06:46.74\00:06:51.71
you know, to get the curcumin.
00:06:51.91\00:06:55.18
I try to eat, you know,
the cruciferous vegetables
00:06:55.51\00:06:59.71
to get the
sulforaphane out of them.
00:06:59.75\00:07:02.15
You know, broccoli, cauliflower,
kale, and all of those.
00:07:02.18\00:07:06.76
And I try to eat lots of
berries to get the anthocyanins
00:07:07.26\00:07:11.59
in my diet as well.
00:07:12.33\00:07:13.70
All of those dark pigments
that come in the berries.
00:07:13.73\00:07:16.43
And it really played
a huge role in basically
00:07:16.46\00:07:19.37
getting rid of
that inflammation.
00:07:19.40\00:07:20.80
Was it difficult for
you to make that transition
00:07:20.84\00:07:23.00
to a more
anti-inflammatory way of living?
00:07:23.04\00:07:25.97
It was. I'm not going to lie.
00:07:26.01\00:07:28.74
It was.
00:07:28.78\00:07:30.11
But, you know, I was
teaching this to my patients.
00:07:30.35\00:07:34.52
And I promised some of my
patients that I was teaching
00:07:34.75\00:07:37.75
a class on this to,
"Okay, I'll give it a try
00:07:37.79\00:07:40.06
for a month myself."
00:07:40.09\00:07:41.62
And so I did.
00:07:42.16\00:07:43.49
And I have to say that
by the end of that month
00:07:43.53\00:07:45.86
I felt the best I
had felt in years.
00:07:46.16\00:07:48.86
So you started living
what you were preaching.
00:07:49.93\00:07:51.93
- Yes. - I love that.
00:07:51.97\00:07:54.24
On the other hand, are you
eating enough antioxidants?
00:07:54.67\00:07:58.74
Are you eating enough fiber?
00:07:58.77\00:08:00.98
It has been shown
that plant-based diets
00:08:01.91\00:08:04.31
are anti-inflammatory.
00:08:04.35\00:08:06.15
They reduce
inflammation in general.
00:08:06.18\00:08:08.72
It's about the
quality of the plant foods.
00:08:09.28\00:08:13.15
It's also about
how much fat we eat.
00:08:13.36\00:08:16.52
For inflammation, it's better
to keep the fat content low.
00:08:16.56\00:08:20.50
And it's also
about the proportions
00:08:21.13\00:08:23.10
and the quality of fat.
00:08:23.13\00:08:24.90
Having omega-3's more
than omega-6's in our diet
00:08:25.23\00:08:30.97
will help with inflammation.
00:08:31.01\00:08:33.04
Now, if we reduce the
amount of fat that we're using,
00:08:33.64\00:08:37.41
if we're limiting the
amount of oils that we're using,
00:08:37.45\00:08:40.75
we will automatically increase
the omega-3's in our diet.
00:08:41.08\00:08:45.35
because they're richly
present in, for example,
00:08:45.39\00:08:50.19
leafy green vegetables.
00:08:50.23\00:08:52.43
Although these are not
rich sources of fat in general,
00:08:53.73\00:08:57.33
the fat that's there is
predominately omega-3's.
00:08:57.73\00:09:02.44
Dietary fats can get complicated
because there's just so many
00:09:03.81\00:09:07.31
different categories of fats.
00:09:07.34\00:09:09.11
How much we consume of
the different kinds of fats
00:09:09.18\00:09:11.61
are a big deal when
it comes to inflammation
00:09:11.65\00:09:13.78
because our body
produces either pro-inflammatory
00:09:13.82\00:09:17.12
or anti-inflammatory compounds
00:09:17.15\00:09:19.45
from the different
kinds of fat we eat.
00:09:19.49\00:09:21.59
Here in American we over eat a
class of fats called omega-6's.
00:09:21.99\00:09:25.96
Now we don't want to classify
this whole category of fats
00:09:26.33\00:09:29.83
as bad because they're not.
