Inflammation has been linked to chronic disease and even weight gain. As inflammation progresses, it can damage your arteries, organs and joints. Left unchecked, it can contribute to chronic diseases, such as heart disease, blood vessel disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions.
Here are some simple lifestyle habits that can help keep inflammation under control.
Book A Massage
We love massages, but apart from feeling wonderful, they are able to decrease inflammatory stress hormones. Although considered a luxury, it shouldn’t be. But because massage provides short-term benefits, you need to get them regularly, ideally every two weeks. If a full-body massage is not an option, something as simple as a scalp massage for as little as 15 minutes can make a difference in lowering levels of cortisol and blood pressure according to research.
Dried Herbs All The Way
Herbs are teeming with antioxidant plant compounds called polyphenols and when it comes to the anti-inflammatory potential of herbs and spices, dried have been found to have much higher levels compared to fresh.
Say No to Antibiotics When You Don’t Need Them
Antibiotics are important, but taking them unnecessarily can increase your inflammation levels. This is because antibiotics kill both the good and bad bacteria in your gut. Disrupting this bacterial balance can trigger low-level inflammation.
Research in mBio found that a single course of antibiotics is enough to change the gut microbiome for up to a year. So avoid taking them unnecessarily, like for viral conditions such as bronchitis, the common cold, the flu or a sore throat, recommends the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Eat Whole Eggs
Vitamin D is actually a hormone and if you don’t have enough D, your body can’t fight inflammation. It’s one reason why low D status is associated with various inflammatory diseases. Talk to your doctor about taking a vitamin D supplement. You can also get D through your diet in foods like salmon, tuna and egg yolks.
Sign Up For HIIT
While all exercise is beneficial, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which focuses on short, intense bouts of activity interspersed with periods of recovery, is especially potent. Research has found that HIIT lowers inflammation in the hippocampus, the part of the brain where our emotions come from. HIIT has also been found to decrease inflammation in type 2 diabetes patients, as well as in people who are obese or overweight. Doing HIIT three times a week for 10 minutes will give you the best benefits.
We hope these tips help and we are going to try and incorporate as many of them into our own lives as possible. Have a great Sunday!
THE LIFESTYLE COLLECTIVE 