Using a Natural Diet to Reduce Chronic Inflammation
Chronic inflammation is an often-overlooked ailment that can leave you feeling less than great. Inflammation can seem like a mere nuisance, only causing mild discomfort through aches and pains. However, though chronic inflammation does indeed lead to discomfort, it can have much more serious consequences if left untreated. Caring for your body through your diet is an important step in managing your chronic inflammation, and this article will outline how you can do just that.
Identifying Chronic Inflammation
Chronic inflammation can reveal itself in many ways outside of soreness or bloating. While acute inflammation can cause swelling, redness, and pain, the symptoms of chronic inflammation are far more subtle. Symptoms can include fatigue, fever, development of sores in the mouth and rashes on the skin, and abdominal and chest pain. These symptoms don’t exactly scream “inflammation”, and because of this people often brush them off or assume they are caused by something else.
It is important to understand chronic inflammation, as once you understand it you will have an easier time managing it. Inflammation is actually a response from your immune system to damage to your body. This response releases antibodies, proteins, and increased blood flow to the damaged area with the goal of healing it more quickly. Chronic inflammation happens when this immune response lingers, causing your body to overload the area with your its natural medicines, which over time can damage tissue and lead to a host of other problems.
Chronic inflammation isn’t caused exclusively by injury. Other factors that can contribute to chronic inflammation are obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and chronic stress. If left untreated, chronic inflammation can lead to the development of several serious diseases, such as heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and even cancer.
Problems Treating Inflammation
Treating chronic inflammation can pose a problem for a lot of people. One of the most readily available treatments can be purchased over the counter in the form of NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) and other painkillers like acetaminophen, aspirin and ibuprofen. The problem with these particular drugs is that they often carry serious health risks with their use that can outweigh the benefits of treating chronic inflammation.
The side effects of these drugs can cause lasting damage. Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, can cause liver damage or even death, and if alcohol is consumed with acetaminophen it results in an increase in the likelihood of kidney disease. NSAIDs can heighten the risk of heart disease, can cause ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding, and can increase blood pressure.
Thankfully, we don’t have to rely on these potentially harmful medicines to fight inflammation. The greatest tool we have in managing chronic inflammation is through our diets. An anti-inflammatory diet combined with regular, vigorous exercise is as effective, if not more so, than taking potentially fatal pain relievers. Additionally, if you find that you still require some sort of pain relief after or during your diet change, there are a lot of natural pain-relief options out there for you to choose from. The alkaloids in kratom, the leaves harvested from the Mitragyna Speciosa tree, can have a wide variety of effects from pain relief to muscle relaxant qualities.
How Your Diet Can Help
In order to fight inflammation naturally, it is best to remember that we are what we eat. Overly-processed foods, trans-fats, carbohydrates, sugar, and excessive drinking are the main culprits when it comes to foods that cause inflammation. However, it is not enough to just avoid these inflammation causing foods; you also need to focus on consuming a healthy amount of anti-inflammatory foods for the best results.
Just because an anti-inflammatory diet is limited, doesn’t mean you’ll be stuck eating hard-boiled eggs for every meal. Fruits like strawberries and pomegranates are full of antioxidants that fight off free radicals associated with inflammation, and oily fish that are high in Omega-3’s like salmon are a delicious way to reduce the likelihood of chronic inflammation. Legumes and other high-fiber foods can decrease inflammation flare-ups and spices like turmeric and ginger help to regulate the body’s immune response to inflammation.
If you’re looking for a structured diet to help you get on the right track, a ketogenic diet can help reduce inflammation. The reason a keto diet is so effective in stopping inflammation is that by nature the diet cuts out as many carbs and sugars as possible. In addition to this, the diet puts an emphasis on anti-inflammatory foods like oily fish and antioxidant rich dark, leafy greens. The keto diet also reduces to amount of free radicals produced by your body, further curbing the effects of inflammation.
Conclusion
Now that you understand the causes of chronic inflammation and have the ability to identify it, treating it on your own is as simple as changing your diet. Whether you choose to change your diet a-la-carte or to adopt a ketogenic diet, it will do wonders for your fight against chronic inflammation. So, now that you have the tools to manage your chronic inflammation, go get yourself some healthy, anti-inflammatory foods, work out regularly, and enjoy your new lease on life!
If you or anyone you know suffers from chronic inflammation please share your ideas, tips, opinions in the comment section below.
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I think there is so much that is impacted by our diets and we probably don’t always fully understand the impact of a poor diet – although dietary changes would miles more desirable than treating with medication. But then, there is a strong lobby group for these…
I certainly agree with you. Our diet effect our health both physically and mentally. Sadly the pharmaceutical companies have so much power and really don’t want use to be well. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Have a healthy, happy & blessed day.
Marla, I don’t think most people associate what they are eating with how they feel, but you have definitely hit on how important a healthy diet is. I don’t follow the Keto diet, but by eliminating grains, all refined foods and limiting even “healthy” sugars” and by eating healthy fats, grass-fed meats and LOTS of fresh organic vegetables, I’ve been able to markedly reduce pain issues caused by degenerative disc and spinal stenosis, and my osteoarthritis and asthma are much improved as well. Thanks for another great article. Nancy
HI Nancy,
It is amazing how what you eat affects your whole body and how it functions. I strongly believe that on one should be eating processed sugars or refined grains. They are just not natural. When we change nature we are playing with fire. I am so glad that you can have seen for yourself the benefit of eating a healthy diet and unprocessed foods. Thanks for stopping by, reading my article, and commenting. Have a healthy, happy & blessed day!