Best ways to reduce inflammation

OUR TOP 5 PICKS

1. Mediterranean diet:  a diet consisting of fresh fish, lean meats, leafy green vegetables like spinach, and olive oil is excellent for reducing inflammation and improving your overall health, especially heart health.   This is my diet of choice.

2. Exercise: in the long-term, exercising can reduce inflammation in your body.  My favorite form is resistance training, particularly working your legs via exercises like squats.  If you cannot do squats, walking on a treadmill with a 10% or 6° incline is a great leg workout as well.   When you exercise, myokines are released from contracting muscles; these can actually reduce inflammation.

3. Adequate Sleep:  sleep is the backbone of your overall health.  It is one way to not only reduce stress/cortisol levels, but also to reduce inflammation in your body.   Try to get at least seven hours each night.   Personally, I have found the use of an air purifier in the bedroom to reduce allergens (this helps decrease congestion at night) and supplementation with ~300mg of magnesium nightly to be helpful for promoting good sleep.

4. Supplementation:  the best way to obtain all the nutrients you need is through a balanced diet (as discussed above), but if you desire supplementation, my top pick to reduce inflammation is turmeric (a.k.a. curcumin).   I personally like the liposomal version since it has higher absorption. I recommend the liposomal turmeric made by Elevated Health Solutions often to my patients who want a more natural alternative to ibuprofen.  I take liposomal turmeric daily myself.   As always, I recommend you consult with your doctor before starting any supplementation.  Although uncommon, turmeric can have side effects of gastrointestinal upset, bleeding, or kidney stones.

5. Red light therapy:  red or infrared light helps increase blood flow to an area and activate your mitochondria, which can potentially help reduce inflammation. Think of red light as harnessing the good parts of the electromagnetic spectrum but not including harmful parts like gamma rays or UV radiation.  Specifically, studies have shown that red light can be helpful for reducing fine lines and wrinkles as well as healing scars and reducing scar tissue.  Infrared light, which penetrates your tissues deeper than red light, can help promote muscle recovery.  Check with your doctor to see if red light therapy is appropriate for you.  You can buy handheld red light therapy units or larger full body panels.