Steps To Fight Inflammation

 1. Stop smoking. Smoking hardens the arteries and increase inflammation. But research shows you can reverse all the damaging effects to your arteries within 10 years of quitting.

2. Think olive oil, fish, and nuts. People who stick with a Mediterranean-style diet based on fruits, vegetables, nuts, and olive oil can lower their levels of inflammation. It works by increasing the amount of foods you eat that are rich in omega-3 fats, which fight inflammation.

3. Get active. Exercise a great way to lower inflammation without any of the side effects associated with medications.

4. Shrink your waist size. If you're a woman with a waist measurement of over 35 inches or a man with a waist of over 40 inches, you probably have high inflammation. Whittling a few inches off the waist by reducing your portions and increasing activity can go a long way toward solving that problem.

5. Get enough sleep. A new study shows that elderly people with high blood pressure who sleep less than 7.5 hours a night have dramatically elevated chances of having a stroke or heart attack. Other research has shown that both too little and too much sleep increases inflammation. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine says most adults need between seven and eight hours of sleep each night.

6. Reduce stress. High levels of stress hormones can lead to the release of excess inflammatory chemicals.

In addition to the six excellent recommendations in the article above, and avoiding the dietary hazards just mentioned, here are a few more recommendations that can have a profound impact on reducing inflammation in your body and reducing your risk of heart disease.

1. One of the most important steps in lowering your heart disease risk is to take a high-quality krill oil that is chock full of beneficial omega-3 fats.
2. Make sure you’re eating the right foods for your body’s unique nutritional type.
3. Optimize your insulin levels. If your fasting insulin level is not lower than three consider limiting or eliminating your intake of grains and sugars until you optimize your insulin level.
4. Make sure your vitamin D levels are optimized. Most people are not aware that vitamin D can have a profoundly dramatic impact on normalizing blood pressure and lowering your risk for heart disease.

Your best source of vitamin D is through your skin being exposed to the sun. In the wintertime, however, you may need to take an oral supplement. Just make sure you’re taking the right form of vitamin D in the appropriate amounts to reap the benefits, and remember to get your vitamin D levels tested regularly.

You should also focus on your diet to reduce the inflammation in your body, which is aggravated by:

* Oxidized cholesterol (cholesterol that has gone rancid, such as that from overcooked, scrambled eggs)
* Eating lots of sugar and grains
* Eating foods cooked at high temperatures
* Eating trans fats


Sources:
U.S. News & World Report November 11, 2008

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