00:09:29.86\00:09:31.47
We just over consume them
in super concentrated doses
00:09:31.67\00:09:34.97
from not so
good for you sources.
00:09:35.00\00:09:37.07
All the inexpensive seed
oils you see in grocery stores,
00:09:37.51\00:09:40.71
all of our processed
foods, fried foods are abundant
00:09:40.74\00:09:43.85
in this kind of fat.
00:09:43.88\00:09:45.21
And as a result,
we've got inflammation.
00:09:45.25\00:09:47.58
On the other hand, the
body produces anti-inflammatory
00:09:47.85\00:09:51.02
compounds from,
like, omega-3 fats.
00:09:51.05\00:09:53.79
You can change the fat
profile of your diet by
00:09:54.06\00:09:56.93
chucking these and increasing
your intake of omega-3 from...
00:09:56.96\00:10:01.66
I'm liking this
practical advice.
00:10:08.27\00:10:10.24
What are the elements that
are actually protective, right?
00:10:11.84\00:10:14.61
So that comes back to
the whole foods plant-based
00:10:14.64\00:10:19.98
diet that is loaded with,
you know, greens for instance.
00:10:20.02\00:10:26.29
I tell my patients
about what I have dubbed
00:10:26.32\00:10:29.06
the three cubed diet.
00:10:29.09\00:10:30.83
And this is three cubed because
it's three full cup servings of
00:10:31.26\00:10:38.00
green leafy
vegetables every day minimum.
00:10:38.03\00:10:40.27
Lots of greens.
00:10:40.67\00:10:42.00
Three servings of
colorful vegetables
00:10:42.84\00:10:47.74
and some fruits like
blueberries, blackberries.
00:10:47.78\00:10:51.58
Anything that's colorful.
00:10:51.61\00:10:53.05
So three full servings of those.
00:10:53.08\00:10:55.68
And then three full
servings of the sulfur-rich
00:10:55.78\00:10:59.45
vegetables like cabbage,
onions, garlic, mushrooms,
00:11:00.29\00:11:06.93
and things like that.
00:11:06.96\00:11:08.30
So I call it
the three cube diet.
00:11:08.33\00:11:10.30
3 times 3 times 3, right.
00:11:10.33\00:11:12.83
And so that's what
I call the foundation
00:11:13.23\00:11:17.41
to an optimal plant-based
diet, whole plant-based diet
00:11:17.84\00:11:22.41
that will then give
you a lot of nutrition.
00:11:22.44\00:11:25.15
We know from studies in
neurology that elderly people
00:11:25.18\00:11:29.02
who consume a lot of
green leafy vegetables
00:11:29.05\00:11:32.42
actually have the
cognitive function of somebody
00:11:32.45\00:11:35.66
five years younger than them.
00:11:35.69\00:11:37.13
That's just that one item.
00:11:37.16\00:11:38.89
And then if they take care of
sleep and all the other factors,
00:11:38.93\00:11:42.13
they're going to be
doing so much better.
00:11:42.16\00:11:43.87
One of my favorite
people is Dr. Denis Burkitt
00:11:44.07\00:11:47.90
who passed away as
an elderly man in 1993.
00:11:47.94\00:11:52.51
But he was an amazing surgeon.
00:11:52.87\00:11:55.51
A medical missionary to Africa.
00:11:56.34\00:11:58.75
And he was one of the
first physicians to discover
00:11:58.95\00:12:02.75
how to address
certain pediatric cancers.
00:12:03.05\00:12:06.59
And Burkitt's Lymphoma was
named after Dr. Denis Burkitt.
00:12:06.69\00:12:12.09
And I remember when I
was just early in my faculty
00:12:12.39\00:12:19.13
assignment at Loma
Linda University School
00:12:19.33\00:12:21.44
of Public Health in the
early 90's, Dr. Denis Burkitt
00:12:21.47\00:12:25.67
came to Loma
Linda and gave a talk.
00:12:25.71\00:12:28.91
And it was such an amazing talk.
