How to Make Baked Sweet Potato with Lime, Sour Cream, & Crunchy Chickpeas

SERVINGS: 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 40 MINUTES

SKILL LEVEL: EASY

MEAL: LUNCH-DINNER

EAT IN: AUTUMN-WINTER, SPRING, SUMMER

How Does This Ayurvedic Recipe Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

From the softness of sweet potato, to the crunchiness of chickpeas, and the freshness of spring onion and citrusy sour cream, this is a recipe to delight the senses and satisfy the stomach. It is perfect for a filling yet light lunch.

This delicious, nourishing recipe contains all six of the Ayurvedic tastes (salty, sour, sweet, bitter, astringent, pungent), supporting true satisfaction and fewer cravings through the rest of the day.

Digestion-Supporting Toppings

Because of fiber, 75% of the chickpea remains undigested as it reaches the colon where it bulks stool and encourages healthy elimination. This makes these crunchy chickpeas a good option for those with fast digestion, loose stools or sluggish elimination.

Small but potent, the spices chosen for this recipe act as powerful digestive aids. Chili powder, paprika and cumin ignite the digestive system (agni) and encourage the movement of food through the digestive tract. Beyond this, fiery chili also acts as an anti-inflammatory painkiller, which might seem counterintuitive if your tongue and lips are experiencing its tingling effects!

Common black pepper, a hero spice in Ayurveda, is renowned for its ability to encourage healthy digestion, destroy mucus and expel gas. Combined, this spice mix allows those with more sluggish digestion to enjoy this hearty recipe without bogging down their system. The hot and spicy blend is particularly beneficial to those with a Kapha-dominant constitution which can often use a little invigoration. Meanwhile, Pitta people may do better by swapping out the hot spices for more cooling cilantro and fennel.

Finally the sourness of the dressing encourages gastric secretions which supports the effective breakdown of food all the way through the digestive tract.

Comforting and Nourishing

Sweet potato is a fulfilling choice. Baked with delicious digestive spices, it's easy-to-digest nourishment means it supports depleted Vata bodies.

Sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates, which means these tubers can satisfy the appetite for long stretches. This means it can even be enjoyed as a healthy carbohydrate by Kapha-dominant individuals due to it's lighter nature.

Chickpeas also offer a soothing, comfort food feeling. They have a higher amount of tryptophan than other legumes. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that helps to regulate sleep and emotions.

Chickpeas' astringency, and sweet potato are naturally cooling. However, fiery Pitta may want to minimize paprika, chili powder, and sour cream, as these all aggravate fire.

Supports Healthy Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Levels

Studies conducted on sweet potato show that it may be a good option for stabilizing blood sugar levels. This is because their relatively low glycemic index means they release sugar into the bloodstream slowly, unlike other starchy foods. This supports the body in controlling the blood sugar levels.

Sweet potato has also been shown to reduce cholesterol, particularly LDL and triglyceride levels.
Similarly, chickpeas are known to support healthy cholesterol levels, as is common with many high fiber foods. It is thought that this is linked to chickpeas' flushing effect on the gallbladder.

This makes these ingredients good options for those with high Kapha in the body as they may need support in balancing their blood sugar and cholesterol.

AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.

