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Introduction to Pain and Inflammation

Pain is a complex and unpleasant experience typically associated with potential tissue damage—something no one wants to feel. However, it functions as an alarm system, signaling that something in our body requires attention. Often, pain is accompanied by inflammation, which is a normal response from our immune system. While we commonly associate inflammation with something negative, it actually plays a crucial role in protecting and repairing damaged tissue. The issue arises when inflammation becomes chronic and persists over time.

Although we often assume that pain stems from physical injuries or infections, this isn’t always the case. Pain and inflammation can also be triggered by poor lifestyle and dietary habits. When inflammation becomes long-lasting, it can negatively impact quality of life by contributing to chronic diseases and affecting our mood.

Understanding Inflammation

Pain usually begins with inflammation, which is the body’s natural response to aggression, such as infections or injuries. Importantly, this reaction is a vital part of our immune defense. For instance, when we have an infection like pharyngitis, the body reacts by producing inflammation to fight it off. Similarly, in the case of a sprained ankle, the affected area becomes inflamed.

So, what is the true purpose of inflammation?

• Eliminating damaged tissue: This includes clearing out bacteria, immune cells that died during the fight, or damaged muscle fibers.
• Delivering nutrients for healing: Whether it’s an infection, cut, or bruise, the body increases blood flow to deliver the necessary components for repair.
• Protecting against infection: In the case of wounds, inflammation acts as a barrier, reducing the risk of infection.

Thus, inflammation itself is not harmful—it plays a vital role in healing. The problem, as mentioned, begins when inflammation becomes chronic, negatively affecting both health and quality of life.

How Inflammation Impacts Your Health

Chronic inflammation is a contributing factor to many diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, and arthritis. It can damage the body over time and also influence mood, hinder fat loss, and, of course, cause pain. For these reasons, finding ways to reduce inflammation is always a wise strategy.

Inflammation Without Injury or Infection

Inflammation and pain don’t always result from visible injuries or infections. In fact, your daily habits and diet can promote inflammation, especially when your lifestyle is unhealthy.

Some common symptoms linked to high levels of inflammation include:

• Weight gain, particularly around the waist
• Fatigue and low energy
• Brain fog, trouble focusing, and mood changes
• Insomnia
• Muscle and joint pain
• Digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, or diarrhea
• Higher risk of skin problems, allergies, and minor infections

Effective Strategies to Reduce Inflammation

Now the important question arises: How can we effectively reduce inflammation?

1. Weight Loss

Losing weight is one of the most impactful steps toward overall health. If you are overweight, shedding even 5–6 kilos can significantly reduce inflammation and pain. Research shows that losing just 5 kilos can relieve joint pressure nearly as much as losing 20 kilos.

2. Limit Anti-Inflammatory Medications

While drugs like ibuprofen or naproxen can be effective, they carry risks, especially when overused. Frequent use may reduce the body’s natural ability to manage inflammation and even slow down healing by reducing blood flow. Therefore, natural alternatives should be prioritized.

3. Improve Your Diet

Poor dietary choices increase inflammation. Here’s what you can do:

• Avoid processed vegetable oils like canola or soybean oil, and steer clear of margarine.
• Eat more foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (e.g., seafood, nuts) instead of omega-6.
• Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables—especially leafy greens and low-glycemic options like berries.
• Use anti-inflammatory spices such as turmeric (tip: combine it with black pepper to boost absorption).
• Cut down on refined carbohydrates, which spike insulin levels and promote inflammation.

4. Stay Physically Active

Sedentary lifestyles contribute to inflammation. In contrast, even 20 minutes of moderate activity a day can reduce inflammation by up to 5%. Exercise stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, helping to reduce both inflammation and pain.

5. Prioritize Sleep

Sleep is essential for health and recovery. A poor night’s rest increases pain and inflammation because the body perceives it as stress. Aim for at least 8 hours of high-quality sleep each night.

6. Use Temperature as a Tool

Temperature therapies can also help. Cold exposure, such as ice baths or cryotherapy, is known to lower inflammation—but should be used moderately. On the other hand, saunas may reduce inflammatory markers. Emerging technologies like red and infrared light therapy may also aid in reducing pain and boosting energy by supporting mitochondrial health.

7. Consider Anti-Inflammatory Supplements

In addition to lifestyle changes, certain supplements can assist in managing pain and inflammation:

• Curcumin (from turmeric): Especially effective when combined with black pepper, potentially as effective as ibuprofen.
• Omega-3: A critical anti-inflammatory nutrient often lacking in modern diets.
• Boswellia: A tree resin helpful for joint pain and arthritis, especially when combined with glucosamine and type II collagen.
• Coenzyme Q10: Beneficial for widespread pain, such as in fibromyalgia.
• Serrapeptase: An enzyme that has shown effectiveness in reducing post-surgery pain.

