Inflamed Symmetry

The Industrial Age produced the principles of motion economy.

It is a set of rules and recommendations designed to increase productivity in the manufacturing sector while mitigating fatigue from repetitive movements and work-related trauma.

The principles of motion economy have transitioned into various facets of economy respective to the endurance athlete. No matter how it is categorized – breathing, muscle, running, and the rest – it is still body economy. Improving your body economy will improve your performance in life and sport.

“It’s the economy, stupid.”
~ William Jefferson Clinton

Endurance athletes take body economy to a higher physiological level because it is directly related to performance. Body economy is less about tweaking singular imbalances and more about a balanced body and brain. Body economy is a priority for the brain in its quest for flawless symmetry.

Body economy is a composite of physical, mental, and chemical factors that funnel through the brain and represent the key to unlocking your body’s potential – whether you are raking leaves or snowshoeing across Minnesota.

“No Pain, No Gain”
~Jane Fonda

There are numerous barriers to attaining body economy. The focus is often correcting imbalances respective to gait, muscles, breath, cadence, posture, fuel, training, circulatory, pulmonary, metabolic, and so forth.

The link between your brain and your body is unequivocal. “No shit!” is a typical response yet clearly an inexplicable number of people [including endurance athletes] miss the obvious point: Optimal proficiency requires synergy among hormones, enzymes, muscles, bones, nerves, and the rest of your biochemistry. Health must trump performance.

The mayhem begins when we funnel imbalances through our brains and thwart our bodily instincts to perform naturally in a given task. The task may be hugging your grandson or completing the epic “Triple Crown.”

Inflammation and oxidation incite the onset of pain.
It is triggered by damage to your body.

Acute inflammation is depicted by the redness, swelling, and pain associated with an injury like a sprained ankle. Inflammation is a natural response to physical damage. It should be short-term and restorative.

Chronic inflammation is the insidious precursor to chronic and degenerative diseases. It is a chief culprit in sabotaging the body economy. One of the keys to preventing chronic and degenerative diseases is to curtail inflammation. Metabolic Syndrome [MetS] is the result of chronic inflammation.

The issue is most people are unaware of it.
This is asymmetrical.

“Touching Evil”
~ Paul Abbott

The typical diet is overloaded with omega-6 fats which leads to heightened inflammation thanks to copious levels of AA [arachidonic acid]. Omega-3 fats are converted to beneficial compounds – EPA [eicosapentaenoic acid and DHA [docosahexanoic acid.

ALA [alpha-linolenic acid] is an omega-3 fatty acid found in plant sources such as nuts and seeds. Your body needs these fatty acids to function. Find a few health benefits below:

• Decreased risk for coronary disease;
• Decreased hypertension;
• Improved insulin sensitivity;
• Protection from stroke;
• Reduced joint tenderness for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis;
• Elevated HDL and decreased LDL levels;

Understanding the interaction between food and inflammation begins with what most people and athletes profess to know. This is typically a surefire path to no effort to make lifestyle changes for the health of it.

Find below a few food types provoking a pro-inflammatory response:

• Refined starches and sugars;
• Sweets;
• Fried foods;
• Processed foods

Find below a few foods promoting an anti-inflammatory response:

• Fresh fruits [especially berries];
• Fresh vegetables [especially cruciferous];
• Green tea;
• Wild salmon;
• Extra virgin olive oil;
• Avocado;
• Nuts, seeds, ground flax;

Supplementation may be prudent despite strict adherence to a healthy lifestyle. There is relief for both acute and chronic pain beyond a symptomatic mask. It stops inflammation absent damage to your kidneys, stomach, liver, and heart. Enter curcumin.

Mother Earth 1 – Big Pharma 0.

Inflammation is incited by the release of hormone-like compounds called prostaglandins. PGE2 is the chief saboteur and is fueled by the COX-2 enzyme. Inhibiting the COX-2 enzyme is the key to controlling inflammation.

The issue with ingesting pharmaceutical products is side effects. Aspirin suppresses the COX-2 enzyme but it also inhibits the prostaglandin COX-1 which is responsible for protecting your digestive tract lining and blood vessels. Inadequate COX-1 enzyme protection opens the door for ulcers, leaking blood vessels, and more.

Life-threatening side effects are responsible for a host of advanced COX-2 prescription NSAID inhibitors being yanked from the market. VIOXX® and BEXTRA®, for example, were discontinued by the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] because of induced blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes.

CELEBREX® was nailed with a required “black box” warning to highlight increased potential risk of serious, and life-threatening, gastrointestinal bleeding. Nobody needs these risks in addition to any MetS challenges.

There is a price for convenience. Wellness is not a quick fix.
Wellness is about accountability. It is about mindful living.

“Figure out the rhythm of life and live in harmony with it.”
― Lao Tzu

The importance of diet to one’s health and performance cannot be understated. Consuming anti-inflammatory foods will assist modalities such as inversion, massage, cryotherapy, and the like respective to recovery from exertion. Supplementation is often helpful and necessary when deficiencies exist.

Curcumin is a potent antioxidant able to neutralize unstable free radicals, modulate tumors, and thwart oxidative stress thanks to glutathione and other inherent protectants. Free radicals negatively impact bodily systems – most notably your immune system.

Its ability to suppress destructive inflammation via multiple pathways is far superior to synthetic drugs which typically focus on a singular pathway. Its dual properties as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory make it an extremely powerful botanical.

Find below a few disease types for which curcumin is effective:

• Heart;
• Skin;
• Endocrine;
• Brain and nervous system;
• Gastrointestinal and liver;
• Cancer;
• Musculoskeletal;

The form of curcumin you choose will make a difference in its level of effectiveness. Most forms of the botanical standardize its extracts to 95% curcumin. Curcumin is amazing but the standalone method is not as effective.

India discovered an isolated curcuminoid complex re-blended with the essential oil of turmeric to create absorption and blood retention times to 10 times the levels of standardized extracts. Bioavailability is the key.

“If you only have a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.”
~ T. Colin Campbell, | Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition

The most potent curcumin formulation on the planet contains the following ingredients:

• Curcumin;
• Boswellia;
• DLPA;
• Nattokinase;

Boswellia is especially effective at reducing joint pain whether it is associated with osteoarthritis or cycling across America.

The pain reliever DLPA [di-phenylalanine] works synergistically to reduce chronic pain and improves mood by elevating dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, blocking a nervous system enzyme that intensifies pain signals and enhances endorphins. This is not the DLPA found in fish, yogurt, or tofu with aspartame.

Nattokinase harmonizes the other ingredients within the bloodstream to facilitate digestion, absorption, and assimilation to your sore muscles and joints. Nattokinase helps thwart fibrinogen from damaging muscle and joint tissues.

This specialized curcumin has been researched at prestigious institutions proving its positive effects on health. You can find said formulations [CuraMed or Curamin] at a plethora of locations from Vitamin Shoppe to Amazon.com.

Optimal health and performance mandate an integrative approach to the whole person.

Regulating physical, chemical, and mental stress is vital to maintaining optimal body economy – in life and sport. Entrainment is the process whereby multiple interacting bodily systems function in physiological harmony. Physiological harmony leads to synergy…which advances symmetry.

Mindfulness manifests synergy which cultivates self-actualization.

A limitless life is a choice…