Metabolic and Mental Health
Here’s How I Defeated Chronic Inflammation via 9 Lifestyle Habits.
Combining them made a ripple effect to sustainably combat chronic inflammation.
Purpose of the Article
The ability to understand the impacts of chronic inflammation on health and find practical ways to manage it through simple lifestyle changes has been a game-changer for me.
Chronic inflammation emerged as a severe health issue in my early 20s. After suffering from the consequences for several years and reviewing the literature for decades, I understand that chronic inflammation is associated with significant diseases as a direct or indirect cause.
Inflammation is a broad topic in medical science and pharmacology. As inflammation touches many aspects of health, the literature is rapidly growing. For example, PubMed includes over 854,000 medical reports on inflammation.
It is difficult for the public to read and digest such a large amount of information on chronic inflammation. Due to its importance, I decided to share the key points based on reviews, observations, and experiences documented in my journals.
This is not a theoretical piece. I summarized my five decades of knowledge and experience with chronic inflammation.
My goal is to pass along my hard-learned lessons concisely without going into scientific details as a case study.
I also briefly share what others do from my observations so that readers can gain insights from the experiences of others.
Paradox of Inflammation
The body induces inflammation to rescue damaged tissues by recruiting plasma proteins and leukocytes to the affected areas. As a result, the affected tissues create an adaptive response.
Understanding this adaptive response (para-inflammation) is crucial because it is responsible for chronic inflammatory conditions fuelled by accumulating oxidative stress.
I see inflammation as paradoxical because a timely and adequate amount is crucial for survival. More importantly, the body cannot heal injuries without inflammation.
However, the body sees it as toxic in large amounts and for extended times. Therefore, chronic inflammation causes complications that destroy the body’s homeostasis in the long run. Inflammation is similar to the sugar paradox.
For example, excess inflammation can damage joints causing pain and deformities, and adversely affect arteries leading to cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke.
In addition, chronic inflammation is a massive risk factor for two critical organs heart and the brain leading to cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders.
Causes, Risk Factors, and Symptoms of Chronic Inflammation
Causes of Chronic Inflammation
National Health Institute (NIH) documented chronic inflammation causes under six categories. I summarize them to understand the reasons for the body gets inflamed chronically.
“1 — Failure to eliminate the agent causing an acute inflammation (e.g., infectious organisms)
2 — Exposure to a low level of irritant or foreign material that the body cannot eliminate with enzymatic breakdown or phagocytosis.
3 — An autoimmune disorder in which the immune system recognizes the normal component of the body as a foreign antigen, attacking healthy tissues.
4 — A defect in the cells responsible for mediating inflammation leading to persistent or recurrent inflammation (e.g., auto-inflammatory disorders)
5 — Recurrent episodes of acute inflammation.
6 — Inflammatory and biochemical inducers causing oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction such as increased production of free radical molecules, advanced glycation products, uric acid crystals, oxidized lipoproteins, and homocysteine.”
Risk Factors for Chronic Inflammation
According to NIH, five major risk factors are associated with chronic inflammation.
They are age, obesity, diet, stress, sleep disorders, smoking, and low sex hormones.
Except for age, all risk factors can be addressed via healthy lifestyle habits and support from qualified healthcare professionals.
Symptoms of Chronic Inflammation
NIH documented six symptoms of chronic inflammation.
“1 — Body pain, arthralgia, myalgia
2 — Chronic fatigue and insomnia
3 — Depression, anxiety, and mood disorders
4 — Gastrointestinal complications like constipation, diarrhea, and acid reflux
5 — Weight gain or weight loss
6 — Frequent infections.”
Measurement of Chronic Inflammation
In the beginning, my family physician ordered a test for C-reactive Protein (CRP), which was over the threshold.
However, family doctors have limited capacity to deal with chronic inflammation as the causes are complex and entangled. Therefore, they refer to specialists.
My first specialist, examining my arthritic situation, ordered and analyzed other tests to validate the indication of CRP. They were erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), plasma viscosity (PV), ferritin, and fibrinogen levels.
Even though ferritin and fibrinogen are used for different purposes, the levels tend to increase with the amount of inflammation in the body. So, they are used as indicators for specialists to diagnose chronic inflammation.
I had to repeat tests multiple times as the specialist believed they might be falsely positive or negative.
A Brief Introduction to My Situation with Chronic Inflammation
In my early twenties, I started feeling lower and upper back pain. However, I did not take it seriously and tried to numb it with over-counter painkillers.
After a while, the efficiency of tablets lowered, so I sought support from family doctors. During initial consultations, they gave me heavier painkillers and anti-inflammatory medication, which I did not know their purpose.
As the problem persisted, after a few years, one of the medical doctors referred me to a rheumatologist who gave me the bad news. It was rheumatoid arthritis which is an autoimmune disease.
The rheumatologist prescribed even heavier painkillers and anti-inflammatory tablets that I needed to take every day.
