Inflammation isn’t just a medicinal buzzword designed to get you to try out new “health hacks”. It’s a real biological process that can gradually but inevitably break down bodily tissues and lead to long-term health complications, including:
- Aches
- Pains
- Fatigue
- Cardiovascular problems
- Low mobility
- And more
Unfortunately, our bodies can suffer from inflammation for lots of reasons, including illness, chronic conditions, and even regular wear and tear. But there’s good news. Just as there are lots of ways to exacerbate inflammation, there are also ways to reduce inflammation throughout your body. Let’s break down some of those ways now.
Switch Up Your Diet
For starters, you can switch up your diet to include more anti-inflammatory foods while reducing the inflammatory foods you currently eat.
Which foods should you target? The best anti-inflammatory foods include:
- Green vegetables, like kale, lettuce, and broccoli
- Turmeric, a tasty spice that usually has plenty of curcumin, a major anti-inflammatory agent
- Berries like strawberries and blueberries. Many of these fruits have antioxidants, which neutralize free radical oxygen molecules that can damage healthy cells and lead to tissue inflammation
- Nuts, including walnuts. These have both antioxidants and omega-3/omega-6 fatty acids – the latter two are necessary for bodily health in more ways than one
Try to cut out inflammatory food items like:
- Processed meats
- Dairy
- Overly sugary foods or cereals
Use an Infrared Sauna
Infrared saunas are more popular than ever before, and for good reason! Not only are they superior to traditional saunas thanks to their accessibility and comfort, but they can also minimize inflammation by opening up blood vessels and coaxing nutrient-rich blood to damaged tissues.
Many athletes or even regular folks interested in maintaining a fit physique can use infrared saunas to recover from their workouts more quickly and to sweat out toxins. Infrared saunas, since they use infrared radiation that penetrates to deeper tissues in just minutes, can significantly improve your overall health and provide a more comfortable experience.
Clearlight® Infrared Saunas are the best on the market today. Explore the many fantastic models available for sale here at The Sauna Life.
Lose Some Weight
To further reduce inflammation throughout your body, consider losing some weight (if applicable). Being overweight is one of the biggest strains you can put on your cardiovascular system, leading to a variety of chronic problems like aches and pains, low energy, and inflammation.
When your body takes on extra weight, your bones and joints have to carry that weight, which can break down their strength over time and lead to issues like osteoporosis. Your muscles also have to work harder, including your heart. Fat collects in major arteries and can eventually lead to problems like heart attacks. Lose weight and you won’t only reduce inflammation—you’ll also feel better across the board.
Manage Your Stress
Stress isn’t just a mental health problem. It’s a physical state that can gradually damage your body’s cells at the microscopic level.
At its core, stress is caused when your body releases certain hormones like cortisol. Normally, cortisol and other hormones help us get through stressful situations by increasing our alertness and boosting energy.
But over time, chronic stress can lead to tissue degradation and long-term inflammation across many major bodily tissues. It can also cause problems with mental health, including mood swings, chronic exhaustion, and more.
Take some steps to manage your stress by undertaking healthy habits and cutting out bad habits. For example, you can:
- Exercise more frequently, which will also help with losing weight
- Eat a healthier diet
- Nurture a network of close friends and associates
- Take walks in nature
- Avoid staring at computer screens for too long
Get Plenty of Sleep
Lastly, try to ensure that you get between seven and eight hours of sleep every night. Our modern culture prizes a “work until you drop” mindset, but this is very bad for our bodily health and for inflammation.
Your body needs enough sleep to restore damaged tissues and to reset the brain. Without enough sleep, chronic fatigue and daily aches and pains are all but guaranteed. It’s very difficult to function at your highest level if you aren’t getting enough winks every night!
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are lots of ways to reduce inflammation by making some mild but important adjustments to your lifestyle. Remember to consider adding an infrared sauna to your after-workout routine, or install an infrared sauna in your home just to benefit from its physiological effects a few times per week.
If you think an infrared sauna is best for your needs, check out the collection of excellent Clearlight® Infrared Saunas right here on our site. Explore our sauna models, and enjoy an infrared sauna session in your own home!