A fantastic healthy book – she practices an anti inflammatory lifestyle.
1. Embrace a healthy food culture
This means eating more colourful veggies, more probiotic foods and more omega 3 rich foods such as nuts or seafood. It also means eating less sugar, gluten and trans fats. Another observation is that the healthy foods serve us best well digested and absorbed.
This is where the ritual of food comes in. Lovingly cooking food, setting a proper table, sitting down, chewing well is equally important. Tip: try to cook one proper healthy meal a day with a proper sit-down and mindful eating.
2. Move, move, move
Research shows aerobic exercise actually lowers inflammatory markers – a combination of aerobic and muscular work also lowers inflammation. Tip: Exercise every day, even if it is only a rapid walk. Each bout of exercise helps.
3. Sit with stillness
Try walks, embracing regular breaks cuts the stress hormone cortisol which can deregulate the immune system. Daily short pauses with deep breathing, thankfulness lists, yoga, and mindfulness. And a good night’s sleep. Tip: Try being in bed no later than 10.30 pm, to enjoy the cortisol dip at 11 pm. Add a small late afternoon rest of 5-10 min of meditation, deep breathing, yoga.
4. Enjoy your awe
Strong positive emotions like awe can actually lower inflammatory markers in saliva. Whether you spend time in beautiful nature, with awe inspiring music, great art or if you are doing things in your community for others, or being spiritual or doing charitable deeds- you can be healing yourself.
Offering yourself for the greater good can thus lower inflammatory markers. Concrete tip: Make a playlist that gives you some proper goose bumps. Spend time every day in nature, with that music in your ears. Do something for the greater good, whether at a charity, or event once a week.
Food swaps:
- Change normal bread into rice cakes or sourdough, as they contain lower amounts of gluten.
- Change mangoes and bananas into berries and apples, as they have lower sugar content.
- Change industrial cookies into a pear and some nuts, to get rid of trans fats.
- Change “all fruit smoothies” into smoothies with nut milks, nuts, berries and vegan protein powder, to lower the glycemic index.
- Change proportions on your plate, from small amounts of veggies, to half a plate full of veggies to increase the amount of antioxidants.
- Change from normal butter to organic butter, as the organic butter contains more omega 3.
- Change from a morning juice and toast brekkie to eggs and sautéed veggies brekkie, to lower the glycemic index, lower gluten and increase antioxidants and proteins.
- Change from milk and cereal to full fat Greek yoghurt with nuts and berries, for a breakfast with a lower glycemic index and higher nutritional content.
- Change from beer to Kombucha (probiotics), fermented Kefir water or sometimes Pinot Noir red wine, to increase polyphenol content. But in moderation.
- Change from not eating fermented foods to making them your best friend. An egg cup a day of sauerkraut – why not?