Summer anti-inflammatory menu ideas

I had something quite unusual today for lunch. I had a cucumber and blueberry salad, with just a hint of ranch dressing. Seems odd, but it was quite refreshing. Then a fresh peach for desert.

I'm not a salad lover--never have been, so I drink a beet/greens smoothie every day before dinner. And this way I can avoid unhealthy salad dressings. Note that I only include ingredients that I don't normally eat every day, like berries. You may wish to add whole berries for a little sweetness, but avoid fruit juices.
Here is the recipe:
1/2 raw, scrubbed beet, cubed
1 5-oz. pkg. of Organic Girl Super Greens (avoid 100% spinach due to oxalate content)
1 avocado
32 oz. Evolution Organic Green Devotion or Suja Uber Greens (contain NO fruit juice)
Yes, it is not very tasty without fruit, but I only drink about 6 oz. each day, which you can drink like medicine. 🙂

I guess I can thank my grandfather for my interest in salad making. We lived with my grandparents til I started first grade - school was not really walking distance so my parents decided to move closer to town but still walking distance to my grandparents. I used to visit them regularly. My grandfather had a garden, not huge, but he always had lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, and tomatoes, he loved his garden. We would sit outside listening to the birds, he knew every bird by just listening. Anyway making and eating salads reminds me of him. Good memories, good food, good stress relief.
Made a cucumber salad yesterday, picked 3 cucumbers, just kinda improvised. Sliced the cucumber and added lemon juice, little bit of sugar, light sour cream, light ranch dressing and dill. Was delicious.

Love salads. And I add protein to mine every day (tuna or chicken). Dressing it is fun. I have one for each day. Chipotle, peppercorn ranch, blue cheese, Italian, etc.
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I am recently diagnosed with PMR and trying to learn more about anti- inflammatory foods. There seems to be some inconsistent information out there (I bought a book on the subject) regarding tomatoes and other nightshade vegetables. I would find it very helpful to hear what other PMR sufferers have experienced. Thanks!

Hi @chrisgh, My first round with PMR lasted 3 and half years. The second time it flared up six years later I was more determined to make changes to help with the PMR. It's great to hear that you are looking at lifestyle changes to help with your PMR symptoms. Here's some information that helped me that might provide some suggestions.

-- Can Diet Affect Symptoms of Polymyalgia Rheumatica?:
https://www.healthline.com/health/polymyalgia-rheumatica-diet

New studies by the Arthritis Foundation say that nightshade vegetables are okay to have in moderation.

My diet was good before my PMR diagnosis 7 months ago, now it is excellent! I don't eat processed foods, fried foods, red meat, sugar, white flour. sodas, etc.

I Googled everything I ate for a month until I got used to eating better. It does make a huge difference with my inflammation. Bonus points for losing 10 lbs.

Study and read all you can. There's so much great information to be had.

The difference in opinions about nightshade vegetables seems to be between those who don't notice or care about oxalates, which are anti-nutrients that combine with calcium and other nutrients to expel them rather than allowing them to be absorbed. Calcium oxalates can also cause kidney stones and other problems for some people.

It depends on how individuals react to those oxalates. People who have no reaction to tomato seeds, for example, will swear that nightshade foods are fine. I've always had problems with tomato seeds causing inflammation in hair follicles. The effect came within an hour or so of eating them. Removing the seeds meant I could eat tomatoes, but I don't bother now and avoid tomatoes and other nightshade vegies altogether.

Fun Fact: The queen of England had a strict rule that all tomato seeds were to be removed from her food, both at home and everywhere she went where food might be offered to her. Her chef said it was because a seed might stick to her teeth, but I wonder...

Thank you for taking the time to reply! It’s all new and a bit bewildering.

Salmon was on sale this week so that was dinner last night. I just used a fry pan coated with some olive oil. Sprinkled a little bit of lemon juice, light coating of olive oil, dill, and tarragon leaves on the salmon. I leave the skin on just rinsing off any loose scakes, never had a problem loosening the skin after cooking. I put the fillet skin side up in the hot oil til it's cooked halfway, flip it, put a lid on it til it's cooked through and flaky. Getting it out of the pan with a turner is easy, comes right off the skin.
Tossed salad on the side and cooked zucchini.
I am a big fan of zucchini. I coat the pan with olive oil and saute a diced shallot in the pan first, it flavors the oil. I use shallots a lot instead of onions, they're smaller, not overpowering and taste better imo. Add sliced zucchini, only takes a few minutes til cooked, sprinkle wth dill and chopped parsley.
Adding herbs makes vegetables not only taste better but look more appealing, appetizing. Was what I call a 'restaurant quality dinner'. And healthy.
During the summer I always have a couple pots of parsley on the plant stand outside the kitchen door. Fresh cut parsley has so much more flavor. I have both curled and flat leafed. Fresh cut parsley and chives also make salads look and taste better.