Anti-Inflammatory Green Smoothie
Video by Dr. Bryan Stephens
Neck pain, back pain, and headaches are caused by a mix of poor nutrition, poor movement, and poor stress management. When looking at nutrition for our patients in East Dallas we recommend green smoothies as an easy, quick way to get the right nutrients in your diet. The use of herbs and spices to flavor food is an easy way to keep meals healthy without adding too much salt or sugar. Many of the marinades or rubs have additional sugar to them when you look at the ingredients list. While it changes the flavor, the excess sugar in it creates inflammation as well. This inflammation adds to the pains of patients I see come through the door.
Spices such as cloves have the potential to not only make food or smoothies flavorful, but to assist with lowering inflammation with their high amount of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Cloves, for instance, contain a compound called eugenol which has been shown to have multiple benefits to people. This ranges from antioxidant properties, possible cancer prevention and promotion of bone health.
Cloves are not an essential nutrient themselves, but help in reaching a rounded healthy diet along with proteins from a good source, vegetables, and fruit. By keeping a focus on what you eat, you can cut down on foods that create inflammation and add to the problems of pain and chronic disease.
“Pharmacologically, clove and its main constituents possess antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anticancer, and anesthetic effects.”
Batiha GE, Alkazmi LM, Wasef LG, Beshbishy AM, Nadwa EH, Rashwan EK. Syzygium aromaticum L. (Myrtaceae): Traditional Uses, Bioactive Chemical Constituents, Pharmacological and Toxicological Activities. Biomolecules. 2020 Jan 30;10(2):202. doi: 10.3390/biom10020202. PMID: 32019140; PMCID: PMC7072209.
Recipe
- 1 cup organic spinach
- ½ organic green apple
- ½ organic banana
- ¼ cup organic almonds
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- Water to desired consistency
*use frozen fruit and spinach or add ice
Blend until smooth and enjoy!
Our Message
We love to help our patients in East Dallas stay healthy. We are here to relieve back pain, neck pain and headaches while also teaching about how our diet and stress effects our over all health. By improving these areas of our lives we can become healthier, stay out of pain and reduce risk of diseases. Our Chiropractors located in Lakewood, near the corner of Mockingbird Ln. and Abrams Rd., want to help you stay healthy and out of pain!
