Feeling Stiff And Achy After a Holiday Weekend?
FEELING STIFF AND ACHY AFTER A HOLIDAY WEEKEND?
We all experience inflammation, which is a general term for the body's natural response to injury of some kind, be it an infection, physical injury, or toxin. For the sake of today, we’ll talk about inflammation as it relates to food because it’s Memorial Day weekend. :)
Hopefully this weekend you have plans to be social and eat summer foods such as hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs, baked beans, pasta salads and alcohol! If these aren’t typical foods you eat on a regular basis, it's quite common to experience a slew of symptoms the next day or a few days after your indulgence. Muscle stiffness, swelling, fatigue, and aches and pains can be a result of rich foods. Ever notice on a Monday how stiff or achey you feel? Perhaps it was your weekend indulgences? Foods that cause joint pain include heavily processed foods, red meat, foods high in sugar, fried foods, alcohol and foods rich in MSG, refined carbohydrates and gluten. The body reacts to these 'foreign invaders' by creating inflammation and this inflammation can be exacerbated by lack of exercise.
One of the best ways to deal with inflammation after a Holiday weekend, or at least keep it at bay, is through exercise and drinking water. It can be as simple as drinking 70 oz of water and getting your blood pumping for just 20 minutes on a light walk….this can stimulate the immune system enough to produce the cellular response that fights inflammation. If you have 50 minutes, a Pilates class is also a great way to enhance your lymph system’s function. Lymph is the fluid stored in your body that helps to move wastes out, and when it isn’t released properly, it can create inflammation and toxic buildup. Gentle movements like Pilates help to increase lymph movement and move wastes out of the body more efficiently which helps reduce inflammation and pain.
So, if you're looking to reduce the inflammation in your body after your barbecue this weekend, be sure to go on a few walks or come to Pilates this week. This low-impact exercise will help to get your blood flowing and get your immune system working strong again. Not to mention, it’s good for your mental clarity because inflammatory foods can give you brain-fog!
Happy Memorial Day!
“Home of the free, because of the brave.” – Unknown