Hey Cleanish Squad! Most of what comes up when you search “inflammation” is something to buy. So, we looked into what actually works, and, luckily, it's a short list, and it's mostly free. Plus, in this issue, we also cover what fiber and protein do and how much you need, and a turmeric liver warning you should know. And there’s a salmon meal prep recipe for you that you’ll love.

Let's get into it!

— Lacey Baier, Dustin Baier

The word "inflammation" gets thrown around a lot. Here's what it actually means.

Inflammation is your body's repair crew. Cut your finger and it turns red, warm, and puffy. Catch a cold, and you run a fever. That's your immune system showing up to fix the problem. It's a good thing. It arrives, does the work, and then leaves.

The trouble starts when it doesn't leave.

Sometimes, the repair crew stays on the job when there's nothing left to repair. A low level of swelling hangs around for months, even years, quietly wearing on your body. That's called chronic inflammation, and that's the kind we want to lower.

Do you have chronic inflammation? This is the frustrating part, because you can't see it. Without bloodwork, you're going on how you feel. Likely, you’ll feel blah, puffy, uncomfortable, out of sorts. You might have brain fog, joint pain, bloating and gas, headaches, and/or fatigue. And the one that frustrates people most is that you can't lose weight no matter what you change.

What causes it? Diet first, and I can't stress that enough. Added sugar, trans fats, refined carbs, processed meat, aspartame, seed oils, and alcohol are all tied to chronic inflammation. Being sedentary (not very physically active) also increases inflammation, and it hits women particularly hard. Then, tobacco (because nicotine activates the white blood cells that release inflammation in your body), and weight around the midsection.

Now the good part: the short list of what actually helps you feel better:

This is the biggest lever, and it's where most of us are furthest from the mark. Aim for about 25 grams a day. The average American gets roughly half that. Build up slowly and drink more water while you do, or you'll be uncomfortable.

What has fiber? Beans, lentils, berries, leafy greens, whole grains, oats, avocado, flaxseed, chia seeds.

Protein still matters, especially as you get older. It protects your muscle, keeps you full, and steadies your blood sugar. The newer research points at aiming for a wider range of sources. That means including beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, and seeds alongside your fish, meats, and eggs.

Here's the part that surprised me. A 2026 meta-analysis in the Journal of Sleep Research pooled 35 studies covering 887 healthy adults. One bad night did essentially nothing to their inflammatory markers. But three or more nights in a row at around four and a half hours caused inflammatory markers to increase. So focus on keeping short nights from becoming the pattern.

Being sedentary is its own inflammatory issue. Daily walking is the easiest thing on this entire list, and it’s 100% free.

There are certain types of foods that contain antioxidants, which help to directly reduce inflammation in your body. These include: blueberries, fatty fish, beans, avocado, olive oil, leafy greens. Eat more of these!

Here's what I want you to take from this: Not one thing on this list requires a product or prescription. Together, they'll do more for how you feel than anything you could buy.

Turmeric is a spice that people often suggest using to reduce inflammation. It contains a compound inside it called curcumin, which is the part doing the actual work.

Here's the catch. You'd need about 11 teaspoons of turmeric in a day to match what the studies use. Nobody would use that much. On top of that, curcumin is hard for your body to absorb in the first place. That's why it usually shows up as a pill you can easily take.

The pill version, however, now has a warning label.

In June, the U.S. Pharmacopeia, which is the group that sets quality standards for supplements, reviewed the research on turmeric. Now, it recommends a warning label because, in rare cases, people taking turmeric pills have had liver problems. So, if you've had liver trouble before, ask your doctor first.

Here's the bigger picture. Most studies found no damage at all. When problems did show up, it was usually one to four months in, and most people got better after they stopped. A few cases were serious.

So it's rare, not common.

The interesting part is that it isn't about taking too much of the supplement. Some people's bodies just can't handle it, and there's no test to tell you ahead of time.

Read the review →

This 5-day meal plan is designed for reducing inflammation. Watch on YouTube →

32.7%

of U.S. adults aged 18 to 59 have elevated CRP, the blood marker for chronic inflammation.

That's roughly one in three, and BMI does a poor job of predicting who. Among people with a normal BMI but a high body fat percentage, 29.2% had elevated CRP, nearly the same rate as the population overall.

Source: Frontiers in Medicine, 2025, using NHANES 2017 to 2018

Most ketchup starts with sugar. Primal Kitchen's doesn't. No high fructose corn syrup, no cane sugar, no agave, no honey. Just organic tomatoes and spices, and that's about it.

The same goes for the whole shelf: Organic Unsweetened Ketchup, Spicy Ketchup, and Organic Spicy Brown Mustard. USDA Organic, Whole30 Approved, paleo friendly, non-GMO.

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🩸 FDA authorizes the first wearable that tracks blood sugar and ketones together

If you manage diabetes, there is now a wearable that tracks blood sugar and ketones together. The FDA authorized it this month and six studies of more than 600 people backed it.

🥛 For decades, we were told to choose low-fat dairy. New research says otherwise

Adults ate three servings of full-fat dairy a day for 12 weeks. Weight, body fat, and cholesterol did not rise and blood pressure went down.

💪 Exercise may work better for keeping weight off than losing it

A new review found exercise does little to take weight off. But, it does a lot to keep it off.

🤖 FDA asks the public how it should regulate generative AI in medical devices

The FDA wants to hear from you. They are asking the public how it should regulate medical devices that run on generative AI. Comments are open through October 19.

Researchers looked at the diets of 128,612 British adults over 60 and matched them against CRP, the blood marker for inflammation. Among those free of chronic disease, two things tracked with lower CRP: fiber and plant protein.

Two things tracked with higher CRP: animal protein and total protein. So the answer is not more protein or less protein. It’s where the protein comes from, and whether fiber comes with it.

One note: this is a snapshot, not a trial. Diet was self-reported and CRP was measured once, and the group was almost all white British adults over 60. So limited but interesting information.

Source: Jain et al., Nutrients, 2025 (UK Biobank)

Protein bars, protein water, protein cookies. I went looking for how much you actually need and found the number is lower than you might think.

Read it →

I've spent years helping women live healthier while quietly hiding who I actually was. Proving Her Wrong is the part I kept quiet. New essays every Monday. Start with Sorry Doesn't Mean Much or subscribe free.

How to meal prep salmon for the week for just $6 per meal. This is one of the most popular recipes from A Sweet Pea Chef. Get the recipe →

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