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Could chronic inflammation be affecting your energy, brain fog, joint pain, blood sugar, or overall health without you even realizing it? Inflammation is often discussed as though it is always a bad thing—but according to Brigid, inflammation is also an essential part of the body’s healing and immune response.

The problem is when inflammation doesn’t resolve as it should or when the body is repeatedly exposed to factors that may contribute to an ongoing inflammatory response. In episode of The BeingBrigid Show, Brigid answers listener questions about chronic inflammation, inflammation testing, blood sugar, nutrition, exercise, body composition, and the role of consistency in supporting long-term health.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

• How inflammation can be helpful for healing—and when it may become chronic
• Which lab markers Brigid recommends discussing with your healthcare provider
• Why HS-CRP, homocysteine, omega-3 status, omega-6s, and vitamin D may provide helpful information
• How inflammation and insulin resistance can influence one another
• The connection between blood sugar and inflammation
• How symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, headaches, and GI issues may fit into the larger picture
• How to help teenagers better understand inflammation and their own health
• Why symptom tracking can be a valuable part of personalized nutrition coaching
• The importance of an anti-inflammatory diet and regular exercise
• Why body composition and waist circumference may tell you more than the number on the scale
• How consistency can support meaningful health changes over time

Timestamps:

• 00:00 Introduction to inflammation and episode overview
• 01:23 Top methods to test for inflammation
• 04:44 Key lab markers: HSCRP, homocysteine, omega-3, vitamin D
• 07:02 Helping teenagers understand inflammation
• 15:00 When does inflammation become chronic?
• 16:56 Using symptoms and labs to track inflammation
• 20:42 Frequency of testing and monitoring progress
• 28:26 Inflammation, blood sugar, and metabolic health
• 32:43 Impact of alcohol on inflammation and recovery

Inflammation Isn’t Always Bad

One of the most important distinctions Brigid makes in this episode is that inflammation is not inherently harmful. Acute inflammation plays an important role in healing and immune defense. When you are injured, for example, the inflammatory response is part of how your body responds and protects itself.

Chronic inflammation is different. It can develop when the inflammatory response continues rather than resolving—or when the body is continually responding to factors it perceives as threats. This is why inflammation can be an important part of conversations around women’s health, hormone health, metabolic health, and overall longevity. The goal isn’t necessarily to eliminate every inflammatory response. It’s to better understand what may be contributing to ongoing chronic inflammation and what steps can support the body over time.

How Can You Test for Inflammation?

One of the most common questions Brigid receives is how to know whether chronic inflammation is happening beneath the surface. She discusses several markers she recommends considering with a qualified healthcare professional. These include HS-CRP, homocysteine, an omega-3 fatty acid index, omega-6 measurements or ratios when available, and vitamin D.

She also discusses additional testing that may be used in a more in-depth functional medicine setting, including an organic acids test that can look at markers associated with oxidative and cellular processes.

The biggest takeaway? Lab testing can provide useful information, but results should be interpreted in context. Brigid recommends working with a qualified practitioner who can help you understand your data and personalize your next steps rather than looking at one number in isolation.

Why Tracking Symptoms Matters, Too

Lab values can be valuable, but Brigid also emphasizes the importance of listening to your body.

Symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, GI issues, joint pain, headaches, migraines, period pain, and other changes in how you feel may be worth tracking over time.

A food and symptom journal can help you begin identifying patterns and noticing whether changes to your nutrition and lifestyle are actually helping you feel differently. This is an important part of a functional nutrition approach: looking beyond one isolated symptom or number and considering patterns over time.

The Connection Between Blood Sugar and Inflammation

One of the biggest themes throughout this episode is the relationship between blood sugar and inflammation. Brigid explains that insulin resistance and inflammation can influence one another, creating a cycle that may affect metabolic health. For individuals who are seeing changes in fasting glucose or hemoglobin A1C, she discusses the importance of looking at nutrition patterns, sleep, movement, and other lifestyle factors alongside their lab trends. 

