This post is sponsored by MegaFood®. All opinions, as always, are my own.

There is so much talk about inflammation these days. What is it? Inflammation is the body’s natural response to outside stress like infection, illness, or injury. In this sense, it’s a healthy and necessary immune response. In fact, it’s inflammation that helps your body heal when it’s down.

When your body is healed, the inflammation should stop. This is a healthy inflammation response and what we all should strive for.

Is there anything we can do to help maintain this healthy inflammation response? Of course! It’s all through diet and smart lifestyle choices. These five tips can help you support a healthy inflammation response.*

5 Tips for Promoting Healthy Inflammation

1. Eat Anti-Inflammatory Foods

The number one thing I recommend is to eat foods that naturally fight inflammation! Try to include as many anti-inflammatory foods in your diet as you can on a daily basis.

Foods that make the anti-inflammatory food list are: broccoli, leafy greens, bok choy, berries, pineapple, beets, turmeric, ginger, walnuts, celery, flax seeds, chia seeds and garlic. An efficient way to get your fix of these foods is by serving them up via smoothies, juices, shots, teas, broths, seltzers and more.

2. Take a Supplement to Promote a Positive Inflammatory Response*

Turmeric is a popular spice that can help support a healthy inflammatory response,* but it’s not as easy to work into your regular diet. For the last two years, I’ve been taking a turmeric supplement from MegaFood to help me get an appropriate amount of turmeric in my system every single day.

MegaFood recently came out with Turmeric Inflammation Response* Gummies! A delicious gummy that helps support a healthy inflammatory response in the body?* YES, please!! These have come in handy when I’m on the go. I just pop two in my mouth and I’m all set for the day.In addition to organic turmeric, the gummies also include organic black pepper extract to support the absorption of curcuminoids*, as well as organic carrot and organic ginger, both a natural source of phytonutrients.*

These are a perfect choice for anyone who doesn’t like swallowing pills as they are TASTY and chewable!!

3. Avoid Inflammatory Foods

Besides fitting anti-inflammatory foods into your diet, it’s important to avoid those that can trigger inflammation in the body. You’ll want to dodge foods with casein (a protein found in dairy), limit sugar, avoid trans fats and stay away from refined carbohydrates. Check out this comprehensive list of list of foods to avoid to help your body have less inflammation.

4. Exercise Regularly

Exercise has been found to have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body. Even small, 20-minute bursts of physical activity can help. Do your best to make exercise, even if you don’t have time for hours at the gym, a part of your regular routine. (source)

5. Manage Your Stress

Stress has also been found to trigger an inflammatory response in the body. Yikes. Find ways to manage your stress so that it doesn’t get the best of you. My best suggestions are to schedule down time, meditate and keep a journal. ALL of these have helped me when I’m feeling especially stressed.

Remember that controlling inflammation in our body is a long-term process. By incorporating these tips on the daily, a healthy lifestyle will become more natural.

P.S. – My cookbook, Anti-Inflammatory Drinks for Health, is coming out in February and will help you get even more of these anti-inflammatory foods into your diet! (You can preorder it right here!) 

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.