Signs your body might be inflamed, and what to do about it.

Inflammation is the all too common slow and silent destroyer of our health. It can creep up on us, unnoticed until it blares its ugly head at us in the form of uncomfortable symptoms such as bloating, GI issues, pain, fatigue, brain fog, sleep issues, anxiety, depression, skin issues, hormone imbalances, and weight gain. The most important thing you can do to live a more vibrant and healthy life, is to take steps to decrease inflammation.

“Inflammation is the root cause of nearly all chronic diseases. Symptoms might go noticed for years, then slowly ramp up over time, like a check engine light going off.” - Alisha Kerr

What is inflammation?

Inflammation is our body's natural defense system. It is the process by which our immune systems recognize and remove harmful substances. There are two types of inflammation: acute and chronic.

Acute inflammation is when we have tissue damage from injury, microbial invasion, or environmental toxins and irritants. This process only lasts for a few days. It is a beneficial type of inflammation as it helps promote healing after injury, infection, or exposure to toxins.

Chronic inflammation is long-term inflammation that can initially go under the radar. All of us living in the modern world have some level of chronic inflammation, but in severe cases it leads to significant damage to tissues and organs.

Common signs and symptoms of inflammation

Signs and symptoms of inflammation can vary based on the individual and underlying cause. Symptoms of inflammation might go under the radar initially, or be hard to diagnose but it is important to tune into what your body is telling you, as vague symptoms we think are "normal" for us can actually be a sign of a bigger problem.

The most common signs of inflammation include:

• GI issues (constipation, diarrhea, bloating, gas, acid reflux)

• Pain (especially aches and pains in joints)

• Depression, anxiety, and mood disorders

• Brain fog and difficulty concentrating

• Chronic fatigue

• Skin issues (eczema, redness, puffiness, acne)

• Sleep issues

• Weight gain

• Frequent infections

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms it is important to identify and address the root cause before things escalate to increasingly obnoxious symptoms and chronic disease.

Ways to decrease inflammation

Implementing an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle is the foundation of health and disease management, in my opinion. Listed below are my go to science-backed recommendations for healing from inflammation:

Eating a healthy plant based diet free of processed food. I recommend starting with a mediterranean style diet high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, lean meats, and olive oil, and low in sugar, processed, and fried foods. Always remember to eat the colors of the rainbow, and honor your bodies unique needs.

Identify any food allergies and avoid those foods. Common inflammation triggering foods include gluten, dairy, corn, soy, and eggs. I recommend working with a health coach, nutritionist, or functional medicine doctor to do an elimination diet to identify what foods might be triggering you.

Support and heal your gut microbiome. Our modern lifestyles of stress, poor diet, antibiotic use, lack of exercise, and exposure to toxic chemicals in our environment, water, and food supply can all lead to something called gut dysbiosis and leaky gut. This occurs when bad bacteria take over the lining of our intestinal track, and lead to an increased load of toxins and inflammatory molecules getting into our system. Steps to improve your gut microbiome include eating a health plant based diet, reducing stress, decreasing exposure to toxins, drinking purified water, increasing consumption of probiotics (beneficial bacteria), and doing your best to reduce antibiotic use.

Manage stress and anxiety. We are often our own worst enemy when if comes to inflaming ourselves through chronic stress and anxiety. It is essential to allow time for rest and recharging, and learn to keep our anxiety in check. Mindfulness, meditation, breathing exercise, and spending time out in nature have been shown to reduce stress, and decrease inflammation.

Staying active with mindful movement. Exercise in moderation can have anti-inflammatory benefits, but excessive exercise and really intense training regimes will create significantly more inflammation, making it important to have a balanced training regime with rest days, and alternating light and heavy forms of exercise.

Stay hydrated with clean drinking water. Many toxins sneak their way into our tap and bottled water. I recommend staying hydrated with high quality purified water sources that contain minerals, and ditch the tap and bottled water. Take the hydration quiz here for your personalized recommendations, and be sure and get on the list to get into my Optimal Hydration course when it goes live.

Take aways

It is important to not only look at how nutrition and exercise effects our inflammatory states, but also how the less tangible things like mental health, relationships, holding on to past trauma, and career can also lead to inflammation.

"Some hidden culprits of inflammation include being in a toxic or unhealthy relationship, your career, mental health issues, and holding on to past trauma. Theses areas are overlooked by conventional medicine, making the whole person approach essential in actually treating the root cause." - Alisha Kerr

I believe each individual is unique, and there is no one size fits all solution to decreasing your inflammation, which is why I offer personalized health coaching programs so we can get to the root of what might be causing your issues, instead of just treating the symptoms. If you are struggling with inflammation, and interested in a more supportive and personalized approach to making lasting habit changes, be sure and check out my 1:1 coaching program, and click this link for your free anti-inflammatory foods guide.

Please leave any questions and comments below, I would love to hear from you!

Disclaimer: Education and recommendations provided should not replace information, advice, and recommendations made by your medical provider, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, or heal disease or medical condition. If you are concerned you might have a more serious medical condition please seek evaluation from your primary care doctor.