Reducing Inflammation

Ten things to try for reducing inflammation in the body. *ALWAYS discuss changes in your daily protocol with a medical professional or certified nutritionist. I do offer one-on-one consultations, simply click here and fill out a contact form to learn more.

There are many more ways to reduce inflammation, here are just a few. Talk with a medical care provider or someone qualified to guide you in reducing inflammation in your body.

1. Drink green tea (in moderation) Green tea has EGCG, which is the most powerful type of catechin. Catechins are natural polyphenolic phytochemicals and help in reducing inflammation.

2. Get a good night's sleep Sleep deprivation may cause you to be more sensitive to stress, then that stress turns into inflammation.

3. Exercise Almost any type of exercise will help you not only in reducing inflammation but feeling better overall. A brisk walk, jogging, yoga, even household chores, and yard work!

4. Take turmeric Turmeric contains curcumin, which helps reduce inflammation. Why not take curcumin? Because plain curcumin extracts are poorly absorbed in the intestinal tract. The NCBI reports studies show that turmeric has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. For specific dosage recommendations see someone educated in diet and nutrition.

5. Eat Nuts Eating at least five 1-ounce servings of peanuts, almonds, walnuts or cashews each week can lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers compared to those who don't eat them regularly. Why? Because nuts are high in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and antioxidants!

6. Reduce Stress Stress causes inflammation. Keeping stress at bay can help. How? Talk with someone trained in stress reduction. A few things that have been shown to help with stress: yoga, meditation, finding a hobby.

7. Eliminate Alcohol (temporarily) If you enjoy a nightly drink, whether it be wine, beer, or a cocktail, consider abstaining for a few days. Along with dietary changes, cutting out alcohol consumption will help reduce inflammation. In the future make sure your alcohol intake is in moderation.

8. Avoid Dairy (temporarily) Dairy can be irritating to the digestive system and eliminating it temporarily can help aide in healing the gut. If you cannot avoid dairy completely, consider reducing your daily intake. When adding dairy back into your diet, do so in moderation.

9. Watch Your Ingredients Read labels and look for ingredients that cause inflammation. Ideally, try to avoid them, if that is not possible, make it a goal to reduce these inflammatory ingredients. Some of these ingredients include preservatives, artificial dyes, artificial flavors, and natural flavors.

10. Try Fasting Research shows that intermittent fasting may have anti-inflammatory effects. Please be sure to fast under the care of a medical professional.