Quick and Easy Tips to Reducing Inflammation

This past week alone, I have gotten multiple messages from friends asking about ways to essentially reduce inflammation in their bodies. Although the questions weren't exactly phrased that way, they were about joint pain, arthritis from auto immune disease such as Lupus, while others dealt with chronic headaches, and infections that would not go away with treatment. Chronic inflammation in the body can sometimes present itself as common ailments that we have grown accustomed to and for some leads to more serious conditions such as cancers.  According to studies from the Instituto Clinico Humanitas in Milan, Italy,"an inflammatory microenvironment is essential for all cancers". 

You will only gain from reducing inflammation in your body. It makes it hard for diseases to start and thrive when inflammation is non-existent. You may ask, how do you do that? the first answer is very simple:  eat as much anti-inflammatory foods as possible by adopting a plant-based diet free of hormones, pesticides and GMO components and minimizing to eliminating dairy and meat products. However, lifestyle changes takes time and we  can all start small. While we are on our way to this ultimate goal we can start by incorporating some easy anti-inflammatory "habits" into our daily lives and here are my favorites:

1. Spices are your friends: garlic, onions, green onions, thyme, sweet and hot peppers ( Pikliz anyone?), are all very good antiinflammatories that you can incorporate into your foods everyday. If your day is too packed to find the time to break out the mortar to crush spices, make a jar using Nagede's Recipe Here and keep it in your fridge. My jar lasts me a month at a time. 

2. Make a nightly cup of herbal tea: Ginger and Green Tea are great antiinflammatories, imagine if you incorporate these into your nightly ritual!  I recommend the actual ginger roots sold at most supermarkets. Wash them and keep them in your freezer for later use and to reduce waste. To make the tea, grate a thumb or two of ginger into boiling water, sweeten with raw local honey and enjoy.  For green teas, I recommend loose leafs if you can find them, otherwise, the tea bags works just as well. Combine the two for a potent punch of inflammatory dose.

4. Last but not least, take a good anti-inflammatory supplement. Years ago when my hairloss prompted me to research inflammation in depth, I searched high and low to find one supplement that delivered most of the well known inflammatory herbs in one pill. I also was dealing with an inflamed shoulder that bothered me even more when I exercised. I went to the doctor,  and after a few X-Rays, the diagnosis was a "rotator cuff problem" and recommendations included  steroids and "Advil" or a stronger NSAID if I needed. I thanked the physician for his advice and went on my way to do my own research. I found this supplement by New Chapter called Zyflamend Whole Body. I have recommended it to so many, that I actually should be getting paid for it. 

Zyflamend is a herbal approach to pain relief that uses 10 herbs known to reduce inflammation  (Turmeric, Green Tea, Barberry, Ginger, Oregano, Rosemary) as well as herbs from Chinese herbal medicine such as Chinese SkullCap, Hu Zhang, and Chinese Goldthread. It literally combines knowledge from "Indian and Asian wellness regimes" into one convenient pill. 

I started taking Zyflamend and all of a sudden I could lift weights past my shoulder without feeling pain. I recommended it to my coworker and she started seeing the same results. While reading the reviews online, she found that the whole retirement community in Florida are coocoo for cocoa puffs about this pill when it comes to joint pain. 

I wish you luck in your journey to great health and happiness. Remember, it's more gentle on the body and soul to make small changes, and consistency is key. Your journey is yours and yours alone. Drastic lifestyle changes are great for Instagram posts but usually do not last. Lifestyle changes are the goal but the right supplements can be complementary to your diet. 

In love, health and presence of mind 

As you enjoy this blog, always remember these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and not invented to diagnose, treat, cure of prevent any disease. Always consult your physician prior to adopting any new protocol, or supplement. 

Ronnie_Deco