How to Reduce Inflammation FAST… On a Budget!

I’ve had a lot of experience with this. If you’re flare is really severe, it can take time. And for some people, making these changes simply won’t do all that much if your disease isn’t being suppressed or changed by either medications or alternative treatments. BUT, in general, these switches will help, or at least I think they will! Good luck!

1. Switch from butter or margarine to OLIVE OIL.

2. Stop drinking milk and start drinking ALMOND MILK (unsweetened). Trader Joe’s carries it if you can’t find it elsewhere. Sugar is inflammatory so please don’t buy the sweetened version. And yes, honey IS sugar.

3. Start eating ORGANIC CELERY. Celery is known to reduce inflammation. It is also known to carry lots of pesticides if it isn’t organic.

4. STOP eating BREADS, PASTAS,RICE, WHITE POTATOES and CHIPS. You CAN eat Sweet Potatoes and Yucca. They are both Anti-inflammatory.

5. Stick with foods that are all natural. Buy the book, “The Inflammation Free Diet Plan” used at Amazon to understand more about inflammation and how much each food either decreases or increases inflammation. (Everything is in a point system).

6. Take COD LIVER OIL. It is one of the most anti-inflammatory fish oils to choose from AND it contains Vitamin A and Vitamin D. So it’s more bang for your buck! It can increase liver enzymes however, so don’t over due it and pay attention closely to your ALT levels. Once the flare is over, you may want to make the switch to something else, however, at this point I don’t have any great suggestions since most oils will increase your chance of higher ALT levels. Borage oil is pretty great as long as you choose one that is free of alkaloids. Just call the company and ask since most are unclear if they are PA free.

7. Get some light EXERCISE even though it hurts. Exercise will reduce the inflammation. Increase your exercise on days you feel better.

8. DON’T EAT SUGAR OR CHOCOLATE! If you need something sweet, buy bio-active Whey Powder and use Almond Milk. It’s sweet with a natural vanilla flavor. The almond milk will reduce your inflammation and the whey powder will reduce your tnf protein, thus reducing inflammation.

9. Get extra sleep! ZZZZZZZZZZ

10. EAT GASSY VEGETABLES. You heard me! Onions, Brussels sprouts, Asparagus, garlic, chard and cabbage are great sources. Gassy means it contains Sulfur and sulfur decreases inflammation. You’ve heard of Sulfasalazine and MSM right? Both contain sulfur, reducing inflammation.

11. If you don’t suffer from gastric reflux or ulcers, use CAYENNE PEPPER. I love to put it in my coffee. It’s a great anti-inflammatory and also helps, believe it or not, to make you feel calm.

12. If God gives you Lemons, you make lemonade, right? Well, if God gives you RA, you make LEMON WATER. Lemons reduce inflammation and they also help rid your body of toxins.

13. If you’re broke but need supplements, choose SWANSON. I did my best to research the company. From what I can tell, they are not ISO certified, however I had a hard time finding any company that was. I do not have experience with Swanson until my recent purchase (today-so I can’t tell you how the quality is), but I can tell you it was CHEAP, if nothing else!

14. Get some SUN if you don’t suffer from Lupus. Nothing compares to the real thing, even though supplements help and btw, you also get Vitamin K which helps suppress your appetite!

15. Speaking of appetite, just losing some weight and LOWERING YOUR CHOLESTEROL will reduce your inflammation. Cholesterol reducing medications have been shown to reduce inflammation in people with Arthritis. So be mindful of what you eat and know that lowering your cholesterol will do so much more than make you look great at your next doctor’s visit!

16. ACE BANDAGES can help push the swelling out and brace your joint for more comfort. And when you take it off, it forces the blood to rush back in, helping with circulation.

17. ICE PACKS in combination with heat, or even Ice packs on their own, depending on where the inflammation is can do wonders. I was able to reduce inflammation considerably by using an ice pack daily on a tendon due to RA.

