Take your body type quiz to see how Jicama affects you
Match foods that have helped me.SERVING SIZE: 1 1/2 c SPECIES: Pachyrhizus P. erosus
How Can This Ayurvedic Food Make You Feel Great?
AYURVEDIC ANALYSISJicama is high in carbohydrates and dietary fiber. It's sweet flavor comes from the oligofructose inulin which is a prebiotic. Pre-biotics supply sugars to the bacteria in probiotics, greatly increasing their effectiveness. Jicama is 86-90% water, and high in vitamins C, A and B, along with calcium and phosphorus.
ABOUT JICAMA
Although Jicama appears like a dusty old stone, it's taste and texture are refreshingly sweet and crisp. Jicama is the only root in the bean family consumed as a food. Licorice root, the other edible root of the legume family, is largely consumed as an herb. Jicama, like licorice root, is sweet and starchy, reminiscent of apples or raw green beans. In contrast to the root, the rest of the plant is very poisonous. Although native to South America, where it has been cultivated for centuries, has become popular in Southeast Asia where it was propogated by Spaniards.
BUYING & PREPARATION
The tubers are sweetest when grown in winter. Medium sized, firm tubers with dry roots are best. Avoid large sizes, which may be woody and less sweet. Avoid wet or soft spots which may indicate rot.
COOKING JICAMA
Browse Recipes
In its native habitat, Jicama is served as street food with lime and a pinch of fiery cayenne. Served raw and julien sliced, jicama makes a crunchy addition to salsas and salads. Cut into squares, it enhances a fresh fruit salad. It can also be cooked as a potato, grilled, stewed, mashed, etc. In Asian cuisine, it is sometimes used as a substitute for water chestnut and paired with grilled fish or sesame oil. It is also cooked in soups and stir-fried dishes.
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WHY EAT AN AYURVEDIC DIET?
Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. An Ayurvedic diet is
tailored to your individual body type and the specific imbalances you are working with
at any given time. Ayurveda shows you your specific body type’s needs and what
should be favored in your Ayurvedic menu. Watch as you eat less but feel more satisfied because what you
are eating truly nourishes you. Since Ayurveda believes all disease begins in the digestive
tract, food is your first medicine. By eating a healthy diet that’s ideal for your body, you
experience optimal health.
LEARN MORE
Is Jicama Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?
Find out by taking this free, easy quiz.
You'll learn your body type, and whether Jicama is a good fit for you. Time to complete: approximately 1 minute.
AYURVEDIC MEDICINAL BIOCHARACTERISTICS
What is the biocharacteristic theory of medicine?
INCREASES
Increases These Biocharacteristics (Gunas)
Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics
(gunas).
Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance.
By knowing which characteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick.
Every characteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold).
You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite characteristic.
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| COLD ABOUT COLD BIOCHARACTERISTIC
Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow.
LEARN MORE ABOUT COLD | TASTES
The 6 Tastes
Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food.
Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body.
Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food.
Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods.
Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion.
Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste.
One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes.
The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent.
Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?
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| ASTRINGENT ABOUT ASTRINGENT BIOCHARACTERISTIC
Astringency is characterized by constriction, drawing together, or drying.
LEARN MORE ABOUT ASTRINGENT SWEET ABOUT SWEET BIOCHARACTERISTIC
Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SWEET | DOSHAS
The Three Doshas / Body Types
According to the biocharacteristic theory of medicine,
people tend to get sick, over and over again, due to habitual causes and imbalances that are unique to the person.
Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness.
Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency.
Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses.
The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history.
The 3 functional body types
(doshas),
are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).
Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy.
Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy.
Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass.
Catabolic people tend to be easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry.
Metabolic people tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed.
Anabolic people are heavy, stable and grounded, but if they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion.
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| | HAS THE FOLLOWING | TYPE: Roots ELEMENT: COLOR: Brown, White |
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary.
The list of actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.
Energy Vitality Strength: Tonic TONIC
A tonic herb strengthens tissue, often restoring healthy function. Tonics usually target a specific organ, tissue, or system ie: brain, muscle or respiratory tonic.
LEARN MORE ABOUT TONIC Heart & Circulation: Refrigerant REFRIGERANT
An herb or substance that strongly cools the body. Can be helpful in cases of heat conditions.
LEARN MORE ABOUT REFRIGERANT
HEALTH & WELLNESS PRACTITIONERS!
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HOW DOES EATING AYURVEDICALLY MAKE YOU FEEL?
Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. Food digests with ease when
right for your body type (dosha). Healthy digestion is seen as the cornerstone of well-being in
Ayurveda. Healthy digestion generally prevents illness. If you do get sick, a strong digestive fire
reduces the severity of illness and increases your resilience. It also improves your mood. Once
you begin eating Ayurvedically, you will feel refreshed, vital and strong.
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a traditional home remedy for
This information has not been validated by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.
Skin Easily hotBlood and Circulation Heat aggravates
About the Author
John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a
healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda.
His approach to Ayurveda exudes a certain ease, which many find enjoyable and insightful.
His online course Balance Your Ayurvedic Diet in a Week provides tools for gracefully healing with Ayurveda to thousands.
John also directs Joyful Belly's School of Ayurveda
, which specializes in digestive tract pathology & Ayurvedic nutrition.
John and his wife Natalie recently published Explore Your Hunger: A Guide to Hunger, Appetite & Food.
John's interest in Ayurveda and digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel, including his public service work in South Asia.
John's commitment to the detailed study of digestive disorders reflects his zeal to get down to the roots of the problem. His hope and belief in the capacity of each & every client to improve their quality of life is nothing short of a personal passion.
John's creativity in the kitchen and delight in cooking for others comes from his family oriented upbringing.
In addition to his certification in Ayurveda, John holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.
John enjoys sharing Ayurveda within the context of his Catholic roots,
and finds Ayurveda gives him an opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church.
Jesus expressed God's love by feeding and healing the sick.
That kindness is the fundamental ministry of Ayurveda as well.
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