Menus for assisted living facilities have to achieve a wide variety of goals for a huge number of residents, with a wide variety of health conditions. One condition that is ubiquitous among assisted living residents, though, is arthritis. It’s a smart move to learn which foods can help arthritis, and which foods can aggravate an already-painful condition.

The Worst Offenders

Arthritis is an inflammatory condition, so avoiding foods that generally cause inflammation is critical in alleviating arthritis pain.

• Sugar – Sugar, especially in its refined form, triggers your body to release cytokines, which cause inflammation.
• Saturated Fats – Saturated fats are found in foods like full-fat dairy products, red meat, and fried food. Eating saturated fats triggers a condition called adipose, which is inflammation of fat tissue in the body, and it causes arthritis inflammation to get worse, too.
• Trans Fats – Found in foods that are made with margarine or shortening, like processed snack foods, commercial baked goods, crackers, and fried foods. Trans Fats cause systemic inflammation.
• Omega 6 Fatty Acid – Your body needs some Omega 6 fatty acid, but in excess, it causes the body to start producing chemicals that cause inflammation. It is found in mayonnaise, many salad dressings, and several common types of cooking oil, including corn, safflower, sunflower, grapeseed, peanut, and blended vegetable oil.
• Refined Carbohydrates – Foods like white rice, skinless potato products like instant mashed potatoes or French fries, and anything made with white flour are laden with refined carbohydrates. These foods stimulate production of a compound called AGE (Advanced Glycation End) which promotes inflammation.
• Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG) – MSG is a preservative and flavor-enhancing additive often found in prepared soup and soup mix, prepared Asian foods and soy sauce, lunch meats, and salad dressings. MSG causes chronic inflammation in most of the population.
• Aspartame – This artificial sweetener is common in diet soft drinks and foods made for diabetics. Aspartame is actually a neurotoxin, so the body attacks it with the immune system which triggers inflammation.
• Alcohol – It’s best to avoid alcohol entirely when suffering from arthritis.

Arthritis-Friendly Foods

The good news is that there are other foods which actually help combat inflammation and can significantly reduce arthritis pain.

• Cherries, Blueberries, and Raspberries – These particular fruits are rich in plant pigments called anthocyanins, which are both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
• Broccoli, Cauliflower, And Other Cruciferous Veggies – This group of vegetables are loaded with a compound called sulforaphane, which is anti-inflammatory, and it blocks enzymes that cause joint degradation.
• Onions – Onions contain a flavonoid that inhibits certain compounds in the body that cause inflammation and arthritis pain.
• Olive Oil – Extra virgin olive oil contains a compound called oleocanthal, which prevents the body from producing COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes that cause inflammation. If those enzymes sound familiar, you probably heard the names in a commercial for an NSAID: This is exactly the same mechanism that drugs like ibuprofen use to reduce inflammation and pain.

Plan for Better Health

It takes careful planning and preparation to give all your residents the best possible nutrition day after day. An integrated system that helps you manage recipes, purchasing and costing, prep and serving like the Grove Menus system can save you time, headaches, and money. Contact us today to learn how we can streamline planning menus for assisted living facilities like yours.