Inflammation is a process that is triggered when our immune system becomes activated because the body recognizes anything that is foreign — such as an invading chemical, microbe, or plant pollen.
However, there are times wherein inflammation still continues even the body is not threatened by a foreign invader. This has been linked to being the major cause of chronic diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, depression, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.
Here are some of the simple tips we can follow to help us deal with and lower down our body’s level of inflammation.
Avoid Consumption of Processed And Fast Foods
Foods that are prepared and eaten quickly—are categorized as processed or junk foods.
High levels of inflammation-causing substances are present in processed foods and fast foods. The trans-fats that most fast food is cooked in has been associated with pro-inflammatory effects, which in processed foods is often labeled with the word “hydrogenized”.
Highly processed foods often contain:
Preservatives: Chemicals that prevent the food from rotting.
Artificial Flavor: Chemicals that give the food a particular flavor.
Colorants: Chemicals that are used to give the food a specific color.
Texturants: Chemicals that give a particular texture.
Avoid Sugar Intake
Sugar consumption is strongly associated with some of the world’s leading killers, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer.
There are many ways to reduce sugar consumption while still enjoying the occasional treat. We may start by reducing sodas, cakes, sweets, and general junk foods and then fill up our plates with healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner so that our urge to snack will be lowered down.
Swap biscuits for some nut, trade milk chocolate for dark chocolate, and if we need a sweet drink we can have stevia-sweetened water or tea.
Relax And Get A Good Sleep
Both relaxation and good sleep can help lower down inflammation. When we are relaxed, pro-inflammatory cytokines, as well as inflammatory stress hormones, reduced. Meanwhile, a body having an adequate amount of sleep has a better chance of recovering from inflammation while falling into an anti-inflammatory state.
Exercise For At Least 20 Minutes A Day
Be active. Exercise at least 20 minutes a day. It would improve the body’s anti-inflammatory response by activating the sympathetic nervous system that helps to increase heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate.
Exercising can also help protect our body against chronic diseases associated with low-grade inflammation. We may try some high-intensity exercises or resistance training to lower down blood sugar levels, thus reducing inflammation strain on our body.
Add More Antioxidant-Rich Foods Into Daily Diet
Antioxidants are sometimes called “free radical scavengers.” They are substances that help slow or prevent damage to cells caused by free radicals. If the body cannot process and remove free radicals efficiently, it can result in oxidative stress which has been linked to heart disease, cancer, arthritis, stroke, respiratory diseases, immune deficiency, emphysema, Parkinson’s disease, and other inflammatory or ischemic conditions. Production of free radicals in the body can be increased by inflammation, cigarette smoke, pollution, and UV exposure.
By eating foods rich in antioxidants, our body will be able to fight inflammation-causing free-radicals. Start with fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. They contain numerous antioxidants that are bioavailable form our body knows how to use and process. Moreover, omega-3 fatty acids from fish, nuts, and avocados are another great natural anti-inflammatory.
