The internet is louder than ever. And it’s filled with so much conflicting information and advice. Half the time I scroll, I think, “I really hope people aren’t buying this,” only to see the post has 60K shares.

So after working with 29,000 clients, teaching in academia, and starting the world’s first hospital-based functional medicine clinic, here are the hills I’ll die on when it comes to inflammation:

1-Nutrients in Fish May Help Reduce the Risk of Depression 

A brand new study found that people who ate more fish had a 21% lower risk of depression and a 22% lower risk of perinatal depression. Each half-ounce of fish per day was linked to a 6% lower risk of depression. One of the reasons: Depression is deeply tied to inflammation. And fish deliver omega-3s, vitamin D, B6, B12, creatine, and selenium, all nutrients that calm inflammation and support mood.

2-You Cannot Supplement your Way Out of an Inflammatory Diet

If you have achy joints, a tired brain, puffiness, or insomnia, you may feel tempted to try random supplements recommended by influencers. I’m not anti-supplements. But you can’t supplement your way out of inconsistent meals, protein bars for lunch, or a diet lacking fiber and phytonutrients. Nutrition and exercise cannot be skipped for a fancy supplement routine. 

3-A Mediterranean Diet Outperforms a Low Fat Diet 

A new 6 month randomized controlled trial found that 36% of participants that were following a Mediterranean diet no longer met the criteria for metabolic syndrome — compared to just 11% in the low-fat group. The Mediterranean group also had smaller waist circumferences and lower triglycerides, both directly linked to lower inflammation.

4-Hormonal Symptoms Are Worsened By Inflammation 

Hormonal symptoms that you experience during perimenopause and menopause are worsened by underlying inflammation. And at the same time, as estrogen declines, the body becomes more insulin resistant and less able to combat inflammation. This is where risk for type 2 diabetes, autoimmune disease, Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease increase. And solely following a caloric deficit will not fix this. Women need to shift how they eat to be blood sugar balanced and anti-inflammatory to continue to feel good and function well.

5-You’re Told You’ve “Tried Everything” So the Only Other Option is a GLP-1

When you tell a doctor that you can’t lose weight and you’ve “tried everything”, the doctor will typically recommend a GLP-1 as a last resort. There’s nothing wrong with taking a GLP-1, when it’s necessary. But here’s what often gets missed: most “healthy” or low-calorie diets that you’ve tried actually drive insulin resistance, which fuels more inflammation.

And because most doctors don’t check fasting insulin or markers of inflammation like hs-CRP, countless women are walking around with insulin resistance and inflammation they don’t know they have while eating a high-glycemic, calorie-controlled diet and wondering why nothing budges. The reason: insulin is keeping their body in fat-storage mode.

6-Two Eggs or a Protein Bar is Not an Adequate Breakfast

Chronic undereating and overexercising keeps your body overproducing cortisol and stuck in stress mode-holding onto every calorie. Elevated cortisol can drive weight gain, glucose spikes, inflammation, autoimmune disease, hormone imbalance & more. 

Support your central nervous system with enough calories, nutrients, and recovery so your body can heal, regulate hormones and lower inflammation.

7-More Muscle is the Most Underrated Longevity Tool You Have 

More muscle means better glucose control, lower insulin resistance and better mitochondrial health. After 30, muscle loss accelerates and it’s one of the biggest drivers of aging and disease risk.

Shift your focus to muscle mass, bone density and strength over time. Longevity is built through muscle gain, not just weight loss.

8-You Can’t Optimize What you Don’t Measure. 

Nutrition, sleep, stress and movement impact hundreds of biomarkers, not just the number on the scale. Direct to consumer labs and wearables can give you real insight into what’s happening inside your body before disease develops. That visibility is one of the most powerful tools you have.