HRTstudent

What are the top 5 or 10 things that everyone can do to decrease inflammation?



Not in any one particular order:

• Optimize nutrition - including eating a high nutrient density diet like a traditional diet.
• Getting a good night sleep.
• Regular exercise. Three hours a week is plenty.
• Activities which reprogram brain structure and circuitry to reduce stress and inflammation - including meditation, yoga, tai-chi, mindfulness therapy, etc.
• Psychotherapy when needed to modify one's belief system so it matches reality, improve one's skills in managing distress, relationships, problem solving, and self-nurturing skills.
• Avoid alcohol - which causes significant inflammation with only one drink.
• Avoid becoming addicted to substances. This means you have underdeveloped life skills and have to use something as a crutch. Develop more effective skills instead to cope with one's problems.
• Learn the definition of love: Love is the will to extend oneself to nurture the the spiritual growth of one's self or another (from The Road Less Traveled). And act on it. Learn to take care of others, not just yourself.
• Avoid contempt, personal criticism, anger and aggression. Develop more effective skills to manage distress. Anger increases inflammation tremendously. Contempt destroys relationships. Learn to be more accepting of others as they are.
• Engage in spiritual activity - not necessarily organized religion. If you don't believe in God, practice Buddhism. Without a belief in something more than this life, everything hurts more, there is no postponed gratification, one's worth as one ages deteriorates to nothing, and life isn't as worthwhile or beautiful.

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The most important aspect of nutrition is achieving a high nutrient density diet. This means more nutrients per calorie. I usually refer people to read a book called "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon as a starting point for improving nutritional status.




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A very low carb diet is useful for the weight loss induction phase of the Atkins Diet.

However, in the long run, humans are omnivores. Carbohydrates are important too. Even in the Atkins Diet, it gradually introduces carbohydrates back until one is at a caloric intake where one can maintain the target weight.

A very low carb diet also may impair the ability to absorb certain nutrients - such as certain amino acids like tryptophan.

And it may affect a person's gut probiotic bacteria negatively since they too will be forced on a low carb diet. Humans are also symbiotic organisms. A person needs to keep their probiotic bacteria healthy as well.