00:12:28.94\00:12:30.91
Just such an amazing Christian,
scientist, medical professional.
00:12:30.95\00:12:36.52
And he very wittingly
talked about the impact of
00:12:36.82\00:12:43.29
fiber on health.
00:12:43.32\00:12:44.66
He said that everywhere
he went, he said that when he
00:12:44.89\00:12:48.93
noticed that the patients who he
had had large bowel movements,
00:12:48.96\00:12:54.40
the hospitals of those
areas were very small because
00:12:55.00\00:12:58.11
you didn't need many hospitals.
00:12:58.14\00:12:59.97
He said, but when he
went to other places of Africa
00:13:00.01\00:13:03.41
where his patient's bowel
movements were very small,
00:13:03.45\00:13:06.98
in other words, they
had a very low fiber diet,
00:13:07.02\00:13:09.88
they lived more in the cities,
then they needed large hospitals
00:13:09.92\00:13:13.82
because there were so many
people that needed medical care
00:13:13.86\00:13:16.79
for all types of
chronic disease requiring
00:13:16.83\00:13:19.59
his surgical expertise.
00:13:19.63\00:13:21.93
And so he became one
of the biggest advocates
00:13:21.96\00:13:25.17
of optimal, what we
call a plant strong diet of
00:13:25.20\00:13:28.80
promoting lots of
whole plant-based foods.
00:13:29.00\00:13:33.78
And so he was the fiber doctor.
00:13:33.98\00:13:37.88
He was the fiber doctor
because now we understand that
00:13:37.98\00:13:40.72
fiber actually gets converted
by bacteria in the colon
00:13:40.75\00:13:47.42
into short-chained fatty acids.
00:13:47.62\00:13:50.06
So the body is amazing.
00:13:50.09\00:13:51.96
It can enzymatically through
something that's not even
00:13:51.99\00:13:55.26
really part of your body, it's
part of the healthy bacteria
00:13:55.30\00:13:58.37
that reside in our
body, in our digestive tract,
00:13:58.40\00:14:01.60
that can actually
convert a fiber, a non-nutritive
00:14:02.40\00:14:06.14
substance into a nutrient.
00:14:06.17\00:14:08.31
They can convert
fiber into a fatty acid
00:14:08.71\00:14:13.21
called butyrate that actually
turns off the cancer genes
00:14:13.25\00:14:18.62
in the colon, dramatically
limiting the risk of getting
00:14:18.65\00:14:22.49
cancer, and it actually
acts as an anti-inflammatory
00:14:22.52\00:14:27.13
for the whole body.
00:14:27.16\00:14:28.73
So it wasn't too long ago
that I was even being taught
00:14:28.93\00:14:33.23
that, you know, fiber
is not that important.
00:14:33.27\00:14:34.90
There's really no
nutritional value.
00:14:34.94\00:14:36.74
Therefore, white
bread is no different
00:14:36.77\00:14:38.77
than whole wheat bread.
00:14:38.81\00:14:40.14
Of course, I totally
rejected that concept
00:14:40.18\00:14:43.71
because of people, the real
giants like Dr. Denis Burkitt,
00:14:43.75\00:14:47.72
who was explaining
that fiber is essential.
00:14:47.75\00:14:51.09
Now we know that it
actually turns into a nutrient
00:14:51.12\00:14:55.16
that's so, so powerful.
00:14:55.19\00:14:56.86
There's just some foods,
bottom line, they're going to
00:14:56.89\00:15:00.00
trigger more inflammation.
00:15:00.03\00:15:01.53
And one of the reasons
that a plant-based diet
00:15:01.56\00:15:06.27
and a whole food diet is
actually much healthier for us,
00:15:06.30\00:15:10.21
it's not just the
antioxidants and the good things
00:15:10.24\00:15:12.97
we're getting, but it's
also the lack of inflammatory
00:15:13.01\00:15:16.34
mediators that
are being triggered.
