What is inflammation? Your immune system becomes activated when your body recognises anything that is foreign—such as an invading microbe, plant pollen, or chemical. This often triggers a process called inflammation that, in this situation, protect your health.

However, sometimes inflammation persists, day in and day out, even when you are not threatened by a foreign invader. That's when inflammation becomes a chronic problem. Many major diseases that plague us—including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, depression, and Alzheimer's—have been linked to chronic inflammation.

One of the most powerful tools to combat inflammation comes not from the pharmacy, but from the grocery store. Many studies, including one recent one by Harvard University, have shown that components of foods or beverages have anti-inflammatory effects.

What Does Stress Actually Do to the Body's Systems?

Stress is a normal physiological response triggered when we feel threatened. When we are stressed both our “fight or flight” responses and our immune systems are activated. These normal responses can be helpful as they prepare our bodies to help deal with the source of the threat. However, when we are under too much stress, or ongoing chronic stress, our stress hormones might not return to normal levels; we are then left in a permanent state of fight or flight.

When we are stressed, we often feel irritable, frustrated and angry, or anxious, afraid and depressed. Alongside these feelings, our bodies also react, causing various aches and pains anywhere in our body, or other symptoms such as insomnia or increased pre-menstrual symptoms.

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