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. Learn More	HEAVY ABOUT HEAVY BIOCHARACTERISTIC Heavy is identified by sedation, sluggishness, or increased weight. LEARN MORE ABOUT HEAVY EASY ABOUT EASY BIOCHARACTERISTIC Easy refers to anything easy to digest, or digests quickly. LEARN MORE ABOUT EASY CLEAR ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama. LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAR MOBILE ABOUT MOBILE BIOCHARACTERISTIC Mobile refers to anything that stimulates the nervous system, muscles, or activity. LEARN MORE ABOUT MOBILE GOOEY ABOUT GOOEY BIOCHARACTERISTIC Gooey is identified by anything gelatinous (such as oatmeal), or by mucus congestion. LEARN MORE ABOUT GOOEY
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? Learn More	SOUR ABOUT SOUR BIOCHARACTERISTIC Sour refers to anything fermented or acidic. LEARN MORE ABOUT SOUR
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. They are easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. They tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. If they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Anabolic people tend to be stable and grounded. Learn More	PACIFIES AGGRAVATES
HAS THE FOLLOWING	Subtaste: Aromatic STRONG AROMATIC Herbs or spices with volatile essential oils that present strong aromas. Aromatic oils shock, refresh and numb tissue, with the end result of relaxing, opening and clearing stagnant fluids in tissues. SEE ALL 'AROMATIC' FOODS / HERBS , Musky MUSKY Have an earthy smell to them, such as mushrooms. SEE ALL 'MUSKY' FOODS / HERBS , Acrid ACRID Acrid taste is a combination of bitter and pungent tastes. Example include radish, turnip, and coffee. SEE ALL 'ACRID' FOODS / HERBS
HERBAL ACTIONS (see all)	Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Baked Sweet Potato with Lime, Sour Cream, & Crunchy Chickpeas Experiences are Personal Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition. Digestion: Warms Abdomen WARMS-ABDOMEN Warms the muscles and organs of the abdomen, stimulating digestion and metabolism. SEE ALL 'WARMS-ABDOMEN' FOODS / HERBS , Appetite Suppressant APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT Suppresses hunger without causing weight gain. SEE ALL 'APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT' FOODS / HERBS , Quenches Thirst QUENCHES-THIRST An herb or substance that relieves thirst. SEE ALL 'QUENCHES-THIRST' FOODS / HERBS Mind, Stress & Sleep: Makes You Tired MAKES-YOU-TIRED Induces drowsiness and promotes sound sleep. SEE ALL 'MAKES-YOU-TIRED' FOODS / HERBS , Nerve Relaxant Grounding NERVE-RELAXANT-GROUNDING Encourages feelings of stability and heaviness. Makes you feel settled, mentally relaxed. Mildly sedates the nervous system to ease stress. Can bring a spacey or anxious person back to earth. Reduces agitation, irritation, stress and racing thoughts. SEE ALL 'NERVE-RELAXANT-GROUNDING' FOODS / HERBS Energy Vitality: Satisfies Stomach SATISFIES-STOMACH Provides a sense of gratification and fullness in the stomach. SEE ALL 'SATISFIES-STOMACH' FOODS / HERBS Skin Care & Beauty: Diaphoretic DIAPHORETIC An herb that induces sweating, often by dilating blood vessels close to the skin. SEE ALL 'DIAPHORETIC' FOODS / HERBS Respiratory-Health: Flushes Sinuses FLUSHES-SINUSES An herb that relieves sinus congestion by flushing out mucus. SEE ALL 'FLUSHES-SINUSES' FOODS / HERBS , Warms Chest WARMS-CHEST Warms the chest and lungs, clearing mucus and allowing for clear breathing. Often these herbs are hot, aromatic, and pungent. SEE ALL 'WARMS-CHEST' FOODS / HERBS Heart & Circulation: Cardiac Stimulant CARDIAC-STIMULANT Herbs that increase the heart rate. Useful in cardiovascular health, blood stagnation, and subjective feeling of heaviness in the chest area. SEE ALL 'CARDIAC-STIMULANT' FOODS / HERBS Kidney & Urinary: Diuretic DIURETIC Herbs that promote urine formation, thereby flushing the kidneys and urinary tract while eliminating any excess water retention. As diuretics reduce water retention, they are often used to reduce blood pressure. SEE ALL 'DIURETIC' FOODS / HERBS Constituents: Fats, Calcium CALCIUM Calcium nourishes bones and muscles. A muscle cell is activated when calcium enters the cell. It relaxes when the calcium is secreted. SEE ALL 'CALCIUM' FOODS / HERBS , Saponins SAPONINS Can be used to make soap. Saponins stimulate mucus membrane secretion, liquefying mucus for easy removal (expectorant). SEE ALL 'SAPONINS' FOODS / HERBS , Sulfated Polysaccharides, Polysaccharides, Sulphur, Insoluble Fiber, Nitric Oxide NITRIC-OXIDE Improves circulation by dilating blood vessels. Protects blood vessels from damage. Improves athletic performance, libido, immunity, and brain health. SEE ALL 'NITRIC-OXIDE' FOODS / HERBS , Rutin RUTIN Rutin is a flavonoid with anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Commonly used to treat conditions such as varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and high blood pressure. SEE ALL 'RUTIN' FOODS / HERBS , Tannins, Betaine BETAINE Used to reduce homocysteine in the blood, which supports proper liver function and prevents fatigue and blood clots. Improves muscle stamina and weight loss. SEE ALL 'BETAINE' FOODS / HERBS , Catechins CATECHINS Antioxidant that reduces cancer and blood clots, dilates blood vessels, and is antimicrobial. SEE ALL 'CATECHINS' FOODS / HERBS , Soluble Fiber, Beta Carotene, Inositol INOSITOL Inositol is an alcohol sugar made naturally in the human body from glucose. It is lipotropic (aiding fat metabilism in the liver). It affects a variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, steroid, growth factors and water. SEE ALL 'INOSITOL' FOODS / HERBS , Carbohydrate, Aromatase Inhibitor AROMATASE-INHIBITOR Blocks estrogen synthesis by inhibiting conversion of progesterone and testosterone into estrogen. SEE ALL 'AROMATASE-INHIBITOR' FOODS / HERBS , Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Protein, Iron IRON Iron is necessary for the transport of oxygen in red blood cells. SEE ALL 'IRON' FOODS / HERBS , Isoflavone ISOFLAVONE A type of naturally occurring isoflavonoid. Many have a phytoestrogen effect. Frequently found in the pea family (Fabaceae). SEE ALL 'ISOFLAVONE' FOODS / HERBS , Folate, Flavonoids FLAVONOIDS Flavonoids are a colorful type of polyphenol. As all polyphenols, they have a strong antioxidant effect. Many flavonoids have an anti-inflammatory, and/or antiallergen effect. SEE ALL 'FLAVONOIDS' FOODS / HERBS , Manganese, Phosphorous, Phytates PHYTATES Phytates prevent absorption of nutrients. They are commonly found in all seeds, including nuts, grains, and beans. Sprouting greatly reduces phytate content, as well as long, slow cooking with vinegar. SEE ALL 'PHYTATES' FOODS / HERBS , Polyphenols POLYPHENOLS Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants seen in many fruits and vegetables. There are more than 8,000 types. SEE ALL 'POLYPHENOLS' FOODS / HERBS , Potassium

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Joyful Belly is a recognized school of biocharacteristics medicine.