00:15:16.38\00:15:18.85
For example, animal products,
things like meat and dairy,
00:15:18.88\00:15:25.39
and that sort of thing, they
have more omega-6 fatty acids
00:15:25.42\00:15:29.69
which are more pro-inflammatory,
while plant-based foods have
00:15:29.72\00:15:33.96
more of the omega-3 fatty acids
which is more anti-inflammatory.
00:15:34.00\00:15:37.47
And so, eating a lot of
animal products, or even some,
00:15:37.50\00:15:43.27
you know, that can
definitely increase
00:15:43.30\00:15:45.61
your level of inflammation.
00:15:45.71\00:15:47.64
On top of that, it's
not just the animal products
00:15:48.14\00:15:50.75
and the omega-6's,
but it's also the bacteria
00:15:51.35\00:15:56.72
that are associated
with those animal products.
00:15:56.82\00:16:00.22
So obviously if
we're going to eat meat,
00:16:00.26\00:16:02.39
then most people
cook it pretty well and
00:16:02.42\00:16:04.13
it's going to kill the bacteria.
00:16:04.16\00:16:05.59
But even though
the bacteria are dead,
00:16:05.63\00:16:08.53
the bodies, the cell
bodies of the bacteria
00:16:08.73\00:16:12.43
are still in that food.
00:16:12.47\00:16:13.80
And so if you
ingest that into your body,
00:16:13.84\00:16:16.24
now food travels down,
goes into your intestines.
00:16:16.27\00:16:20.78
And there's a lot of
immune cells in your intestines.
00:16:20.81\00:16:25.31
And they look at these
bacteria and they recognize
00:16:25.35\00:16:28.82
bacterial DNA, RNA that's
there and they start attacking.
00:16:28.85\00:16:34.02
And they say, "Oh,
here's an invader."
00:16:34.06\00:16:35.49
Even though that bacteria
might be dead, they don't
00:16:35.52\00:16:37.43
always realize
that bacteria is dead.
00:16:37.46\00:16:39.39
So that can also increase
the inflammation as well,
00:16:39.43\00:16:42.70
because you're
getting all this bacteria
00:16:42.73\00:16:44.57
even though it might
be dead into your gut.
00:16:44.60\00:16:47.80
You know, we use in my field in
interventional pain management,
00:16:48.27\00:16:53.14
you know, we use injections,
we use prescribed medications
00:16:53.48\00:16:58.58
to try to block
that inflammation cycle.
00:16:58.61\00:17:02.05
And those things are good
and they have their place,
00:17:02.38\00:17:04.69
but it's really best if you
can do it from the inside out
00:17:04.72\00:17:08.56
using means that
have no side effects
00:17:08.76\00:17:10.96
and that will give
you lasting results
00:17:10.99\00:17:13.06
and keep the inflammation away.
00:17:13.09\00:17:14.60
From the inside out.
00:17:15.93\00:17:18.37
How do we accomplish this?
00:17:18.40\00:17:19.87
By putting all
the pieces together.
00:17:20.14\00:17:22.60
Good sleep, good food,
exercise, and reduction in the
00:17:22.94\00:17:27.44
pro-inflammatory
triggers in our lives.
00:17:27.48\00:17:29.38
Without proper nutrition,
proper water, and proper rest,
00:17:30.25\00:17:34.85
exercise will not help
get rid of inflammation
00:17:35.28\00:17:39.42
in and of itself; they
all have to work together.
00:17:39.45\00:17:42.99
When we want to think
about managing inflammation,
00:17:43.63\00:17:47.20
we need to actually
access a person's life,
00:17:47.23\00:17:50.60
and we need to
understand their story
00:17:50.90\00:17:52.97
and what could be contributing
to that low grade inflammation,
00:17:53.77\00:17:57.01
what are those insults?
00:17:57.04\00:17:58.37
And so, it can go so
far as to go back to what,
00:17:58.41\00:18:02.88
something we call ACEs,
adverse childhood events.
00:18:02.91\00:18:05.38
We have to actually go
back sometimes and say,
00:18:05.41\00:18:07.62
when did all this start?
