9 Simple Ways to Reduce Inflammation and Start Feeling Your Best

Prioritize Sleep

Your body repairs itself while sleeping, including regulating and reducing low-grade inflammation. For example, think of a time when your stomach felt swollen and bloated (perhaps from eating a large dinner close to bedtime), but when you woke up, it was back to feeling normal. What you were experiencing was likely an inflammatory response to the food that your body was able to reduce overnight.

"When our sleep becomes restricted through daily sleep deprivation, genes that are associated with chronic inflammation are upregulated [or increased]," says Rachel Swanson, MS, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist based out of Beverly Hills and Manhattan. Swanson advises aiming for at least seven hours of sleep a night for optimal rejuvenation.

Exercise Regularly

There are endless reasons to move your body throughout the day, but engaging in exercise is one of the most significant lifestyle choices you can make to reduce chronic inflammation. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce something called C-reactive protein (or CRP), a biomarker involved in our body's inflammatory cascade, explains Swanson.

Follow the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommended guidelines of 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise each week—but don't over-train, or it can have the opposite effect.

"It's possible to have too much of a good thing; those who exercise excessively impose significant stress on their bodies [and can cause more inflammation]," Swanson notes.

Eat Anti-Inflammatory Foods

The foods you put into your body have a major impact on its inflammatory response. A diet full of inflammatory foods often contributes to low-grade inflammation, which can lead to chronic inflammation, and eventually to disease, says Amanda Baker Lemein, MS, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian in Chicago.

Here are a few tips for reducing inflammation with your diet. (Note: Certain foods may cause inflammation in some people more than others due to individual genetic makeup.)

• Incorporate more meat-free meals. Focus on plant-based proteins, such as beans, nuts, legumes, seeds, and tofu—each is inherently lean and rich in micronutrients, which may aid in decreasing the effects of inflammatory foods (such as red meat), says Baker Lemein.
• Avoid added sugars and heavily processed foods. Excess sugar in the diet—mostly from added or artificial sugars vs. natural sugars found organically in foods—is connected with several inflammatory responses in the body. Avoid sugary packaged foods and sweets and instead focus on beneficial foods such as cruciferous vegetables (like cauliflower). These contain glucosinate-derived bioactive compounds, such as sulforaphane, which activate detoxification processes and anti-inflammatory responses, explains Swanson.
• Balance fats. You don't necessarily have to avoid high-fat foods altogether, as the type of fat is much more important than the amount of fat. For example, foods packed with omega-3s—like fish, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, or hemp seeds—are high in fat but are also rich in anti-inflammatory fatty acids, Baker Lemein says.
• Increase fiber intake. Eating high-fiber food is beneficial for various reasons. "Not only does fiber help keep everyone regular, but it also aids in trapping other pro-inflammatory factors, including excess fat, cholesterol, and sugar, and works to usher them out of the body," Baker Lemein explains.

Drink Green Tea

While drinking tea can benefit heart health and is relaxing, green tea may positively affect inflammation. Studies have shown that drinking green tea is beneficial against inflammatory diseases. Green tea has also been shown to lower C-reactive protein levels.

Cook With Spices

Cooking with certain spices doesn't just add flavor to your food, it may also help with inflammation. Studies have shown that adding a blend of spices to food can target inflammation. Spices considered to have anti-inflammatory characteristics include turmeric, oregano, ginger, garlic, rosemary, cinnamon, and cumin. 

Mind Your Mental Health

Taking time to center yourself and practice simple forms of self-care can go a long way toward reducing systemic inflammation, too. "Stress isn't purely psychological," Swanson says. It can also have a physiological impact.

Acute stressors (like being stuck in a traffic jam or getting into an argument with your spouse) can increase inflammation levels in your body—even more so if you're already suffering from low self-esteem, low self-compassion, or depression. Swanson recommends meditating regularly (even for just a few minutes each time) to reduce stress levels and lower inflammation.

Use the Sauna

There are many sauna health benefits—beyond relaxation. A growing body of research suggests that regular sauna sessions could help prevent both acute and chronic diseases through a variety of biological mechanisms, one of which is reducing inflammation, Swanson says.

Regular sweat sessions have been associated with a reduction in circulating levels of inflammatory markers, including fibrinogen and leukocytes (white blood cells), adds Swanson. Many gym facilities offer access to a dry sauna, making it a convenient way to squeeze in a session post-workout (you can even use your time inside to stretch sore muscles or meditate).

Quit Smoking

It's common knowledge that smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products negatively affects your health. But smoking specifically has been shown to increase inflammation levels in the body when comparing smokers to people who have never smoked. And previous smokers who quit have lower levels of inflammation than individuals currently smoking.

Limit Alcohol

Like tobacco, excessive alcohol consumption also negatively affects our health. Specifically, alcohol increases inflammation in the intestines, leading to an inflammatory response in the body that can aggravate organ damage initially caused by alcohol. (It's an ongoing cycle.)

Additionally, studies show that consistently consuming large amounts of alcohol can generate inflammation throughout the entire body, even if it begins in the gut. That's why limiting alcohol intake can be beneficial for inflammation (and your overall health).