There are many steps that you can take to reduce inflammation effectively and naturally. While you can always take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication, those will only help to stop inflammation for a short period of time. Changing your diet and your lifestyle can prevent inflammation from occurring.
What Causes Inflammation?
There isn’t one set reason that inflammation occurs in the body. In fact, there are many different causes of inflammation and they often require different treatment methods. Inflammation can be caused by:
- Untreated cases of acute inflammation (infection or injury)
- Autoimmune disorders
- Long-term exposure to chemicals or polluted air
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Alcohol
- Chronic stress
In the case that inflammation is being caused by an infection or an injury, you should have those issues treated first. Treating your injury or infection will cause the inflammation to go away. While natural supplements can help—only medical treatment will allow the inflammation to go away for good.
Eat Anti-Inflammatory Foods
If you’re experiencing inflammation, one of the best things you can do is cute inflammatory foods out of your diet and start eating more anti-inflammatory foods. Anti-inflammatory foods include:
- Salmon
- Tuna
- Tofu
- Walnuts
- Flax seeds
- Soybeans
- Fruits and vegetables
Inflammatory foods that should be cut out of your diet include:
- Red meat
- Margarine
- Corn oil
- Deep-fried foods
- Overly-processed foods
Control Blood Sugar
Control your blood sugar by avoiding simple carbohydrates such as:
- White flour
- White rice
- Refined sugar
- High fructose corn syrup
Instead, fill up on more whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. If your blood sugar is too high or too low, you may experience inflammation. Monitor your blood sugar and make changes to your diet as needed.
Lose Weight
Obesity is also known to contribute to inflammation, so you may want to think about how to lose weight. You can lose weight by monitoring your diet, eating more whole foods, and cutting out the overly-processed foods. By removing inflammatory foods and introducing more anti-inflammatory foods into your diet, you may lose weight.
Exercise
Inflammation can also be prevented by exercising regularly. You should get 30-45 minutes of aerobic exercise and 10-25 minutes of weight or resistance training between 4 and 5 times a week to receive the best benefits associated with working out and anti-inflammation.
Manage Stress
Stress is also a large contributor to inflammation. If you’re experiencing inflammation and nothing else seems to be helping, take a look at the stressors in your life. Are you feeling stressed out frequently? Work on what might be causing those feelings and try to eliminate any potential stressors.
Try Natural Supplements
When all else fails, or if your inflammation is the result of something that can’t be immediately changed by a change in diet, exercise, or stress reduction, you can try natural anti-inflammatory supplements.
CBD
CBD or cannabinoids have a lot of different uses, like calming anxiety, getting better sleep, pain management, and anti-inflammation. You can try CBD in the form of oils, edibles, and lotions. To use a CBD lotion for anti-inflammation, apply it directly to the site. You should begin to notice relief rapidly.
Ginger
Ginger is a create root that can be ground into a powder and added into many different types of dishes. Ginger can also help with indigestion, nausea, and inflammation. To use ginger to treat the previous, take 1 gram daily. There are no side effects present when ginger is taken at this dosage.
Take Care of Your Body
In general, the best way to reduce inflammation is to take care of your body. Feed it the right foods that are the best for it, monitor stress, and take supplements as needed.
