Too much inflammation in the body puts you at risk of various diseases, which makes controlling inflammation an important thing. Chronic stress is one of the major culprits of inflammation.
Not all inflammation is bad for the body. Inflammation comes to your rescue when your body needs to heal a cut, for example, but it should recede once the threat goes away.
The problem starts when the inflammation becomes chronically elevated. You will be surprised to know that inflammation may be responsible for one-quarter of your mortality risk says a UK based research.
While we all must eat an anti-inflammatory diet and avoid triggers like processed food, there are some healthy habits that can also fuel inflammation. Here is a list of six such healthy habits.
Catching up on sleep on the weekend
Though it feels amazing to sleep till late on Saturday morning, the need to sleep is a sign that you are short changing your sleeping time during the week. And sleep loss is one of the biggest factors responsible for low-grade inflammation, say experts.
Sleep is restorative to all the processes in your body including neurotransmitters, hormone production, immunity and digestive health. Your goal must be to have a consistent sleep schedule, which is between seven to nine hours as per the National Sleep Foundation.
Taking supplements when you cannot eat a nutritious meal
You cannot get all the nutrition you need from those vitamin tablets and that is why they are called supplements. Multivitamins only help you fill the nutrient gap and cannot make up for skipped meals and whole foods.
Burning too many calories through exercise
Exercise is like stress on the body. But it’s a good stress, as long as you provide your body with the right kind of fuel and rest.
Over exercising, doing high-intensity workouts daily while not fueling your body properly can lead to inflammation. On the other hand, 20 minutes of moderate exercise can decrease the overall inflammation.
Skipping sweet treats completely
After carbs, sugar is the biggest culprit for our weight and overall health. But a small study in 2018 found that dark chocolate with 70 per cent cocoa can have beneficial effects on stress. Dark chocolate has anti-inflammatory properties ane thus you must consume it.
Waking up too early to exercise
Though early morning may seem like the only time you get to exercise. But because an adequate amount of sleep has numerous health benefits, it’s more important to sleep for given hours than to wake up early and exercise.
But do not become lazy. If you cannot get up early, try taking your dog for a walk, climb stairs instead of taking the lift and walk whenever you find a chance.
Forced relaxation self-care habits
Trying calming exercises are important to calm your stress. But that does not mean you have to do breathing exercises or spend ample time in meditation, even if you do not like it. These practices are surely great but you must not engage in them if you do not enjoy them.
Identify the things that bring you joy in a relaxing and meaningful way.
