The antioxidants in fruits and vegetables help to mitigate the cellular damage created by inflammation.

I already eat my veggies.

Brilliant. From an anti-inflammatory food perspective, eating a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables is about as good as it gets, because the antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables help to mitigate the cellular damage created by inflammation. Cutting down on pro-inflammatory foods like processed flour, sugar and anything high in fat will also help, even if you can't stand the sight of cauliflower, DiRenzo says.

What else should I eat?

If all else fails, fiber. High-fiber foods feed the good microbes in your gut during digestion, helping to correct dysbiosis. “There's a lot of evidence that a high-fiber diet provides a positive balance of microbes and can potentially down-regulate inflammation,” Buford says. Also important: Avoid unhealthy fats because, he says, “even one high-fat meal can change the microenvironment."

So, less bacon, more broccoli. Is a vegetarian diet the answer?

Nope, unless that's what you want to do. It's true, plant-based foods pack the strongest anti-inflammatory punch. It's also true that red and processed meats can cause inflammation, but you don't have to banish meats from your diet, Boham says. This is particularly important for older adults because protein consumption may help prevent age-related muscle loss. “I recommend a balance between plant — nuts, seeds, beans, grains — and animal protein,” she says. She recommends organic, grass-fed meats and wild-caught fish, which have a lower inflammation factor because they feed on plants and animals that are high in phytonutrients. Try to eat one food from every color of the rainbow every day.

I'm not much of an exerciser. How problematic is that?

Well, research has shown that you don't have to be a marathoner to lower inflammation. In fact, a University of California, San Diego, study found that just 20 minutes of moderate exercise suppressed the inflammatory response. One reason, Buford says, is that exercise can positively affect your gut health (yes, that again). Maybe DiRenzo puts it best: “The difference between someone feeling OK and feeling great is exercise."

But exercise to me is unpleasant and uncomfortable.

So is heart surgery. Which would you prefer? Ultimately, the anti-inflammatory benefits of exercise are worth the temporary discomfort. Even if you have physical limitations — bad knees, for example — exercise will most likely improve them. To get started, DiRenzo suggests picking an activity you can do for five minutes a day. Next week, do it for seven minutes. It could be as simple as a brisk walk. “Yeah, you're gonna be sore,” she says, “but this is a good sore. Build and build and you will start to feel better."

If I'm going to be sore, doesn't that mean my muscles and joints have more inflammation?

Sore muscles would be acute inflammation that'll go away in a day or two. (Good try, though.)

You make it sound like wholesale lifestyle changes are easy. They're not, you know.

True. But isn't attacking one enemy — inflammation — a lot easier than worrying about dozens of them? Here's an idea: If you have to pick one lifestyle area to improve, focus on sleep, both the quantity and quality. It not only lowers your inflammation levels, it also helps you do everything else better. “I find when people give their body time to rest and lower stress, they have an easier time making smart food choices and getting exercise the next day,” Boham says.