After I finished my nutrition degree, I started doing some nutrition classes and cooking classes for a local senior’s community centre. I set up the cooking classes according to themes to focus on specific health needs. This was my first recipes created for my Arthritis cooking class.
Inflammation is a big part of Arthritis, because any disease ending in ‘itis' means Inflammation. I loved that I was able to also add a little pun to the title. Ask my husband Tony, I love a good pun!
The main focus of this recipe was to increase a colourful array of vegetables into the diet and top it with dressing rich in Omega-3 and healthy fat. Adding the ginger gives the salad a nice little zip, and add to the anti-inflammatory properties too! My food/nutrition nerd loved how these healthy ingredients blended together to create a healthy and delicious combo that is highly functional to nourish the body.
A few insights, tips and tricks for ingredients involved:
· Beets are packed with nutrients, including fiber (which most of us don't get enough of), Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and even some protein. The deep colour of beets indicates rich phytonutrients such as betalains which are anti-inflammatory, support detoxification, and provides antioxidants.
· Cabbage is another great source of fiber and nutrients. It packs a punch with Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Vitamin K (to name a few). It contains a powerful antioxidant known as polyphenols, which protects your cells from damage.
· Celery is great for flavour and added fiber. It also has some great trace nutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin K and Folic acid. Celery is best bought organic, since when not grown on an organic farm, there are a great deal of chemicals used to produce it.
· Carrot are the sweet treat of raw vegetables. Even though they are sweet, the nutrients they provide help to balance it out. Theme of the vegetables in this is…. You guessed it fiber. Which carrots have an ample amount. The fibre combined with the fat from the dressing slows any blood sugar rise you may get from this root vegetable. A perfect balance as nature intended. The deep orange colour comes from the beta-carotene, a well known phytonutrient known for its antioxidant properties.
· Ginger root, there is nothing better than fresh ginger root. Its many uses, including reducing inflammation, are always more powerful when you use it fresh, and not dried in a powder. It can be hard to use fresh ginger root quickly if you don’t juice, so two things I’ve found to be useful are buying it minced, so its kept in the fridge and easily used, or buy the raw root and keep it in your freezer. When you’re ready to use it, just peel the skin and grate it as needed. I always found frozen ginger root to be easier to grate than room temperate.
· Flax oil is a rich source of omega 3. This is important since most North American diets have an imbalance of omega 3 to omega 6. Using flax oil on raw foods, like salads, is a great way to work this into your diet. Good quality flax oil is not found on a shelf in the grocery section, it will be in a fridge. Flax should be stored in the fridge, and should not be heated. If you want to use as a drizzle on cooked food, add after you have cooked and plated your food. This prevents the omega 3’s from going bad, which causes more harm than good.
Find the recipe here: Beet Inflammation Salad
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