When you have an injury or an infection, inflammation is a good thing. It’s the natural immune system response that our body produces to help heal damaged tissues and fight off unwanted bacteria. But too much inflammation can have an adverse effect and can actually cause damage to cells, organs, and tissues, leading to a number of diseases and serious health conditions.
Keeping inflammation in check is critical, and if you have chronic inflammation, it’s essential that you learn ways to manage and minimize it.
The good news is that there are some simple steps you can take to get inflammation under control.
Here are five easy things you can do, starting right now, to reduce inflammation in the body and live a more happy, healthy life.
Reduce Stress
We all experience stress to varying degrees, but excess stress increases inflammatory activity in the body.
Fortunately, there are many easy steps you can take to reduce stress and avoid stressors, such as:
- Improving sleep patterns
- Eating a healthy diet
- Exercising and stretching
- Meditating
- Practicing deep breathing techniques
Some of the stress-reducers above are, on their own, additional keys to fighting inflammation. As you read about the other four tips below, you’ll notice that many of these are interconnected. For example, reducing stress can help you sleep better, and sleeping better can help you reduce stress.
Improve Your Sleep Habits
Your body cannot function as it should if you don’t maintain good sleep habits. (Experts say that adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep each day).
Blood vessels relax when we sleep. When they don’t have a chance to relax, they can activate inflammation.
There are many ways to improve your sleep habits, such as:
- Going to bed at the same time each night
- Waking up at the same time each morning
- Sleeping in a dark, quiet room
- Minimizing exposure to blue light prior to bedtime
- Relaxing/destressing before bedtime
If you suffer from insomnia or other sleep disorders, ask your physician if medical marijuana might be able to help. Many people find sleep relief with marijuana use, and it also helps to reduce anxiety and certain stress disorders, such as PTSD, that can make sleeping difficult.
Concerned that you might not like the “high” effect that comes with cannabis use?
If you don’t like how you feel after using marijuana, there’s a unique product called HIBEGONE that can eliminate your high and reduce the effects of THC in a matter of minutes.
Eat an Anti-Inflammatory Diet
What you eat has a direct impact on your health, and you can reduce inflammation simply by eating foods that are gut-healthy and rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and polyphenols.
Make it a point to build your diet around the following anti-inflammatory foods:
- Asparagus
- Bananas
- Bell peppers
- Citrus fruits
- Cottage cheese
- Dark chocolate
- Nuts
- Olive oil
- Salmon
- Tuna
- Whole grains
- Yogurt
Checkout this article for more information on the anti-inflammatory diet, as well as a full list of foods you should avoid.
Exercise More
Exercise supports healthy immune function, and a strong immune system helps to fight and minimize inflammation. A regular exercise routine is a smart lifestyle choice, and it also helps you sleep better, which is key in fighting inflammation.
Along with a healthy diet, exercising will also help you lose or maintain your weight. Body fat promotes inflammation, so reducing your body fat through diet and fitness is important, especially if inflammation is a chronic condition.
Avoid Alcohol and Nicotine
Both alcohol and nicotine use can increase inflammation in the lungs, and alcohol can also cause inflammation in the intestines.
As we already discussed, good lifestyle choices can help in your fight against inflammation, and smoking and/or consuming too much alcohol are not healthy choices.
You don’t have to cut alcohol out of your life completely, but it’s important to keep your alcohol intake to a minimum. One alcoholic beverage per day should be the max.
In Conclusion
Chronic inflammation in the body can lead to a wide variety of serious medical conditions, including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. If you’re suffering with inflammation, start taking steps today to reduce it and keep it under control.
Learn ways to reduce stress. Improve your sleep habits. Create an exercise routine that you can stick with. Eat a healthy diet that centers on anti-inflammatory foods. Stop using nicotine and reduce your alcohol intake to no more than one drink per day.
Making these dietary and lifestyle changes can help your entire system function better and put you on a path towards a long, healthy, and productive life.
