Tired, Anxious, Depressed? Why? The answer may surprise you.

Let's talk about inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation isn't always perceived in the body as aches and pains. Sometimes systemic causing a wide range of symptoms besides pain, including fatigue, depression, anxiety, gastrointestinal complications (diarrhea or constipation), weight gain, weight loss and persistent infections.

Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is not something we think about on a regular basis. Often we pop a pill when something hurts or is swollen and that solves the problem for a few hours. Sometimes it's not a pain that we feel but a feeling of uneasiness or depletion. Over time, chronic inflammation can contribute to serious conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, heart disease, celiac disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, to name a few.

What Can Be Done to Reduce Chronic Inflammation?

Sleep: Get 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night. During sleep, the immune system releases the protein cytokines that reduce inflammation and fight infections. Simply put, good sleep makes you feel better.
Diet: Reduce consumption of sugars, processed and fried foods and increase consumption of healthy foods. Vegetables, especially leafy greens, tomatoes, blueberries, and nuts such as walnuts and almonds, have anti-inflammatory properties.
Drink Water: Sounds easy but, most people do not drink enough water. How much should you drink? Take your weight and divide it by half. That is your goal for how many ounces of water you should drink in a day. So if you weigh 180 it's 90ounces a day or 9, 10oz classes of water. And no, the ice in your soda does not count as water intake. lol
Exercise: Schedule a daily moderate exercise like a 20-minute walk preferably in nature. This not only gets your heart rate up but it activates your lymphatic system. The lymphatic system plays a vital role in immune support.
Relaxation: Reducing chronic stress is very important to inflammation reduction and overall wellbeing. Take time each day for self care. Deep breathing, yoga or stretching, massage, spending time with your pet, or in nature and meditation are ways to lower anxiety and boost your mood.
Manual Lymphatic Drainage: Manual Lymphatic Drainage has become popular due to its potential health benefits. This specialized approach focuses on the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system. This type of massage aims to help the body maintain proper blood circulation, body fluid balance, and immune functions. The lymphatic system thereby contributes to the decrease of inflammatory response. In cases of chronic inflammation, lymphatic vessels help to resolve proinflammatory cells from the site of inflammation.

One Step at a Time

These are just a few of the changes that can be made to reduce chronic inflammation in the body. This may seem overwhelming and time-consuming, but they don’t have to be done all at once. Choose one area to focus on every week or every month. If you slip and revert to old habits for a day or two, start again. The goal is to develop good habits that will improve your quality of life for the rest of your life. It’s an investment worth making.

What is Manual Lymphatic Drainage? Learn more

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Do you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, heart disease, celiac disease, cancer or Alzheimer’s? Or perhaps you are struggling with Anxiety, Depression or Lethargy? Ready to try a natural approach to inflammation? Perhaps Manual Lymphatic Drainage can help reduce your symptoms and improve your quality of life.