5 Tips to Quickly and Naturally Reduce Inflammation

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What is inflammation?

Without turning this into a medical journal, inflammation is internal fire. If you break your ankle, the body signals a cascade of events. Blood vessels expand sending extra blood flow to the area, extra fluid, and a host of cells that your body uses like a teeny, tiny first response team. You’ll notice redness, heat, swelling, and pain.

If you’re experiencing an illness or infection, you most likely experience a fever and aches when dealing with internal inflammation. Your body is sending antibodies to fend off pathogens, viruses or bacteria. However, once the threat is gone, acute inflammation should quickly recede.

Chronic inflammation happens when this response lingers, leaving your body in a constant state of alert. Over time, chronic inflammation may have a negative impact on your tissues and organs.

Causes and symptoms of chronic inflammation

Several things can cause chronic inflammation, including:

• untreated causes of acute inflammation, like an infection or injury
• an autoimmune disorder, which involves your immune system mistakenly attacking healthy tissue
• long-term or chronic exposure to irritants, like industrial chemicals or polluted air
• chronic stress
• age
• smoking
• chronic alcohol use
  

In many cases though, experts believe there isn’t always an obvious underlying cause.

Symptoms of chronic inflammation may show up as:

• brain fog
• depression and anxiety
• chronic pain
• weight loss or weight gain
• chronic fatigue
• gastrointestinal distress
• skin conditions
• poor healing
• persistent illness or infections

Why should you care about addressing inflammation in your own body? It can be pinpointed in common health issues such as heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and allergies.

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Real life habit changes

I’ve been on a transformative journey over the past ten years, turning every nook and cranny of my life upside down – from the potions in my skincare regime to the goodies in my shopping cart. As a mom, my ambitions took a turn from merely looking fab to savoring every moment of a long, zestful life. It’s been a ride of detoxing not just my body, but my mind and living space.

I’ve done it all to shield my immune system, increase my longevity and keep those pesky diseases at bay.

But here’s the kicker – it’s not about monumental changes. It’s the small, doable tweaks we can all make that accumulate into a tidal wave of health and vibrancy. And guess what? I’m thrilled to share with you these five practical steps to kick chronic inflammation to the curb. So, let’s dive in and embrace these life-altering habits together!

How to Reduce Inflammation in 5 Steps

1. EAT MORE WHOLE, NUTRIENT-DENSE FOODS

While many foods can trigger an inflammatory response, the easiest way to adjust your diet is to add before you subtract. Build your next meal around anti-inflammatory foods like leafy greens, tomatoes, berries, nuts, hemp seeds, turmeric and ginger. Eating these anti-inflammatory foods on a regular basis nourishes your body with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to reduce inflammation.

I do this by adding more veggies to my omelets, fresh berries and nuts to my chia seed pudding or sprinkling turmeric on top of veggies before roasting or sautéing. Here’s a link to one of my favorite anti-inflammatory recipes.

2. ROLL UP THE SLEEVES AND PERFORM A PANTRY MAKEOVER

Certain foods can trigger an inflammatory response including processed foods with refined sugars, flours, oils and pesticides. The quickest way to remove these items from your diet is to do a pantry makeover. Make it fun. Pick a day you have one hour to spend on it, grab a cardboard box and make it personal.

Start by clearing the clutter. Discard anything that no longer serves your journey to thriving health, including expired goods, stale chips and cookies, or those impulse buys that don’t align with your wellness vision. Now, take a moment to examine the ingredients in your pantry.

Identify and remove foods known to cause inflammation, such as processed sugars, refined carbs, and artificial additives. This step is crucial in crafting a pantry that reduces inflammation.

As you return items, categorize them in a way that makes sense for you. Group together healthy snacks for back to school, or ingredients for creating nourishing meals quickly and efficiently. Think holistic health with every shelf and make your pantry work for you.

And I’d be lying if I didn’t say I LOVE organizational bins and baskets. But don’t make this an expensive project buying more clutter you don’t need. Look around the house for things you already have and see if they’ll work. This not only makes meal prep simpler but also transforms your pantry into a space of peace and rejuvenation.

