Did you know there are over 52.5 million people with arthritis? Not to mention, women are at a higher risk of having or developing arthritis. One of the most alarming things about arthritis is the fact that it doesn’t age discriminate! That’s right, more than 7% of individuals diagnosed with arthritis are between the ages of 18-44, and while the most common age range is 45-65 it is still something you will want to prevent at any age. Arthritis is one of those diseases that branches out and affects large numbers of individuals in a variety of ways just like cancer when this occurs distinguishing categories are created to help further distinguish one from the other.

Are The Odds In Your Favor?

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis that affects more than 27 million individuals. This form of arthritis is more commonly a development of wear and tear. In fact, 2 out of 3 people dealing with obesity go on to develop osteoarthritis in their knees. Another form of arthritis that seems to be growing at an alarming rate is rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis currently affects just over 1.5 million. Unfortunately, women are 2-3 times more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than men. This form of arthritis appears to be more similar to autoimmune disease and can increase flare-up experiences due to an increase in estrogen levels. Thus making it much more common among women than men. However, don’t worry ladies there is a form of arthritis that tends to affect men more than women. 

Different Types of Arthritis

Gout which affects more than 3 million is a form of arthritis that seems to affect men more than women. African and Hispanic males are at a higher risk than others for the development of this form of arthritis. It was once referred to as the rich man’s disease due to the fact that it was a disease that affected more kings and noblemen than any other social class. Gout is usually brought on by the excess of uric acid or the inability to process current uric acid levels. Back then the most common product consumed with high levels of uric acid was meat.

Regardless of which type of arthritis you may be dealing with, there is one thing that has been shown to provide relief as well as prevention across the board. The best thing to do is make the switch to an anti-inflammatory diet. Inflammation is a key player in the degrading of joints and muscle tissues while also breaking down our immunity and increasing our pain levels. By naturally reducing our inflammation we are able to check off a number of boxes all at once. Personally, I don’t know about you, but any time I can get more while doing less I’m going to choose that route over any other.

Support Your Health With Ease

Another great way to support and improve your health is by detoxing regularly. I know I must sound like a broken record, however, there is a direct correlation between excess toxins and inflammation in the body. Our bodies want to help us live our happiest and healthiest lives. They just need us to get out of our own way and start supplying them with the materials necessary for them to thrive rather than struggle to survive. The best part about all of this is there is a way to detox naturally while increasing the amounts of anti-inflammatory foods we consume daily. That’s right, it’s a two-for-one powerhouse that way too many of us are sleeping on. 

Roasted Garlic Parsnip Soup

Gluten-Free, Vegan, Serves 5

• 8 parsnips
• 1 head of garlic
• 2 Tbsp date syrup
• 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
• 3 large white onions
• 1 1/2 liters vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup pine nuts toasted
• 1 lemon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Wash the parsnips well and cube them. Peel the garlic and place it on a baking sheet with parsnips. Drizzle with oil, rosemary, syrup, salt, and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes. Thinly slice the onions in a saucepan with oil over low heat. Let caramelize, stirring occasionally. In a heavy soup pot, place the roasted garlic, parsnips, onions, and broth. Using a handheld blender blend until smooth. Add extra water if needed. Squeeze in the juice from the lemon and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with pine nuts and vegan sour cream on top.

Arkansas Possum Pie

Gluten-Free, Vegan, Serves 10

Crust:

• 1/2 cup vegan butter melted
• 1 cup coconut flour
• 3/4 cup pecans chopped
• 1/4 cup brown coconut sugar

Cream Cheese Layer:

• 8 ounces vegan cream cheese
• 1/2 cup powdered coconut sugar
• 2 Tbsp coconut cream

Chocolate layer:

• 1 box vegan instant chocolate pudding
• 2 cups full-fat coconut milk
• 1 box vegan instant chocolate fudge pudding

Topping:

• 1/2 cup coconut cream
• 2 Tbsp powdered coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup pecan halves

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the crust ingredients and press into a pretreated 9-inch pie pan. Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes and let cool completely. In a clean bowl, blend the cream cheese ingredients together until well combined and pour into a cooled crust. Using another bowl combine all the chocolate layer ingredients and mix until everything is well combined. Let set for 5 minutes before spreading over the cream layer. Place into the fridge for 4 hours. When ready to serve, beat the sugar and cream together until peaks form and fold in the nuts. Spread the topping over the pie and serve. Make sure to store it in the fridge.

Korean Ragu with Bok Choy

Gluten-Free, Vegan, Serves 2

• 4 ounces baby bok choy roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp black bean sauce
• 1 Tbsp coconut amino
• 1/2 pound korean rice cakes
• 1 yellow onion minced
• 2 Tbsp coconut creme fresh
• 1 Tbsp gochujang
• 4 cloves garlic paste
• 1 inch fresh ginger minced
• 15 ounce can chickpeas drained
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 bunch garlic chives thinly sliced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the chickpeas in oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until crispy. In a medium pot boil water. Once boiling add rice cakes and cook for 2-3 minutes or until tender. In the meantime, saute the onions, ginger, and garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil. Once aromatic, add the bok choy, amino, black bean sauce, gochujang, creme fresh, and 1/2 cup water. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 4-6 minutes or until thickened. Drain the rice cakes and transfer them to the pot, cook another 2-3 minutes, or until the cakes are thoroughly coated. Make sure to stir occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat. Stir in the chickpeas or for added crunch top with chickpeas when ready to eat.

Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad

Gluten-Free, Vegan, Serves 4

• 2 large carrots cubed
• 1 red onion finely sliced
• 2 medium sweet potatoes cubed
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 3/4 cup vegan feta cheese
• 2 1/2 cups cooked lentils
• 1 cup pecans toasted
• 6 cups arugula lettuce

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a pretreated baking sheet with the non-stick option of choice (I use aluminum foil) place carrots, onion, and sweet potatoes. Toss in oil, salt, and pepper to taste and roast for 30-35 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. In a bowl, combine the lettuce, roasted vegetables, lentils, and pecans. Toss and top with a drizzle of oil, molasses, and feta cheese.

Get Started Today

Keeping your body free of toxins and free radicals is necessary to maintain a healthy life and a healthy mind. There are tons of foods you can add to your regular diet to help your body with its critical detoxifying processes. If you are looking for a safe and all-natural way to detox your body at home be sure to check out my Balancing Abundance Program. Because detoxing is so important and realistically everyone should be doing it on at least a seasonal basis I have taken the time to put together a program to help you do just that. Here’s the thing, I know working with me one-on-one can seem difficult to get into (due to limited space) and I wanted to be able to give everyone an additional solution that has no limits. You deserve to be happy, healthy, and successful at everything you do so here are some recipes to help set you up for success!

 Need A Hand?

A happy and healthy life is closer than you may think. We all have to deal with our health daily, and when we don’t feel our best, it shows. If you are tired of just making it through your day, you NEED to start investing in your health today! You are not alone on this journey. If you ever need any help, I am always here to do just that. Even if it is something as small as acting as a sounding board, do you have any questions or concerns I can help you with? Feel free to contact me directly at [email protected], or you can even book a one-on-one call with me. Be sure to subscribe to gain access to tons of free goodies and check back daily for more great recipes and information!