I just crushed my am workout and I decided to head to the grocery store to pick up groceries for the week. As I was driving home, I started to experience chest pain, this is the same kind of pain that I have experienced since I was a teenager and always chose to ignore. (SHARP pain on the left side of my chest.) But this time it was worse. This time it was scary. This time I thought to my myself, I think I am having a heart attack.
I got home kneeled on the floor and tried to breath slowly so that I could control the pain. But the pain kept getting worse and worse. I called out to Jaden and when he came into the living room he said, “mom, are you ok?” I looked at him and said, “Jaden, I think I am having a heart attack and I think I need you to drive me to the ER.”
There I was lying on hospital bed, IV in one arm, a nurse hooking sticky pads to my chest while another nurse was taking my blood. They were asking me questions like, “What is your pain level at? Do you have a family history of heart attacks? What kind of pain are you experiencing?” After getting my pain under control they took me off for chest X-rays, then explained what my EKG read.
Just as I was starting to play out all the scary scenarios in my head the doctor came into the room and delivered the good news. She said, “Karissa, I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is that your heart looks good and you are not having a heart attack.” WHEW! Then she says, “Karissa you do however have pleurisy.” I remember thinking what the hell is Pleurisy. She then explained that Pleurisy involves inflammation of the tissue layers lining the lungs and the inner chest wall. Causing pain in the chest and heart attack like systems. My first thought was Seriously…WTH, my second thought, Ok how can I get this under control?
The doctor’s advice: 600-800mg of Ibuprofen every day to help with the inflammation. My thoughts HELL No your crazy!! I actually want my kidneys and liver to be working FOR ME and not against me. You see there are long term effects of taking Ibuprofen that I am just not willing to accept. Like kidney and liver damage, bleeding in the stomach and bowels, and increased risk of heart attacks.
Since I was super disappointed in the treatment plan (3 months’ supply of ibuprofen) that she gave me…. I decided that I would take care of my inflammation by cleaning up my diet and monitoring my stress levels. As a Life and Health Coach I understand and believe that controlling your stress and eating clean food can help heal your body. Eating the right foods and eliminating toxic people from my life has been a key to controlling my inflammation.
If you can relate to my story and need to learn how to feed your body so that you can heal without medications lets have a conversation. If you are ready to make the necessary lifestyle changes so that you can live healthier and happier, lets chat. I love coaching and teaching people which foods are right for their body and how to manage stress.
Below is a short list of anti-inflammatory foods that can help you with inflammation
- Berries are small fruits that are packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
- Fatty fish are a great source of protein and the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.
- Broccoli is extremely nutritious.
- Avocados may be one of the few supposed superfoods worthy of the title
- You’ve probably heard that green tea is one of the healthiest beverages you can drink.
- Bell peppers and chili peppers are loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants that have powerful anti-inflammatory effects
- Turmeric is a spice with a strong, earthy flavor that’s often used in curries and other Indian dishes.
