🔥 The Quiet Fire: Inflammation, the Hidden Threat to Your Health
Most people think of inflammation as a sprained ankle or a sore throat.
Red, hot, swollen → got it, that’s inflammation.
But there’s another kind of inflammation that’s quieter and far more important for long-term health: a low-grade, chronic “smoldering” fire underneath the surface.
This quiet inflammation is linked to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune conditions, dementia, depression, chronic pain, and even “mystery” symptoms like brain fog, sudden rashes, and fatigue.
Fortunately, there is a lot we can do about it.
🧬 The Biology of Chronic Inflammation (In Plain English)
Chronic inflammation isn’t about one bad meal or one stressful day. It’s what happens when the body is bathed in subtle stress signals and inflammatory triggers for months or years. This is why symptoms usually start to show up in midlife.
Over time, the immune system stops “turning off” properly. It keeps releasing chemical messengers (cytokines) that tell the body something is wrong even when there’s no acute injury or infection. That’s when inflammation goes from being protective to damaging.
Think of it like this:
🔥 Short-term inflammation = a campfire that keeps you warm
🔥 Long-term inflammation = a fire in the walls of the house
🫐 Everyday Ways to Turn the Heat Down
Here are some of the most powerful, evidence-based levers you can pull in daily life:
1. Stabilize Blood Sugar
Big spikes and crashes in blood sugar keep inflammatory pathways turned on.
You can help by:
Prioritizing protein and fiber at each meal
Eating carbohydrates with protein, fat, and fiber (not alone)
Reducing sugary drinks, refined grains, and ultra-processed snacks
Walking for 10–15 minutes after meals when possible
2. Choose Anti-Inflammatory Foods (Most of the Time)
You don’t need a perfect diet; you need a pattern that’s mostly anti-inflammatory:
Colorful fruits and veggies, especially those high in antioxidants (like blueberries)
Olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado
Fatty fish (or algae-based omega-3s)
Herbs and spices like turmeric, ginger, garlic, rosemary
3. Support the Gut
About 70% of the immune system is in and around the gut. A more resilient gut often means a calmer inflammatory response.
Aim for a variety of plant foods each week
Include fermented foods if tolerated (yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut)
Stay hydrated to keep things moving
4. Protect Sleep & Circadian Rhythm
Sleep is when your brain takes out the “trash” and your body repairs tissue.
Get morning light within the first 1–2 hours of waking
Dim overhead lights at night and reduce screens when you can
Aim for 7–9 hours of relatively consistent sleep
5. Move Your Body (Gently Counts)
You don’t need to live at the gym. Even brisk walking, light strength work, or stretching lowers inflammatory markers over time.
Think: move most days, not crush yourself a few times a month
6. Address Stress & the Nervous System
Chronic stress is one of the most potent inflammatory drivers we have. Practices like:
Breathwork
Time in nature
Mindfulness
Somatic practices, yoga, or stretching
Supportive relationships and community
…aren’t just “nice extras.” They actually change inflammatory signaling.
💊 A Note on Supplements
Supplements are supportive tools, not magic bullets, but some are well-studied for their anti-inflammatory effects and may be worth exploring with a practitioner who knows your history and medications.
Common examples include:
Omega-3 fatty acids (from fish oil or algae)
Turmeric/curcumin (often paired with black pepper or a bioavailable form)
Magnesium (can support sleep, muscle relaxation, and nervous system regulation)
Vitamin D (especially if levels are low)
Green tea (or EGCG green tea extract if you have no liver issues)
I always recommend checking with a healthcare provider before starting new supplements — especially if you take prescription medications or have chronic conditions — because “natural” does not always mean “risk-free.”
🍄 Psilocybin & Inflammation: What We Know So Far
Because I work at the intersection of nursing, integrative health, and psychedelic medicine, I’m often asked:
“Is psilocybin actually anti-inflammatory?”
The honest answer right now is: we’re still learning, but it’s definitely promising.
Psilocybin has shown significant anti-inflammatory effects in both preclinical models and initial human studies — even at microdoses — but we are not yet at a point where it can be universally recommended.
This natural medicine improves stress, sleep, and emotional regulation in some people, which may indirectly reduce inflammation over time, but studies have not yet proven a direct correlation.
What I see most clearly in my work is that when people feel more connected, less anxious, and more in tune with their bodies, they naturally start making choices that lower inflammation: better sleep, better food, healthier boundaries, more movement, and less self-neglect. 🫶
👉 Psychedelic work, for the appropriate candidates, can sometimes act as a catalyst for those deeper changes, but the day-to-day practices are what sustain them.
💗 The Psychospiritual Layer
I often think of chronic inflammation as the body trying to tell us that something about the way we’re living is not sustainable.
That “something” might be:
Food that doesn’t truly nourish
Sleep that never feels deep
Work or relationships that chronically overstretch us
Old trauma patterns that keep the nervous system on high alert
Part of healing inflammation is biochemical: what we eat, how we move, and how we sleep.
Another part is deeply human and spiritual: honoring our boundaries, telling the truth about what hurts, grieving what we’ve been carrying, and finally letting go.
When we begin to align our habits with what our body and spirit have been asking for all along, the “quiet fire” has a chance to cool.
🚀 Ready to Start the New Year with Less Inflammation and More Energy?
If you’re noticing signs of inflammation — fatigue, brain fog, stubborn weight, aches and pains, digestive issues, mood changes — or you simply have a sense that your body is overtaxed…
I’m here to help. 😊
In my work as an integrative nurse coach, I help clients:
Identify hidden inflammatory drivers in their daily lives
Create realistic, step-by-step changes in food, movement, sleep, and stress
Explore whether supplements, nervous system practices, or (when appropriate) psychedelic-assisted work might support their healing
Build a plan they can actually live with…not just for a few weeks, but long-term
👉 Schedule your free consultation here.
We’ll look at the big picture of your health, clarify your priorities, and sketch out a personalized roadmap to start healing from the inside out — so you can hit the ground running in the new year.
