Your body is pretty amazing when it comes to a lot of things, including protecting itself from injury and illness. When microscopic invaders set foot inside your body or you accidentally sprain your ankle on your daily walk, your system awakens and begins fighting the infection or making the necessary repairs through inflammation. However, chronic inflammation can actually harm your body and lead to a host of health issues down the road. Here’s how you can reduce inflammation in your body and feel better than ever:
What is Inflammation and Why Does it Happen?
Inflammation naturally occurs in the body when an illness, injury, or infection happens. During this healing process, your body will increase the production of white blood cells, immune cells, and cytokines, which work together to fight off infection.
Sometimes, though, inflammation will occur when there’s no injury to remedy or illness to fight. Since there’s nothing that needs healing, the normally-helpful immune system cells will begin mistaking healthy cells and tissues as the enemy and will start destroying healthy organs, arteries, and joints.
How Does Inflammation Manifest in the Body?
There are two main types of inflammation you experience: acute and chronic inflammation. Acute inflammation occurs when you catch a cold, get a paper cut, or sustain some other type of temporary injury. You’ll usually experience swelling, redness, and pain in the affected area(s). Chronic inflammation, however, can continue for much longer – months or even years. Left unaddressed, it can lead to a variety of health issues including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, allergies, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and more.
If you’ve been feeling the following symptoms for a prolonged amount of time, you could be dealing with chronic inflammation:
- High blood sugar
- Fatigue
- Brain fog, impaired memory, and difficulty concentrating
- Mood issues such as depression or anxiety
- Weight gain, especially around the waist
- Frequent headaches or migraines
- Joint pain
- Digestive issues such as gas, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea
- Seasonal allergies
- Skin issues like psoriasis or eczema
How Can You Reduce Inflammation in Your Body?
Here’s the great news: you can take control and reduce – or even reverse! – the inflammation in your body! Chronic inflammation will often occur when we don’t take care of ourselves or continuously expose ourselves to inflammatory substances on a regular basis (which is easy to do in our modern society!). Here’s how you can start today:
- Clean up your diet. Load your plate up whole, nutrient-dense foods that contain antioxidants, which fight harmful free radicals. We’re talking about fruits, veggies, nuts, fatty fish, and even certain spices like turmeric and cinnamon. Great examples of anti-inflammatory foods include tomatoes, leafy greens, strawberries and blueberries, almonds and walnuts, olive oil, and fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, mackerel, and tuna.
- Avoid inflammatory foods. This includes sugary beverages, refined carbohydrates, processed meats and snack foods, deep fried foods, trans fats, alcohol, and desserts. Steer clear of these foods and choose healthy alternatives instead!
- Exercise regularly. Working out won’t just decrease the amount of inflammation in your body – it will also help lower your risk for chronic diseases! Aim to get at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise most days of the week. Up your game by adding in 10-25 minutes of weight or resistance training a few times a week as well!
- Lose weight if you’re overweight. Even losing just a small amount can have such a tremendous impact on your health and mobility! Making time for exercising and eating well will greatly help you on your weight loss journey.
- Get plenty of quality sleep. Even one poor night of sleep can increase inflammation in your body. If you find that you’re struggling with getting quality shut-eye, we suggest avoiding looking at screens an hour before bedtime, sleeping in a dark, quiet room, and going to bed at a consistent time.
- Manage your stress. Chronic stress leads to a host of health issues, including chronic inflammation. Practice self-care on a regular basis. Balance your work demands with your health goals. Take the time to stretch your body, enjoy your hobbies, practice gratitude, and meditate, pray, or do yoga on a daily basis.
- Try a few crucial supplements. We often recommend certain supplements that reduce inflammation including curcumin and fish oil. Adding these supplements into your daily life can work wonders in reducing inflammation in your body!
Reach Out to The Wellness Connection
If you’ve been experiencing any of the symptoms of chronic inflammation or just have been feeling off lately, don’t wait. Rely on the friendly and experienced team at The Wellness Connection! We take a holistic approach to help you attain optimal health and well-being. Schedule an appointment with us by calling (636) 978-0970 or request a time with us online!