By Hannah Foster-Middleton BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy, MCSP, SRP

Chronic inflammation is one of the most insidious causes of disease in modern society. Certain lifestyle factors increase inflammation and as a result our cells lose the capacity to function at peak performance. The result is the slow deterioration of health that often leads to full-blown diseases like autoimmunity and cancer. In this article, you will discover five ways to reduce inflammation quickly!

Inflammation is a necessary biological process that signals our immune system to pay attention to certain tissues in the body. When something is not right, the immune system will do what it can to remove the offender. When inflammation is chronically high due to things like poor diet and stress, the immune system quickly becomes overwhelmed.

Conditions influenced by inflammation

Something that is very critical to understand about inflammation is that it can affect the energetic output of the mitochondria in our cells. The mitochondria in our cells are what make almost all of the energy that our body uses to perform daily processes. When inflammation inhibits mitochondrial energy output your body is immediately at a higher risk of any disease.

Inflammation is almost always a factor in chronic diseases. The top conditions linked with chronic inflammation are:

Auto-immunity

Cancer

Diabetes

Arthritis

Leaky gut

Heart disease

Liver disease

Pancreatitis

Neurodegenerative

diseases

Behavioural changes

Why reducing inflammation is so important

If you think of your body as a series of radios communicating to each other in order to maintain optimal health, inflammation is like radio interference. By addressing inflammation first and clearing up the static, the body has a much better ability to communicate and heal itself.

Because the body relies so heavily on complex communication processes to maintain health, every step must be taken to ensure those communication processes are running uninhibited.

Reducing inflammation

Now that we know inflammation is a primary contributor to (or is a major factor in) most chronic diseases, here are five effective strategies to combat its insidious effects. These five strategies are not at this time FDA approved to prevent, mitigate, treat or cure chronic inflammation but we know from research that they can support a healthy inflammatory response by the body.

Using these strategies can help your body get back in balance and help you start feeling better!

1. Hydration

Exposure to toxins is one huge factor in chronic inflammation. These could include pesticides, heavy metals, air pollution, mold, and more. On a daily basis, we are exposed to a list of toxins without even knowing it. Hydrating effectively is one of the key strategies to make sure the body is able to effectively detox.

Hydrating really well helps to clear out the bowels keep toxins moving through the liver and kidneys, and helps to eliminate them through sweat. Additionally, your cells require adequate hydration to carry out proper functions. In general, the more hydrated you are, the less inflammation will be present in your body.

Hydration tips

There are several guidelines when it comes to adequate hydration. Make sure your water is tested free of contaminants such as chlorine, fluoride, heavy metals, etcetera, installing a reverse osmosis water system in your home is a great idea. If your water is full of toxins, it will only add to the problem. Add a slice of lemon or lime for some extra flavour. Super hydrate in the morning by drinking 32-64 ounces of water before consuming your first meal. This will help flush out your body and get it primed for the day.

Add natural salts such as Himalayan pink salt to your water to provide electrolytes or sip on diluted full-sodium organic broths. Super hydrating requires extra strategies to ensure electrolytes stay balanced and the nervous system can properly transmit signals throughout the body.

2. Daily movement

The human body is designed to keep things moving. This applies to just about every organ system including the bowels, urinary tract, sweat glands, circulatory system, lymphatic system, and even your muscles. Keeping these systems flowing is what keeps them healthy.

When we become stagnant in any of these areas, problems arise and we often get inflammation. Daily exercise is great for pumping the lymph fluid and boosting circulation. Delivering fresh blood to your tissues is an important strategy for lowering inflammation as it helps to flush away metabolic debris and provide nutrients to inflamed tissues.

Ways to get moving

Make it a priority in your daily life to make sure you are moving your body as much as possible. Go for walks, stretch, and get adequate exercise. Become more expressive and use your body to convey your speech, look for any excuse to move your body. And of course, avoid sitting for extended amounts of time.

One powerful strategy to improve circulation of blood and lymph is rebounding. This is simply jumping on a small trampoline and all it takes is 10 minutes to get your circulation pumping. These can be found on Amazon relatively cheaply and it is an excellent form of exercise.

Finally, some other great strategies are cold showers, sauna, and even massage to help get your blood pumping.

3. Healing Diet

One of the most prominent sources of inflammation in our society has got to be the diet. If you want to rid your body of inflammation, you need to start thinking about what you are putting into your body.

Many people go about their days thinking they are eating healthy when all they are really doing is flooding their body with sugar that is putting their body in a constantly inflammatory state. At the same time, many people are consuming foods that are hard to digest and lead to inflammation in the digestive tract.

Chronically inflaming the digestive tract is one of the most common factors seen in people with autoimmune diseases. As gut inflammation leads to a leaky gut, undigested food particles slip into the blood stream and confuse the immune system, causing massive inflammation.

Healing diet guidelines

First and foremost, sugar and grains must be removed from the diet. Anything else that is easily metabolised into sugar should be drastically limited to help balance blood sugar.

Replace the majority of calories from carbs with healthy fat sources like coconut oil, grass-fed butter, MCT oil, olive oil, and avocado oil. Other great fat sources include coconut milk, avocados, nuts and seeds (if tolerated), and fatty cuts of pasture-raised meats.

