Living a Balanced Life: How to Lower Inflammation Naturally with Diet and Lifestyle Changes

Although inflammation often gets a bad reputation, it actually plays a crucial role in your body’s healing process. It’s your body’s natural response to injury or infection, helping to protect and repair damaged tissues. However, when inflammation sticks around longer than it should, it can transform from a friendly fire into a chronic, simmering problem that does more harm than good. Chronic inflammation can wreak havoc on your body over time, contributing to diseases like arthritis, heart disease, and even cancer.

But here’s the good news: you don’t have to feel helpless. By making a few dietary and lifestyle changes, you can reduce inflammation and go back to living a vibrant, healthy life. In this guide, I’ll personally walk you through some simple but powerful diet and lifestyle changes that can help you reduce inflammation and bring your body back into balance.

What Causes Inflammation in the Body?

Before talking about the solutions, we must first uncover the root causes of inflammation. Inflammation is your immune system’s natural way of protecting your body from harm. But it’s not always the good guy. When your immune system is consistently triggered, chronic inflammation can lead to inflammatory diseases like cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and other chronic diseases.

So, what’s fueling this fire? Several factors contribute to systemic inflammation:

• Nutrient-poor foods: Foods that are high in added sugar, processed foods, and fried foods can send your inflammation levels skyrocketing (think packaged sweet treats, chips, and processed meats in the supermarket).
• Lack of exercise: Your body needs movement to keep inflammation in check. Sedentary lifestyles allow inflammation to linger. 30 minutes of daily exercise can do wonders for keeping your inflammation in check.
• Stress: Did you know that stress can cause cancer and is one of the most dangerous triggers for our bodies? Chronic stress triggers the release of inflammatory proteins and inflammatory markers, which can lead to long term damage and illness.
• Infections and injuries: If your immune system is in overdrive trying to fight off injury or infection, there is a high chance you will also be suffering from persistent inflammation as well. 
• Unhealthy fats: Foods rich in unhealthy fats, especially saturated fat and trans fats, can raise inflammatory markers and harm your heart health. This might include red meat, full-fat dairy products, processed meats, fried foods, and commercially baked goods.
• Oxidative stress: This imbalance of antioxidants and free radicals triggers your immune system to work harder, leading to more inflammation.

Now that we’ve covered some of the culprits, let’s take a closer look at how our diet may be fueling this issue.

Which Foods Cause Inflammation?

It’s no secret that some foods are the source of our inflammation. The most well-known foods that cause inflammation include:

• Processed foods: Heavily processed snacks, sugary cereals, and fast food are packed with inflammatory food ingredients like artificial additives, unhealthy fats, and sugar.
• Added sugar: Excessive sugar intake raises blood sugar levels and promotes the release of inflammatory cells.
• Saturated fat: Found in foods like fatty cuts of red meat, butter, and cheese, saturated fat increases inflammatory markers, leading to a higher risk of heart disease.
• Fried foods: Fried foods are high in unhealthy fats and inflammatory compounds created during high-heat cooking.
• Refined carbs: White bread, pastries, and other processed carbs raise blood sugar, triggering an inflammatory response.

By minimizing or completely removing these foods from your diet, you’re already taking a huge step toward lowering inflammation. Remember, food is fuel. That fuel that you are consuming can either make your body at its most optimal state or ruin its engine. Choose wisely how you choose to nourish your body!

Natural Remedies for Inflammation

Now that we’ve covered what not to do, let’s dive into the key natural remedies for inflammation and lasting longevity.

Diet:

Your diet plays a major role in regulating inflammation levels, especially if you are a cancer patient. Enter the anti-inflammatory diet—a whole-foods approach designed to calm your body’s defenses. This diet emphasizes anti-inflammatory foods that are rich in nutrients, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Foods That Reduce Inflammation

The right foods can work wonders, acting like fire extinguishers to inflammation’s flames. Here’s what to stock up on:

• Fruits and vegetables: Think vibrant colors! Berries, leafy greens, and cruciferous veggies like broccoli are loaded with antioxidants that fight oxidative stress.
• Healthy fats: Olive oil, avocados, and nuts are packed with anti-inflammatory benefits thanks to their rich content of omega-3 fatty acids and anti-inflammatory properties. Keep in mind that healthy fats need to be consumed in moderation!
• Legumes: Legumes, such as lentils, chickpeas, and black beans, are excellent additions to an anti-inflammatory diet, as they’re rich in fiber, protein, and antioxidants. 
• Whole grains: Quinoa and brown rice are anti-inflammatory foods packed with fiber and nutrients that help regulate your inflammatory response.
• Green tea: Not just soothing, green tea is rich in anti-inflammatory compounds that help lower inflammation levels and support heart health.

Filling half of your plate with fruits and vegetables is a powerful way to lower inflammation, as these foods are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support your body’s natural healing processes. Eating them raw preserves more of their nutrients and enzymes, making them even more effective in fighting inflammation and promoting overall health.

Anti-Inflammatory Teas

When it comes to tea, it’s more than just about sipping something warm and cozy to start off your day. Some teas pack high nutritious properties that actually help fight inflammation. So, what’s the best herbal tea for inflammation?

