Arthritis Wisdom

Inspired tips and information elevating autoimmune living

Food & Fitness

Why Do You Want to Eat a Beet?

Nutritional Roasted Beets

Roasted beets are nutritionally power-packed and add lots of color for a beautiful presentation! Yum!

Why Do You Want to Eat a Beet?

To eat a beet is to give yourself a sweet and nutritious treat.  In addition to fiber, vitamins and minerals, the beet is a unique source of betalins, a phytonutrient with antioxidant properties.  For someone with systemic inflammation like I have with my rheumatoid arthritis (RA), this is all good news!

What I choose to eat is an important piece to my anti-inflammatory lifestyle.  I’ve experienced the benefits of limiting processed foods, carbohydrates and sugar.  Even before my formal diagnosis, I made these changes to my diet with noticeable improvement in how I felt almost immediately.  Enough so to give me encouragement to keep it up.  My theory is to give my body the best chance to fight the inflammation and prevent further inflammation by limiting foods that can potentially cause inflammation.

“Medications alone aren’t enough.  I manage my RA with my *FRESH* lifestyle.”

I aim for eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, fatty fish, lean meats and poultry, nuts and seeds.  This week I roasted beets to add vibrant color, an earthy taste and interesting texture to my salad.  The main reason I like to eat a beet is for the nutrition it provides.  Here are some of the nutrients in a beet:

  1. folate
  2. manganese
  3. copper
  4. potassium
  5. phosphorus
  6. magnesium
  7. vitamin C
  8. iron
  9. vitamin B-6
  10. phytonutrients contained in the beet.

I try to eat a green salad at least 5 times a week because I have found I simply feel and think better if I do so.  When I see a pattern in how I feel when I eat certain foods, I take notice.  Eating green salads with different toppings and dressings are a great example of eating what makes me feel good.  By changing up what I add to my greens, I don’t tire of the goodness the ingredients offer.  The beets can be diced or sliced for a beautiful presentation.  I love the rings exposed in a sliced beet.  It adds interest to the salad.

Some of my favorite things to put with the beets and greens are candied pecans, goat cheese, orange slices, blue cheese, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and pomegranate seeds.  I dress it with simple vinegar and oil, then grind some salt and pepper to top it.  Yum!

Here is how I roasted the beets, which came out of my husbands organic garden.

  • Wash the beets to remove any dirt on them
  • rub olive oil on the beets
  • place in a dutch oven so they do not touch each other
  • cover
  • roast at 375 degrees turning the beets every 20 minutes until done
  • do not over bake
  • let cool a bit
  • remove peel  ( I do this with my hands, but they do end up purple! )

You want to eat a beet because of the nutrients they contain, in particular the phytonutrients that have antioxidant properties to help the body help itself.  A healthy diet will nourish the cells in our body to be able to do their job.  I believe that helps the body to best fight the inflammation.

And that is using Arthritis Wisdom!

XXOO   Cathy

 

 

 

 

Day Two Think Spring

asparagus is a springtime harvest

Asparagus harvesting is a sure sign of spring

Asparagus is our Day Two Think Spring surprise.  Asparagus is harvested in the spring and speaks springtime to me.  It is always considered when planning our Easter dinner.  I’m trying to bring something into our life each day for 5 days that evoke that springtime feel.  It is definitely needed today as it is still snowing.  Oh my!

Asparagus grows wild in Wisconsin.  You can find it where there is full sun, like in a ditch or at the side of a country road.  If you are asparagus hunting, just make sure you aren’t trespassing on private land!  I’m not sure the asparagus could even be found today with the amount of snow we have on the ground.

