Saw the new Vacation movie on the weekend.
I would NOT recommend bringing kids. In fact, my parents brought my nephew and had to leave early (he was laughing at the younger brother character’s incessant swearing!)
“Are you too old to give your father a rim job?”
(you’ll have to see it to understand the context of that quote LOL)
It’s pretty vulgar, pushes the envelope more than the original movies ever did, and I did piss myself laughing on more than a few occasions.
But there’s no feel good message to be had.
You leave the theatre thinking family life sucks. No silver lining. No happily ever after.
But, most concerning of all, was Chevy Chase’s cameo. The guy is really bloated these days. Clearly lots of inflammation going on inside, judging by the water he’s holding.
Some inflammation is actually a good thing (like the response to weight training), but chronic/low grade inflammation can result in heart disease or insulin resistance, most chronic degenerative diseases (think cardiovascular disease, various forms of arthritis) and even cancer.
Here are my 9 ways to manage inflammation (and how I’d fix Chevy Chase):
1. Get your heat on. Soaking in a hot bath or sauna causes an increase in core body temperature that turns on the cellular “heat shock” response. This increases insulin sensitivity by suppressing inflammation and increasing blood flow to working muscles.
2. Eat more cold-water fish or use fish oil. Balancing omega-3 to omega-6 (fish is abundant in the former) helps manage inflammation. The typical North American is heavily weighted to omega-6. Balance that out, yo!
3. Eat grass-fed meats. Pasture-raised, grass-fed livestock have a better balance of omage-3 to omega-6 (like fish). Get to know the farmer. If you have to exchange your first born for a cut of grass-fed meat, it’s probably not worth it. Buy extra lean beef, run it under hot water and remove most of the fat that way. The fat is where a lot of the “bad stuff” (medical term) is housed, including the omega-6 fatty acids obviously, so a poor man’s option is just to eat dry meat.
4. Limit refined sugars. Refined sugars are anti-nutrients – they take more from your body than they give. They also raise insulin and blood sugar levels, which are good responses at times (say, after a workout) but constantly doing so will result in increased inflammation. If you’re sedentary and spiking blood sugar all day, stop.
5. Get a massage. A massage is an excellent way to relieve inflammation. It’s fun, too.
6. Get your spice on. There are over 2,000 studies supporting turmeric’s use for a variety of health benefits, one of which is a reduction in inflammation.
7. Avoid (or limit) alcohol. Sorry to be a Debbie Downer here. By all means, enjoy in moderation, but there’s a point of diminishing returns with the booze.
8. Avoid excessive caffeine. A cup or two a day is fine – but surviving on the stuff is not. Everything in moderation.
9. Eat more fruits and veggies. Well, duh.
Photo courtesy cnn.com