We have good news — combatting joint pain and inflammation doesn’t have to mean taking a massive toll on the environment. At GLX3, sustainability is at the heart of our sourcing process and even beyond that, plays a major role in how we live our lives (there’s a reason why our supplement comes in a recyclable bottle, after all).

Here we break down our simple and sustainable 3-part plan for building a healthy routine that fights your joint pain — it’s even easier than writing a to-do list!

Fighting inflammation naturally

As with anything health-related, combating inflammation starts with your diet. When you eat foods that tend to trigger inflammation — dairy, saturated fats, processed sugars — the more natural way to counteract any resulting chronic pain in a sustainable manner is to double down on dark greens and vegetables spanning the palette of colors.  Add in juicing too!

This approach works like a double-edged sword to inflammation because these dark-colored veggies prevent inflammation even before it starts, in addition to helping your body stave it off when you’re feeling the pain. Add extra virgin olive oil to the salad for an extra omega-3 punch, and don’t forget to swap those croutons for seeds for a healthier crunch.

The more diverse your veggie lineup, the more eco-friendly it is — especially if you focus on locally-sourced and seasonal ingredients rather than canned stuff that has to travel thousands of miles to make it to your grocery store shelf.

Our “Triple S” recipe for sustainably fighting joint pain and inflammation

And in a manner that only natural solutions to joint pain and inflammation can muster, you can actually layer sustainable pain-fighting remedies together. Let’s go over an example that we like to call “The Salad, The Spoke, and The Supplement.”

The Salad

The Spoke

Part two is “The Spoke.” You may have already guessed that this refers to getting on your bicycle and riding. Because cycling is a low-impact activity, it is often a safer way for those of us with arthritis or other chronic pains to get in some cardio exercise without pounding our joints. There’s no need to get in over your head — a 15-minute session on a stationary bike or a quick pedal around the neighborhood can help loosen your knee joints and put that veggie power to use. 

If bicycling isn’t in your range, no problem. There are a number of other exercises you can swap that can keep your joints loose without adding too much strain. Yoga is an incredible way to stay loose with the added benefit of being a slow-moving activity that moves at the pace with which you feel comfortable progressing.

Additionally, swimming can have the same loosening effects as cycling but spread across the entire body. Start with a front crawl or backstroke, and go at your own pace.

Whatever your exercise, try to add it into your week at the same time on an ongoing basis. If Monday mornings work well for you to squeeze in a quick session before work or if Thursday afternoons before picking up the grandkids seem to come together easily, make a habit of it. Before long, you’ll actually look forward to the exercise.

After your exercise, reward yourself with a healthy snack such as a small portion of dark chocolate. Natural cocoa beans, a plant raised sustainably in many parts of the world including South America and West Africa, are rich in phytonutrients that can help ward off swelling. Just because it tastes so good doesn’t mean it’s bad for you. 

The Supplement

A natural supplement to address discomfort in joints is like the final decisive step.

Adding GLX3 to your diet ensures you are getting the proper daily serving of vital omega-3 fatty acids. New Zealand Green Lipped Mussels act as the primary active ingredient in GLX3. These mussels are sustainably raised and harvested off the coast of New Zealand and are a part of the region’s natural ecosystem — in fact, they filter the surrounding waters and provide polar phospholipids that help your body in its quest for joint health. 

The all-natural New Zealand olive oil and Vitamin E oil are the icing on the cake. 

And because it’s so easy — GLX3 ships right to your door and is available via a subscription so you don’t ever have to worry about running out — the toughest part of this trifecta will be convincing yourself that it was actually this easy to build a routine around it.