Maureen Lermer
I am very excited to bring you a brand new series called 'Forever Young'. I'll be featuring a Forever Young man or woman while focusing on the very important factors that affect aging. Our very first Forever Young Personality is Maureen Lermer, 40, mother of 3. She captures and embodies all that is forever young, in spirit and in health. I am proud to call her my sister and friend, she is an inspiration to me and I hope will become one to you as well.
TOPIC FOR TODAY: INFLAMMATION
Inflammation is the body's biological attempt to self-protect against harmful pathogens, damaged cells and irritants. Inflammation comes from the latin word 'inflammo' which means 'to ignite'. Inflammation however doesn't mean infection, rather it is an immune response to stop what caused it. The five signs of inflammation are redness, heat, pain, swelling and immobility.
"The researchers concluded that: "Poor sleep quality, and short sleep durations are associated with higher levels of inflammation."
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| Exercise is essential for great health |
HOW DOES INFLAMMATION RELATE TO AGING?
The Standard American Diet (S.A.D) is very highly inflammatory. Did you know that there are certain foods that we eat which trigger the production of white blood cells? If you recall from your biology class, white blood cells are produced by the immune system to respond to infection and defend the body against harmful materials. Most of the foods we consume today are 'harmful materials'.
The key to preventing accelerated aging and age-related diseases is controlling inflammation according to Dr. Nicholas Perricone. It is my opinion that what you eat either eats or protects you.
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| Proud Mama of 3 |
Let's take a look at some foods that are inflammatory
- Meats, especially highly processed meats which contain nitrites and sulphites e.g hot dogs, sausages and lunch meats
- Dairy products and all foods made with dairy
- High-glycemic carbohydrates (sugars & starches)
- Chemical additives in certain foods
- Trans fats and hydrogenated oils e.g margarine, shortening, lard and foods that are made by using these.
- Fried foods
- White sugar & All synthetic sugars (splenda, nutrasweet, aspartine, saccharin etc)
- Wheat products, especially as most of the wheat produced today has been genetically modified.
- Gluten-containing foods and grains, millet, quinoa and buckwheat are best choices to eat instead
- Alcohol
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| "Get out of the house for some fresh air and vitamin D, go admire nature" |
A recent study showed that fat men had more white blood cells (inflammation markers) and are at a higher risk of developing various illnesses like cancer and heart disease.
List of some anti-inflammatory foods:
- Ginger
- Turmeric
- Cannabis (weed, marijuana). I did a research paper in college focusing on the legalization of medicinal marijuana and learned so much from my research. Needless to say I support the legalization of medicinal marijuana.
- Green tea
- Tart cherries
- Fish oil
- wild salmon
- Onions
- endive
- Kale
- Spinach
- Cabbage
- Flax seed oil
- Wild sea bass
- Pollock
- Trout
- Olive oil
- Flax seeds
- Pineapple, mango, papaya
- Avocado
- Seaweed e.g kelp and kumbu
- Shitake mushrooms
- Berries, especially blueberries
- Fermented foods e.g kimchi, kefir, raw apple cider vinegar
- Cinnamon, cayenne, basil
I made some wild salmon and some veggies the other night for dinner to show you an example of an anti-inflammatory diet dish.
Baked Salmon:
1 piece of salmon fillet
dash of black pepper
dash of lemon pepper
sprinkle of Celtic sea salt (if your lemon pepper doesn't have salt)
1/2 tsp of olive oil
Method:
First rub coat the fish with olive oil, then rub all the other ingredients over the fish. Set the oven at 350 degrees and place the salmon on some foil paper or baking pan and let bake for 8-10 minutes or until flaky. Set aside.
Veggies:
1 pack frozen stir fry snap veggies
Sprinkle of black pepper
1 Onion chopped
Salt to taste
Dash of turmeric (optional)
1 tsp olive oil
Method:
First saute onions in olive oil until almost translucent. Next, add all the other ingredients and let cook for about 3-5 minutes or until green veggies are bright green. Serve with salmon and enjoy!
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| 'Mother & Child' by Maureen Lermer |
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| 'Woman' by Maureen Lermer |
I can say from experience that eating an anti-inflammatory diet has always given me the best looking skin and health. My body 'knows' how to 'talk' to me because I have reprogrammed it over the years. There are certain foods that give me an immediate negative response once I eat them, I can tell my body is grumbling and even though I consciously made the choice to eat that particular food, I know it is not the right thing for my body and health in the long run. Try to introduce one anti-inflammatory food into your current diet each week as you lessen the frequency of one inflammatory food. I look forward to your questions and suggestions, we can all learn from each other, so let's talk :-)
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| ALWAYS STRIVE TO BE HAPPY |
REMEMBER TO EAT & DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH, YOU'LL THANK ME LATER!
