6 Ways To Reduce Inflammation
Recently I have read a great deal on the topic of Inflammation. The reason inflammation is getting so much attention is because it is linked to the root cause of many of today’s chronic illnesses and diseases such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and autoimmune diseases to name a few.
What is Inflammation?
Think of inflammation similar to when you get a bad bruise or a cut on the outside of your body, however, inflammation occurs on your inside. For example, when you get a cut, your healing system kicks into gear and releases while blood cells to combat the inflammation and heal the cut, wound or bruise.
The problem
The problem is not necessarily acute inflammation as outlined above, however, is ongoing chronic inflammation. In many instances where people are chronically inflamed, it takes years before any sign of inflammation shows up. An example of this would be a person that does not consume a healthy diet however no symptoms or disease shows up for years. Then they are surprised when they are diagnosed with some medical issue such as diabetes which is a result of years of inflammation.
My story
I think most of you are aware of my story but as I write this I realize that the health issues I faced a few years back were a result of ongoing, chronic inflammation. For those that don’t know my story, for years I felt the best way to stay healthy was through exercise and paid little attention to my diet or the foods I consumed. I felt the way to combat any disease or illness was to just exercise my way out of any ill health.
When I went for my annual executive medical approximately 5 years ago, not only was I overweight (50 lbs. more than today) but also had high cholesterol, high blood pressure and was pre diabetic. Looking back, I believe all of these health issues were a result of ongoing inflammation due to an unhealthy diet and lifestyle. To learn more about “My Story,” you can access it on my blog home page.
The most common causes of Inflammation
Put quite simply, the most common cause of chronic inflammation is the food and drink we consume. The most common causes of inflammation are as follows:
-unhealthy foods
-high sugar diet
-unhealthy fats
-highly processed foods
-alcohol
-caffeine
-intense exercise
-chronic stress
How Do I know when I am inflamed?
Since altering my diet and paying attention to what I consume, it is now very easy for me to tell when I have consumed unhealthy foods as I actually feel “inflamed”. I see this as a signal my body is telling me that I have consumed unhealthy things and letting me know I better get back on a healthy diet. I can easily tell when I am inflamed as my joints are achy, I generally feel unwell and sometimes have mucus in my lungs, throat or even sometimes in my eyes.
My Remedies to Prevent or Reduce Inflammation
Because diet is the most common cause of inflammation, most of what I try to do in order to prevent or cure inflammation in my body revolves around healthy diet. I find that when I go off track and am in an inflamed state, I can quite quickly get myself back on track and get feeling well in no time.
Here are my simple remedies to prevent or reduce inflammation:
1.Plant Based, Organic, Non processed Diet
The simplest way to reduce inflammation is to eat a healthy diet that is mostly plant-based. I also try to stay away from processed foods as much as possible and buy or eat organic when able. I find when I deviate from this and consume unhealthy foods, then I can soon tell my body is in an inflamed state.
2.The Morning shake
My number one way to eliminate or reduce inflammation is to have my morning shake. It is full of the healthiest fruits, vegetables, seeds and minerals that sets me up for a great “non-inflamed” day. To refresh yourself on the benefits of the Morning Shake(new recipe), you can access it here:http://kevinbradyhealth.ca/the-morning-shakenew-recipe/
3.Lemon Water
For those that have read my blog, you know that I try to start off every day with warm filtered lemon water. Once again, this helps to reduce acidity in the system which is a root course of inflammation.
4.Drink lots of Clean Water
I find one of the best ways to reduce inflammation is to drink lots of clean, filtered water. I find that by drinking lots of water it flushes toxins and waste products out of my body.
5. Easy Movements such as a walk, hike, stretch or Yoga
High-intensity exercise such as intervals or intense workouts cause inflammation in the body. Although exercise is healthy in so many ways, I find that when I am inflamed from poor diet or excessive exercise, a great way to get back on track is to engage in really easy movement such as a walk, hike, easy stretching or Yoga.
During training and race season, I am constantly putting my system in an inflamed state through highly intense training or racing. When I feel really sore or achy I then try to have a really easy workout, walk or a hike the next day. Since I have to put in the tough workouts as part of my race training, I really try to pay attention to the foods I consume in order to try and offset the inflammation from exercise.
6.Turmeric and Curcumin
A natural anti-inflammatory that I take daily in my morning shake is Turmeric which has been proven to be a great way to reduce inflammation. On days where I have a hard workout or feel inflamed, I also consume curcumin as a supplement. Many people naturally reach for a painkiller such as Advil or Tylenol which I try to avoid unless I am really sore and use Turmeric instead.
How Do I fix Inflammation?
So in summary, the best way to treat inflammation is to avoid it in the first place by eating healthy, reducing consumption of alcohol or caffeine, or limiting intense exercise. However, if you want to avoid inflammation or reduce it when you have it, here are some things you can do:
1. Eat a healthy plant-based organic diet
2. Have a healthy plant-based shake – daily
3. Have warm lemon water to start each day
4. Drink lots of water
5. Engage in easy movement
6. Consume Turmeric daily
Wishing you a very happy and healthy day,
Kev
1 comment
Hi Kev,
You certainly are passing on good information to your readers. Every time I read your blog I learn something new. Terrific. We all know you are setting an example not only for your own family but your readers and their families. Keep up the good work.
Marge