How 5 Things can Reduce Inflammation to Help you Become Healthier and Lean

I have been thinking a lot about inflammation lately - because I have a lot of it going on within my body.

Endometriosis isn't an easy thing to deal with, couple that with fibroids and a bladder fused to my cervix - you can imagine all of that is a recipe for inflammatory disaster.

Two weeks of every month, I feel like I have been weight lifting a bus. 

I'm tired, can't sleep, yet need more sleep, lacking energy and am extremely uncomfortable.

I'm having a hysterectomy next week - I actually can't wait, although I'm dreading it. 

I've already had two laparoscopies to clear out endo, and I know the extent of recovery. But I'm adding a hysterectomy to the mix. 

This is the last time the surgeon will see me for abdominal surgery.

I don't have control of the outcome, but I have control of what I eat beforehand, the supplements I can take and of course, my mindset. 

This is what I've been working on for the past few months. It's essential to prepare your body for any surgery, as well as your mind.

At the moment, inflammation is at its highest levels, and I have managed to control it somewhat, but the results will show after I start resuming life after the procedure.

If you are fighting inflammation, it's essential to tweak your diet, activity levels and lifestyle to lead a pain-free life and recover from any ailments. 

Here are some great tips for my condition and training, which work well.

One: Use nutrition to help combat inflammation in your body, as well as for exercise recovery.

Weights and any other kind of training increase your rate of inflammation. 

Unfortunately, this can make you a lot more susceptible to injury. 

Inflammation is a natural response to intense exercise, especially fast and extreme movements like plyometrics.

Inflammation usually disappears between 24 and 72 hours after you train.

A great way to decrease recovery time is to use nutrition as your most reliable strategy. 

Certain foods like tart cherries help to accelerate recovery from exercise.

This might be a bit hard to find (although you can try a supplement variety). 

Natural foods such as leafy greens, eggs, almonds, walnuts and even coffee can help. Use spices like turmeric and cinnamon in your cooking regularly.

Two: Increase your consumption of omega 3

You don't have to eat fish for this one, but a good fish oil supplement is excellent for reducing inflammation. 

It will also help to boost your immune system. 

I happen to use a powerful krill oil supplement, and I have noticed a reduction in the stiffness of my muscles and joints. 

This is very important for me, as my pelvis's discomfort makes it hard to exercise correctly. It's also an excellent help for PMS.

Three: Eat Berries regularly

I find it very hard to get any berries and stick with the frozen variety in my smoothies. 

These berries help fight inflammation and give you a boost of antioxidants. 

Berries also can lower oxidative stress, which significantly contributes to heart health and ageing.

Raspberries are said to be one of the best berry choices because they have many antioxidants called ellagitannins.

This is a great one to have post-surgery, as it helps heal damaged tissue and wounds.

I'll be adding a lot more raspberries to my daily nutrition strategy.

Four: Try going gluten-free

I know this is hard for some people - but give it a try.

Wheat, rye and gluten can increase inflammation for a lot of people. 

You may not necessarily know it's happening to you. 

But, try this experiment. Go gluten-free for 30 days and see if it makes a difference to your body and how your joints feel.

Five: Add more zinc-rich foods into your life

It's a good idea to have optimal levels of zinc because it does help the immune system and heals wounds while fighting inflammation.

I don't eat animal protein and fill my food intake with many rich plant-based alternatives. 

They include:

• Almonds,
• Sunflower seeds
• Oatmeal
• Pumpin seeds.

If you don't like eating any of these, a supplement may be an alternative. But with anything, it is best to get the most nutrient value from the food you eat every single day.

You will be stunned as to how different your body will feel after altering your nutrition or adding some essential supplements into your life. 

If you, too, are preparing for surgery or recovering from an illness or injury, you may not have given your body the necessary preparation time before the main event. 

Although you can't plan an injury, it's a smart strategy to increase your body's level of resistance by making simple and very effective nutritional choices.

I highly recommend you make it a top priority to decrease inflammation - and that doesn't only apply to people that train. 

A lot of external factors causes inflammation. Make it easy for your body to recover from them with these simple tweaks.

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