Her nutrition approach emphasizes building meals with protein, healthy fats, and fiber to support more balanced blood sugar. This is also where functional nutrition and personalized nutrition coaching can be particularly helpful. Rather than assuming one approach works for everyone, the goal is to understand your symptoms, habits, lab data, and starting point so that changes can be personalized.

What Does an Anti-Inflammatory Diet Actually Look Like?

When asked about the most meaningful ways to reduce inflammation, Brigid identifies nutrition and exercise as two foundational areas to focus on. From a nutrition perspective, she discusses an anti-inflammatory diet that emphasizes whole foods and a variety of nutrient-rich foods, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds.

She also emphasizes the importance of blood sugar balance and looking at how meals are composed rather than simply labeling individual foods as “good” or “bad.” This approach aligns with the broader Food Is Medicine philosophy that Brigid discusses throughout her work: using nutrition as a powerful tool to support health while avoiding fear-mongering, unnecessary restriction, and overwhelm.

Consistency matters here, too. A healthy eating pattern isn’t built through a perfect week followed by months of abandoning your habits. Long-term change often requires creating realistic systems that support consistency and accountability.

Exercise and Chronic Inflammation

The second major area Brigid highlights is regular physical activity. She discusses strength training, cardio, and regular movement as important parts of supporting an anti-inflammatory lifestyle. The conversation also touches on the broader benefits of exercise for brain health and overall metabolic health.

For many women, this can be an important reminder that improving health doesn’t have to begin with an extreme program. Building sustainable movement habits—and continuing them consistently—can be a meaningful part of a larger women’s nutrition and wellness strategy.

How Do You Know Whether Your Inflammation Is Improving?

Progress isn’t always reflected by one number on the scale. Brigid encourages listeners to look for changes in symptoms and to track relevant lab markers over time. Improvements might include noticing less joint pain, reduced swelling, improved energy, or other changes in how you feel. She also discusses why body composition and waist circumference may provide useful context beyond body weight alone.

Two people can weigh the same amount while having very different proportions of muscle and body fat. For that reason, looking at body composition and other measurements may offer a more complete picture of progress than relying exclusively on weight. This can be especially important for women working on metabolic health, improving energy, or making long-term changes to their nutrition and lifestyle.

Helping Teenagers Understand Inflammation Without Creating Fear

Another listener asked how to help teenagers understand inflammation and become more engaged in their health. Brigid’s response focuses on meeting young people where they are.

Rather than only discussing distant health risks, she suggests connecting the conversation to symptoms or outcomes they may care about now. Depending on the individual, that might include energy, acne, headaches, digestive symptoms, athletic performance, or another issue affecting their quality of life.

She also shares her own personal experience as a teenager navigating significant health challenges and dietary changes. At the same time, she acknowledges that every family and every situation is different. Health conversations involving food should be approached thoughtfully, particularly when restriction or pressure could become harmful.

The Importance of Consistency and Accountability

Nutrition accountability and consistency can make a significant difference when you are trying to create habits that support your health week after week. Instead of focusing on perfection, consider creating systems that make healthy choices more realistic for your actual life.

That might include meal planning, tracking symptoms, working with a practitioner, building a sustainable exercise routine, or getting support through a community. Long-term health and eating for longevity are not built through one perfect meal or one perfect week. They are shaped by the patterns you can maintain.

Final Thoughts on Inflammation and Your Health

Inflammation is a complex topic, and there is rarely one test, one food, or one habit that tells the entire story. This episode is a reminder to take a more comprehensive view of your health. Consider your symptoms. Understand your lab trends. Look at your blood sugar and metabolic health. Prioritize whole-food nutrition. Move your body. Focus on sleep and stress. And most importantly, create an approach you can practice consistently.

When it comes to women’s health and functional nutrition, progress often starts with understanding what is happening in your own body and taking practical, personalized steps forward.

Resources & Links:

+ Watch the full episode on YouTube

+ Join The Being Collective

+ Brigid’s Website

+ Brigid’s Instagram