Disappointingly, he informed me that this was a lifetime disease, and I had to learn how to cope with it. He offered more potent anti-inflammatory injections if the pain would get unmanageable. I did not want to live with injections.
I intuitively knew that the human body could heal if we optimized our health. So I started researching by triangulating.
First, I started reviewing the medical literature, starting from the oldest papers and comparing them with the new ones. In parallel, I reviewed anecdotal cases and success stories in health communities.
Within a year, I gained significant knowledge and insights into dealing with chronic inflammation. Thus, inspired by supportive community members, I decided to experiment sensibly.
In hindsight, my chronic inflammation was caused by nutritional deficiencies, overeating, inflammatory foods, poor sleep, and wrong workouts causing chronic stress in the body.
I summarized my protocols under the following nine headings by explaining the reasons briefly. Since they are comprehensive, I linked previous articles that detailed each point for interested readers.
Using these protocols, I defeated chronic inflammation, which removed symptoms of arthritis that never came back gratefully. When my rheumatologist checked last time and noticed the reversal of arthritis signs, he characterized my situation as unusual, which delighted me.
1 — Cutting Refined Carbs and Increasing Healthy Fats
When researching the literature, I noticed that diet played a crucial role in the accumulation of inflammation in the body.
The first key finding was the harmful effects of refined carbs and sugary drinks, including fructose. One of the reasons for my inflammation was Vitamin D deficiency on those days. Dietary fructose, unfortunately, causes Vitamin D deficiency.
The second finding was the importance of healthy fats. After overcoming my fat phobia and fear of cholesterol, I replaced carbs with healthy fats for energy.
I documented my experience in this article titled Here’s What Happened When I Replaced Carbs with Healthy Fats for Two Decades.
I also documented my fat-consumption regimen in a story titled Eating 200g Fats Daily for Decades Helps Me Thrive.
Regrettably, not eating fish or supplementing with fish oil caused a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids, potent anti-inflammatory agents. I explained the necessity of omega-3 fatty acids for the body and brain.
After many years in high-fat diets, paradoxically, my cholesterol profile got better, as explained in this article titled Cholesterol Paradox and How It Impacted My Health Positively.
This simple switch made a significant impact on defeating chronic inflammation. I explain the contributions of the fat-adapted body to beating chronic inflammation in sections six and seven.
2 — Fixing Nutritional Deficiencies
A stringent plant-based diet was one of the major causes of nutritional deficiency. The most prominent ones were Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, choline, omega-3 fatty acids, and Vitamin K2 affecting calcium metabolism.
Supplementing with magnesium in dietary and dermal format reduced the symptoms. As I explained in the following two articles, magnesium was my most crucial mineral.
By customizing my diet, I resolved nutritional deficiencies. I explained my dietary mistakes in several articles.
3 Nutritional Mistakes Caused My Metabolism to Malfunction, Inducing Fat Gain & Weak Muscles
I also documented the mistakes of a nutritionist friend titled Juliana’s Health Ruined When She Consumed Three Health Foods Excessively.
3 — Reducing Frequent Eating
Understanding the effects of excessive food on inflammation was a no-brainer for me. Frequent eating, like three meals and three snacks, caused serious digestive issues causing more inflammation.
First, cutting snacks, then skipping one meal (especially breakfast) was an excellent start to reducing inflammation. However, I gained more benefits after having a one-meal-eating lifestyle.
In addition, I removed offending foods, such as excessive plants (e.g., lectins), creating allergies, autoimmune reactions, and leaky gut, making me unhealthy.
I read many articles about the benefit of intermittent fasting in the literature. As fasting could reduce inflammation, I tried long-term fasting for up to seven days.
Time-restricted eating and long-term fasting became a game-changer in reducing inflammation and improving my metabolic and mental health.
4 — Improving Sleep and Rest
Chronic stress is one of the root causes of chronic inflammation.
Sleep deprivation was the main reason for my chronic stress, proved by elevated cortisol. When my cortisol levels were high, I couldn’t lose any visceral fat, which caused more inflammation.
Sleep deprivation contributes to insulin resistance and leptin resistance, making the body more inflamed.
Improving sleep quality and getting regular rest reduced chronic stress and contributed to defeating chronic inflammation.
5 — Re-Adjusting Workouts
Exercise is essential for survival and well-being. However, the wrong movement can cause severe problems like cumulative stress leading to chronic inflammation.
One of my exercise mistakes was long-distance running. I shared my experience with replacing long-distance running with HIIT and calisthenics.
I customized my workouts and chose joyful ones like hopping on the trampoline, and reducing inflammation. For example, a trampoline activates the lymphatic system by removing inflammatory toxins from the body.
6 — Slowing Down
As mentioned in the previous three sections, physical and mental stress have contributed to the formation of chronic inflammation.
My solution was to redesign my life, removing unnecessary stressors and giving the body to heal. I needed to slow down to support my body and enjoy life.
