Healing from Within: Strategies to Reduce Inflammation
- Kathy Timmermanis
- Aug 11, 2023
- 3 min read
What is Inflammation, why should we be concerned, and how can we reduce it?
Inflammation is a natural response of the body's immune system to protect and heal itself. It is a process that occurs when the body detects harmful stimuli, such as pathogens or damaged cells. Inflammation can manifest as redness, swelling, heat, and pain in the affected area. While acute inflammation is a necessary part of the healing process, chronic inflammation can be harmful and is associated with various health conditions.
The inflammation that is concerning is chronic, systemic inflammation that affects the whole body and persists for months or years. This type of inflammation is often referred to as silent inflammation because there are no outward signs. Inflammation can affect our brain, cardiovascular system, muscles, bones, skin, thyroid, lungs, GI tract, kidneys and liver. Inflammation is a major factor in virtually every major chronic degenerative disease including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, Crohn’s disease, some forms of cancer, and arthritis.
Factors that contribute to inflammation include low activity levels, environmental toxins, virus, aging, increased intestinal permeability, chronic stress, and the food you eat.
There are many things we can do to reduce or eliminate the inflammation in your body. Some include:
Drink filtered water, or from clean natural sources (e.g., reverse osmosis system, tested well water, spring water, Santevia, or Berkey filters)
Prioritise eating whole-foods (i.e., foods that haven’t been processed). A simple strategy is to try to eat / cook with raw ingredients vs. things that come in a package
Eat organic where possible - prioritise organic meat, dairy, and eggs, and then ‘Dirty Dozen’
Deep breathing
Get moderate exercise daily (e.g., walking, stretching) and more intense exercise a few times a week (e.g., running, weight lifting)
Aim to get a good night sleep daily (Yoga Nidra is an excellent resource for integrating more and deeper rest into our lives)
Reduce stress in whatever ways work for you
Fresh air, time in nature, barefoot on the ground
There are lots of steps we can take - trying to do everything can be overwhelming. Start with making small and enjoyable changes, which can over time lead to lasting habits.
Spices are some of my favorite ways of adding anti-inflammatory nutrition to my diet. I have created a mix that contains these high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory spices together into a nice warm Turmeric Latte Mix.
Turmeric – the bright yellow spice that makes Indian dishes and curries yellow is also used medicinally to heal wounds, infections and colds. Turmeric contains curcumin, an antioxidant that helps fight inflammation and protect the body from free radicals.
Ginger – has a zesty flavour and is used in cooking and baking. Ginger is used medicinally to help treat stomach upset, headaches and infection. Ginger contains gingerol, a powerful antioxidant, which aids in reducing free radicals and inflammation.
Cinnamon – is a popular spice used in baking and cooking. Contains polyphenols, a powerful antioxidant that helps protect the body against free radicals and inflammation.
Know that your body is always seeking to maintain homeostasis, and a state of inflammation is actually the body, trying to come back into balance. Start with integrating a small change, and move forward from there!
Do you want to chat more about your unique health situation and how you could move forward towards feeling better? Book a free consultation with me to chat more!
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