One could argue that inflammation is at the root of pretty much all our ailments. When your body is inflamed, it can’t detox properly and it starts overreacting to everything! It shows up in so many ways, from joint pain to headaches, to skin issues, to fatigue, and everything in between. What is to be done?
Here are 5 simple things you can start doing today to reduce inflammation:
Get quality sleep
I don’t think we need official research to tell us that when we’re getting good sleep, we feel better, have more energy, we’re happier, and we retain memories more effectively. After just a night or two of poor sleep, most of us notice a big drop in our quality of life.
There are several reasons for this! While we sleep, our glymphatic system kicks in. This is when our brain clears out all the beta-amyloid protein, which is linked to brain cell damage. When we don’t get enough sleep, these proteins don’t get cleaned out. Instead, they build up and induce a chronic state of inflammation.
Blood vessels also relax during sleep and blood pressure drops. When the blood vessels don’t get this chance due to lack of sleep, they may trigger an inflammatory response.
Sleep also gives your muscles a chance to repair themselves and your immune system gets a boost as well.
The bottom line is: If you want to reduce inflammation, you need to sleep! If this is something you struggle with, it’s worth finding a way to make it work. Maybe make a goal to go to sleep earlier, remove digital devices from your bedtime routine, or schedule socialization for earlier in the evening. Whatever it is, it’s worth doing for the sake of your health.
Incorporate turmeric, ginger, and other spices into your diet
There are many foods you can eat to help reduce inflammation and chief among them are herbs and spices. If you can find recipes you like that include one or more of these herbs, you’ll be on your way to a less inflamed body!
Ginger has been used for its anti-inflammatory properties for centuries. I have personally used it to stop many asthma attacks by brewing it into a “tea.” I just boil hot water, shred some fresh ginger in it, add raw honey and wait for it to cool. Just minutes after drinking it I feel my lungs relax and my breathing start to normalize.
Turmeric is another great anti-inflammatory herb. It’s easy to add to various curry dishes, or even just chicken and rice bowls. I find that adding a little strip of fresh turmeric to my freshly squeezed juice is an easy way to add this to my day.
We can’t mention turmeric without mentioning black pepper. Adding black pepper to anything with turmeric increases the bioavailability of the turmeric very significantly, so pair them together! Not only that, black pepper is anti-inflammatory in its own right, so keep adding it to everything and everything.
Cinnamon and clove are great anti-inflammatory herbs that I add to my hot breakfast cereal every morning. They pair well with sweet baked goods, but I also have a yummy savory soup I like to add them to!
Other anti-inflammatory herbs you may want to consider are garlic, cayenne, cardamom, rosemary, and green tea. There are others, too! Get creative and try something new. It’s worth finding a few ways you can incorporate these amazing anti-inflammatory foods into your diet.
Eliminate refined sugar
While you’re in the process of adding herbs and spices, get serious about eliminating refined sugars from your life. “Added sugar” is in so many things you would even know, including dressings and condiments and even salsas. Then there’s the obvious like sugar cookies, brownies, sodas, and ice cream. These foods definitely hit the pleasure centers, but they also spike blood sugar and trigger inflammation throughout the body.
Research shows that excessive dietary sugar intake can cause metabolic disorders and increase inflammatory mediators and inflammatory cytokines throughout the body. Metabolic disorders are things like diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and obesity.
I know it’s hard, but it’s doable, and it’s worth it. I finally bit the bullet and stopped consuming refined sugar almost a year ago and it’s true what they say: It gets easier! There are so many other yummy foods to eat and nothing beats the taste of health.
Reduce stress
Do you feel like you hear this as a solution to pretty much everything these days? Maybe that’s because it is a solution to pretty much everything.
Stress is literally a risk factor for so many life-altering health challenges! Heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, weight gain, insomnia, digestive issues, and more are all worsened or even triggered by stress. It’s imperative you learn to manage your stress!
Exercising, deep breathing, yoga, mediation, journaling, laughing, socializing, playing, serving others, and engaging in a fun hobby are all ways you can reduce your stress. Rest and leisure are not a waste of time.
Stop now and commit to one thing you will do to better manage your stress this week.
Grounding
I wrote a whole post about this a couple months ago, and I still stand by this as one of the easiest, cheapest, fastest ways to reduce inflammation.
The earth is full of free electrons, ready and willing to share with anyone in need. These days, almost every single one of us is in need. We spend most of our time disconnected from the earth, and I’m talking in a literal sense. When we wear rubber soled shoes around everywhere or spend most of our time indoors, our body is racking up a charge. Some people have been measured to be up to 20 volts! That is a crazy amount of stress on your body!
If you simply connect your bare feet or hands to the ground, you allow your body to absorb up all the free electrons it needs from the earth and regain neutrality. Immediately these electrons get to work neutralizing all the free radicals in your body and bringing that inflammation way down.
If you do nothing else on this list, at least go connect your body to the earth. It takes no money, almost no time, and it works!
Resources:
How Sleep Deprivation Can Cause Inflammation
Anti-Inflammatory Herbs
More Anti-Inflammatory Herbs
Excessive Intake of Sugar: An Accomplice of Inflammation
Chronic Stress Puts Your Health at Risk
Vitamin G (Grounding!)