You will definitely want to avoid highly processed vegetable oils like canola, safflower, and soy at all costs as these are highly inflammatory to the body.

Finally, ensure the consumption of a variety of non-starchy vegetables and herbs for phytonutrients and antioxidants. Flooding the body with these nutrients is powerful antioxidant support to combat free radical induced inflammation. Small amounts of low-glycemic fruits like berries, lemons, and limes are great too.

4. Reduce stress and improve sleep

Chronic stress causes rampant increases in inflammatory biomarkers called cytokines. If we don’t do anything to control our stress then this cytokine activity can be highly damaging over time. Chronically elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine markers are especially bad for the immune system, opening the doors to opportunistic infections and increasing our chances of coming down with an illness.

One of the best ways to counteract the stressors of daily life is really getting the best sleep possible. During sleep, your brain flushes out metabolic debris and the body is put into a deep healing state. Chronic stress on top of poor sleep is a recipe for rapid degeneration of health.

Getting your best sleep

Optimizing sleep has a lot to do with regulating your circadian rhythm. Your body is designed to be awake when the sun is up and asleep when the sun is down. With so many artificial light sources, the body no longer receives the right signals for sleep.

• Get morning sunlight

• Avoid artificial light within

1-2 hours of bedtime by

using blue light blocking

glasses

• Be in bed by 10pm, if

possible (every hour of sleep

before midnight is equal to

three hours after midnight)

• Blackout your room

• Limit caffeine to the

morning

• Form a pre-sleep routine

• Practice gratitude to relax

your mind

5. Advanced supplementation

In addition to the strategies listed so far, there are certain supplements that have been shown to be powerful modulators of inflammation. Chronic inflammation and pain can be an emotional challenge to overcome and sometimes those people suffering need all the help they can get to put them over the hump and on their way to optimal health once again. While these supplements are not FDA approved to prevent, mitigate, treat or cure chronic pain or any other health conditions at this time, we know from science that they can support a healthy inflammatory response.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are one of the most foundational supplements for mitigating inflammation. Most people today are consuming highly processed diets that are high in Omega-6 fats and deficient in Omega-3. This imbalance alone contributes to higher levels of inflammation. By increasing your ratio of Omega-3 to omega-6 fats using 2-5 grams of high quality purified fish oil, you are doing your inflammation a great favor. In fact, the combination of omega-3 fatty acids in conjunction with flavonoids has been shown in controlled trials to stimulate the immune system while also down regulating inflammatory markers in the body.

Curcumin

Curcumin is one of the most comprehensively studied anti-inflammatory compounds. Derived from the Indian root spice, turmeric, this compound has tremendous healing potential in many areas of disease which may have a lot to do with its ability to mitigate inflammation.

While turmeric is great to add to meals, and I definitely recommend doing so, I propose taking supplemental turmeric in a fermented form with other warming digestive supporting and adaptogenic herbs. With a full spectrum fermented turmeric blend and black pepper you will support healthy joints and mobility as well as a healthy response to inflammation.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is arguably one of the most powerful nutrients responsible for modulating and coordinating the immune system. By re-coordinating the immune system, vitamin D has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect.

Vitamin D deficiency is vastly common in our society due to sunscreen use and low amounts of sun exposure. On top of this, the average diet is severely lacking dietary sources of Vitamin D such as organ meats and certain fish.

Glutathione-boosting agents

Glutathione is our master antioxidant that regulates all other antioxidants within the body. Having high amounts of glutathione in the body is key for mitigating the inflammatory effects of free radicals. Free radicals are unregulated during any time of stress whether it is lifestyle or something like a bacterial imbalance in the gut.

NSAIDs and inflammation

Inflammation is both important and beneficial and can promote recovery from injuries, infections, and other pathogens. However, when inflammation turns chronic as a result of an inflammatory diet, blood sugar imbalances, leaky gut syndrome, chronic stress, or lack of sleep, it can lead to pain and disease.

Taking NSAIDs is commonly suggested by healthcare professionals and regularly used by those who suffer from chronic inflammation and pain. The problem is that the long-term use of NSAID’s can result in stomach ulcers, kidney and liver toxicity, and leaky gut syndrome.

Luckily, there is a better and more natural way to lower inflammation in your body and to protect yourself from disease. Anti-inflammatory herbs, such as turmeric, boswellia, ginger, and rosemary, bioflavonoids, such as quercetin and rutin, and proteolytic enzymes are incredibly powerful in fighting inflammation and improving your health.

Summary

Inflammation contributes to just about every chronic disease. In some diseases, it can actually be considered one of the primary contributors. Following the strategies outlined in this article will drastically increase your body’s innate ability to heal itself.

Like I said before, inflammation is like radio interference for the communication processes that are responsible for healing in the body. By reducing inflammation, you re-coordinate these signals and healing happens much more quickly.

• For questions and comments, call Hannah Foster-Middleton at 356 4806, e-mail genesisphysiotherapy@gmail.com, or visit www.physiotherapybahamas.com.