18. Buy some airborn or the cheaper equivalent. Most drugstores carry their own version and it’s the same exact product. Airborn contains anti-inflammatories like vitamin C, zinc, ginger, etc. Take a few a day for a week and you’re flare should be easing up on you!

Feeling Out Of Control

I can’t say FOR SURE why I am flaring, but I have my suspicions.  I’ve actually been flaring for some time now, probably a couple of weeks and it’s getting worse.  As you may know already, I experiment with many supplements.  When I find something that works, I continue with that program while also trying something new.  My mom and my husband both think this system isn’t a good one.  Perhaps they’re right, but on the other hand, they haven’t suggested anything better.  I just try to stay in tune with my body as best I can and go with my gut.

I could be flaring because I haven’t exactly been consistent with taking the supplements that do work.  Those would be Serracor-NK, Low Dose Naltrexone, vitamin E, quercetin, Zyflamend, and maybe a few others.  In fact, sometimes I run out of stuff and simply don’t buy any more of the product.  I’m looking for the ones that carry a powerful punch and I feel that so far, Serracor-NK and Low Dose Naltrexone are the only two on that level.  Anything “extra” is like taking a baby asprin.  All the pills start to get a little tiresome to take.  All the money spent on them is also quite frustrating.  So when I run out of those “extras”, I’m often not consistent in ordering new pills, especially if I’m on a really tight budget.  And that does happen to be the case right now, unfortunately.

But I don’t think that’s why I’m flaring.  It could be, but I think it’s from a new supplement called Osteo-tec.  I think I’m experiencing Hering’s Law, but I really can’t be sure.  I’ve been on this stuff for 81 days now and was hoping, according to the clinical studies, that by day 90, I would be experiencing considerable relief.  The only thing is, in my research, I can’t find anyone who has experienced a flare on Osteo-tec.  I would assume that it would be very likely that it would happen due to the fact that any natural supplement, especially if it’s going to work, will put someone like me who has severe RA, into a big flare.  But since I can’t find any info on the internet about Osteo-tec in particular doing this, I’m only guessing.  This is completely new territory and again, I’m on my own.  I realize each person’s chemistry is different, so there’s no way to ever know for sure.  I’m just hoping that light is at the end of the tunnel and that soon I’ll be out of this flare and feeling great.  Many gentle hugs to you all, and thank you for visiting!

Monolaurin: Quite the Superhero

If you’re looking for a supplement with superhero capabilities, Monolaurin might just be it. Read on to discover it’s “powers”.

Monolaurin can be found in human breast milk and certain vegetable oils, including coconut oil. Coconut water is also another great way to get monolaurin and reap incredible superhero benefits. Monolaruin is like an antibiotic only without the side effects. “Antibiotics kill unwanted micro-organisms, but they also kill many friendly micro-organisms. Monolaurin, on the other hand, does not appear to have an adverse effect on desirable digestive bacteria, but rather only on unwanted microorganisms.“-heranswer.com Beyond working like an antibiotic, Monolaurin can do so much more…..

Digestive Health: “Monolaurin promotes good digestive health. A good balance of foreign cells living in the digestive tract has a big effect on whether a person has good digestive health and also whether he has a properly functioning immune system. Monolaurin helps greatly to encourage good digestive health by making sure the contents of the digestive tract are in good balance at all times.”-www.ehow.com

Viruses, (Including Herpes and H1N1), Fungi (Including Yeast) and Bacteria ( Including E.coli): “There are many diverse benefits commonly associated with taking monolaurin, such as the fact that it is capable of balancing the body in a biochemical manner (encouraging self healing and prime health) and is capable of inactivating viruses, fungi and bacteria. It is non-toxic and does not create resistant organisms. It can be taken alongside the majority of medications.”-www.ehow.com