I slowed down by eating less, doing better exercises, improving my sleep, having a break every hour at work, working in the flow state, performing mindfulness practices like meditation for tranquility, and improving my relationships with others.
7 — Using the Power of Thermogenesis
Thermogenesis refers to the process of heat regulation in the body. The body tightly regulates temperature. Therefore, exposure to cold and heat can cause severe reactions in the body.
The body can produce healing properties if these reactions are induced methodically and with caution. Both cold and heat therapies can reduce inflammation in various ways.
I explained the process and my experience in an article titled Here Is What Happened When I Experimented with Thermogenesis for Decades.
8 — Entering Ketosis
There is substantial evidence in the literature on the anti-inflammatory effects of ketosis. Therefore, I started with nutritional ketoses, such as a ketogenic diet.
I follow a keto-carnivore eating regimen. Some friends and family members use a keto-vegan diet. Some biased studies allude to red meat as inflammatory, but my experience is just the opposite. Thus, I decided to make keto-carnivore a lifestyle as it gave me many benefits.
I intensified ketosis with time-restricted eating and long-term fasting. In addition, my customized workout regimen contributed to entering deep ketosis. When my body got fat-adapted and produced ketones, inflammation markers significantly dropped.
I documented my experience with ketosis in an article titled Why and How to Enter Ketosis via Lifestyle Choices. As a by-product, BHP improved my BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor), improving my mental health.
9 — Initiating Autophagy
I left this item to the end, as the items in previous sections contributed to initiating autophagy. I learned about autophagy in the mid-1980s by reviewing two decades of research in the literature.
I experimentally explored autophagy with fasting intermittently. Then, when I noticed the benefits, I tried long-term fasting. First, I started with cutting snacks. Then, I skipped one meal, particularly breakfast. And later, I removed lunch.
Customized workouts and thermogenesis through cold and heat exposure significantly contributed to autophagy removing harmful pathogens and toxins causing inflammation.
As autophagy is a broad topic, I documented my experience in another article titled Here Is What Happened When I Experimentally Initiated Autophagy Decades Ago.
What I Learned from the Experiences of Others
We are all different, and one thing is working a person cannot work for others. However, I noticed many common points with others who successfully defeated chronic inflammation.
Some friends, such as Maggie, who were overweight or obese and experiencing metabolic syndrome, defeated their chronic inflammation by losing substantial visceral fat. Studies indicate that visceral fat secretes inflammatory mediators such as adipokines.
A few heavy smokers reduced inflammation by quitting cigarette smoking. They mentioned that toxins in cigarette smoke lowered the production of anti-inflammatory molecules. Therefore, their bodies got inflamed.
Some sedentary friends have reduced inflammation by getting more active by walking, joining a gym, or a health center for swimming and other joyful activities.
Some people have lowered inflammation by fixing their sex hormones, such as testosterone and estrogen. They mentioned that optimizing these hormones suppressed the production and secretion of inflammatory cytokines.
Most people in my circles lowered inflammation improving their sleep and reducing chronic stress.
Some people mentioned increasing anti-inflammatory food in their diets. A few said that they used supplements such as turmeric.
I shared a story of a friend who defeated arthritis and improved his life satisfaction. After Defeating Arthritis Pain, Shane Lost Visceral Fat and Gained Lean Muscles in Five Steps.
Another friend whose body was inflamed defeated leaky gut: Anna Shed 50 Pounds After Fixing Leaky Gut in Five Steps.
Conclusions and Takeaways
Chronic inflammation is a serious health condition causing numerous diseases directly or indirectly.
Understanding the impact and implications of chronic inflammation on health and learning practical ways to manage it with simple lifestyle changes can be a game-changer for anyone.
Each lifestyle element, like diet, exercise, sleep, and rest, has different effects on reducing inflammation. But, for me, a combination of them made a ripple effect.
The takeaway point from my article is dealing with chronic stress requires a holistic approach to health and well-being.
The critical point to lower chronic inflammation is to reduce inflammatory causes and increase anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Our healthy lifestyle approaches can contribute to this two-pronged approach.
Defeating my chronic inflammation was the best achievement in my health journey, improving my well-being and life satisfaction.
In addition, living pain-free and not depending on painkillers and anti-inflammatory medication increased the quality of my life.
As chronic inflammation is a severe health condition, seeking support from qualified healthcare professionals is vital. Our health is our responsibility.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a happy and healthy life.
If you find this article helpful, you might check my relevant health and well-being stories reflecting on my reviews, observations, and decades of sensible experiments.
Here’s How I Got Healthier and Smoother Skin via 5 Lifestyle and Holistic Health Methods.
Here’s How a Mature-Age Couple Reversed Diabetes and Trimmed Their Bodies with Lifestyle Habits.
Here’s How I Defeated Brain Fog with Six Lifestyle Habits Decades Ago.
As a new reader, you might check my holistic health and well-being stories reflecting on my reviews, observations, and decades of sensible experiments. I write about health as it matters. I believe health is all about homeostasis.
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