Inflammation is a necessary part of our immune system — without it, we would not heal. Acute inflammation is the response in your body you might notice when dealing with a cut on the finger or a sprained, swollen ankle. The best part about acute inflammation is that it goes away.

However, our immune system can go a bit haywire and create low-level inflammation that not only stays but spreads throughout the body. Low-grade inflammation is associated with many chronic diseases as well as faster aging and weight gain.

An important component to cultivating optimal health is to reduce low-level inflammation in the body.

And what research is now showing is that our gut is the core center of optimal wellness. The health of our gut flora is crucial if you want to live a healthy, vibrant life.

Here are five key steps that will help you create optimal gut health to reverse inflammation in the body and put you on the path to wellness:

1. Plant your gut garden with probiotics.

We have roughly 100 trillion bacteria in our gut. Unfortunately, because of the types of unhealthy foods the majority of people are eating, our gut bacteria balance favors the unhealthy microbes that are promoting inflammation and weight gain.

Adding cultured and fermented foods or as a supplement, also called probiotics, actually "plants" healthy, friendly gut microbes to help create optimal health and reverse inflammation.

Probiotics are cultured or fermented foods that colonize our guts with health-boosting micro-organisms.

Add a probiotic or cultured and fermented food to your daily diet such as yogurt (without sugar), kefir, natto, kimchee, sauerkraut, pickles, and cheeses.

2. Fertilize the gut garden with prebiotics.

Our gut garden needs fertilizer for optimal results. That fertilizer is called prebiotics. Prebiotic foods contain unique nondigestible plant fibers such as inulin and oligofructose that help your healthy bacteria flourish.

Foods that are high in prebiotics include garlic, beans, bananas, artichokes, oats, jicama, avocado, leeks, onions, chicory root, asparagus, or any green leafy vegetables. Friendly bacteria need these specific foods in order to thrive and help reverse inflammation.