As we enter the month of March, The American Dietetic Association is hoping we will all take a closer look at the foods we are eating and analyze our plates to ensure we have a balanced diet. This year's theme for National Nutrition Month is "Eat Right with Color." National Nutrition Month is a nutrition education and information campaign found at www.eatright.org which focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. But this is not always as easy when you suffer from certain types of arthritis. Not all vegetables are good for your diet and some can cause joint inflammation.

The ADA shares valuable information for seniors on how to maintain a healthy diet. The full checklist of a healthy eating plan can be found on their website. Here are a few tips they share:

A Healthy Eating Plan:

• Emphasizes fruit, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat or fat-free milk and milk products
• Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts.
• Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium) and added sugars.

But since some of the above mentioned foods can trigger attacks for arthritis sufferers, here are some foods steer clear from while planning that healthy meal.

• Nightshade vegetables: Tomatoes, white potatoes, peppers, belladonna, and eggplant
• Citrus fruits
• Dairy Products
• Phosphorous rich food: Red meat, red flesh fish, organ meat like kidney, liver, processed meat, and soft drinks.
• Corns, wheat, oats, rye, and barley
• Eggs
• Fried food, vegetable oil, margarine: Omega 6, present in vegetable oil, worsens inflammation.
• Alcohol
• Coffee
• Foods that are rich in oxalic acid or oxalates: Star fruit, black pepper, parsley, poppy seed, rhubarb stalks, amaranth, spinach, chard, beets, cocoa, chocolate, most nuts, most berries, and beans.

That's the bad news….now here's the good news. You don't have to give up all your favorites and can still work around a wide variety of tasty vegetables, fruits, nuts and fish. Here are some foods that are found to be friendly to arthritic conditions:

• Green, yellow, and orange vegetables: Artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, chard, collards, lettuce, spinach, string beans, summer or winter squash, sweet potatoes, tapioca, and taro.
• Anti-inflammatory foods: Ginger, garlic, turmeric and apples.
• Brown rice: This is recommended instead of corns, wheat, oats, rye, and barley
• Cooked or dried fruits: Cherries, cranberries, pears, prunes.
• Fish: Salmon, mackerel, herring, tuna, as they are rich in Omega 3 essential fatty acid
• Nuts & Seeds: Walnuts, almonds, linseeds, pumpkin seeds which are unsalted
• Water: Drinking plenty of water is known to help.

The ADA also recommends you focus on variety of foods to keep it interesting. Eating a variety of foods from all the food groups will allow you to get the nutrients your body needs. Fruits and vegetables can be fresh, frozen or canned. Include more dark green vegetables such as leafy greens and broccoli and orange vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes. This is perfect since those are the types of vegetables that are found to be most favorable for arthritis sufferers. They also suggest you vary your protein choices with more varieties of fish.