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How to live an Anti-Inflammatory Lifestyle

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What is inflammation and how does it affect our bodies?

Inflammation is the way the body reacts to a foreign body or infection. It occurs as the immune system goes on alert and releases antibodies and proteins while sending more blood to the affected area of the body.  Thus, acute inflammation helps in the healing process. That is good.

Chronic inflammation on the other hand, is when this state of alert goes on for a long period of time and eventually causes damage to different organs and tissues in the body. This kind of inflammation is not desirable. Chronic inflammation is linked with heart disease, and a host of other chronic conditions.

“It’s a chicken-and-egg scenario,” says Dr. Dr. Robert H. Shmerling, medical editor of Understanding Inflammation from Harvard Health Publishing and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, “Does chronic inflammation increase the risk of these ailments, or is it a byproduct? It is not always clear.”

chronic inflammation
Effects of Chronic Inflammation
Source: Colorado in Motion

What causes chronic inflammation?

Some of the key factors include:

  • Untreated infections and injuries
  • Autoimmune disorders such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, etc.
  • Chronic stress
  • Chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and cancer
  • Being overweight
  • Chronic lack of sufficient quality sleep

How do I know if I have chronic inflammation?

Chronic inflammation is not visible to the naked eye. It can be detected through certain blood tests such as:

  • C Reactive Protein (CRP), a protein produced in the liver, which rises when there is inflammation present
  • Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which is used for inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis
  • Homocysteine levels
  • HbA1C

What can I do to help reduce chronic inflammation?

If you suffer from chronic inflammation, it would be best to be under the care of a doctor who can advise and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Additionally, good common sense measures may be able to help reduce chronic inflammation.

Varinthrej Pitis, MD, an internal medicine physician at Scripps Clinic Carmel Valle says, “Chronic inflammation can have damaging consequences over the long term. So the food you eat, the quality of sleep you get and how much you exercise, they all really matter when it comes to reducing inflammation.”

  • Get enough good sleep. If you have sleep issues, discuss them with your doctor.
  • Lessen stress in your life. “Easier said than done,” I hear you say! This is a huge ‘topic’ all by itself, and in some cases, professional help may be needed. Some ways to lessen stress could include:
    -Practicing gratitude
    -Enjoying and appreciating the good and beautiful around you
    -Spending time with those who have a positive influence on you 
  • Maintain a healthy weight. Use this BMI calculator to see where you are. (BMI=Body Mass Index)
  • Exercise regularly. According to a study in 2017 in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, just 20 minutes of moderate intensity exercise can have an anti-inflammatory effect.
    Check out my posts on Exercise Recommendations and Benefits of Exercise.
  • Avoid smoking
  • Avoid alcohol
  • Consume an anti-inflammatory diet.
  • Take care of your oral health.
  • Work towards reducing your LDL or bad cholesterol

Anti-inflammatory diet

anti-inflammatory
Source: Harvard Medical School

The Mediterranean diet is a perfect representation of an anti-inflammatory diet with its focus on fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and whole grains, and restrictions on unhealthy fats, sugars and carbs. In general, the following are the Do’s and Don’ts of an Anti-inflammatory diet

Do’s of an Anti-inflammatory diet

  • Nuts
  • Fruits
  • Olive oil
  • Cold water fish
  • Vegetables
  • Foods high in the antioxidants known as polyphenols, such as berries, cherries, red grapes, plums, onion, green tea, and green leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach.
  • Fresh vegetables and fruits 
  • Foods containing omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, tuna, sardines, tofu, flax seeds and walnuts.
  • Garlic and ginger
  • Olive oil
  • Spices such as turmeric and rosemary
  • Whole grains and fiber rich foods

Don’ts of an Anti-inflammatory diet

  • Refined/simple sugars and carbs that cause blood sugar spikes.
    Avoid sweetened sodas and beverages, white bread and pasta
  • Processed meats such as lunch meat, hot dogs and sausage
  • Fried foods, such as French fries
  • Saturated fats and trans fats such as dairy products, margarine, corn oil and most processed foods.
  • Cut back on oils rich in omega-6 fatty acids such as corn oil, safflower and sunflower oils
  • Red meat

During this time of COVID-19, we have been reminded of how the presence of chronic inflammation could produce a cytokine storm if someone gets infected with COVID-19. Let us try and use this opportunity to check up on our lifestyle and see what needs to be modified to live a healthy life.

If you found this post informative, tag a friend and comment below.

Sources:
Harvard Medical School
Healthline
Scripps.org
Colorado in Motion

I linked this post at:

 “Journey to Health with Priya” provides general educational information on various topics on this website as a public service, which should not be construed as professional medical advice.

22 Comments

  3. Tracey Carr
    Reply

    What a great post, so easy to read and informative. I am going to try my best to include more of these anti-inflammatory foods in my diet. I really need to – with nine month old twins I definitely feel very tired and stressed at times so I should try to take care of my diet! Thanks for such a great post! #KCACOLS

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