Chronic inflammation is a painful, frustrating health issue to deal with. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it can also lead to more serious consequences if left untreated for too long. Luckily, there are a few ways to help ease chronic inflammation and keep this issue at bay. This may mean cutting certain foods out of your diet, taking inflammation-fighting supplements, and making changes to your daily habits—including your morning routine.
To learn more about the worst habits for people with chronic inflammation and how to put an end to them, we spoke to holistic nutritionist Kathleen Richardson. Richardson pointed out one major mistake you may be making every morning that can worsen inflammation: eating a heavy breakfast full of processed foods.
Eating a heavy breakfast
If you start each morning with a heaping breakfast complete with bacon, eggs, toast, cereal, and the works, Richardson says you may want to start changing your routine. According to her, this is one of the worst morning habits for chronic inflammation.
It turns out that those delicious, decadent breakfasts could be messing up your body's natural cleansing process. "During the hours of 4 AM-12 PM, the body is in a state of cleansing, following the body's innate connection to the circadian rhythm," Richardson explains. "Disrupting this cleansing process with a heavy breakfast will cause inflammation and not allow the body ample time to cleanse."
Richardson says processed foods and meats like bacon are major breakfast pitfalls when it comes to inflammation. "These foods lack essential nutrients that are often high in fat and cholesterol which takes a toll on the body; inflammation being one of the most recognizable results," she warns. "Long term overconsumption of these foods leads to an increased risk of obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
To avoid inflammation, it's probably best that you eat as little processed, packaged food as possible, but at the very least, you should go in a different direction when it comes to breakfast. It's important to start your day off on the right foot.
So, what are Richardson's suggestions for a healthier morning routine? She says to keep your meal simple and light by choosing fruit or fruit juice for breakfast. Richardson also offers the alternative of fasting in the morning. "Even fasting until 11AM or noon will not only prevent inflammation but it can resolve and lessen current states of inflammation," she says. This short-term fasting is part of a process known as intermittent fasting, which people implement for a range of reasons. According to Richardson, it may be worth a shot if you want to put an end to chronic inflammation.
Ultimately, Richardson says you can trust your body to fight inflammation on its own, as long as you take care of yourself. "The body can heal itself. Inflammation can be prevented and reversed. All we have to do is create the right environment by implementing the right habits," she concludes.