Look no further than turmeric tea. Bursting with curcumin, turmeric tea has potent anti-inflammatory properties that can lower inflammation in the body. Similarly, ginger tea and green tea are renowned for their anti-inflammatory effects and are also excellent choices to sip throughout the day.

The Importance of Juicing

Another remedy to try is juicing for inflammation. I personally have been a big advocate for green juices for years as I have seen first-hand the difference it has made in my life in so many ways. Anti-inflammatory juices allow you to consume a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in one go. For the best juices for inflammation, look to combinations like:

• Celery juice
• Carrot juice
• Beet juice
• Cucumber juice

These anti-inflammatory juices help nourish your body with anti-inflammatory compounds that can help regulate your body and optimize its natural detoxification processes.  I recommend a minimum of 500 ml of vegetable juice a day, and up to two liters to promote transit and remineralization of the body.

Herbs and Spices for Inflammation 

Herbs and spices are like nature’s little powerhouses—small but mighty. They don’t just add flavor to your meals; they bring real anti-inflammatory benefits to the table. Here are some of my favorites that I try to add to my recipes weekly:

• Turmeric: You’ve probably heard the buzz about turmeric, and for good reason! Thanks to its curcumin content, it’s one of the most potent anti-inflammatory foods you can add to your diet.
• Ginger: Ginger isn’t just for calming an upset stomach; it’s also amazing for soothing chronic inflammation and easing joint pain. If you have fresh ginger on hand, cut up a few slices and squeeze lemon into a glass of hot water for a rejuvenating tea!
• Cinnamon: Who doesn’t love a sprinkle of cinnamon? Not only does it taste great, but it also helps lower inflammation and even keeps your blood sugar regulated.
• Garlic: Garlic is like a tiny but mighty warrior in the kitchen, full of sulfur compounds that bring powerful anti-inflammatory effects to the party. In fact, garlic is one of my favorite ingredients thanks to its many health benefits! Consider adding garlic and also onion to all meals (except for breakfast) to reap their anti-inflammatory benefits.

Now that we’ve spiced up your meals, let’s talk about some simple lifestyle changes that can make a huge difference in supporting your body’s fight against inflammation.

Lifestyle Changes That Can Lower Inflammation

While eating the right foods is a huge step toward lowering inflammation, how you live your life is just as important. Let’s explore a few lifestyle tweaks that can help you feel your best and keep inflammation in check naturally.

Cleansing the Gut

Your gut and inflammation go hand-in-hand. If your gut isn’t happy, systemic inflammation can spread through your entire body leading to gut issues, detoxification problems, and even cancer. So, how do we clean it up and keep that inflammation at bay?

• Fasting: Giving your gut a little break through fasting can actually reduce inflammation, allowing your body some time to heal and repair itself. It’s also one of the best ways to starve cancer and allow your body to have a much-needed reset! There are three main types of fasting: full fasting, which involves consuming only water for several days; intermittent fasting, where eating is limited to specific time windows each day; and mono-diet fasting, where only one type of food is consumed for a period of time.
• Juicing: Like I mentioned earlier, juicing is a wonderful way to flood your body with anti-inflammatory nutrients while giving your digestive system a rest. It’s a win-win that can do wonders for supporting your immune system!
• Colonics: For some, colonics can help flush out toxins from the colon, which may help reduce inflammatory markers and give you a fresh start.

The Power of Meditation

Sometimes, calming your mind is just as crucial as calming your body. Meditation is a fantastic tool for lowering stress, and we all know that less stress means less inflammation. Regular meditation can help you feel more centered, reduce the inflammatory response, and give your body the peace it needs to heal.

• Deep breathing exercises are another simple way to relax and lower stress. Just a few minutes of focused breathing can make a big difference in how your body handles inflammation.

Yoga & Qigong

Yoga isn’t just about bending into tricky poses—it’s about finding balance and healing from the inside out. Regular yoga practice lowers stress hormones, increases circulation, and helps your body detoxify, which all work together to lower inflammation levels. Plus, those gentle stretches can ease joint pain and improve mobility, making yoga a great option for anyone dealing with arthritis or inflammation-related conditions.

If yoga isn’t your thing, you might want to give Qigong a try. Qigong, an ancient Chinese practice combining gentle movements, breath control, and meditation, promotes the flow of energy (Qi) in the body, helping to reduce stress and inflammation while enhancing overall well-being.

Achieving Balance With an Anti-Inflammatory Lifestyle

Knowing how to lower inflammation can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to start. However, with just a few mindful changes to your diet and lifestyle, you can start to reduce your body’s inflammatory response and protect yourself from further health issues. Focus on establishing a holistic daily routine that includes adding more anti-inflammatory foods to your meals, staying active, managing stress, and prioritizing your gut health.

Start small—maybe throw a handful of antioxidant-rich berries into your morning routine, swap out TV time with a quick meditation, or carve out 30 minutes at the end of your day to get moving. Bit by bit, these small steps will add up to a big impact, leading you to a healthier, happier, and more inflammation-free life.

If you’re looking to take control of your health in a more natural and holistic way, I can help. As a holistic cancer coach, I’ve been working with individuals who want to embrace a balanced, whole-body approach to wellness. I tailor my coaching to each person’s unique needs, helping them navigate everything from nutrition and lifestyle changes to emotional well-being. By focusing on the body’s natural healing processes, I empower my clients to make informed decisions that align with a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.