Inflammation is one of the largest contributors to health issues and many chronic diseases. The problem if you live in America is that the American diet revolves around eating foods that are high in carbohydrates, sugars, and unhealthy fats which all lead to increased inflammation.
Because inflammation is such a broad topic, here you will find some very broad uses of natural remedies that can reduce internal inflammation. For those who don’t know, internal inflammation occurs in your joints, muscles, and organs.
Turmeric or Curcumin
One of the best ways to reduce inflammation is to use traditional medicine. The reason being is that modern antiinflammatories are now connected to several kidney and liver issues especially for those who have high levels of inflammation.
One of the best herbs to get started on unless you deal with heart or blood thinning issues is turmeric. The main chemical that interacts with inflammation and free-radicals in the body is curcumin.
The reason that turmeric is so good at reducing inflammation is because not only does it have curcumin (which basically balances out free-radicals so they don’t attack cell walls), but it also has a great deal of vitamin A which is also connected to reduced inflammation.
Capsaicin
One of my personal favorites, capsaicin, is found in many spicy foods as well as spices such as cilantro and cinnamon. The spicy molecule is responsible for a decrease in inflammation especially in joints. There are several balms that include capsaicin for that very reason.
If you combine capsaicin with wintergreen and a few other oils, you can make a joint repair oil that drastically decreases inflammation and pain. Does it burn like crazy? For a little bit. It’s honestly like natural IcyHot.
The wintergreen ‘ices’ the area while the capsaicin literally heats up the area. The heat helps decrease pain and the chemical effect of capsaicin reduces pain sensors in the body. There have also been studies that compare capsaicin to antiinflammatory medications and the power of spice is nearly just as strong as man-made drugs!
Daily Movement and Massage
Most people tend to avoid movement especially when it is hotter than Hades. When the weather cools off, it can be easier to incorporate daily movement into your routine.
Any kind of movement but especially yoga and walking, helps reduce inflammation by stretching muscles and actively pushing lymph fluid through your lymph system. Combine this with drinking plenty of water and the inflammation is literally washed out through your kidneys.
When your muscles contract or when your body is massaged, this forces the fluid in your body to move through our natural filters, the liver and kidneys. It’s a wonderful natural cleaning system and one of the top ways to reduce heavy inflammation.
Cannabis
Usually, we associate cannabis with straight THC which is linked to a lot of benefits, but also quite a few symptoms that can be difficult to manage while also getting through your day. If you have a few bottles of HIBEGONE on hand, that makes things way easier.
On the flipside, if you just want to avoid THC entirely, then check out CBD products. Cannabidiol (CBD) is more intensely linked with a reduction in inflammation whereas THC is connected to pain reduction and mood enhancement.
Sunlight
Before we even dive into this one, wear sunscreen for heaven’s sake! I don’t care if it is a natural sunscreen like coconut oil and zinc oxide or top shelf man-made sunscreen. Wear it!
Sunlight acts like a whole body heating pad. It relaxes muscles, provides vitamin D, decreases mental health issues, and also keeps your body in a cycle. When all of this is in harmony, that’s when the best inflammation reduction begins because getting enough sunlight also decreases cortisol which is responsible for a great deal of inflammation in the body.
Diet
The one thing no one likes to talk about when it comes to natural ways to reduce inflammation is diet. At first changing your diet can be difficult, but food really is the best medicine you could ask for. Reduce the amount of non-complex carbohydrates, sugars, and processed foods in your diet and you will experience impressive results.
Not only are you going to have a decrease in inflammation, but you also might find that you lose some weight. Inflammation especially in the form of bloating from a bad diet can increase weight and water retention, which just perpetuates the inflammatory cycle.
Conclusion
One of the biggest factors in decreasing inflammation is consistency. Many of these ways to reduce inflammation rely on staying consistent with herbs and movement so that your body is supported and can more easily process the inflammation.
Not sure where to start? Give turmeric and movement a try. Both are easier to incorporate into your day and your diet.
