#1: Everything that you do (and don’t do) in the morning affects how the rest of the day unfolds, for better or for worse.
#2: Your inflammation levels directly impact #1.
In other words, getting your inflammation game right can go a long way in helping set you up for a happy, productive day. If you prioritize eating right, reducing stress, and getting organized before you head out, for example, you have a much higher chance of feeling balanced and focused all day long.
In this article, we’re going to discuss seven counterproductive habits that create, sustain, and worsen inflammation. We’ll also go over a few steps that you can take to re-calibrate the inflammatory response. Ready? Let’s do this thing!
HABITS THAT CREATE INFLAMMATION
EATING THE WRONG STUFF
“Unhealthy food seems to make the body’s defenses more aggressive … Even long after switching to a healthy diet, inflammation towards innate immune stimulation is more pronounced.” – Dr. Eicke Latz and Dr. Anette ChristDr. Eicke Latz and Dr. Anette Christ
Eating a bunch of processed foods first thing is a surefire way to send your inflammation markers – chemicals that “measure” inflammation levels – into a screaming frenzy. Foods that fall into this dubious category include doughnuts, sugary cereals, cookies, pastries, frozen and boxed food products, and refined foods.
It’s probably just fine to indulge in these things once in a while, but making a habit of it will boost your inflammation. Popular breakfast foods like doughnuts, coffee cake, and pastries offer little in the way of nutrition. As such, we’re depriving ourselves of vital nutrients at a time that our bodies need them most – the morning. (Remember, you just spent the last eight or so hours in a metabolic state similar to fasting!)
Doing breakfast right: Think of and treat your body as the high-performance machine that it’s designed to be. What would you put into the gas tank of a Porsche? Premium fuel, right? Well, your body’s premium fuel is healthy fat, fiber, and protein.
WAKING UP FATIGUED
“Circadian rhythms … regulate our immune system, and with it, our levels of inflammation … We’re more prone to unhealthful inflammation, and more at risk for diseases, including metabolic disease, cancer, and heart disease.” – Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., “The Sleep Doctor” (source)
Struggling to get out of bed in the morning is a probable sign of not getting enough restful sleep. This is bad because pro-inflammatory messengers called cytokines are at elevated levels when sleep loss is a regular occurrence. Worse, this phenomenon can alter the body’s equilibrium state to such an extent that these cytokines remain at high levels during times when the person tries to catch up on sleep. In other words, if sleep deprivation is allowed to continue for an extended period, the body will reverse its natural tendency to act against inflammation during sleep.
Get your beauty sleep: Four great bedtime habits will go a long way to getting your inflammation – and your circadian rhythm – back in check.
First, synchronize your body clock by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, weekends included.
Second, resist the impulse to nap or remain stationary during the day.
Third, limit your exposure to artificial light (e.g. digital screens) during the evening hours.
Finally, stick with non-alcoholic and caffeine-free beverages during the evening hours.
GETTING FRAZZLED FIRST THING
“Inflammation can be a response to chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels. If your mornings are hectic [and leave] you feeling anxious and wiped out, you’re setting yourself up for burnout, [which] takes a toll on the immune system.” – Dr. Josh Axe (source)
Some of us tend to be rather mindless in the morning, particularly on the days when we need to commute to work. Do you find yourself rushing around trying to find something to wear, gulping your coffee, and/or frantically scavenging for the now lost (sorry, “misplaced”) car keys?
It doesn’t take an expert on mental health to ascertain that rushing around in the morning isn’t conducive to wellbeing. You may be surprised to know, however, that these seemingly “minor” inconveniences can wreak major havoc on our hormones and inflammation levels. Habituating this undisciplined approach to mornings is a recipe for disaster.