Vegging Out or Inflamed?

Want to be the kind of seventy year old that pulls your own knickers up, unaided, without breaking a hip?

Imagine yourself still wearing a bikini without feeling like you have to go full kaftan to hide that surprise weight gain - even though you’ve changed nothing about the way you eat and move? Oh the humanity!

Praying that you can wake up with even just a little bit of energy, just once, FFS?

Ready to put that bloody brain fog in the bin and reclaim actual real words?

Want to prevent becoming that little old lady that everyone feels sorry for just because she’s old? Screw that!

Fear not! You can be around for a long time and a good time with a little WillPowders know-how.

• Gut loving Collagen Powder
• Repairing and Restoring Protein Powder
• Inflammation busting Spice 
• Brain nourishing  MCT Oil
• Craving crushing Keto Creamer
• Fatigue busting ElectroTide  

Inflammation - specifically chronic inflammation - is a sneaky bugger that’s triggered every time you hit the supermarket or chow down on some convenience fare, Big Food has marketed as ‘good for you’. 

Chronic inflammation is the villain of our story. It's like that security alarm that keeps going off for no good reason, constantly putting your body on high alert. This ongoing confusion for your immune system is the breeding ground for a whole host of nasty diseases. We're talking about the kind of illnesses that can seriously impact our quality of life and longevity. Dr. Cate Shanahan’s book, Dark Calories, lays it all out – pretty much every age-related disease has inflammation at its core, attacking everything from our hormones and gut to our immune and musculoskeletal systems, and even our blood sugar. In a nutshell, it’s imperative that we take control of this shit show now.

Now, before you panic and start living in a sterile bubble, a little bit of inflammation is actually our friend. It's our body's natural security system. Acute inflammation is like the rapid response team dealing with a cut or an infection – it clots blood, brings the heat to fight invaders, and causes swelling to protect the area. It’s a short-term hero.

Ever feel that sluggish, heavy, brain-fogged feeling? Like wading through treacle in wellies? Especially hitting perimenopause when our hormones decide to throw a massive tantrum? That feeling of "can't be bothered," the siren call of the sofa and a sugary, carby snack swimming in dodgy veg oil? Well, newsflash: that's likely inflammation doing its dirty work. It's your body screaming, "Oi! Something's not right!" But instead of listening, we often reach for the very things that fuel the flames. It's a Catch-22 from Hell. We feel rubbish because we're inflamed, so we eat rubbish which makes us even more inflamed. We need to break this cycle before those internal fires turn into a full-blown inferno. Worst of all: inflammation ages us and we’re not down with that at all!

Think water retention that makes your ankles disappear, muscles that feel like they've run a marathon in your sleep, a brain that's decided to take a permanent holiday, that sneaky weight that just won't budge, a gut that's staging a daily rebellion, sleep that's more like a restless hostage situation, and that general meh feeling that clings to you like the memories of your 20 something shenanigans. Sound familiar?

Let's get one thing straight: Ultra-Processed Foods are always packed with inflammatory ingredients, and the king of the inflammatory castle? Veg oils. We're talking about rapeseed (canola), sunflower, corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean, and rice bran oil. Seriously, would you pour the same stuff McDonald's uses in their fryers and their delivery trucks into your own body? Didn't think so.

Why are these veg oils so bad? It's not just how they're processed; it's the type of fat they are: polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). They are unstable and readily oxidize inside your body, creating a cascade of inflammation. 

There’s a reason why it can take our bodies up to 5 years to process PUFAs. There’s a reason why they mess with our leptin (our ‘feel full’ hormone), making us overeat. There’s a reason why research suggests those born after 1990, those growing up in a world swimming in UPFs and inflammatory toxins are three times more likely to become obese than their grandparents, limiting their lifespan (that’s our kids, Team). The reason? They have no place in our bodies.  

Our bodies just aren't designed to handle the sheer amount of PUFAs we consume in the modern diet and you can't change your biological response. The solution? Just steer clear and become a ninja ingredient label reader! 

Here’s a sobering thought: About a third of our cells are naturally made of PUFAs – for a very specific reason: as a reserve for emergencies like infections. But when our diet is constantly flooded with PUFAs, we're essentially telling our bodies it's a 24/7 red alert situation.

Think extra virgin olive oil (for drizzling, not high-heat cooking), ghee, avocado oil, coconut oil, butter, tallow, goose fat, lard, and the star of our FAT show … C8 MCT Oil. 

C8 MCT Oil is like rocket fuel for your brain! This isn't your sluggish, slow-burn energy. C8 zips straight to your liver, gets converted into ketones pronto, and BAM!  Hello laser focus and goodbye brain fog. It's like flicking a switch for instant mental clarity and sustained energy without the jitters or the crash. You can kiss those pesky cravings goodbye too because your brain loves itself some MCTs, and when your brain feels satisfied, it stops trying to hijack you and your appetite. 

MCTs are a great intermittent fasting tool - another inflammation fighting hack. Intermittent fasting allows your body to focus on repair and can trigger autophagy – your body's natural clean-up process where it chows down and gets rid of damaged cells. See ya, inflammation!

Whilst MCT Oil is a great veg oil swap (check out our MCT Oil pesto, hummus and crackers for some inspo!), chugging it back in its rawest form takes a little practise because it is extremely potent. Fear not! MCT Keto Creamer is a little more gentle on the old gut - no disaster pants here, folks, and it’s equally as versatile and effective in its craving crushing power. Start your morning with a WillPowders coffee - loaded with MCT properties to potentially keep those snack attacks at bay, and to further understand the importance of starting your day the WillPowders Way, check out our blog - The Croissant Pathway.

Like most things, repairing your gut lining can take a minute - Rome wasn’t built in a day and nor was a thriving gut microbiome, so it’s imperative that you take a consistent approach. In all honesty, no amount of veg oil riddled food is going to serve you; however, we are realists and understand that the modern world and Big Food are designed to trip us up.  

All is not lost!

There are ways that you can mitigate against the temptations that you may fall foul to, and they are: giving your liver a leg up, getting rid of, what can sometimes be, debilitating and energy sucking water retention and fighting fire with a bit of Spice.