11 Ways to Reduce Inflammation

In my last post, I shared how to identify that you may be experiencing chronic inflammation. When left unattended to it can exacerbate symptoms creating an extremely uncomfortable experience in your body making it difficult to live your everyday life. 

Remember inflammation is necessary and a natural sign that your immune system is working, however, when it turns into chronic inflammation it can lead to serious health concerns such as heart disease, periodontitis (inflamed gums), cancer, ulcerative colitis, asthma, depression and more.

Here are 11 natural ways you can assist your body to reduce chronic inflammation on a daily basis:

1. Celery juice: This healing tonic has made the media thanks to Medical Medium sharing his followers testimonies and insight into this healing herb - YES celery is actually an herb not a vegetable! As Anthony explains, celery contains sodium cluster salts which are a subgroup of sodium that helps kill various pathogens and diffuse the charge of toxic heavy metals in the body. It’s recommended to drink 16 ounces of fresh organic celery juice on an empty stomach first thing in the morning.

2. Warm Lemon Water: 30 minutes before drinking your celery juice or later in the day, this beverage helps improve digestion, reduce acidity and inflammation, as well as improve liver function. When I was in school my one teacher said if we were ever questioning an answer to guess liver because it processes and does so much to create balance in our body! Warm 8-12 ounces of water and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. Make sure not to leave the rind in water as that can increase acidity rather than decrease which is the goal.

3. Breathwork: This is your go-to best friend to help your entire system downshift gears and move into a healing state rather than a survival state. When you intentionally take slow, deep breaths when you feel your body in a heightened state (constricted/tight muscles, increased heart rate, shortened breath, scattered thoughts) you send a signal to your brain that you are OKAY and your body can begin relaxing. Our sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and parasympathetic nervous system (rest, digest, & heal) can not be active at the same time. Take 10 minutes in the morning, while you are commuting, standing in line, cooking, eating, or before bed to focus on your breath and gift your body this moment to relax and divert resources to healing.

4. Water:I couldn’t write this article and not say something about water. When your body is inflamed and working overtime to heal, water is helping clear debris and toxins out so it doesn’t hang around and fester. For peace of mind that you are drinking safe water that’s not full of metals check out Berkey water filters or something similar!

5. Anti-Inflammatory Foods: As the name hints at these are foods that contain properties that help fight and reduce inflammation in the body. They typically contain higher levels of antioxidants which help fight free-radicals in the body that are known for causing oxidative stress and lead to inflammation. Great foods to add more of into your diet include: flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, sardines, anchovies, wild-caught salmon, blueberries, strawberries, goji berries, raspberries, red cabbage, beans and legumes, beets, spinach, and yassss dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher).

6. Reduce Processed Food Intake: By adding more of the foods from above and intentionally decreasing how often you pick up processed foods at the grocery store you are taking two heavy-hitting steps to help reduce inflammation in the body. Processed foods are rich in salt, additives, MSG, artificial sweeteners, trans fat, and food dyes that create extra work for the body to break down. Food scientists have found the perfect combo of ingredients to make it nearly impossible to stop reaching into the bag for the next handful until it’s gone. Do yourself a favor and start crowding out these foods by shopping the perimeter of the grocery store.

7. Consistent Sleep/Wake Cycle: One of the easiest ways to help your body to get into a healing state is to add some predictability to your sleep/wake cycle. This means going to bed and waking up at the same time day after day. Our circadian rhythm or often referred to as our biological clock, is responsible for releasing specific hormones at certain times throughout the day. By regulating this pattern you are helping your body remove some of the guess-work and instead focusing on coming back to homeostasis.

8. Reduce Added/Processed Sweeteners: The more processed foods you crowd out of your diet by focusing on adding in fresh whole foods the less you will have to worry about added sweeteners. Places to keep an eye out for these sneaky additions include but are not limited to: ketchup, coffee creamers, flavored syrups for coffee drinks, barbecue sauce, marinara sauce, yogurt, & instant oatmeal. Check out this helpful one-sheeter from Whole 30 to help guide this process. Keep in mind there are many sneaky names to hide under but this a great start to dip your toe in!

9. Organic Foods: “About 70% of fresh produce sold in the US has pesticide residues on it even after it is washed, according to a health advocacy group.” When a foreign substance enters the body it peaks your immune system’s attention as an unwanted guest causing levels of inflammation to begin rising. Think of how many times a day you are consuming food. This doesn’t allow the system much time to rest before the next assault or to work on removing deeper toxins that were stored in the past to keep you safe. While eating organic is not always financially feasible, check out the Environmental Working Group’s list of the Dirty Dozen (produce to prioritize buying organic) and the Clean Fifteen (produce you can buy conventionally when needing to save).

10. Cold Plunges: Whether you just did a big workout and are experiencing muscle soreness or are looking for overall health benefits, cold plunges or cold showers, are a great habit to practice. This cold treat helps beyond reducing muscle soreness and inflammation, but also improves lymphatic and cardiovascular circulation, boosts moods, and promotes healthy skin and hair. Check out Ramp Detroit to check out their cold plunge pools!

11. Infrared Sauna: A 180° flip from the cold plunges, the heat of an infrared sauna works to increase blood flow which improves oxygen delivery to cells a.k.a improving your healing ability. They also relax the muscles improving flexibility and range of motion while decreasing muscle tension and pain. This treatment also increases natural detoxification as your sweat glands are open allowing your body to remove any organic or inorganic compound that’s not serving it.

These recommendations are not meant to diagnose, cure or replace the guidance of your medical professional. They are meant to aid the body in naturally healing and reducing overall levels of inflammation. If there is anything you are questioning based on your previous health experience, please contact your preferred medical provider.

Always rooting for you,

Samantha

P.S: Ready to remove the noise that is diet culture and the trillion dollar wellness industry so you can focus on feeling your best? The #MyRevivedLife Pledge is your place to be supported each week and held accountable for taking one small step towards creating your revived life! In March we are diving into movement and exploring the practices that make our minds and bodies feel their best. When you join, you are pledging $10.10 for yourself (one time for the WHOLE year!) and $10.10 will be donated to viragofitness and their efforts to help individuals to use fitness for post-traumatic growth if you sign up before April 1!

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