00:18:07.92\00:18:09.28
What is your story?
00:18:09.32\00:18:10.92
When did you
start not feeling well?
00:18:10.95\00:18:13.32
And then start unpacking it.
00:18:13.66\00:18:15.49
And really empowering the
patient to become their own
00:18:15.52\00:18:18.89
investigator, and to
kind of start to understand,
00:18:18.93\00:18:21.86
"Oh yeah, that's right, when I
was twelve, I had this traumatic
00:18:21.90\00:18:26.47
event or this
traumatic something.
00:18:26.50\00:18:28.34
And it was after that
I never felt well again."
00:18:28.37\00:18:30.84
Right?
00:18:31.14\00:18:32.47
And okay, well, what was that?
00:18:32.51\00:18:34.08
And how can we start thinking
about what started to unravel
00:18:34.11\00:18:37.31
at that point, and how
can we put those pieces back
00:18:37.35\00:18:39.95
together and support
the growth and the healing
00:18:39.98\00:18:43.15
that needs to happen?
00:18:43.18\00:18:44.52
So some of the biggest
insults that I think can happen
00:18:44.95\00:18:48.52
from a childhood perspective
are some of these really
00:18:49.49\00:18:52.13
traumatic emotional events that
can just change everything about
00:18:52.16\00:18:57.40
how a person sees themselves
00:18:57.43\00:18:58.90
and how they take
care of themselves.
00:18:58.93\00:19:00.30
So you can talk to someone
like that about nutrition,
00:19:00.70\00:19:03.71
and about being active,
and about stress management
00:19:03.74\00:19:06.27
all you want, but if
you don't touch on that,
00:19:06.31\00:19:09.38
those inciting events or
that trauma that happened
00:19:09.41\00:19:12.81
when they were...
00:19:12.85\00:19:14.18
Not even a child. It
doesn't have to be a child.
00:19:14.22\00:19:15.55
It could even be an
adult when something traumatic
00:19:15.58\00:19:16.92
can happen to them,
when someone is an adult.
00:19:16.95\00:19:18.29
Unless we can really
get to those components,
00:19:18.32\00:19:21.66
that can be
sort of the source of
00:19:21.69\00:19:23.56
inflammation for
them and their story.
00:19:23.59\00:19:25.13
So again, it's about
their story and understanding.
00:19:25.16\00:19:28.13
Some people don't have a story.
00:19:28.16\00:19:29.50
Some people don't
have traumatic events.
00:19:29.53\00:19:31.30
But they may have an illness
that they never recovered from.
00:19:31.33\00:19:35.30
There are
viruses, there are bacteria
00:19:35.60\00:19:39.17
that are associated
with chronic inflammation
00:19:39.21\00:19:41.28
that the body was never
able to clear or to somehow
00:19:41.31\00:19:44.85
was a trigger for this
inflammation that never was
00:19:44.88\00:19:47.85
able to calm down.
00:19:47.88\00:19:49.22
And so, how do we then
give extra support to the body
00:19:49.92\00:19:54.16
so that it starts to
rebalance itself and understand,
00:19:54.19\00:19:56.79
"Oh, I had an appropriate
reaction, but I never learned
00:19:56.83\00:20:00.76
when to stop and when to
let everything come back down."
00:20:00.80\00:20:03.63
So how do we teach the
body to come back down?
00:20:03.67\00:20:06.10
And so, those are
the things I think about
00:20:06.43\00:20:08.24
when I think about inflammation.
00:20:08.27\00:20:09.60
So there are, according to the
American College of Lifestyle
00:20:09.64\00:20:12.97
Medicine, there are six
pillars of lifestyle medicine.
00:20:13.01\00:20:14.94
And I think of lifestyle
as the key components there.
00:20:14.98\00:20:17.58
So nutrition and physical
activity, and stress management,
00:20:17.61\00:20:20.25
connectiveness
and relationships.
