The word “inflammation” is usually associated with injuries or infections. This occurs when the body tries to produce various chemicals to fight infections and other foreign elements. But it can also be used to explain an unhealthy condition where your body struggles to heal from drastic damage. Unlike a swollen foot or hand, this form of inflammation is usually unseen and undetected till it’s too late. Fortunately, there are some simple habits you can cut back on or introduce to reduce your risk of inflammation and live a healthier life. Here are a few tips to help you.
1) Take it easy on the alcohol
Health experts state that while a glass of wine during dinner time does not pose a health threat, consumption of high amounts of alcohol can lead to adverse health issues. This is largely due to its ability to raise our toxin levels. When toxins find their way into the body, the body responds by swelling up or inflammation, which can affect and damage your organs and tissues. To curb this, keep your alcohol intake to a minimum. You could also substitute alcohol for something that uplifts your mood and keeps you relaxed for longer periods. Great products like the Delta 9 THC Gummies are designed to elevate moods without adverse side effects, so feel free to consider them.
2) Include superfoods in your diet
Your diet is more important than exercise, as it can determine our organs’ state and holistic health. When choosing foods to eat, medical experts advise that you load up on anti-inflammatory foods such as celery, blueberries, tea, salmon, tofu, walnuts, flax seeds, and garlic. Eating fresh vegetables and fruits is a great way to increase your intake of vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, and other anti-inflammatory properties. There are several recipes where you try to find tasty ways of implementing these foods into your meals.
3) Have enough sleep
A surprising yet common cause of inflammation is a lack of sufficient and good quality sleep. After a long day, you need to sleep. This is because rest in the form of sleep ensures that your body relaxes and resets for the next day. When you don’t get adequate sleep, your chances of experiencing inflammation increase drastically. To ensure you have a high-quality sleep, for the required 8 hours of sleep, you must go to bed at the same time every night. To make this possible, keep all screens away at least an hour before bed, creating a quiet and dark space where you can ease into sleep.
4) Monitor and maintain your blood sugar
Your blood sugar level increases when you consume various foods such as white flour, refined sugar, and white rice. Also, foods with high fructose corn syrup can spike up your blood sugar, increasing your risk of inflammation. Therefore, you should consider swapping your white foods for healthier options such as lean proteins and foods rich in fiber like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Fiber-rich foods help reduce inflammation and aid in easier digestion, reducing bloating and keeping your gut healthy. Lean protein also aids in the strengthening of your bones and teeth, while vegetables and fruits possess anti-inflammatory properties that slow down the aging process.
5) Get active
As humans, a sedentary lifestyle can be very harmful to our bodies, especially to our organs. Getting active doesn’t take a lot of your time; you only need a good 20 minutes of moderate exercise to keep your heart rate up. Consider simple exercises such as walks and jogs with friends or companions such as dogs. Getting active is a sure way to prevent any inflammatory issue within your system. Keep active for up to 5 days a week and watch as the inflammation keeps itself away from your body.
6) Manage all stress
We all indeed experience some amount of stress in our lives. The truth is that some of our stressors are things we cannot control. Constantly stressing about such issues can cause inflammation. To deal with this effect of chronic stress, you need to find intentional ways of releasing your feelings. Some best ways to release stress are yoga, meditation, guided imagery, and biofeedback. These actions can be done throughout the day without any external help.
7) Fasting
Fasting is the intentional act of abstaining from drink or food. Intermittent fasting focuses not on what you eat but on when you eat. It is a fasting system that allows you to eat only during a specific time known as an eating window, having fasted for a certain number of hours each day. Intermittent fasting, an act that became a craze in the 21st century, has become something more than a mere fad. Research has shown that consuming your meals within a fixed window every day can drastically reduce inflammation.
There are many ways to implement the intermittent fasting plan into your daily life, the most common being a 10 am to 6 pm eating window. Consistency with intermittent fasting is a great way to keep heart diseases, diabetes, and cancer at bay and reduce inflammation.
8) Consider weight loss
In some cases, chronic inflammation could be a result of being overweight. Medical experts advise that overweight people should get rid of a few pounds to ease their inflammation. The best ways to shed some weight include a major change in diet, taking in more greens, fruits, and vegetables, as well as getting in some exercise in the form of aerobic exercises and walks. To lose weight healthily, consult a doctor on the best foods to eat and the best exercises to employ. The process might be tough, but it’s possible with determination, discipline, and consistency.
Inflammation is an uncomfortable experience that comes with so many health effects. Measures must be implemented to curb its occurrence to keep adverse effects such as heart diseases, cancer, and blood cell damage. By keeping stress at bay, eating healthy meals, and staying active, inflammation will reduce drastically, which will pay off over time with improved health.