Asparagus is packed with all sorts of nutrients.  Those of us with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) would be pleased to learn these nutritional benefits.  According to the University of Wisconsin Extension here are some of the goods this bright green veggie contains:

  • Vitamin A- good for vision and healthy skin
  • Vitamin E- strengthens immune system
  • Vitamin C- a powerful antioxidant fighting free radicals
  • Vitamin K- involved in blood coagulation
  • Fiber- soluble and insoluble.  The body digests fiber slower making you feel fuller.  The fiber also helps with constipation
  • Folic Acid- prevents birth defects

This vegetable that is full of good-for-you vitamins can be roasted, grilled or steamed.  I’m keeping it simple by steaming the stalks and drizzling butter over the beautiful veggie.  I will top it off with zest from a lemon.  Yummy for sure!

Now days asparagus is available year around.  For me it is still a springtime treat.  I associate it with this time of the year.  This is how I am bringing spring into my life today.  It is still cold, gray, cloudy, snowy and on and on here in Wisconsin.  The robins are even confused by this weather.  I have to play a “mind game” to keep spring in my thoughts.  I need my mood lifted to better my mental and emotional health.  That in turn helps my body deal with my RA better.  And that is using Arthritis Wisdom!

Have a fabulous Day Two Think Spring!  And take good care of yourself!

XXOO Cathy

 

3 Healthy Welcome Home Traditions

Healthy Traditions

3 Welcome Home traditions have been changed to healthy options, but the one batch of chocolate chip cookies still shouts “So glad you are home”!

I’ve changed 3 Welcome Home traditions to healthy options keeping with the management of my rheumatoid arthritis (RA).  I may be the only one in the family with RA, but everything I do to help keep the inflammation under control is really good and beneficial for the whole family.

Once our son lets me know he is coming for a visit, the planning and preparation fun begins.  I like to spread the preparation out over several days.  It is sweet anticipation!  I will freshen his bedroom, plan meals and grocery shop.  The meal planning and grocery shopping is where I’ve changed traditions the most.  I’m becoming better at planning meals to include plenty of leftovers to minimize the need for snacks.  That helps to limit preservatives, added sugar and added salt.  I prepare everything fresh so I know what is in every part of the meal.  It has taken me time to figure out favorite recipes everyone likes and the amount to make to allow for the desired leftovers.  My goal this visit was to eliminate any pizza deliveries!  If I had great options in the refrigerator, there would be no need to order out.

It is tradition I have a pot of chili waiting at the time of arrival.  I use the recipe from childhood, but now include organic mushrooms and green peppers for added variety of vegetables.  I find myself trying for five different vegetables in my recipes, aiming to add flavor and nutrients without changing the dish so it has a trying-to-pack-more-nutrients-where-I-shouldn’t-pack-more-nutrients taste.  As our son says, It must be edible!  Chili is a great way to ensure leftovers for the next day.

My family doesn’t tend to snack if I have satisfying meals for them.  Also, they do not want dessert if I have satisfying meals for them.  I was a dessert fanatic before I was diagnosed with RA, so I thought my whole family loved dessert.  I also enjoyed baked goods to munch on and candies to grab and snack on.  What a revelation I was the only one with the sweet tooth!  So the only treat I bake is the one batch of chocolate chip cookies.  The smell just shouts “Welcome home, we are so happy to see you”!  I figure the warm-fuzzy feeling is a boost to our immune systems!

Here are the 3 healthy traditions I’ve implemented:

  1. A bowl of pistachios instead of a bowl of chocolates on the counter.
  2. Plenty of ice cold water bottles in the refrigerator instead of sport drinks.
  3. Mineral water with a splash of fruit juice instead of Mountain Dew.

These are very small changes, but they make a big healthy difference.  I would be refilling the chocolates often in the past.  We would have cases of sports drinks and Mountain Dew in the extra refrigerator.  By offering these 3 substitutes, no one even notices the missing sugar load.  We go through a lot of bottled water, and that is a very good thing.  I refill the pistachios for a few days and then when the bag of nuts is gone, I put the bowl away.

It is interesting to me how our diet has changed without missing the unhealthy parts.  It does take planning and preparation, but it is more satisfying.  I’d say that is using Arthritis Wisdom!

We would love to hear of healthy traditions you have implemented in the comments below!

XXOO Cathy