5 Ways Runners Can Beet Inflammation

Full disclosure: that is not a typo in the title.

I'm eating beets.

Since my recent diagnosis with rheumatoid arthritis, I've started incorporating some changes in my diet. I am not a dietitian, nor am I an expert on nutrition. But I've done a lot of reading about anti-inflammatory foods and I'm pretty amazed at how much certain foods can really affect us. Including beets.

Not only for people with RA, runners can benefit from an anti-inflammatory diet as well. Eating foods that are known to curb inflammation can help with recovery from a tough run or injuries.

Plantar fasciitis anyone? Iliotibial band tendonitis? Pain in the assitis?

Anything that ends in -itis?

It's all inflammation.

Here are some of the easiest and tastiest ways to increase your anti-inflammatory food intake.

Smoothies

Now that I am fighting an autoimmune disease, I'm working on increasing my fruit and vegetable intake. This is a bit of a challenge for me since I'm not a big fan of veggies. Last year, I received a free box from GreenBlender and I started making morning smoothies, mostly for my son. The GreenBlender smoothies opened up a whole new world for us. I loved the unique ingredients and creative recipes--there were so many items I had never heard of. My son swears that the smoothies helped him score podium spots in his gymnastics meets.

Needless to say, we were hooked!

Over the past year, Matthew and I have continued making our smoothies. After my diagnosis, I gave up my morning bowl of cereal and have been drinking smoothies every morning. We continue to experiment with new recipes and ingredients. Our smoothie journey has been a fun and rewarding experience. How many 17 year olds know anything about maca powder? Or how to grate turmeric and ginger root? Corny as it may sound, hearing him ask me to buy more spinach warms my heart.

Along with my weekly menu planning, I do weekly smoothie planning. Knowing what I'm going to make in the morning and having the ingredients on hand really streamlines the process. While there are a lot of smoothie recipes on Pinterest, my favorite source is the GreenBlender website. The website has a ton of recipes and you can search by category. Naturally, I search the "anti-inflammatory" category. The best part of all this is--I am feeling better.

Talk about a mood booster--this one tasted like sunshine in a glass!

If you don't want to do smoothie planning and shopping--admittedly, it is a lot of work--GreenBlender is a great service. They deliver all the ingredients, measured, packaged, and ready to go so that you can easily and conveniently make healthy smoothies. The ingredients are organic and fresh. 

Beets

Beets are an anti-inflammatory superpower. Beets contain substances that have been found to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vascular-protective effects. One review that I read also cited several studies that found beetroot to significantly enhance athletic performance!

Knowing all that, how can you not eat beets? Well, for a lot of us, the taste is a little strong. Like dirt.

So when I was contacted by Red Ace, a company that makes beet juice shots, to try their product, I was a little hesitant. After talking to Marcia, who has tried the product, and considering all the benefits of beets, I decided to give it a go. Red Ace sent me a case of all three flavors: red beet, beets and greens, and beets and turmeric. I will admit that I was a little nervous to try them. But with my resolve to overcome my symptoms and get off the steroids, I was game.

Plus, my sons were all in. Shots anyone?

I know what you're thinking. What kind of mother does shots with her sons? Only the coolest mom in town...

We know how to party at the TTLWH house! Bottoms up!

All 3 of use were pleasantly surprised by the good taste of the beet shots. I've tried all 3 flavors and I can attest to how good they really are. In fact, the shots disappeared so quickly, I had to order another case!

Each Red Ace Beet Shot contains juice from 3 whole beets. The product is 100% organic. You could also mix these in with your smoothies, but I think they are so good, I'm going to keep drinking them straight. They do make your urine turn pink, but hey, no hangovers from these!!!

My next shipment is already on the way. Party on!

Fish Oil

Fish oil is another powerful anti-inflammatory agent. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil reduce inflammation by blocking cytokines and prostaglandins. Fish oil also helps fight heart disease by lowering triglycerides, and may even help with cold tolerance and Raynauds. After my diagnosis, my rheumatologist had me increase the amount of fish oil I was already taking. She stressed the importance that even though there might be plenty of fish oil listed on the label, only DHA and EPA count in my total of 2400 mg/day needed to reduce inflammation. Yes, you read that right. I didn't start out at that dose right away--I slowly increased it over about 6 weeks to avoid any GI issues. 

Buyer beware: some brands do not contain the stated amount of DHA/EPA. Consumer Reports reviewed many brands of fish oil, and they listed 10 brands that passed their scrutiny. One of them, Carlson Labs Super Omega-3 Gems, (affiliate link) is the one that I take. I take 5 capsules per day to meet my prescribed dosage.

Green Tea

I love iced tea. Love. To save money, and because unsweetened tea is so hard to find, I started brewing my own tea for iced tea. A few years ago, I read about the benefits of green tea and made the switch. One of my friends mentioned a matcha green tea she tried, and once I tried it, I was hooked. Matcha is a powder made from the green tea leaves. While you can actually brew tea from the powder, I use the bags which contain leaves and powder. I love the stronger taste of the Matcha Green Tea. Because Matcha Green Tea is more concentrated, there are more of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits to enjoy. Matcha is also purported to have cholesterol and triglyceride lowering effects. There are many brands out there, but my favorite is Rishi Tea Organic Super Green Tea Matcha. (affiliate link)

Nuts and seeds

In the middle of the afternoon, when my energy is dipping low, there's nothing more satisfying than a handful of almonds. They fill me up and give me a boost. Nuts are a great source of healthy fats, which can lower cholesterol. Nuts also contain potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds. Raw unsalted nuts are the best. If you are making smoothies, throwing a handful of nuts or seeds (like chia seeds, flaxseed, or hemp seeds) will boost the protein content of your smoothies and provide plenty of anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids.

It's too bad that it took rheumatoid arthritis to make me realize that I needed to clean up my diet. I realized that my diet wasn't as bad as I thought. I've still got adjustments to make. But it's great to already be seeing improvement in the way I feel.

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For more information, here are some great resources:
Run to the Finish: 30 Scientifically Proven Post Run Meals for Optimal Recovery
Dr Weil's Antiinflammatory Food Pyramid
Women's Running: 5 Natural Ways to Tackle Inflammation with Whole Food
Shut Up and Run: The "Diet" Every Runner Should Know About (some links in post are not up to date)

Disclosure: I received the Red Ace Performance Beet Shots in exchange for my honest review.