Liven up Your RA Diet With These Great Salad Recipes

Healthy Salad Recipes for RA

When you have rheumatoid arthritis, it’s important to include certain types of foods in your rheumatoid arthritis diet. Salads are a great place to start. Be sure to include ingredients that:

• Are loaded with antioxidants – Foods with antioxidants will quench free radicals that cause inflammation in your body. This ends up causing less pain in your body.
• Lubricate the joints – Foods that have the essential oils in them lubricate the joints. Years ago, a popular health book author claimed fish oil, especially cod liver oil, lubricated the joints. We now know that this is true, since studies have proven the effectiveness of omega-3 fish oils for those who have arthritis.
• Provide plenty of vitamins and minerals – Foods that provide minerals give you what is needed to rebuild bones eaten away by arthritis, and foods loaded with vitamins assist the minerals in rebuilding the bone.
• Help with detoxing – Foods that help your body detoxify itself clear the way for healing to begin in the tissues that need it.

By including as many of these foods that you can into your diet each day, you are flooding your body with all types of nutrients – and making it incredibly happy. Will those nutrients go to the joints affected by arthritis? You bet! When you eat something, the food is digested and the nutrients go directly into the bloodstream. From there, the nutrients flow into every part of your body, healing as they go. Here are a few healthy salad recipes for RA to help get you started:

Watercress Tropical Salad

Yield: 3 servings (12 servings fruits and vegetables)

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch watercress, chopped
• ½ head Romaine lettuce 1 avocado, de-pitted and skinned
• 1 cup pineapple chunks with
• ½ cup pineapple juice
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• ¼ cup parsley, chopped  

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add the Romaine lettuce and the watercress.
2. Toss and add the celery and parsley. Toss again.
3. Finally add the pineapple chunks and avocado.
4. Serve cold.

 Heirloom Tomato Lentil Salad

Yield: 4 servings  (20 servings fruits and vegetables)

Ingredients:

• 6 heirloom tomatoes
• 2 cups cooked lentils
• 4 red peppers, diced
• 1 cucumber, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup celery
• 4 ounces shredded cheese (optional)  

Directions:

1. Heirloom tomatoes are different from the flavorless store-bought tomatoes. They are filled with flavor and nutrients. In a large salad bowl, add the lentils, cucumber, red peppers, carrots and celery.
2. Toss.
3. Add the cheese on top.

Enjoy!