HOW DO WE HELP THE BODY FIGHT CHRONIC INFLAMMATION?

March, 2023

HOW DO WE HELP THE BODY FIGHT CHRONIC INFLAMMATION?

Written by: Motric Recovery

Inflammation is a mechanism by which the body fights against the causative factors of the disease, while initiating the healing process. A common cause of inflammation is infection (inflammation and infection are not the same thing). Infection means a penetration of pathogens (parasites, bacteria or viruses) that once in the body, can either remain at the point of the entrance or can reach the blood circulation.

The inflammatory response of the body includes:

➢ tumefaction (swelling)
➢ fever
➢ change in color and/or functional impairment of that tissue
➢ pain

inflamatia

In the short term, inflammation helps the body, more precisely it is part of the response of the immune system that fights to cure an injury or fights an infection. This is acute inflammation. But the persistence of long-term inflammation, also called chronic inflammation, is no longer beneficial to the body, on the contrary it causes various ailments.

Chronic inflammation not only affects the joints, but also affects the muscles and internal organs and even the brain. High cholesterol, increased blood sugar levels, autoimmune diseases are just a few harmful effects of the chronic inflammatory process.

1. WE GET ENOUGH SLEEP

Sleep is a basic physiological need, like thirst and hunger, helping the brain and body to develop harmoniously and function well. A restful sleep is one of the three essential elements for health, along with a balanced nutrition and physical movement. There are three important aspects of sleep:

➢ duration, it should be enough to be able to be rested the next day
➢ continuity (the period of sleep must be without interruptions)
➢ depth (sleep to be deep enough)
Most people need, on average, about 8 hours of sleep to function properly, but the number of hours sleeping varies depending on age. Children and adolescents need more hours of sleep compared to adults, due to the intense development at this age and the fact that they are in a permanent state of learning.

2. EXERCISE

To stop an inflammatory response, the body needs about 20 -30 minutes of moderate exercise per day, such as a quick walking, 5 days a week.

Also, physical exercises that are based on breathing, such as yoga exercises, help the body fight inflammation. Yoga exercises also help to lower the level of cortisol (stress-related hormone), stress playing an essential role in triggering the inflammatory response of the body.

3. WE TAKE CARE OF THE FOOD

Green foods (lettuce, spinach, broccoli etc.) have antioxidants and other compounds that can help reduce inflammation and maintain daily cellular damage at a low level.

Other foods that fight inflammation are fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and fish. Intermittent fasting, that is, eating food daily only within a certain time interval, such as the interval 10-18, can have anti-inflammatory effects. And, as a bonus, it also helps in weight loss.

Also, eating spices such as cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, rosemary, cumin can slow down the processes in the body that lead to inflammation.

Green tea contains compounds, known as polyphenols, that fight inflammation in the body. We can replace the morning coffee with a cup of green tea.

4. WE GET RID OF THE EXTRA KILOS

Excess weight significantly damages the body, being a risk factor both for various diseases, as well as for increasing inflammation in the body.

Body fat is an active tissue that produces hormones and secretes into the body substances that accelerate the inflammatory process.

Even a decrease of only 5% of body weight decreases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, because in the process of weight loss, visceral fat (fat around internal organs) is also lost.

5. WE NO LONGER SMOKE

Smoking comes with a number of harmful effects, with high levels of inflammation being one of them. There are various methods that can be useful in the process of quitting smoking.