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In the ever-evolving landscape of wellness, inflammation has emerged as the latest term du jour. Once relegated to medical textbooks, it’s now become a focal point in conversations about health, beauty, and longevity. But what does it truly mean, and why is it garnering such attention?
Unlike the sharp, obvious kind of inflammation you get from a cut or a sprained ankle, chronic inflammation is subtle. It lingers in the background, quietly disrupting everything from energy levels to digestion, and has been linked to conditions like heart disease, anxiety, fatigue, and even premature aging. It’s no wonder so many of us are now trying to get a handle on it—through what we eat, how we move, and with the skincare we use.
Travel, too, can have a surprising impact on inflammation, both good and bad. On the one hand, the disruption to routine, jet lag, poor sleep, and processed airport food can spike cortisol levels and inflammatory markers in the body. Long-haul flights also reduce circulation, which can lead to swelling and fluid retention. On the flip side, travel can also reduce inflammation if it allows for rest, exposure to nature, movement, and time away from stress.
Inflammation—and finding ways to mitigate it—is something I’m deeply invested in. I have an autoimmune issue called Hashimoto’s, which means that I’m constantly looking for ways to lessen the inflammation in my body in order to reduce my symptoms like dry skin, eczema, hair loss, brain fog, crippling exhaustion, and many more. I’ve tried as many medically sound protocols and questionable TikTok hacks as I can handle, but I can’t help thinking a more immersive approach might be necessary.
Thankfully, I was invited to a one-off anti-inflammatory retreat at Palazzo Fiuggi. Set in the peaceful Italian hills of Fiuggi, just southeast of Rome, this exclusive wellness retreat has become a leader in anti-inflammatory wellness. Known for its science-backed, holistic approach, the retreat combines advanced medical testing with personalized therapies to help guests reduce chronic inflammation.
Each program is tailored to the individual, and includes a mix of stress management practices, detox treatments, medical testing and anti-inflammatory nutrition. Meals are carefully designed with ingredients that help lower inflammation without compromising on flavor, all created by renowned chef Heinz Beck with help from nutritional scientists. The retreat’s use of Fiuggi’s mineral-rich waters—known for their traditional healing properties—adds another layer to this resort’s wellness offering.
It even has an anti-inflammatory approach to beauty, too, working with the line created by orthopedic specialist Dr Barbara Sturm. Sturm created her eponymous beauty line after years of research and medical practice looking at how to reduce inflammation in the body: “Inflammation is the body’s natural immune response, but when levels stay elevated for too long, it can trigger autoimmune issues, chronic illness, and accelerate aging,” says Dr Sturm. “I’ve been obsessed with inflammation for years, and now it’s finally being spoken about and recognized as something we need to be aware of.”
As I arrived at this inflammation retreat, I expected a lot of green juice, yoga mats, and vague references to “toxins”. What I got instead was a deeper understanding of how this buzzy, often misunderstood word quietly shapes our long-term health, energy levels, and even how we age. Whether you’re curious about it from a skincare perspective, dealing with burnout, or simply looking for more resilience while traveling, here are the five most insightful lessons I took away.
Food is not just fuel—it’s feedback
What we eat can either soothe or spike inflammation, chef Beck tells me. He’s currently working with a university to examine the oxidative stress that food creates in the body. He explains how he creates their expert menu, with antioxidant-rich foods as a primary focus.
Each anti-inflammatory meal at Palazzo Fiuggi begins with a pre-meal ginger shot, known to aid digestion. Dishes are made up of mostly plant-based foods, with some seafood, laden with leafy greens, fresh vegetables, berries, and more. Notably absent are fried foods, processed foods, caffeine, alcohol, artificial sugars, and dairy—all known to have inflammatory properties that can affect some of us more than others.
Beck reminds me that there isn’t one “superfood” that does everything, so casting the net wide when it comes to eating is what helps mitigate the free radicals that cause inflammation. Thankfully, that also helps offset any health fatigue that might set in, too.
Our bodies often give us feedback on what we’re eating—if we’re listening to them, that is. Professor Mauro Serafini, an expert in human nutrition at Palazzo Fiuggi, tells me about a study he’s conducting in the Abruzzo region of Italy, known for its high percentage of centenarians. “What we’ve noticed is that they eat a savory breakfast, then go to work and have a big lunch at 12.30 p.m., and always have dinner by 7 p.m. The earlier dinner works with our circadian rhythms as our metabolism slows down later in the day.”
Above all, the advice seems to be that eating with an inflammation-reducing mindset makes all the difference; and helps keep you motivated when making better choices both at home and traveling.
