Did you know that prolonged inflammation can have negative effects on your body? Inflammation is more than just a response to injury—it’s a subtle force that, if left unchecked, can quietly impact your well-being. According to Jim LaValle, RPH, CCN, MT, DHM, DHPH, chronic inflammation sits “at the root of everything—from cancer to diabetes to heart disease”. When inflammation persists beyond its useful phase, it interferes with your body’s ability to repair and maintain itself, causing what LaValle describes as “metabolic inflammation or metaflammation”. Your body may have multiple negative reactions to prolonged times of inflammation.
Inflammation in the Body: What Really Happens?
When inflammation becomes chronic, the body struggles to turn off its defense response. As LaValle notes, “The problem is when you do not turn the inflammation switch off, it leads to a whole pattern of metabolic disruption at the cellular level”. This type of inflammation, often driven by stress, poor diet, or environmental exposure, leads to long-term issues that affect energy levels, sleep, and mental clarity. Metaflammation can even change the way you look, increasing stress levels and severely impacting your overall wellness.
Can Inflammation Cause Weight Gain?
Weight gain often ties back to chronic inflammation because stress triggers the body to enter a fight-or-flight mode. “Your brain changes how it talks to your thyroid and adrenal glands,” LaValle explains. Sleep apnea, which deprives the brain of oxygen, worsens inflammation. “People think they’re just snoring, but it’s like being chased by a tiger all night,” Dr. Terri says, highlighting how this condition drives weight gain and fatigue. Sleep deprivation has also been linked to diabetes, further showing how inflammation can deprive you of the health journey you’re striving for.
Inflammatory Foods: What to Avoid and What to Eat
Diet plays a crucial role in regulating inflammation. “Sugar is the most inflammatory thing we consume,” Dr. Terri points out. Processed foods with high sugar content cause rapid blood glucose spikes, forcing the body to release insulin, which in turn promotes metabolic inflammation. Repeated insulin spikes are linked to heart disease and diabetes.
Conversely, whole foods like leafy greens, nuts, and fatty fish have anti-inflammatory effects. LaValle emphasizes that people need to track their sugar intake, even from natural or “health” foods, because they can be deceptively high in carbohydrates that disrupt insulin levels. While trendy diets come and go, it’s crucial to remain vigilant about your food choices, particularly when managing inflammation.
Inflammation and Heart Health: A Risky Connection
LaValle warns that metabolic inflammation silently deteriorates cardiovascular health. “Post-prandial hyperglycemia—high blood sugar after meals—is a leading cause of heart disease,” he says. He highlights that many people are unaware of the connection between frequent blood sugar spikes and long-term damage to blood vessels, which increases the risk of heart disease over time. This is not a rare phenomenon, as it affects 50% of the population—those who have been identified as pre-diabetic or diabetic. Closely monitoring your inflammation is extremely important for your overall wellness.
Practical Ways to Reduce Inflammation
The good news is that inflammation can be managed with simple lifestyle changes. LaValle recommends starting with stress management techniques like box breathing, a method that balances the nervous system by slowing the breath: “Four seconds in, hold for four, exhale for four—it’s free, and it works”. He advises practicing it twice a day, morning and evening, to reset the body and calm the mind.
Sleep also plays a critical role in managing inflammation. LaValle encourages people to reduce screen time before bed, create dark, calming environments, and avoid having a TV in the bedroom. “Poor sleep is tied to everything—from heart disease to diabetes to dementia,” LaValle stresses. Conquering sleep issues is about how you’re dealing with your daily problems. When you have apnea, you think you’re snoring, but you’ve stopped breathing, and oxygen is not getting to your brain.
Dietary changes are equally essential. Cutting back on sugar and processed foods while incorporating nutrient-dense meals helps reduce metabolic inflammation. LaValle suggests adopting mindful eating habits, noting, “People need to start counting how much sugar they’re taking in” to break the cycle of inflammation. When you look at long-lived cultures, they have a healthy diet, and make sure they get sleep. “We were never meant to eat half of a loaf of bread before dinner.”
Chronic inflammation is like a fire that burns quietly within, affecting various aspects of your health. It leads to weight gain, disrupts heart function, and creates a cascade of metabolic issues. However, this fire can be controlled through intentional choices—managing stress, improving sleep, and adopting healthier eating habits. As LaValle explains, “There’s no magic pill—it takes effort from both the clinician and the patient”. Making small but consistent changes will help extinguish the inflammation and support long-term well-being.
