The winter season can mean overly-rich foods, too many sweets, and a few too many drinks, but a new year is a great opportunity to get your diet back on track!
As part of our ongoing recipe series on the “Best (and Worst) Foods for Nerve Pain,” we’re highlighting how changes in your diet could help provide relief for nerve pain and neuropathy. Our goal is to help you focus on foods with what are considered “anti-inflammatory” properties that can work to calm and soothe oversensitive nerves, and hopefully cut down on those foods that can intensify inflammation and your neuropathy symptoms.
This hearty, antioxidant-packed, powerhouse salad combines fresh greens with crisp apples, pomegranate arils, pecans, rich blue cheese, and roasted butternut squash. Butternut squash is naturally free of cholesterol and gluten, and is low in fat and carbs. It offers lots of health benefits, with high amounts of potassium and magnesium, antioxidants vitamins A, C, and E, and about 10% of your daily fiber. Pomegranate seeds are packed with vitamin C and are rich in antioxidants and polyphenolic compounds, including punicalagins, anthocyanins, and hydrolyzable tannins. Punicalagins in particular are shown to have anti-inflammatory properties that can help with many conditions. Pecans are a good source of minerals such as copper, magnesium, calcium, and potassium, which can help maintain healthy blood pressure, bones, and muscles. Blue cheese is high in calcium, protein, and anti-inflammatory compounds, although it should be enjoyed in moderation due to its saturated fat content.
This salad is hearty enough to enjoy on its own as an entree, or is a perfect pairing for a soup or other equally healthy dish.
Salad Ingredients:
- 16oz of butternut squash, cubed (can also use sweet potato or acorn squash)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 cups leafy greens (we prefer kale, but spinach, arugula, or spring greens are great too!)
- 1 crisp red apple (such as honeycrisp, fuji, Braeburn, or Cosmic Crisp), chopped
- 4oz pomegranate arils
- 1/2 cup of pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds (we used lightly glazed pecans)
- 2oz crumbled blue cheese (can also use feta cheese or goat cheese)
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1 shallot, diced
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 tablespoons maple syrup
- 5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 5 teaspoons dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Toss butternut squash in olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Roast squash for 15-20 minutes until soft and slightly browned. Let cool slightly after roasting.
- While squash is roasting, mix all dressing ingredients together in a mason jar or other container.
- In a large bowl, toss greens, squash, apple, pomegranate arils, pecans, and cheese with the dressing and serve!
Storage: Salad can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
In addition to a healthy diet, lifestyle adjustments such as regular exercise, quitting smoking, and controlling your blood sugar can also help manage your nerve pain.
Nerve pain can be a symptom of a number of different issues, such as infection, diabetes, acute injury, and more. While sticking to certain foods and maintaining a healthy diet overall may help address the cause or prevent exacerbation of your nerve pain, they are only one part of a treatment plan for neuropathy. Talk to your physician about the best options for treating your pain, and always consult with your healthcare provider about your dietary restrictions before implementing any changes.
If you have back pain, joint pain, neck pain, or any other type of pain, give us a call or you can request a consultation and we’ll discuss your options.