Inflammation is a hot topic and for good reason. Chronic inflammatory diseases are the leading cause of death. In fact, 3 out of 5 people die due to chronic inflammatory diseases worldwide. Diseases like stroke, chronic respiratory diseases, heart disorders, cancer, obesity, and diabetes affect 60% of the world’s population.1

So, today, you’re going to discover what inflammation is and the best ways to overcome it.

What is inflammation?

Inflammation can be a good thing if it’s in the right place and at the right time. 

You see, inflammation is the way your immune system identifies and eliminates foreign invaders in the body – it’s part of your body's built-in defense mechanism. And this is where the healing process starts. 2

Inflammation calculator

Before you go any further, take a moment to fill in the following calculator to help determine how much inflammation you have. Your inflammation score will help you better understand just how much inflammation there could be in your body.

*This calculator is not intended to treat or diagnose inflammation or any inflammatory-related disease.

Inflammation score reference:

31 or more points: severe inflammation
21-30 points: high inflammation
10-20 points: moderate inflammation
9 or fewer points: little to no inflammation

Want a tailored approach to help you decrease your inflammation and feel your best? Then book a call with me and I’ll show you a plan to help you overcome your inflammation without medications.

Two kinds of inflammation

There are two kinds of inflammation: acute and chronic.

Acute Inflammation

Acute inflammation is our immune system’s response to damaged cells, irritants, and pathogens that contact our skin. This is what you experience when you get a cut or jam your finger. In the case of a cut, the inflammation is there for a time and then goes away as the cut starts to heal. It starts almost immediately and may last for a few days. 

Subacute inflammation is the period between acute and chronic inflammation and may last 2 to 6 weeks.

Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation takes place underneath your skin and affects your organs. This is the bad kind of inflammation we want to avoid. This is probably the type of inflammation that comes to mind when you hear the word.

The symptoms of chronic inflammation

Chronic inflammation symptoms include:

• fatigue

• joint pain 

• joint stiffness

• muscle stiffness

• abdominal pain

• mouth sores

• headaches

• chest pain

• swelling 

• fever

• chills

• rash

• And even the inability to lose weight can be attributed to chronic inflammation

What causes inflammation?

Inflammation is typically caused by one of four things: life habits, the food we eat, genetics, and/or age.

Of course, you can’t do anything about your age or your genetics, but that’s okay.

Because the food you eat and your life habits have a very powerful impact on your inflammation for better or worse.

How do you reduce or even eliminate inflammation?

A great deal of your inflammation is caused by the foods you eat and your daily habits. So, I’m going to give you seven things to reduce your inflammation that are within your control.

1. Decreasing refined carbohydrates

Now, I’m not saying you can no longer have bread. But try to reduce the number of refined carbohydrates like candy, pastries, and other sweetened foods. 

Try to replace them with wholegrain sources instead.

2. Maintain proper hydration

Water is an essential part of literally every component and function of your body. But not enough of us realized it. In fact, 75% of all American’s suffer from chronic dehydration.

Dehydration leads to a host of problems. Not the least of which is increased inflammation. Because water not only directly increases energy and improves weight management, it also helps reduce and eliminate toxins within your body.
The recommended water consumption can vary based on different factors like weight, activity level, and the climate you live in.

I know it seems so simple but drinking enough water is crucial to your health and even inflammation in your body. 

If you want to know exactly how much water your should be consuming each day, input your information in my daily water intake calculator here.

3. Consume more whole plant-based foods

Consuming more whole plant-based foods has been shown to reduce inflammation in two ways. First, it leaves less room for pro-inflammatory foods like animal proteins and processed foods. And secondly, it provides the anti-inflammatory benefits of plant-based foods like flaxseed.

Flaxseed’s anti-inflammatory properties give it the ability to cut back on inflammation in a powerful way and is one of the reasons I recommend you consume flax meals daily.

4. Develop proper sleep

Studies often show that the quality of sleep diminishes with age. And with the hustle and bustle of life, it’s easy to overlook the importance of sleep. Between checking emails, binging Netflix, scrolling social media, it can be hard to turn it off at night. 

Not getting the ideal amount of sleep – has been shown to trigger inflammation. Even in healthy people. The reason a lack of sleep is so closely associated with inflammation is that during deep sleep cycles, your body is able to perform housekeeping functions, and part of that is reducing inflammation.

A loss of sleep can prompt your immune system to turn against healthy tissue and organs. It can lead to obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, as well as dementia and Alzheimer’s.  

A lack of sleep and poor sleep hygiene is no joke! 

5. Maintain good gut health

You also need to consider your gut health. Gut health is a hot topic these days. And for good reason! A healthy gut is such an important part of your overall health! But, it’s a delicate thing.

Here’s a fact that will blow your mind: the total surface area of your gut is larger than a tennis court… that’s huge! But the even crazier thing is that the lining of your gut is only one cell thick. Now, you see what I mean when I say it’s a delicate thing.

When it comes to improving your gut health there are a couple of things to keep in mind. We usually only hear about probiotics within this conversation. And yes, it’s good to eat probiotic-rich foods such as sauerkraut, kombucha, miso, or kimchi. But it’s also important to consume prebiotics.

6. Reduce animal-based foods

Like refined carbohydrates, I’m not telling you to completely eliminate animal-based foods.

But animal-based foods like meat and dairy products have been shown to be one of the most pro-inflammatory foods. Reducing the amount of these foods will help you decrease the amount of inflammation in your body.

7. Consume turmeric

Turmeric is the number one food on the Anti-Inflammatory Food Index. In fact, studies have shown it to be a more effective anti-inflammatory treatment than common inflammation-fighting medications such as ibuprofen and aspirin, according to a past study. 

Unfortunately, turmeric consumed by itself tastes very earthy – kind of like dirt. So, I either mix into my morning smoothie or take two of our Turmeric Capsules. In just two small capsules I can get the daily recommended amount of turmeric.

The benefits of turmeric

Turmeric is far more than a spice or natural pigment. 

In fact, it’s listed as the single most anti-inflammatory food in the Dietary Inflammatory Index. For centuries its root has been used as medicine in many cultures. 

If you want to learn more about the benefits of turmeric, click here to read our post about the 9 most powerful benefits of turmeric (plus, get my homemade teeth whitening paste).