Inflammation is one of the major health issues afflicting our global population. You can lessen the effects of this health concern by developing good habits and eating a diet with enough anti-inflammatory foods.
Experts say that if you commit to a diet and lifestyle that lower inflammation, you can reduce chronic inflammation, improve your health, and slow down aging.
In addition, you will be strengthening your body against other diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, dementia, Alzheimer's, cancer, joint pain, and autoimmune disorders.
With an inflammatory diet, you will feel better and experience wholesome results almost immediately.
Here are the steps you need to take as soon as possible to start feeling better about your health:
1. Commit To Eating Salad Every Day
Research has shown the benefits of including a pack or two of leafy greens in your lunch or dinner. Eat a cup of leafy greens like arugula, spinach, lettuce, and kale daily to improve your overall health.
These leafy greens have enough antioxidants and bioactive compounds to fight inflammation twice as well as other foods and stop free radicals from causing new inflammation.
2. Include Anti-Inflammatory Spices in Your Diet
Find opportunities to incorporate some spices or garlic when preparing your supper today. It is a common misperception to think that foods and spices with strong fragrant smells may worsen body inflammation. However, health research indicates they have the opposite effect.
Evidence shows that including garlic or herbs and spices such as rosemary, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, turmeric, and fenugreek lowers body inflammation and thus lessens the occurrence of heart disease, cancer, respiratory issues, and degenerative brain issues.
3. Get Adequate Sleep
According to health experts, adults need between seven and eight hours of sleep daily to function optimally. You may need to turn off Netflix or log out of social media much earlier than usual to establish a routine that allows you to sleep and rest adequately on a daily basis.
Not getting enough sleep – more than six hours a night – causes inflammation and negatively affects even healthy people. As a result, you can develop metabolic problems that can cause obesity, heart disease, dementia, Alzheimer's, and Type 2 diabetes, according to Slumber Search.
4. Go for Regular Walks With Your Dog
Miss your training because of a busy day at work? You can walk around the property with your dog, which will help. Regular exercise is essential for maintaining good body health. Sometimes we just don't have enough time for full-fledged exercises.
Luckily, according to a 2017 study, you only need to work out for 20 minutes to significantly lower inflammatory blood markers. Consider putting on your walking shoes and getting started.
5. Avoid Hunger-Related Irritability
Avoid buying sweetened coffee from vending machines. Instead, you can go for a fiber-rich snack and protein such as peanut butter, apple slices, raw veggies, hummus, or almonds and cheese cubes.
Eating a balanced snack with no added sugar or processed carbs helps maintain your blood sugar within the right range. This way, you halt cravings and feel less hungry and irritable. This hack won't just improve your social relations, it also stops the rapid rise and fall of blood sugar levels. That protects your body from inflammation, obesity, heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes.
6. Reduce Your Alcohol Consumption
Reducing the amount of alcohol you take in reduces body inflammation. This may force you to forego the usual cocktail or glass of wine, at least for a few days. You do not have to quit drinking forever. However, reducing the amount of liquor you take in for a short time, combined with other diet and lifestyle changes, will give your body time to relax and reduce inflammation.
Although science notes that controlled consumption of alcohol provides some benefits to the body, it is easy for many people to surpass the limit. going from safe levels to dangerous and inflammatory levels.
7: Use Green Tea in Place of One of Your Three Cups of Coffee
Instead of drinking one to three cups of caffeinated beverages like coffee every day, replace one with green tea. Green tea contains polyphenol compounds that assist in lowering free radical damage and preventing additional inflammation. Research studies have shown that regularly drinking green tea can lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, joint pain, and cancer.
8. Look After Your Stomach
Probiotics have received a lot of attention lately. However, you also need to take care of the good microbes inside your body. Take care of the existing bacteria by reducing added sugars and trans fats and preferring to only consume whole or minimally processed foods.
It is also helpful to include probiotic foods like kombucha, yogurt, sauerkraut, miso, or kimchi in your everyday diet. Supporting your gut’s microbiome barrier is a long-term, effective way of lowering inflammation in the body.
9. Fasting Can Help
Fasting is not for everyone. However, research in alternative medicine indicates that intermittent fasting (IF) significantly benefits our bodies. The eating patterns an individual adopts during fasting have strong anti-inflammatory effects on the body.
You can fast in several ways.
If you are just starting, it is recommended that you begin with a 12-hour fast. If you eat your dinner by 7 p.m., then only drink water or black coffee until the next day at 7 a.m. According to research, regular IF reduces the risk of heart disease and inflammatory bowel disease while increasing insulin sensitivity and brain health.
10: Cut Back on Dairy and Gluten Products for a While.
Ordinarily, dairy and gluten do not cause inflammation when consumed by a healthy individual, unless they have an allergy, celiac disease, or intolerances/ However, they can irritate anyone with existing inflammation.
It may benefit some people to eliminate dairy or gluten products for several weeks while eating a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods. This way, you can give the body enough time to relax and gradually resume eating dairy or gluten-containing foods, provided they do not cause further irritation.
11. Manage Your Stress
Despite adopting a healthy diet, uncontrolled stress levels can cause low-grade inflammation in the body.
Although stress may not be an everyday struggle, you must learn how to manage and deal with it when it happens to control inflammation. Look for ways to escape stressful situations, such as going for walks, meditating, or doing yoga. Such activities will provide your brain with the necessary relief and anti-inflammatory effects.
Supplements such as turmeric and even CBD gummies may also help.
12. Be Selective About Your Food Ingredients
Regularly eating food with ingredients such as additives, dyes, and preservatives can cause inflammation or worsen it, especially if you have a weak gut barrier. Review the ingredient lists of products in your fridge or pantry and eliminate problem foods as needed.
Then start reviewing the ingredients on other products before you buy, ensuring they are the same ones you use for home recipes. You might have to change your shopping outlets to ensure you only eat minimally processed foods.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.