Inflammation is a hot topic right now, as it’s the root cause of so many diseases, such as:
-Diabetes
-Heart Disease
-ADD/ADHD
-Strokes
-Migraines
-Thyroid Issues
-Cancer
But it’s actually not the True culprit here, because inflammation is simply a concept or way of describing what is happening to the cells in our body.
Today I’m cutting right to the chase…
How do we reduce and prevent our bodies from experiencing inflammation?
4 EASY INFLAMMATION SOLUTIONS
#1 – Eat Mostly Plants
Being The Seasonal Diet, we love eating with the seasons all year long.
We live in San Diego where tons of delicious and colorful plants grow throughout all 4 seasons.
Although we don’t believe you need to in order to feel and live your best – especially since produce is shipped internationally now.
Plants are like magic.
They’re natures perfect food – in fact, plants are the ONLY source of fiber.
We hear about fiber and it’s importance, but really eating anything plant-based will give you fiber, such as a big huge salad.
You can’t eat too many, and the more you eat the healthier you’ll probably be.
Plants are full of antioxidants, phytonutrients, enzymes, flavonoids and carotenoids, which are like soldiers fighting off inflammation, especially chia & flax seeds with omega 3’s, dark leafy greens, berries and roots such as ginger and turmeric.
If you want to reduce inflammation fast, eating more plant-based will get you there the fastest.
#2 – Avoid Gluten
Gluten is highly inflammatory, and doesn’t promote health.
Some people can tolerate it without negative side effects, but tens of thousands of people feel so much better when they avoid it – Sarah and myself included.
Here is a great excerpt from an article by Dr. Hyman:
“Gluten sensitivity is actually an autoimmune disease that creates inflammation throughout the body, with wide-ranging effects across all organ systems including your brain, heart, joints, digestive tract, and more. It can be the single cause behind many different “diseases.” To correct these diseases, you need to treat the cause–which is often gluten sensitivity–not just the symptoms.”
The subject of gluten has gotten confusing lately with catchy news stories saying ‘Hidden Risks of Going Gluten Free’.
We actually had a member of ours, Christine, post in our Tastemaker FB Group about it.
Avoiding gluten isn’t as difficult as it was just 5-10 years ago.
It’s amazing how many alternatives there are for breads, wraps and desserts – especially with all of the paleo products out, which don’t include grains, period.
We love the concept of eating less grains on a daily basis, but that my friend is a post for another day!
#3 – Avoid Dairy
Cutting out animal milk (except our Mamma’s) has a similar positive effect on reducing inflammation in our body.
Dairy can cause an auto-immune response in the body, similar to someone who’s gluten-sensitive or has other food allergies.
There’s also compelling evidence that 60 Percent of Adults Can’t Digest Milk.
It happened to be the first thing I personally cut out in 2010 as an experiment, and I lost 10 pounds in 4 weeks and found a much slimmer face.
When I look at photos from earlier in 2010 my face was literally inflamed, puffy and red.
I was starting to run a lot at the same time, so the weight loss was probably a combination of the two, but I personally don’t believe our bodies require dairy on a regular basis.
We’re all different, and our needs change over time, but I definitely felt more energy and clarity when I kicked the milk & cheese.
#4 – Eat Less Sugar
Sugar plays a definite role in how easily our bodies deal with inflammation.
For starters, sugar leads to insulin resistance.
Insulin is the hormone released from the pancreas every time we eat foods high in carbohydrates, which gets the glucose from our bloodstream into our cells.
If excessive carbohydrates are consumed, the insulin won’t be as effective, and even more will be released causing a hormone hot mess and eventually leads to Type 2 Diabetes.
When our bodies struggle to regulate glucose and insulin, that’s when sugar drives up inflammation in the body.
Pay attention to what you’re eating that has sugar in it.
Some obvious things are desserts and treats.
But have you thought about fruit juices, granolas, cereals, bread and alcohol?
Stay away from refined sugars and carbohydrates, skip dessert and you’ll find yourself feeling more.
If you can do that, we PROMISE you’ll find yourself with more energy, better digestion and reduced sugar cravings!
Essential Oils For Inflammation Relief
Our path to living an inflammation-free lifestyle is primarily through diet.
However, we believe you can bring results faster with the use of essential oils.
We recommend 2 essential oils for inflammation relief: Frankincense and Eucalyptus.
Both of these may be used topically and aromatically, but today we’re giving away Eucalyptus oil since that’s what we’ve been digging personally!
You may diffuse it or rub over any joints you’re needing relief for.
7 replies to "4 Easy Inflammation Solutions"
I’m trying right now to cut down on sugar. During the day is easier for me, but in the evening I find it very hard to resist the cravings!
Hey Anna,
Sugar cravings in the evening is something a lot of people struggle with. We are working on a eat less sugar program, so hopefully that will help! I try to drink a lot of water in the evening and get my mind thinking about something other than cravings. Sometimes I’ll even do a little yoga!
I want to add hot lemon water and a short morning jog. No im not an SD member.
Hey Chad!
Yes you gotta try the warm lemon water in the mornings, it’s a total game changer my friend:) Good Luck!
Ooo frankincense! What does it smell like?
Another great post! I need to do more research on the effects of gluten to me personally. I have not really seen differences when it’s in and out of my diet
I think sugar is the most addicting substance on the planet.. worse than heroine and maybe tied with nicotine! I also think dairy is awful on so many levels…healthwise, mucous-producing, inflammatory, full of sugar and saturated fat.. and often hormones and antibiotics. This is not even considering the slavery of cows who are artificially inseminated and kept pregnant their whole lives, and their calves who are taken away to be slaughtered as veal or put into milk-production themselves. OK end rant. Off my soapbox… As for eucalyptus oil, I’ve got a story:
Every August I go to the Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas. I spend a week in the dry desert, in overly air conditioned rooms and walking through smoky casinos. I get very little sleep as we have convention events all day and parties all night, and I can’t sleep when I finally hit the pillow. I usually lose my voice by the end of the second day and feel puffy and congested all night and upon waking. Last year I brought my vaporizer and put eucalyptus oil in the water and let it run in my hotel room 24/7. I didn’t lose my voice, had no nasal congestion when I awoke every morning, and slept better! It’s great when you have a cold–inhale some steam with eucalyptus or soak in a steamy bath with eucalyptus. It really clears up your sinuses.
Hi guys! Yes I am a SD member and subscribed to the newsletter. Thanks for the tips for reducing inflammation. Still struggling with knee swelling but the reduced sugar has helped!