3. IMPROVE YOUR GUT HEALTH

Your gut is the main dashboard for your immune system, hosting 60–70 percent of its cells. A healthy gut is foundational to your overall well-being, acting as the first line of defense against inflammation. When your gut health is compromised, it’s not just your digestion that suffers—your immune system can be severely weakened.

Embarking on the journey to improve your gut health can be as simple as introducing a high-quality probiotic into your daily routine. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that help in maintaining a balanced gut microbiome, which in turn reduces inflammation.

For additional tips and a deeper dive into nurturing your gut health, make sure to explore my essential guide to gut health. It’s packed with insights and practical advice to help you on your wellness journey.

Dealing with persistent bloating, gas, or other digestive discomforts can be a sign that your digestive system is struggling to break down food effectively. Incorporating natural pre and probiotic foods such as onions, garlic, bananas (all prebiotics) and yogurt, kombucha, kimchi or miso (probiotics) can enhance nutrient absorption, streamline digestion, and help reduce inflammation.

Leaky gut syndrome is another condition that could be at the root of your inflammatory symptoms. This occurs when the integrity of your intestinal lining is compromised, permitting bacteria, undigested food particles, and toxins to seep into your bloodstream. To determine if leaky gut syndrome might be affecting you, it’s advisable to consult with your healthcare provider and consider getting a comprehensive gut health test.

4. GET MORE REST AND RELAXATION

Your body is a legit superhero, working all through the night to repair and rejuvenate your amazing cells while you’re snoozing away. Catching those recommended 7–8 hours of beauty sleep isn’t just good for your looks. It’s your immune system’s best friend! This keeps inflammation at bay and you ready to take on the world.

Now, let’s talk about stress. Nobody invites her to the party; she just shows up and makes a big ol mess of things. Stress sneaks in with sleepless nights and never-ending to-do lists. It’s ramping up your cortisol levels and fanning the chronic inflammation flame. But guess what? You have the power to show stress the door.

Rest and relaxation are one of the many categories of self-care. Embrace more zzz’s, stretch out with some yoga, or float away in meditation. Go for a stroll, take a digital detox, engage in a childhood hobby, or simply sit for 5 minutes without an agenda. Remember, taking time to unwind isn’t just nice—it’s necessary. So, go on, give yourself permission to press pause and enjoy a little me-time.

5. REDUCE TOXINS IN YOUR FOOD, HOME AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS

Did you know that your body is like a super-smart security system? When it detects toxic chemicals and pesticides from the stuff we eat or slather on our skin, it sounds the alarms—hello, 9-1-1 we need inflammation!

But don’t worry, you don’t have to overhaul your life overnight. It’s all about those little steps that add up to big, healthy strides.

So, where to start? How about your next grocery haul? Take a peek at EWG’s Clean Fifteen/Dirty Dozen charts to figure out which fruits and veggies are best bought organic, and when you can totally go for the conventional ones. Keep in mind, these lists get a refresh every year, so stay tuned for the latest.

And for your hygiene stash, EWG’s got your back with their Skin-Deep database—your go-to for non-toxic personal care goodies.

Creating a toxin-free home environment can significantly reduce inflammation. More nurturing and holistic tips to help you detoxify your living space can be found in How To Live A Non-Toxic Lifestyle: 5 Effortless Changes.

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From the holistic perspective diet and lifestyle is a growing component of managing chronic inflammation and often considered the “root of the cause.”

Improving diet and avoiding inflammatory foods, introducing rest and relaxation into your life to de-stress and reduce cortisol as well as addressing toxins in your home can benefit you and your family in many ways. Whether you’re looking for more energy, less brain fog, more health and longevity, better weight management, improved gut health or reduction of autoimmune and other illness symptoms.

Remember, it’s the small choices that spark big transformations! That’s super true when we’re talking about kicking chronic inflammation to the curb. Give these tips a try and tune into how you feel. Who knows? You might just find yourself on a path to feeling amazing.

For even more information on improving your gut health to reduce inflammation, check out my FREE GUIDE TO ROCK YOUR GUT HEALTH.