Healthcare, patients, and the public often mistake inflammation for aging. I often tell women in their 40s and older "you are not getting older, you are getting more inflamed". Of course, our years on this planet play a role in how we feel, but they are minimal relative to underlying causes of inflammation. In the 90s, a famous dentist named Weston Price and his wife traveled the globe and evaluated indigenous populations and found little to no osteopenia, osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes, or chronic illnesses. He shared the following about a 90 year old Polynesian woman "She has excellent facial and body build" ...When "civilized diet" (sugar, grains and alcohol) were introduced the robust indigenous developed chronic illness. Two things happened - these tribes started eating processed foods AND they stopped eating their wild buffalo, salmon and berries. They disconnected with nature. Five of the big differences in the robust indigenous versus today are things we can replete to feel better:
1) Fat Soluble Vitamins (ADEK) are found in pasture raised animals ("grass fed until slaughter"). You are what your animal eats. Corn fed beef is inflammatory and will make you inflamed. Grass fed beef until slaughter is anti-inflammatory and we proved anti-inflammatory Omega-3, and Vitamin K2. Get your 25-OH ("Hydroxy") Vitamin D3 levels checked and ensure your lab levels are 50-100. On average those in their 40's need 2000-5000 IU daily to level up their D.
2) Essential Fatty Acids - stay away from seed and cheap oils like canola, corn, soy, peanut oil. Get into anti-inflammatory oils: olive, walnut, macadamia, EPA/DHA Fish Oil , Grass fed / pasture raised animal products, fatty fish (wild salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies).
3) Consider Glutathione - this powerful antioxidant depletes with chronic inflammation. Liposomal Glutathione at 250-500 mg 1-2x's per day can be a game changer for body and brain inflammation.
4) Probiotics and Short Chain Fatty Acids. In a healthy gut, health bacteria (probiotics) eat fiber and produce short chain fatty acids which help prevent colon cancer and colitis, help set healthy metabolism (the indigenous did not put on peri-menopausal weight), help mend leaky gut, help with bowel movements and dampen local inflammation in the gut and globally in the body.
5) CBD isolate - CBD isolate (not hemp) enhances serotonin, Dopamine and GABA. CBD isolate is an uplifting, productivity anti-inflammatory molecule. Dosage varies, but most inflammation, mood uplift and exercise recovery comes from 30-150 mg CBD isolate two times per day.
6) Check your Thyroid!!!! TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) is a pituitary hormone and DOES NOT tell you if you have adequate Thyroid hormone. Ask your Doctor to check TSH, T4 free, T3 free. T3 free, liberated T3 thyroid hormone does the anti-inflammatory, metabolism and healing.
7) Follow your fuel - consider a constant glucose monitor with your provider and see what that glass of wine on an empty stomach is really doing to your fuel. What Goes up...must come down...and hypoglycemia and dysglycemia (blood sugar rollercoaster) is very inflammatory, fatiguing and depressing.
Your 40's are some of the most profound years where emotional maturity, more financial security and being okay with ourselves compounds the capacity of still feeling really good. If you're in your 40's and not feeling well, it's not about your age, it's about inflammation.
