Summarize the following:
Moderate amounts of moderate exercise can help lower inflammation and CRP levels. Additionally, it can help you lose weight, which can encourage your CRP to drop even further. Too much exercise can stress your heart and increase inflammation just as much as too little exercise, so you need to aim for moderation. Try to exercise at a steady pace for 30 to 45 minutes roughly five days each week. Options worth considering include brisk walking, cycling, and swimming. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing and maintaining elevated CRP levels. Large fat cells excrete more interleukin-6, an internal chemical that tells your liver to produce more CRP. While your overall weight is important, you should pay special attention to your waist size. Women with a waist measurement over 35 inches (89 cm) and men with a waist size over 40 inches (102 cm) are more likely to have elevated CRP levels. Even though losing weight is important, it's equally important that you lose weight in an appropriate manner. Some weight-loss diets can lower weight while actually raising CRP levels. Low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets (like Atkins) have a tendency to raise CRP levels. In fact, consistently maintaining such a diet for several months can cause CRP to increase by 25 percent. Diets that are low in unhealthy fats and high in complex carbohydrates are generally much better. When paired with regular moderate exercise, the benefits are even more pronounced. Smoking causes the walls of your arteries to harden, which may increase inflammation and encourage your CRP levels to spike. Quit smoking as early as possible to improve your results. It can take up to ten years to reverse arterial damage caused by smoking, and the process can only begin after you quit. Try to get between seven and eight hours of sleep each night. Getting less than six hours can increase inflammation. Additionally, getting too much sleep can also cause CRP to increase. People who regularly sleep for more than eight each night are more likely to experience increased inflammation than those who only sleep for seven to eight hours. The presence of excess stress hormones can cause your body to release more inflammatory chemicals, which will usually cause CRP levels to rise. Finding time to relax can cause both your stress hormones and CRP to drop. If you find it difficult to switch to a more relaxing lifestyle, try to schedule at least 15 minutes of heavy relaxation time each day. Meditate, practice deep breathing, take a bubble bath, or listen to relaxing music. Nearly any activity that helps you unwind can help.
Exercise regularly. Lose weight. Note that weight loss alone isn't enough. Quit smoking. Get enough sleep. Relax.