We are a people on fire!

Less than a hundred years ago the common health challenges we facedwere infections. With the discovery of pathogenic bacteria and the adventof proper hygiene, death from these problems became less common. Inflammationhas become the new epicenter of disease, disability and death.

Inflammation and the immune system Our immune system uses heat to destroyinvading bacteria. A specialized cell called a macrophage douses the invaderwith inflammatory enzymes (like acids) and the heat generated in this battledestroys the invading bacteria.

Sometimes our own healthy cells become the focus for disease. This oftenhappens because of toxic exposure. When we eat, drink or breathe a toxin,or if it is absorbed through our skin, our detoxification system worksto remove it before the poison can compromise our health. Unfortunately,many of today’s poisons are simply too strong and they overwhelm our detoxificationsystem and enter healthy cells. These cells now become the target of disease,infection and inflammation. Our immune system must treat them as hostileand use heat to destroy them.

Autoimmune diseases arise when our immune system becomes so overworkedthat it can no longer tell the difference between healthy cells and sickcells. It attacks all cells of a particular type equally. This body systemis never able to heal and chronic inflammation sets in.

The weakest link A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Youare only as healthy as your weakest body system. How robust you are dependsmostly on lifestyle choices, somewhat on your environment and a littleon your genetics.

When a toxin overwhelms your detoxification process it will likely settlein your weakest system. The immune system melts these polluted cells inan effort to save healthy cells. This is acute inflammation. With chronictoxicity comes the opportunity for chronic inflammation. In the case ofchronic inflammation, the immune system attacks any sick cell as well asany healthy cell that looks like the sick one. If the immune system attacksconnective tissue we say a person has lupus. If it attacks the beta cellsof the pancreas we say they have type 1 diabetes. If it attacks the jointswe say they have rheumatoid arthritis.

These are only a few of the more than 200 autoimmune diseases. Yet theyall share one common attribute: inflammation.

Putting the fire out Inflammation arises because of: Toxins InjuriesEmotional distress Nutrient deficiency We simply must reduce our toxicexposure to reduce the chances of developing an autoimmune disorder. Andwe must also develop emotional coping strategies and have all of the nutrientswe need in our body in the right quantity – every moment of every day.These are the first steps to reducing inflammation.

We can directly douse the fire with anti-inflammatory Betalains suchas those found in TriVita's Nopalea. A Betalain is a protein-antioxidantcomplex found in certain plants grown in hot climates. The hotter the climate,the more Betalains the plant needs to survive and the more we can benefit.

Nutrient strategies According to most authorities, everyone needs tobe taking a multiple vitamin and mineral supplement every day. This iseven more important for people trying to tame their immune system in anautoimmune flare-up. We also need to eat foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acidsand take Omega EFA supplements. These fats not only reduce inflammationbut they also make your immune system work smarter, not harder. Antioxidantsare critical to putting out the fire of inflammation. Betalain “protein-antioxidants”are extremely powerful anti-inflammatory nutrients. Finally, Vitamin B-12and adaptogens form a bulwark against the blues and physical stress.

We are a nation on fire. This is at the heart of the near epidemic ofautoimmune disorders we are facing. Strategies of nutrients and nurturingwill help us fight inflammation and help us with what we do best: heal!