8. Try Binaural Beats

Binaural beats use two tones at slightly different frequencies in each ear, which the brain interprets as a single tone. Specifically, theta wave frequencies have shown promise in reducing pain perception in chronic pain patients. While the exact mechanism remains unknown, it likely alters the brain’s perception of pain rather than the inflammation itself.

There are many free resources available online, and all you need are headphones. Importantly, this method comes with no side effects, unlike medications or supplements.

Small Changes That Make a Big Difference

Here’s a summary of actionable steps you can start today to reduce inflammation and pain:

1. Revise your diet: Reduce refined carbs and processed oils, and increase omega-3s, fruits, and veggies.
2. Add anti-inflammatory spices and supplements: Turmeric, omega-3s, Boswellia, CoQ10, and serrapeptase.
3. Get moving: Aim for at least 20 minutes of daily physical activity.
4. Sleep well: Prioritize 8 hours of quality sleep each night.
5. Use temperature therapies: Try cold exposure, sauna, or light therapy.
6. Explore binaural beats: Use this tech to naturally reduce pain perception.

By gradually incorporating these strategies, you can significantly improve how your body handles pain and inflammation—ultimately enhancing your quality of life.

You feel like you’re at the end of your rope at three in the afternoon and you still have half a day ahead of you and you still have to work, exercise, cook, eat… and the list goes on. More and more people, and younger ones, are asking about how to have more energy because they don’t have enough energy. But why does this happen? Why are we so mentally and physically exhausted in an era where, in theory, we should have more comforts than ever?

Evolutionary mismatch: an explanation for modern fatigue

If we use less energy than our ancestors, why do we feel more tired than them? We don’t have to hunt for food or escape predators, but even so, our energy fades before the day is over.

This is due to evolutionary mismatch. Our body and brain evolved over thousands of years for a very different lifestyle than today. Today, we live in small apartments, move around in crowded transport and spend hours in front of screens.

Imagine Carlos, who represents many of us. He gets up, drinks a coffee, gets on the bus and works eight hours in an office doing tasks he is not passionate about. When he leaves, he wants to relax and resorts to unhealthy habits to change his internal state. This environment is not what we are designed for.

Not respecting the “instructions in the manual” of our body has consequences. If we do not move enough, we are more likely to suffer from osteoarthritis in old age. If we consume too much sugar, we increase the risk of diabetes and heart attacks. This imbalance affects not only our body, but also our mind.

Stimulus overload and glutamate

I thought about this explanation about energy during a night dive. When diving at night, I noticed that we consume less oxygen than during the day. Why? Because there are fewer visual stimuli and our brain works less to process information. This means less expenditure of mental energy and, therefore, less oxygen consumption.

In our daily lives, we are constantly bombarded by stimuli: what we see, hear and think. Processing all these stimuli consumes energy, and that energy needs oxygen to be produced. Each stimulus activates our neurons, which use a neurotransmitter called glutamate, the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain.

The greater the number of stimuli and decisions, the more glutamate is released in the synapses to facilitate neuronal communication. However, excessive activity can overload the mechanisms that eliminate or recycle this neurotransmitter, generating an imbalance. The accumulation of glutamate in the synaptic space can hinder the efficient activation of neurons.

This explains why we feel more mentally tired and why making decisions becomes more difficult as the day progresses. In addition, this fatigue drives us to resort to automatic habits, which are often not the healthiest.

The vicious circle of decisions and fatigue

Every day, we make around 30,000 decisions. From choosing what clothes to wear to deciding whether or not to reply to a text message. This volume of decisions is not something we are evolutionarily prepared for. Our ancestors made decisions, yes, but in a much less complex context and with fewer options available.

Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize winner in Economics in 2002 for his work on the psychology of judgment and decision making, introduced the concept of ego depletion or “decision fatigue.” This phenomenon describes how the quality of our decisions decreases after a long period of decision making. That is, the more decisions we make, the harder it is for us to continue making the right choices.

This mental exhaustion not only affects our decision-making ability, but also consumes physical energy. That is why at the end of the day we are more likely to avoid activities that require mental or physical effort.

The caffeine and adenosine trap

When we’re tired, we often turn to coffee or mate for an energy boost. Caffeine doesn’t create energy, though; it simply masks the feeling of fatigue by blocking the receptors for a substance called adenosine, which builds up in the brain and induces sleep.

By hiding adenosine, caffeine tricks us into thinking we’re not tired. But when it wears off, all that pent-up adenosine hits us all at once, making us feel even more exhausted. This may explain why, after a few hours of drinking coffee, we feel more tired than before.

