We humans have a love-hate relationship with inflammation.
Inflammation is a bodily response which is supposed to help the immune system to defend itself against foreign organisms such as bacteria and viruses as well as repair and heal damaged tissue.
But when inflammation is more than just a short-term bodily response, and it turns into months or years of pain, it can have a range of negative effects on our bodies and minds.
In this post, we discuss recognising chronic inflammation and ways to reduce it, thanks to the expert advice from Melbourne’s leading naturopath, Luke Clarke.
Symptoms of chronic inflammation
Chronic inflammation can have a range of symptoms, varying from person to person. It can affect almost any part of the body. Some common symptoms of chronic inflammation include:
- Low back pain
- Skin symptoms
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Excess mucus production
- Low energy
- Digestive issues
- Insulin resistance
- Balance issues
These are just some symptoms of chronic inflammation; every person is different, and symptoms are varied.
Ways to reduce chronic inflammation
Chronic inflammation can be reduced by making improvements to your diet, exercise routine and by taking herbal remedies:
Diet
Today, we have access to a range of tasty yet inflammatory foods which are consumed all-too-often. Foods like potato chips, sweet drinks, fried foods, trans fats, and refined carbs are all known to increase inflammation in the body. One of the things we can do to curb this is to swap these foods out for anti-inflammatory foods and drinks which contain:
- Antioxidants
- Curcumin
- Fibre
- Fish oil
- Magnesium
- Polyphenols in green and black tea
- Selenium
- Sesame lignans
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Zinc
Low-FODMAP diet
The low-FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols) diet is another way to reduce inflammation. In this restrictive diet, we cut out high-FODMAP foods such as dairy products, cereal and bread, certain fruits such as pears and apples, and beans and lentils, and swap them out for low-FODMAP foods such as grains such as quinoa, eggs, meat, almond milk and vegetables such as zucchini, potato and tomato. A low-FODMAP diet is a discovery process to determine which foods cause inflammation in your body and which foods don’t.
Exercise
Regular, consistent exercise is another way to reduce inflammation in the body. Research shows that exercise can reduce pro-inflammatory molecules and cytokines which contribute to chronic inflammation.
Whether this means going for a walk, spending 10 minutes on an exercise bike, going for a swim or playing team sports, any type of exercise is helpful in reducing chronic inflammation.
Don’t let chronic inflammation get the best of you. Get in touch with Luke Clarke and start your journey towards reducing chronic inflammation. Luke Clarke is a practitioner of functional medicine and naturopath in Melbourne with much experience with patients suffering from chronic inflammation. Combining science and naturopathic philosophies, Luke Clarke cares about your health and works alongside you to improve it. Contact Luke Clarke for a 10-minute free consultation today.