At Carolina Rehab and Physical Medicine Center, we are driven to help people get back to living their life! We have made many efforts over the years to discover the latest in treatment options and make them available to all of our Little River and neighboring communities.
Dr. Strickland and our team have helped thousands overcome knee pain, joint pain, back pain and more! And we are just getting started!
While we don’t deal with diets and diet plans, we do often bring up the benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet when one is dealing with joint pains or overcoming surgery. It is a fact that certain foods have been shown to raise inflammation, and thereby increase pain. And the opposite is also true – certain foods have been shown to reduce inflammation and pain. Reducing inflammation can also speed up recovery!
With the holidays right around the corner, I wanted to share some anti-inflammatory recipes our team has across which you can easily include in your holiday dinners or meals.
If you have one you go to, please share it with us and we can share it on Social Media!
Brussel Sprouts
Brussel sprouts are packed with vitamins and nutrients. They are especially high in a compound called kaempferol, which is an anti-oxidant. Kaempferol has been found to have potent anti-inflammatory properties, making this an excellent side dish for your holiday dinner.
We found this DAMN GOOD Oven Roasted Brussel Sprout recipe from thisismeldrake.com. These are especially good when you add a little bit of bacon and substitute the lemon juice for balsamic vinegar!
Garlic Green Beans
Green Beans are a staple for many Thanksgiving and Holiday dinners.
Consider this alternative to the processed green bean casserole you probably had growing up. This recipe from Café Delites also contains garlic, which compounds the anti-inflammatory benefits of the dish! You could even through in some onions, which contain what are called organosulphur compounds with antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.
Leafy Green Salad
Leafy greens are always great when you are looking at reducing inflammation. Consider adding onions, peppers, cucumber and blueberries.
Here is a great recipe for a Balsamic Vinaigrette from Gonna Want Seconds to go along with your salad.
Elderberry Tea
Elderberries are from the Sambucus tree and are loaded with vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Elderberries have been used for hundreds of years to help boost the immune system and fight off colds and respiratory illness. Because they also contain flavonoids, they have been shown to reduce inflammation and swelling.
Elderberry supplements purchased from grocery stores often contain sugars and sweeteners, so preparing your own is a good idea. We found this simple recipe from DOWNSHIFTOLOGY by Lisa Bryan for Elderberry Tea.
Apple Tarte
Holidays just aren’t complete without some sort of dessert. You can easily find dessert alternatives which contain no added refined sugar thus lowering inflammation. You could consider a fruit salad as an alternative. But if you are like most of us, you may need a baked treat such as cake or pie. Consider this delicious Apple Tarte recipe from Sweet Potato Soul. This swaps out flour in the crust for nuts and rolled oats – which contain a good amount of fiber. She also opts for non-inflammatory sugar substitutes.
Happy Holidays
On behalf of everyone here at Carolina Rehab and Physical Medicine Center, I would like to wish you a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving. If you are experiencing pain, contact us now and we will do our best to help you get pain-free for the Holidays!
Sincerely,
Dr. Craig Strickland