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that consuming caffeine even six hours before bed can significantly affect sleep quality. This creates a cycle where we need more caffeine to make up for the lack of energy, which in turn affects our sleep and makes us feel more tired the next day.

Strategies to recover your energy

Reducing the buildup of glutamate and adenosine is key to improving our energy levels. Here are some strategies that can help:

1. Simplify your decisions

Every decision, no matter how small, consumes energy. Automating tasks and reducing the number of daily decisions can be very beneficial. For example, you can plan your weekly meals with healthy recipes that you like, avoiding having to decide what to eat each day. You can also simplify your wardrobe so you don’t waste energy choosing what to wear.

Former President Barack Obama mentioned that he always wore gray or blue suits to reduce the number of decisions he had to make and thus save his mental energy for more important matters.

2. Reduce unnecessary stimuli

We are constantly exposed to stimuli that demand our attention and consume energy. Reducing the use of electronic devices, especially before bed, can help reduce stimulus overload. Consider establishing technology-free times of the day or limiting the use of apps that generate more distractions.

One technique I often recommend is to turn your phone to black and white to reduce its visual appeal. This can reduce the time we spend looking at the screen and, therefore, reduce mental energy consumption.

3. Improve your sleep quality

Sleep is essential for eliminating the buildup of glutamate and adenosine in the brain. Poor sleep quality prevents these metabolites from being eliminated properly, causing you to start the day at a disadvantage.

Try to establish a regular sleep routine, respecting your circadian cycle. Although there are different chronotypes (morning people or night people), the time difference is not as wide as you think. Sleeping the hours your body needs is essential to maintain optimal energy levels.

A study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation in the United States revealed that sleeping less than seven hours a night can affect cognitive ability and physical performance, increasing the feeling of fatigue during the day.

4. Practice dopamine fasting

Dopamine fasting involves minimizing stimuli that generate instant gratification, such as social media, junk food, or television. By doing so, we re-sensitize our reward system, which can increase our energy levels and improve our mood.

Dedicating one day a week to this practice can be very beneficial. During that day, avoid using electronic devices, do not consume digital content, and focus on simple activities such as reading, walking, or meditating.

5. Increase your physical activity

Although it may seem counterintuitive, physical exercise can increase your energy levels. Activities such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can increase the production of neurotransmitters such as adrenaline and noradrenaline, which improve feelings of energy and alertness.

Norwegian physiologist Ulrik Wisløff has extensively researched the benefits of HIIT on cardiovascular and metabolic health. Incorporating short bouts of intense exercise can have a positive impact on your daily energy.

6. Consider additional supplements and practices

While diet and lifestyle are key, in some cases certain supplements can help improve the efficiency of our “energy factories,” the mitochondria. Substances like arginine or practices like exposure to near-infrared light can boost the production of ATP, our body’s energy molecule.

Dr. Otto Heinrich Warburg, winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1931, researched the energy metabolism of cells and highlighted the importance of mitochondria in energy production. Improving mitochondrial function can be key to increasing our energy levels.

Additionally, in some cases, supplements like vitamin D or B vitamins can be helpful, especially if there are proven deficiencies.

7. Stay properly hydrated

Dehydration significantly affects our energy levels. Even a loss of just 1% of body water can decrease physical and mental performance. Make sure you drink enough water throughout the day and pay attention to signs of thirst or fatigue.

8. Manage stress

Chronic stress consumes a lot of energy. Techniques such as meditation, mindfulness or simply taking a few minutes a day to relax can help reduce levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, and improve feelings of well-being.

Neurologist Herbert Benson of Harvard University studied the effect of the relaxation response on the body and found that meditative practices can slow metabolism and reduce stress, helping to conserve energy.

9. Mindful eating

A balanced diet is essential to maintaining optimal energy levels. Nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and protein provide sustained energy. Avoid refined sugars and processed foods that can cause sharp spikes and drops in energy levels.

Dr. Ancel Keys, known for the Seven Countries Study, demonstrated the importance of the Mediterranean diet on cardiovascular health and energy levels. Incorporating elements of this diet can be beneficial.

10. Connect with nature

Spending time outdoors can revitalize you. Ecotherapy or nature therapy has shown benefits in reducing stress and increasing energy. Even a short walk in a park can have positive effects.

American philosopher Henry David Thoreau highlighted the importance of nature to human well-being in his work “Walden.” Connecting with the natural environment can be a simple way to recharge.‍

11. Positive mindset

The attitude with which we face everyday life influences our energy levels. A positive mindset reduces stress and can improve the production of neurotransmitters that promote well-being and vitality.

Additionally, mental health and energy are closely linked. Conditions such as depression and anxiety can significantly decrease energy levels. If you feel that these factors may be affecting you, it is important to seek support and consider speaking to a professional.