00:20:20.48\00:20:22.05
So if someone
feels super disconnected
00:20:22.08\00:20:24.42
from their
environment around them,
00:20:24.65\00:20:26.92
they don't have the
love, the hope, the support,
00:20:26.96\00:20:29.32
they're going to be living
in a place of constant stress
00:20:30.69\00:20:33.83
and trauma of
not being connected.
00:20:33.86\00:20:36.03
And so those are all
things that I think about
00:20:36.06\00:20:38.80
when I think about inflammation.
00:20:38.83\00:20:40.37
I think nutrition is probably
one of the most powerful ones.
00:20:40.67\00:20:44.44
But you can get nutrition right
and not get those other things,
00:20:44.47\00:20:47.34
and you're going
to still struggle.
00:20:47.38\00:20:49.04
So really understanding
the patient's story
00:20:49.08\00:20:50.88
is where I would start.
00:20:50.91\00:20:52.25
Yeah, so to try to minimize
your levels of inflammation,
00:20:52.28\00:20:56.18
you really want to be
careful to lead basically
00:20:56.22\00:20:59.32
an anti-inflammatory life.
00:20:59.35\00:21:00.69
And so sometimes we
focus, boom, right on the food,
00:21:00.72\00:21:03.83
but I think stress levels
00:21:03.86\00:21:05.73
are probably the
biggest factor here.
00:21:05.76\00:21:08.53
Because unregulated chronic
stress, what that does is it
00:21:08.56\00:21:12.43
actually makes it so
that the hormone cortisol
00:21:12.47\00:21:17.77
starts to be
chronically elevated.
00:21:17.81\00:21:20.21
And cortisol actually helps
to regulate the immune system.
00:21:20.24\00:21:23.75
And so it's not a bad thing
in an acute short-term state.
00:21:23.78\00:21:28.55
But if the cortisol remains
elevated on and on and on,
00:21:28.75\00:21:32.62
what happens then is
that your immune system
00:21:32.82\00:21:35.59
actually starts
getting dysregulated.
00:21:35.62\00:21:37.59
And that sets the
stage for more inflammation.
00:21:37.63\00:21:40.26
And we see that even
at times, for example,
00:21:40.30\00:21:42.66
autoimmune diseases, and cancer,
but it also affects the brain.
00:21:42.70\00:21:46.60
And we don't always
make that connection as much.
00:21:46.63\00:21:49.44
So learning to regulate stress
I think is a very important
00:21:49.47\00:21:53.71
aspect of dealing
with inflammation.
00:21:53.74\00:21:57.18
Yeah, that's one of the
most difficult things, because
00:21:57.71\00:22:00.58
especially in our
society today it just seems like
00:22:00.62\00:22:02.92
we're always on the run.
00:22:02.95\00:22:04.29
There's always something to do.
00:22:04.32\00:22:05.79
Our to do list a
hundred miles long.
00:22:05.82\00:22:07.72
So we have to
intentionally take time to stop.
00:22:07.82\00:22:12.29
We have to force
ourselves to stop.
00:22:12.33\00:22:14.60
And ideally, you know, we carve
some time out on a daily basis,
00:22:14.63\00:22:19.50
protected time, where we
can just have quiet time.
00:22:19.53\00:22:23.20
Where we can give
our stress to God.
00:22:23.61\00:22:26.91
Where we can really
say, "You know what?
00:22:27.11\00:22:29.48
I can't carry all of this."
00:22:29.51\00:22:31.31
And it really reminds me of
what Jesus says, His invitation
00:22:31.35\00:22:34.88
where He says...
00:22:34.92\00:22:36.25
And yet so many of us feel like,
"Man, my burden is so heavy."
00:22:49.03\00:22:52.53
When we're feeling that
way, I think it's all the more
00:22:52.67\00:22:55.57
important that we're being
intentional taking that time
00:22:55.60\00:22:58.31
with Jesus, and we're
saying, "You know what?
