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Inflammation isn’t always obvious.
We usually associate it with the redness and swelling that follows an injury, but inflammation can also linger quietly in the background – and the clues are surprisingly easy to dismiss.
Maybe you don’t feel quite right, but you’ve put it down to stress, getting older or simply having too much going on.
Your body has ways of telling you when it needs more support and they aren’t always what you’d expect.
Here are five signs inflammation could be part of the picture.
1. You’re exhausted for no obvious reason
You go to bed tired and wake up tired. By mid-afternoon, you’re reaching for coffee or something sweet just to keep going. Even a good night’s sleep doesn’t seem to restore your energy. When inflammation persists, your body is constantly using energy and resources to deal with it. That can leave less in reserve for you, contributing to the heavy, persistent fatigue that rest doesn’t seem to fix. When exhaustion becomes your new normal, it’s a sign to look deeper.
2. Aches and pains that won’t go away
Getting out of bed feels harder than it used to. Your body feels achy in the morning, your joints complain after sitting for too long and yesterday’s workout seems to stay with you for days. Inflammation contributes to ongoing aches, joint discomfort and slower recovery, leaving your body feeling older than it should. If you regularly find yourself thinking, “I feel older than I am”, pay attention to what your body is telling you.
3. Your gut is never happy
Bloating after meals. Constipation one week and loose stools the next. Excess gas, discomfort or suddenly feeling as though foods you’ve eaten for years don’t agree with you anymore. The gut and immune system are in constant communication and much of the body’s immune activity is centred around the digestive tract. When your gut becomes disrupted, it influences inflammatory activity throughout the body.
4. Skin flare-ups keep appearing
If your skin keeps breaking out, you’re experiencing unexplained redness or puffiness, or your skin is suddenly more reactive than it used to be, inflammation will be playing a role. What shows up on the surface of the skin reflects what’s happening deeper within the body. Inflammation, gut health, a nutrient-poor diet, ongoing stress and lack of sleep can all disrupt healthy skin function and make it harder for skin to stay calm and balanced.
5. Belly fat that won’t shift
Your diet hasn’t changed, but your clothes feel tighter and stubborn weight is gathering around your middle, no matter what you do. Belly fat and inflammation can create a vicious cycle. Fat stored around the abdomen is active tissue that releases substances involved in inflammation. In turn, ongoing inflammation disrupts blood sugar regulation and metabolism, making weight management more difficult.
What can you do about inflammation?
The first step is to look at what could be fuelling it.
Everyday foods and lifestyle habits can add to your inflammatory load, often without you realising. Identifying and reducing these triggers is a simple place to start, especially when it comes to diet.
Download our free Inflammation Checklist to discover what foods to cut back on and the simple changes you can start making today.
Get Your Free Checklist
You’ll also receive the next instalment in our anti-inflammatory series, where we’ll show you what to add back in with our Anti-Inflammatory Food Guide, featuring the best foods to eat and a handy food list you can keep on the fridge for quick, everyday reference.
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