Earlier this year author, licensed dietitian (LD) and registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) Kimberly Tessmer released a book in which she takes on a health issue that is normally just a blip on the average individual’s health radar. In the book, Your Nutrition Solution to Inflammation, Ms. Tessmer discusses inflammation, offering the latest medical insight, pain management and nutritional intake tips, as well as menu options that can help anyone with inflammation, as well as those who simply want to prevent serious conditions from developing over time as a result of inflammation.

“Individuals can have inflammation present in their bodies and not even realize it. So, this book is meant for everybody,” stated Ms. Tessmer. 

Drawing from her 20+ years of experience in the field of nutrition, in areas ranging from food service, to medical application, to corporate consultation, Ms. Tessmer decided to branch off and explore some new avenues for utilizing her education and background to help individuals treat the problems they may have.

It was in 2002 that a book agent reached out to Ms. Tessmer after seeing her nutrition editorials online. The product of this contact was Ms. Tessmer’s first work, The Everything Nutrition Book. Upon completion of this first book, Ms. Tessmer embarked on her writing career, moonlighting as a nutrition consultant to corporations through her own business, Nutrition Focus.

“It inspires me to get people to change their lifestyle instead of simply turning to medicine and continuing their bad habits,” explained Ms. Tessmer. “It’s an awakening for many people and it empowers them.”

Inflammation: Perpetrator
Deciding to develop a series of books that all dealt with issues that are hot in public discourse today, Ms. Tessmer and her publisher have come forward with a series called, Your Nutrition Solution To. As its third installment, Your Nutrition Solution To Inflammation seeks to educate people on the causes, effects, prevention and treatment of inflammation in the body.

“People do not know much about it. They think arthritis, painful joints, and so on when they think of inflammation, but chronic inflammation is so much more than that; it can be causing other diseases and simultaneously having nothing to do with arthritis,” stated Ms. Tessmer.

The content in Your Nutrition Solution To Inflammation, as well as Ms. Tessmer’s other works, is well researched and cited with sources ranging from specialized dietitians, to medical and science journals, to organizations like the American Heart Association and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Utilizing the information from her own background, experience, and adding these professional sources, Ms. Tessmer asserts that chronic inflammation can lead to many health problems like heart disease, certain types of cancers, autoimmune disease and Type 2 diabetes. By managing inflammation one can reduce the pain from any or all of these conditions, including arthritis and fibromyalgia. The best way to treat and, ideally, prevent chronic inflammation altogether is to maintain a healthy diet that increases healthy food intake and reduces harmful food intake.

Balance Your Diet
In her book, Ms. Tessmer discusses the role certain foods play in the process of fighting inflammation, as well as outlines specific meal plans that individuals can follow to get started. She suggests that individuals eat lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains as a way to reduce inflammation. Likewise, foods containing curcumin and omega-3 are beneficial, as they work as natural anti-inflammatories.

As an example of something people should avoid, or at least try to limit, Ms. Tessmer pointed to sugar. “Sugar intake is off the charts today and it can cause inflammation in the body. If a condition already exists, sugar can make it worse,” she said.

Not everyone may be able or willing to change their eating habits, and they may turn to medication or supplements. Ms. Tessmer addresses this as well, stating that those components have their place, but should not be implemented as the first line of defense against inflammation, if at all possible.

“Medications and OTC drugs like DMARDS and NSAIDS can help, but they have so many side effects. Turning to medications chronically to help with pain becomes a vicious cycle where they can’t live without them. A good diet and nutrition helps break this cycle,” explained Ms. Tessmer.

She continued, “Vitamins and minerals are always good to take, but just as a way of backing up your diet. I do not believe in taking excess, but you do need to make sure you are getting enough of everything.”

To help individuals further, Ms. Tessmer discusses food labels and dietary guidelines for Americans and explained the healthy eating plate as a way to encourage individuals to make better choices.

“We need to encourage people to eat and live better. The main idea behind each book is to maintain a healthier diet for fixing that problem and preventing additional problems down the road,” she stated.

The full line up in Ms. Tessmer’s series, Your Nutrition Solution To, includes: Acid Reflux (May 2014), Type 2 Diabetes (August 2014), Inflammation (March 2015) and A Healthy Gut (June 2015).

Published by New Page Books in New Jersey, Your Nutrition Solution To Inflammation is available online at Amazon.com or at BarnesandNoble.com for approximately $10.