00:22:58.34\00:23:00.38
Lord, I know I have a
role to play here, but
00:23:00.88\00:23:03.88
I want You to carry the
burden and I want You to help me
00:23:04.38\00:23:07.95
see what's mine and what do
I just need to leave with You,
00:23:07.98\00:23:11.12
and trust You with that."
00:23:11.15\00:23:12.59
So that should be ideally daily,
and ideally even throughout
00:23:12.62\00:23:16.79
the day that we're
reconnecting with God.
00:23:16.83\00:23:18.56
Because I know I might give
my life to God in the morning,
00:23:18.59\00:23:20.96
but then throughout the day
00:23:21.00\00:23:22.33
I can kind of go
in and out of that.
00:23:22.36\00:23:24.10
Sometimes I'm abiding
and I'm resting in His love,
00:23:24.13\00:23:26.53
and other times I'm back on
the wheel and driving again.
00:23:26.57\00:23:30.57
And then, you know, the
other piece that I think is
00:23:31.17\00:23:33.54
profoundly important, see,
I believe God does not want us
00:23:33.58\00:23:37.88
to experience chronic stress.
00:23:37.91\00:23:39.38
Because it has so
many negative implications
00:23:39.41\00:23:41.65
for mental and physical health.
00:23:41.68\00:23:43.39
And He doesn't want
us to suffer that way.
00:23:44.22\00:23:45.95
He's given us a command,
and He told us because He knew
00:23:45.99\00:23:50.63
we would be most apt to
forget, so He said, "Remember."
00:23:50.66\00:23:54.06
In other words, He wants
us to take that weekly pause
00:23:57.20\00:24:01.60
to stop, to destress,
to rest, to reconnect.
00:24:01.64\00:24:06.11
And that actually
resets that stress timeclock.
00:24:06.14\00:24:10.35
When we take that 24 hours and
we say, "You know, on this day,
00:24:10.38\00:24:14.72
yes my stressors don't
all go away, but I'm choosing
00:24:14.75\00:24:18.39
to intentionally put
them on the shelf today."
00:24:18.49\00:24:21.29
That allows us
to find that rest.
00:24:21.72\00:24:23.73
And we're
saying, "You know what?
00:24:23.76\00:24:25.09
I want to do things on
this day instead of getting and
00:24:25.13\00:24:28.16
staying on the hamster wheel,
I'm intentionally giving this
00:24:28.20\00:24:32.10
to God, and even if
it pops into my mind..."
00:24:32.13\00:24:34.57
And I literally sometimes
picture like putting it
00:24:34.60\00:24:36.94
on the shelf until tomorrow.
00:24:36.97\00:24:38.47
That can help us to
reset that stress timeclock
00:24:38.67\00:24:42.01
and to not
experience that chronic stress.
00:24:42.04\00:24:44.25
When it comes to inflammation
too, one of the things to think
00:24:44.95\00:24:47.55
about, I want to just
tell a short little story.
00:24:47.58\00:24:49.58
So I had two
people that came to me,
00:24:49.62\00:24:51.72
I have a lot of people
come to me for weight loss.
00:24:51.75\00:24:53.76
They want to have weight loss.
00:24:53.79\00:24:55.12
"What diet should I go on, Doc?"
00:24:55.22\00:24:57.43
Right?
00:24:57.66\00:24:58.99
And as I started to assess
them a little bit more deeply
00:24:59.03\00:25:01.96
the first time I met them,
neither one of them had any
00:25:02.00\00:25:05.70
purpose or reason for living.
00:25:05.73\00:25:09.07
They were just getting up
and going through their motions
00:25:09.37\00:25:11.77
all day every day. Right?
00:25:11.81\00:25:13.14
They had, like,
"Well, what makes you
00:25:13.17\00:25:14.68
want to get up in the morning?"
00:25:14.71\00:25:16.04
"I don't know."
00:25:16.08\00:25:17.41
"Well, what's
your purpose in life
00:25:17.45\00:25:20.85
and what's your
meaning in life?"
00:25:20.88\00:25:22.22
"Well, I don't know." Right?
