As we age, our body’s immune system usually starts to get out of balance, making our tissues more prone to wear and tear. This is known as inflammation, and it is the main cause of unhealthy aging. Most of the medical conditions affecting older adults – heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and diabetes – begin with inflammation.
When the body is healthy, its inflammatory reactions (wear and tear and repair) are in perfect balance. However, unhealthy lifestyle and dietary habits cause our cells to change their genetic code. Also, that stiff and sticky stuff from years of unhealthy living and eating accumulates in tissues and changes their structure. The mixed-up immune system then attacks the sticky stuff lining the blood vessels, joints and tissues. This causes inflammation, which also means the body’s immune system is “on fire.”
The key to a healthy immune response is balance: just enough inflammatory response to fight infections and repair the normal wear and tear to tissues and slow aging. When the wear and tear (inflammation) overcomes the immune system’s ability to maintain a certain tissue or organ, aging occurs.
WAYS TO KEEP BALANCE:
- Stay Lean
- Eat fish
- Maintain diet high in good carbs and low in bad carbs
- Move
- Relax and stay calm (reduce stress hormones)