Inflammation 101
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury, infection or stress. But, did you know there are two types of inflammation?
Short-term/Acute: This type of inflammation is necessary for healing. It can present itself though swelling, pain, heat/fever or even flushed skin. These symptoms don’t last for long, though, as the body heals itself.
Long-term/Chronic: This type is a prolonged, low-grade immune response that can lead to disease and is linked to a variety of health conditions. It can present itself through fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues, skin problems and more.
Chronic inflammation doesn’t just happen. It’s usually driven by a mix of diet, gut health, lifestyle habits, and environmental toxins.
Causes of Chronic Inflammation
Diet: Eating too many processed foods, refined sugars, trans fats, and artificial additives puts your immune system on high alert. This can lead to low-grade, long-term inflammation. Food sensitivities – like gluten, dairy, soy, etc. – can also fuel inflammation and make symptoms worse.
Gut Health: Imbalanced gut bacteria and leaky gut allow harmful substances to slip into your bloodstream, which can trigger immune reactions.
Lifestyle: Chronic stress and poor sleep only increase the inflammatory problems. A sedentary lifestyle doesn’t help either, as movement is key for circulation, lymphatic drainage, and keeping inflammation in check.
Environment: Air pollution, heavy metals, pesticides and everyday household chemicals all add to the toxic load, which can keep your body in defense mode.
So, is there any good news in this?
Yes! You can take control of inflammation by making simple adjustments. Consuming anti-inflammatory foods, supporting your gut health, managing stress, moving daily, and reducing your environmental toxins can all make a difference in keeping inflammation in check.
Ways to Reduce Chronic Inflammation
Anti-Inflammatory Diet: This includes foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, colorful fruits and vegetables, and even herbal teas. To boost the benefits of these nutritious foods, it’s also important to reduce your intake of sugar, refined carbohydrates and processed foods.
Gut Health: What does this mean anyway? It goes back to eating a healthy diet! Take probiotics and prebiotics (or eat foods that are rich in them) to feed the good bacteria in your digestive system. Bone broth and fermented and fiber-rich foods also support a healthy gut. Address any food sensitivities by tracking inflammatory responses, and speaking with your physician if needed.
Stress Management: Start with sleep! Everybody is different in the amount of sleep they need, but aim for 7–9 hours of sleep each night. Manage stress through practices like prayer, breathing exercises, meditation, spending time outside, and more.
Daily Movement: While this doesn’t mean strength training every day, lifting weights can improve metabolic health. Low impact movements, like yoga and walking, are also great options.
Toxins Reduction: While you might not be in control of smog, you can change the toxins in your own home. Switch to non-toxic cleaning and beauty products as you need refills. Filtering tap water can also reduce your exposure to heavy metals. And, as always, sunshine and fresh air are good for all areas of health!
Inflammation doesn’t have to be something you just tolerate. Understanding where it comes from can empower you to make simple steps to lower chronic inflammation.
Are you looking for even more ways to keep inflammation in check? Get our full guide inside the monthly wellness membership! It’s full of background information on inflammation, practices to lower inflammation, recipes and shopping lists for an anti-inflammatory diet, and more! Learn alongside a caring community of women who are making health a priority:
