Inflammation is all hyped up right now. Partly because it’s something that we deal with on a regular basis as humans, and partly because most diets increase inflammation rather than decrease it.
Inflammation can lead to all sorts of problems in your body from heart issues to joint issues to gut issues; the list goes on and on. So to help you out and decrease inflammation in your body, here are seven easy and natural ways to decrease inflammation in your body.
1. Drink Plenty of Water
Water is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory substances that we have access to on a regular basis. The reason it is so handy is that it flushes out our body and cleans out whatever it is that causes inflammation in your body.
It can be hard to start drinking more water right off the bat especially if you’re used to drinking things like juices or sugary drinks. There’s still hope! Use different drink additives with small or easily-readable ingredient lists and this can help you start drinking more water.
2. Avoid Sugary Snacks and Drinks
While we all love a great sugary snack, and sodas are some of the best things known to man, they are not good for you at all. It used to be that sodas were used as a type of tonic to help decrease coughing or help people gain energy.
That’s not the case anymore. Now there are long lists of ingredients that cause inflammation in your body and the biggest one is sugar. Sugar can cause inflammation in your joints, stomach, and it can even cause irregular bloating.
3. Partying Is Not Your Friend
We all love a good party where we can have some fun and enjoy our time with friends and even make new friends. The problem that we face when partying is the amount of decisions that we have to make regarding substances that can cause inflammation.
If a party has alcohol or drugs available, they might possibly cause inflammation. The biggest contributor to inflammation when going to a party is going to be alcohol so be sure that you are aware of what it is that you are drinking and what you are putting into your body.
4. Get Enough Sleep
Everything seems to come back to sleep. Without sleep, your body is unable to process the foods and emotions from the day before. It also can’t get rid of all of the toxins from the day before without the proper amount of sleep.
When you get enough sleep, which can vary per person, your body is able to process and get rid of inflammatory elements in your body.
5. Avoid Salty Snacks
Not everyone has the same salt tolerance, but just like with sugar, salt can be an incredibly inflammatory substance. It can make it very difficult for your body to let go of water which can cause water gain which can then turn into inflammation in your joints because of additional weight.
See how it’s all connected?
The more salty snacks that you avoid, the easier it is to decrease inflammation in your body. One way to look at this is to choose healthier snacks that have either no salt or minimum salt.
6. Get Moving
If you are constantly sitting down which is probably what’s going to happen a lot, your body will build up inflammation. The reason is that there is not enough movement in your muscles to push inflammatory substances through your kidneys and your lymphatic system.
When we move at least 15 minutes a day at a brisk pace, this will help our body slowly but surely decrease the amount of inflammation. A gentle movement that doesn’t create additional stress on your body is what you’re looking for here.
I’m not talking about going on a run or lifting as heavy as you possibly can. The goal is to move.
7. Decompression Time
Something that’s not taken seriously enough, is the necessity of decompression time.
If you use positive strategies like adult coloring books, engaging in positive activities or your hobbies, and working through things with a journal, these are going to help decrease inflammation because they help decrease the cortisol that is in your body.
Conclusion
Each of these easy and natural ways to combat inflammation is things that you can introduce into your life a little at a time. Don’t try to do all of them all at once because that’s not going to help you.
Start with the first strategy and slowly make it a habit in your life. Then do the same for the list of strategies. It will take time but it will be worth it!