If a blood test has indicated elevated levels of inflammation, it’s important to investigate the cause. Sometimes it’s a chronic infection, or it could be an allergy or autoimmune disease. Having an overgrowth of the wrong gut bugs (dysbiosis) can be a major driver of inflammation because it over stimulates the immune cells living in the gut and creates a leaky gut. For information on how to address this see the book Healing Autoimmune Disease.  Gut Health powder contains ingredients to soothe the gut lining and repair a leaky gut.

Choose butter, ghee or animal fats instead of margarine. Margarine or non-dairy spread is often marketed as a healthier alternative to butter. Nothing could be further from the truth. Margarine doesn’t contain cholesterol but is high in oxidized omega 6 rich vegetable oil, which significantly increases inflammation in the body and subsequently causes damage to the arteries. People have been eating butter for hundreds of years; long before cardiovascular disease reached epidemic proportions. Pastured (grass fed) butter is the healthiest option of all because it is rich in certain beneficial nutrients such as vitamin K2, vitamin D, butyrate and conjugated linoleic acid. Butter does contain saturated fat and that can raise your cholesterol, but if you want to get specific, saturated fat can raise your HDL (good cholesterol) and increase large particle LDL cholesterol while reducing small dense LDL (the type implicated in clogged arteries).

Reduce or avoid grains and starches. Many people are aware that sugar increases the risk of heart attacks, fatty liver, type 2 diabetes, cancer, accelerated ageing and many other chronic diseases. You may not realise that most grains and starches are almost as bad as sugar. Most bread has a fairly high glycemic index; that means it raises your blood sugar fairly high very quickly. Even wholegrain bread floods your bloodstream with sugar once you’ve digested it. Wheat contains a type of starch called amylopectin A, which is rapidly converted into sugar and likely to promote weight gain around your middle. Gluten free bread isn’t much better because it’s typically made from grains and starches that also have an extremely high glycemic index; these include corn, rice, tapioca and potato. You are best off minimizing bread in your diet and sticking with vegetables, salads, protein and healthy fats.

Omega 3 fats protect your arteries. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in some species of fish and may help to protect you against having a heart attack. The Heart Foundation recommends that everyone eats oily fish at least twice a week. This is because the omega 3 fats in oily fish help to keep the arteries clean, reduce inflammation and help to keep blood fats such as cholesterol and triglycerides low. The species richest in beneficial fats include wild salmon, sardines, anchovies, mackerel, herrings and mullet. Fish oil contains the essential fatty acids called EPA and DHA. DHA is the activated form of omega 3 fats, which is necessary for a healthy heart, healthy brain and joints. The omega 3 fats in plant foods like flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts are the precursor to DHA and much more difficult for the body to utilize.

Try not to let stress get on top of you. Life can get very stressful or busy at times. Long term stress can have a very detrimental effect on your health, even if you are eating well. If you’re currently unable to make changes in your life to reduce stress, please try and find healthy ways of coping with it. Some examples might include speaking to a friend or counsellor about your concerns, joining a yoga or meditation class; exercising; spending time with animals or writing in a journal. It is important to have hobbies and passions in life. Most of us spend a large part of our life at work. It’s important to have things to look forward to; things that inspire you and make you excited about getting out of bed. Magnesium helps to reduce the negative impact of stress and improves sleep.

Try to ensure you’re getting adequate good quality sleep. Not getting enough sleep, or having poor quality sleep significantly raises the risk of insulin resistance and elevated cortisol. Both conditions predispose to abdominal weight gain and fatty liver. Insufficient sleep often causes people to make unhealthy food choices. Sugar and high carbohydrate foods are appealing, just to get through the day and cope with chronic exhaustion.

Do a regular Detox every 4 to 6 months. The Dr Cabot 15-day Cleanse which works on your liver, gut and immune system. Heavy metals and microplastics can build up in arterial plaques and need to be removed. Your red blood cells only live for 120 days and need to be replaced with new health red blood cells.