We’ve spent three weeks building the foundation what inflammation is, what it feels like, and what myths get in the way. This week we finally get to the part you’ve been waiting for.
What actually lowers it.
The honest answer is that there’s no single magic fix. But there is a clear framework, and the research behind it is more consistent than most wellness content lets on.
The four things that move the needle in order
1. Sleep
I know, I know. You’ve heard this before. But I can’t say it enough because it’s genuinely the most underrated anti-inflammatory tool most of us have access to.
A single night of fewer than 6 hours of sleep measurably elevates inflammatory markers. One night. Chronically poor sleep keeps that elevation going and makes everything else you try less effective.
Before you change your diet, before you buy a supplement ask honestly: how is your sleep? If it’s the weak link, it’s your highest-leverage starting point.
2. Diet pattern
Not a specific named diet. A pattern. The foods that show up consistently in the research are: fatty fish at least twice a week, extra virgin olive oil as your main fat, lots of vegetables and legumes, berries regularly, and as little ultra-processed food as you can manage.
What you take out matters just as much as what you add in. Refined seed oils, highly processed foods, excess sugar, and alcohol all actively promote inflammation. You can’t add enough salmon to cancel those out.
3. Consistent movement
You don’t need to train hard. You need to move consistently. Thirty minutes of moderate exercise most days has direct, measurable anti-inflammatory effects and that includes walking.
One of my favourite practical habits: a short walk after meals. Even 10 minutes blunts the blood sugar spike that follows eating, which directly reduces inflammatory signaling. Simple, free, and genuinely effective.
4. Stress regulation
Chronic stress keeps your body in a low-level fight-or-flight state. That state is inflammatory. Managing stress isn’t soft or optional; it has a direct physiological effect on your inflammatory load.
This doesn’t have to mean meditation if that’s not your thing. It means building in genuine recovery time and taking your nervous system’s needs as seriously as your nutritional ones.
Three things you can do this week:
1. Audit your sleep with one question. Do you wake up feeling restored? If the answer is consistently no, sleep is your starting point before anything else. Pick one sleep habit to protect this week and treat it as non-negotiable.
2. Add a walk after dinner. Even 10 minutes. This single habit blunts blood sugar spikes, supports digestion, and adds up to meaningful daily movement without requiring a gym or a schedule overhaul.
3. Name your biggest pro-inflammatory habit. Not to fix it overnight just to see it clearly. Is it the sleep you’re sacrificing? The meals you’re skipping and then rushing? The evenings spent stressed rather than recovering? Naming it is the first step.
Schedule a free chat to learn more.
P.S. The paid tier on Substack this week has a personalised lowering-inflammation protocol matched to your specific symptom pattern. If you’ve been following along, that’s where it all comes together: Join Me On Substack