Inflammation: The Uninvited Houseguest Wrecking Your Health

When you hear the word inflammation, you probably picture something obvious—like a swollen ankle after you twisted it playing pickleball (or, let’s be real, getting off the couch wrong). That kind of inflammation? Totally normal. In fact, it’s your body going, “Hey, I’ve got this—let’s heal up!”

But there’s a sneakier version of inflammation out there. The kind that doesn’t make a grand entrance. Chronic, low-grade inflammation is like that roommate who moves in “just for a weekend” and is still sleeping on your couch three months later—silently ruining everything.

So what’s lighting the match?

One of the biggest culprits: high insulin levels—a result of what we eat, drink, pop (meds), and basically anything our body has to process.

Insulin isn’t just a blood sugar babysitter. It actually has direct effects on your blood vessels. It can damage the cells in your arteries, trigger inflammation, and eventually contribute to severe arterial damage over time (1). Think of it like your bloodstream going from an open freeway to a five-car pileup—complete with road rage and flashing lights.

Translation?

Constant sugar and insulin spikes = traffic jam in your arteries. Nutrients can’t get where they need to go. Oxygen delivery slows down. Your immune system stays in DEFCON 1 mode. This is how you end up with inflamed arteries, achy joints, brain fog that makes you forget why you walked into the kitchen, and fatigue that coffee can’t fix.

But here’s the good news:

You can kick this freeloading inflammation to the curb—with some lifestyle cleanup. Start first and foremost, by eating for YOUR unique bio-individuality, because although exercise is helpful in improving health, at the end of the day, you can't exercise your way out of a bad diet. If your body is missing the critical tools (nutrients) it needs to repair, then fixing the inflammation will become an impossible task. Another helpful tool? Testing your current insulin levels, alongside your blood sugar levels. This will give you a much more accurate picture of what's going on inside your body and what are the next best steps to fix any issues. Your heart, joints, and sleep will throw you a parade once your body starts getting the tools it needs and stops being fed the toxins it doesn't.

Not sure where to start? I’ve got you.

Let’s talk.

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Fu J, Yu MG, Li Q, Park K, King GL. Insulin's actions on vascular tissues: Physiological effects and pathophysiological contributions to vascular complications of diabetes. Mol Metab. 2021 Oct;52:101236. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101236. Epub 2021 Apr 18. PMID: 33878400; PMCID: PMC8513152.