Inflammation has a reputation problem. We hear it described as the root of every modern illness, and we’re sold anti-inflammatory everything. The reality is more interesting, and more hopeful.
Inflammation is one of your body’s most important tools. The question isn’t how to eliminate it. It is how to help your body switch it off when the job is done.
Two kinds of inflammation
Acute inflammation is fast, local and purposeful. You cut your finger, and the area turns red, warm and swollen as immune cells arrive to fight infection and start repairs. Within days it resolves. This is inflammation working exactly as it should.
Chronic low-grade inflammation is different. It is quieter, more widespread and more persistent. It doesn’t announce itself with a single dramatic symptom. Instead, it tends to show up as a collection of vague complaints that are easy to dismiss one at a time.
How it can feel
- Stiff or achy joints without an injury
- Puffiness in the face, hands or ankles
- Fatigue that sleep doesn’t touch
- A heavy, foggy head and trouble concentrating
- Skin that flares, itches or reacts easily
- A growing number of foods that don’t sit well
- Low mood or irritability without a clear reason
None of these proves inflammation is present, and all of them have other possible causes worth ruling out with your doctor. But when several appear together and persist, low-grade inflammation is often part of the story.
What keeps the fire burning
In my experience there is rarely one cause. It is usually several smaller contributors adding up.
A stressed nervous system
Long-term stress keeps the body in a mobilized state that primes the immune system. Stress hormones are meant to regulate inflammation in the short term, but when they are elevated for too long, the body can become less responsive to them.
A strained gut
A large share of the immune system sits along the digestive tract. When digestion is incomplete and the gut lining is under pressure, the immune system is exposed to more than it should be, and it responds.
Blood sugar swings
Repeated spikes and crashes in blood sugar are a stress on the body. Meals that are heavy in refined carbohydrates and light on protein, fat and fiber make those swings more likely.
Poor sleep
Much of the body’s repair happens during sleep. Short or broken sleep leaves less time for that work.
Too little of what helps resolve inflammation
Colorful plants, quality fats, adequate protein and minerals all play a part in helping the body resolve inflammation. A diet heavy in ultra-processed food tends to fall short on all of them.
Gentle ways to lower the load
Because inflammation usually has several contributors, the most effective approach addresses several at once, gently.
- Steady your blood sugar. Include protein and some fat with every meal, and don’t rely on sugar or caffeine to get through the afternoon.
- Eat the rainbow, gradually. Add color before you take things away. More variety in plants means more variety in the compounds that support resolution.
- Protect your sleep. Keep regular sleep and wake times, get morning light, and give yourself a slower evening.
- Calm your nervous system daily. Even a few minutes of slow breathing, time outdoors or gentle movement makes a difference over time.
- Support your digestion. Eat in a calmer state, chew thoroughly, and pay attention to which foods reliably feel good.
- Move, but don’t punish. Regular, enjoyable movement helps. Exhausting workouts on top of an already stressed system may not.
Why the list of problem foods keeps growing
If you have been cutting out food after food and still react, it may be time to look beyond the foods. Often, the state of the system receiving the food matters more than the food itself. Lowering the overall inflammatory load, calming the nervous system and supporting the gut can make it possible to widen your diet again, rather than keep narrowing it.
Where to begin
You don’t need to do everything at once. In fact, trying to can itself be stressful. Pick one or two changes that feel manageable, give them a few weeks, and build from there.
If you’d like help understanding what is driving your own symptoms, read more about inflammation and food sensitivities, or request an appointment.
This article is for education and is not medical advice. Maria is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, not a physician. If you have symptoms that worry you, please talk with your medical provider.
Maria Zilka, NTP
Maria has practiced nutritional therapy for more than fifteen years. Her work centers on the nervous system, digestion and chronic inflammation. She sees clients in person in Beaverton, Oregon, and by secure video. More about Maria