00:25:22.25\00:25:23.59
And so they had been on
at least ten different diets,
00:25:23.62\00:25:27.56
were dramatically
wanting to lose weight,
00:25:28.19\00:25:31.29
but they had no reason for it.
00:25:31.49\00:25:35.06
So we spent the first
probably two or three visits
00:25:35.10\00:25:38.53
just talking
about and exploring,
00:25:38.57\00:25:39.90
"Well, what is your
purpose? What is your meaning?
00:25:39.93\00:25:42.17
Who do you want
to be connected with?
00:25:42.20\00:25:43.71
What do
relationships look like?"
00:25:43.74\00:25:45.97
Because health behavior change
and taking care of ourselves
00:25:46.01\00:25:50.55
happens in relationship,
and relationships are healing.
00:25:50.58\00:25:53.05
If you don't have
those relationships,
00:25:53.08\00:25:55.08
then you're going
to struggle. Right?
00:25:55.42\00:25:57.99
So we spent the time
working on that first.
00:25:58.02\00:26:00.82
And then they had a ton
of knowledge about nutrition.
00:26:01.32\00:26:04.76
They knew what they wanted
to do, they just couldn't do it.
00:26:04.79\00:26:07.06
They weren't connected to
their purpose and their meaning.
00:26:07.10\00:26:09.50
So this is the example
of how connecting to purpose
00:26:09.53\00:26:12.37
and meaning, I think, helps
bring down that inflammation,
00:26:12.40\00:26:16.00
helps create this space for
behavior change that can happen,
00:26:16.04\00:26:19.37
that can release the
inflammation and allow someone
00:26:19.41\00:26:22.48
to actually
live their best life.
00:26:22.51\00:26:24.38
And of course, you
know, the ultimate connection
00:26:24.41\00:26:26.61
to God is the ultimate healer.
00:26:26.65\00:26:28.32
But some people
don't see it that way.
00:26:28.52\00:26:32.05
Some people have been
damaged and hurt by religion,
00:26:32.09\00:26:34.56
have been damaged and hurt
by the version of Christianity
00:26:34.59\00:26:37.93
that they've seen in the
world, and they don't really,
00:26:37.96\00:26:40.06
they really
haven't experience God.
00:26:40.26\00:26:42.56
And so, I see this
ability to work with patients
00:26:42.60\00:26:46.50
to give them that hope that
there are things that can be
00:26:46.80\00:26:49.80
done, and that they can
see God through natural healing
00:26:49.84\00:26:53.81
and creating an experience
for their body to heal.
00:26:53.84\00:26:56.28
And that is God allowing
Himself to work through them
00:26:56.31\00:27:00.48
and through their
body in a way that they've
00:27:00.52\00:27:02.45
never experienced before.
00:27:02.48\00:27:03.82
So for me, that's all
related to inflammation
00:27:03.85\00:27:06.45
because inflammation is
any time when the body is
00:27:06.49\00:27:08.76
out of balance, and it
doesn't know how to manage those
00:27:08.79\00:27:12.93
hits, and some of those
hits can be disemotional,
00:27:12.96\00:27:15.20
disconnectivity component.
00:27:15.23\00:27:17.30
Dr. Rea is talking
about spiritual heart health.
00:27:19.87\00:27:22.87
Like she said, our
spiritual heart can be injured
00:27:22.97\00:27:25.57
by so many things.
00:27:25.61\00:27:26.94
Even by religion.
00:27:27.04\00:27:28.38
And this disconnect
of our spiritual heart
00:27:28.41\00:27:30.81
is affecting our physical
health more than we realize.
00:27:30.85\00:27:33.82
The greatest Healer
this world has ever known
00:27:34.05\00:27:36.72
wants to restore it and
fulfill in you the purpose
00:27:36.75\00:27:39.42
and meaning of who
you were designed to be.
00:27:39.45\00:27:42.16
Don't forget, you
were made for health.
00:27:42.69\00:27:45.79