A holistic approach matters more than you think
The biggest myth I had to unlearn was that inflammation can be fixed with a single solution—a supplement, medication, a new eating plan, a better workout. In reality, managing it requires a full-spectrum look at your life. Yes, nutrition is key, but so is your sleep quality, your stress levels, your emotional wellbeing, and how your nervous system handles pressure.
Sturm practices multiple anti-inflammatory and nervous system regulating practices daily. “I use a PEMF mat, red light, hypoxic bike training, and walk barefoot a lot. I avoid certain foods and fragranced products, but it has to be intentional and part of your routine,” she says. Although things like walking outdoors and being in nature do help, she adds: “It’s hard to see the effects from anti-inflammatory practices, but they do have a cumulative effect.”
A few days into the retreat, I realized this wasn’t just about cutting things out—gluten, sugar, one too many frozen margs—but instead, it’s about tuning into how your entire lifestyle either stokes the inflammatory fire or cools it down.
Your skin can be an indicator of your inflammation levels
Inflammation can show up on the skin in many ways—from redness, irritation, and puffiness to breakouts, dryness, and premature aging. It’s essentially your body’s immune response kicking into high gear. While a little inflammation is normal and even helpful (like when your skin heals from a cut), chronic or prolonged inflammation can wreak havoc. Conditions like rosacea, eczema, psoriasis and even acne are all inflammatory in nature. But even if you don’t have a diagnosed skin condition, inflammation can silently degrade collagen, weaken your skin barrier, and accelerate the formation of fine lines and wrinkles.
So what can we do about it? First, reduce triggers. This means minimizing stress, getting enough sleep, avoiding harsh skincare ingredients (like over-exfoliating acids or alcohol-heavy products), and protecting your skin from pollution and UV rays. Supporting your skin’s barrier is key – look for products rich in ceramides, niacinamide and fatty acids. Sturm is vehemently against the use of products like retinol, a form of vitamin A that helps speed up cell turnover. “It’s too harsh for the skin, we need to repair the barrier, not cause more inflammation” she says. Anti-inflammatory ingredients like green tea, aloe vera, chamomile and purslane—Sturm’s —can calm the skin and reduce visible irritation.
Good sleep can reduce inflammation
One of the clearest messages I heard was this: chronic stress keeps your body in a state of low-grade inflammation, even if everything else looks healthy on paper, and even when you’re asleep.
At the retreat, guided hikes in the fresh mountain air, sessions in the infrared sauna, and practices like meditation and breath work weren’t optional extras – they were considered essential tools, but so too was sleep. Quality sleep is one of the most underrated yet powerful ways to reduce inflammation in the body. While you sleep, your body enters a restorative state: it lowers levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, repairs tissue, and balances cortisol (the stress hormone known to drive up inflammation when chronically elevated). In fact, studies have shown that even a single night of poor sleep can increase inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein. Over time, chronic sleep deprivation contributes not just to fatigue and mood swings but also to increased risk of inflammatory conditions like heart disease, autoimmune issues, and even skin flare-ups.
So, how can we optimize sleep to support lower inflammation? First, consistency matters – aim for 7–9 hours per night, going to bed and waking up at the same time daily. Keep your room cool and dark, reduce screen exposure at least an hour before bed (blue light interferes with melatonin production), and avoid heavy meals or alcohol late at night.
Magnesium supplements or sleep supplements with nervous-system calming ingredients can also help support more restful sleep. Incorporating a wind-down routine—like reading, gentle stretching, or breathing exercises—can signal to the body it’s time to switch off. The goal isn’t just more sleep, but better quality sleep, because that’s when the real anti-inflammatory magic happens.
Exercise is medicine, but dosage matters
I always thought the more intense the workout, the better. But inflammation doesn’t necessarily agree. While regular movement is key to reducing inflammatory markers, the type, intensity and recovery are just as important. Long runs, high-intensity classes, and back-to-back sessions without proper rest can tip your body into a state of oxidative stress, especially if you’re already depleted.
More isn’t always better. If you’re noticing persistent fatigue, poor sleep, or constant muscle soreness, your workouts may be stressing your system and driving inflammation up, rather than down. Pay attention to how you recover, and whether your energy, digestion, and mood feel balanced. The sweet spot lies in consistency, not intensity. Pairing movement with good sleep, proper rest, and nutrient support helps the body use exercise as a tool for healing, rather than harm.
What the retreat emphasized instead was consistency over intensity: long walks in the fresh air, mobility work, strength training, and low-impact movement like swimming, yoga or pilates. It’s about moving daily, but gently enough to support the immune system.
A version of this story originally appeared on Condé Nast Traveller UK.