Monolaurin stops viruses, bacteria and fungi from replication: “This monoglyceride is remarkable in its ability to dissolve the outer envelope of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and certain protozoa. Monolaurin is made up of lipids (fats) and phospholipids. Most familiar is the triglyceride tested in cardiovascular risk assessments. …… the first obstacle in attacking pathogenic bacteria and viruses is getting through their outer protective membrane. Monolaurin does this. By destroying the outer membrane, the bacteria and virus is now rendered vulnerable to further destruction. Antibiotics do not dissolve the outer membrane. Their goal is to get through pores (porins), which can shift position. Monolaurin has also been reported to interfere with bacteria and viral ability to reproduce. This is accomplished by interfering with signal transduction, causing failure for the bacteria or virus cell to replicate (reproduce).”-healthkingenterprise.com

Immune System: “Monolaurin is a type of anti-microbial agent that helps the immune system. It is extracted from lauric acid, a fatty acid that also functions as a germicide. Lauric acid is a component of human breast milk, and microbiologists have found that it functions to strengthen the immune systems of babies (whose systems have not fully developed yet).”-www.ehow.com

AIDS: “Monolaurin is known to be effective against several lipid-coated viruses (a class which includes the AIDS virus), and against certain bacteria as well.”-www.aids.org

Safety of use: “One advantage to taking monolaurin is that it is known for being safe. It contains a major ingredient of breast milk, which is lauric acid. Newborn babies rely on their mothers’ breast milk to build up their immune systems. Breast milk contains an abundance of lauric acid monoglycerides.”-www.ehow.com

FDA Approved when buying Lauricidin: “Approved by the FDA, Lauricidin® is the only monolaurin supplement that has undergone clinical trials and laboratory testing. Its antiviral effect is due to monolaurin’s ability to disintegrate the lipid membrane of the virus and interfere with viral maturation. Some of the viruses inactivated by Lauricidin® are oral and genital herpes, Epstein Barr (chronic fatigue and mononucleosis), shingles, HIV, hepatitis C, cytomegalovirus, visna virus, measles, influenza, leukemia, viral pneumonia, vesicular-stomatitis, rubella, respiratory synctial virus, dengue virus, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis. Current research in Kenya with villagers suffering from HIV and other severe illnesses has shown dramatic improvements in the health of those given Lauricidin®.”-lauricidin.com

Inflammation:“In the viral study researchers were doing research in an animal model that parallels early HIV infection and transmission. They found that monolaurin had a powerful influence on signaling dendritic cells, reducing excessive inflammation, and thereby blunting the process that leads to viral infection. The researchers concluded that their study ‘opens a promising new avenue for the development of effective interventions to block HIV-1 mucosal transmission.’ While the flu was not part of this study, the mechanism involved suggests that monolaurin could be useful in helping to prevent excessive inflammation during flu infection by supporting the vital needs of dendritic cells.”-wellnessresources.com

I originally came across the topic of Monolaurin in Daily Strength, a website I frequent for support and as well as giving support. Someone suggested that Monolaurin, when taken on a regular basis, gave her more energy and kept her from getting sick. As I read further, I found more and more people who took monolaurin and found it to be a very powerful supplement. I did decide to take it for around two months. I believe I chose to take five a day, which is less than the therapeutic dose. Although Monolaurin isn’t a cheap supplement, I have discovered just now that lauricidin is pretty affordable. It’s also suppose to be more potent than taking a monolaurin supplement on its own. It comes in scoops of powder vs pills, which is a relief for me because sometimes I’m a little overwhelmed with pills. For a 4-6 week supply, the cost is $30. From everything I have read, it seems like monolaurin or lauricidin could be an essential supplement for people who have troubled immune systems and are on the alternative path. Many of us who suffer from autoimmune diseases also suffer from Epstein Bar Virus, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Candida, among many other things that may benefit by taking Monolaurin or Laurididin. Perhaps if those other issues were taken care of, our autoimmune diseases could have a chance at true healing over time.