College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

 

AYURVEDIC RECIPES

Black Bean Chocolate Smoothie

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How to Make Black Bean Chocolate Smoothie

SERVINGS: 2
PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 0 MINUTES
SKILL LEVEL: EASY

PREPARATION: SMOOTHIE
FOR OCCASION: BUSY-DAY

INGREDIENTS


SKILL LEVEL: EASY
1 tbsp
1 c
1 tbsp
1 c
1/2 tsp
1/4 tsp
1/4 c

PREPARATION OF THIS HEALTHY RECIPE

1. Blend almond milk, black beans, banana, tahini, cacao, cinnamon and cayenne until smooth. If the blend is not absolutely smooth, it will be a bad food combination and cause indigestion.

2. Serve and enjoy.

How Does This Ayurvedic Recipe Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

A savory twist on a typically sweet recipe, this hearty, thick smoothie is as filling as a small meal. While Ayurveda promotes taking the time to sit and savor each meal, it is inevitable you will have to eat on the run at some point. Rushing for your bus in the morning? Or looking for something to get you over the 3pm slump? This 'Black Bean Chocolate Smoothie' will fill the void.

The protein content and heavy nature of black beans satisfy even the most intense hunger cravings, while their fibre content encourages a regular bowel movement. Vata types or those with weak digestion may experience some gas and bloating due to the astringent taste and dry qualities of the beans. But this is countered by the sweet, oily tahini and heating pungency of the cayenne and cinnamon.

Most smoothie recipes call for frozen bananas, but cold shocks the stomach and slows down the digestive process. Use a ripe, room temperature banana to make this smoothie a little easier for your tummy to handle.

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.

Is Black Bean Chocolate Smoothie Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Black Bean Chocolate Smoothie' is a good fit. Complete the basic quiz in 1 minute, or go deeper with additional quizzes at your own leisure to learn more about your body.
See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.
INCREASES
Guna Help

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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MOBILE

ABOUT MOBILE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Mobile refers to anything that stimulates the nervous system, muscles, or activity.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MOBILE

HOT

ABOUT HOT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Hot is identified by increased body temperature, metabolism, or inflammation.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOT

GOOEY

ABOUT GOOEY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Gooey is identified by anything gelatinous (such as oatmeal), or by mucus congestion.

LEARN MORE ABOUT GOOEY

EASY

ABOUT EASY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Easy refers to anything easy to digest, or digests quickly.

LEARN MORE ABOUT EASY

TASTES
Taste Help

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.

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DOSHAS
Dosha Help

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.

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PACIFIES
Kapha pacifying Vata pacifying
AGGRAVATES
Pitta aggravating
HAS THE FOLLOWING
Subtaste:
Aromatic

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


Moves Energy:
Outward

OUTWARD

Outward-moving substances stimulate circulation, push heat towards the skin, or are stimulating.

SEE ALL 'OUTWARD' FOODS / HERBS


Tissue (dhatu):
Muscle

MUSCLE

Muscle tissue (Mamsa Dhatu) includes muscles and ligaments.

SEE ALL 'MUSCLE' FOODS / HERBS

HERBAL ACTIONS
(see all)

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Black Bean Chocolate Smoothie
Help
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.

Quenches Thirst

QUENCHES-THIRST

An herb or substance that relieves thirst.

SEE ALL 'QUENCHES-THIRST' FOODS / HERBS

,
Stimulates Peristalsis

STIMULATES-PERISTALSIS

An herb that promotes involuntary smooth muscle contractions to facilitate the movement of food and waste through the digestive tract.

SEE ALL 'STIMULATES-PERISTALSIS' 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

Stimulates Energy

STIMULATES-ENERGY

This category groups thyroid and adrenal stimulating herbs.

SEE ALL 'STIMULATES-ENERGY' FOODS / HERBS

,
Satisfies Stomach

SATISFIES-STOMACH

Provides a sense of gratification and fullness in the stomach.

SEE ALL 'SATISFIES-STOMACH' FOODS / HERBS

,
Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

SEE ALL 'NUTRITIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Diaphoretic

DIAPHORETIC

An herb that induces sweating, often by dilating blood vessels close to the skin.

SEE ALL 'DIAPHORETIC' 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

,
Flushes Sinuses

FLUSHES-SINUSES

An herb that relieves sinus congestion by flushing out mucus.

SEE ALL 'FLUSHES-SINUSES' FOODS / HERBS

,
Soothes Throat

SOOTHES-THROAT

Soothes throat discomfort, including from a sore or ticklish throat.

SEE ALL 'SOOTHES-THROAT' FOODS / HERBS

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

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:
Coumarin

COUMARIN

Moderately toxic, vascular tonic, hypotensive, and anti-inflammatory.

SEE ALL 'COUMARIN' FOODS / HERBS

,
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

, Tannins, Soluble Fiber, Protein, Potassium, Vitamin C, Fats,
Catechins

CATECHINS

Antioxidant that reduces cancer and blood clots, dilates blood vessels, and is antimicrobial.

SEE ALL 'CATECHINS' FOODS / HERBS

,
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

, Carbohydrate,
Magnesium

MAGNESIUM

Helps muscles relax. Laxative.

SEE ALL 'MAGNESIUM' FOODS / HERBS

, Melatonin

Foods with a Similar Nature to Black Bean Chocolate Smoothie

Banana

Banana has these Actions in Common

Quenches-thirst, Stimulates-peristalsis, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Satisfies-stomach, Nutritive, Stimulates-energy

LEARN MORE

Daikon Radish

Daikon Radish has these Actions in Common

Diuretic, Warms-chest, Cardiac-stimulant, Flushes-sinuses, Diaphoretic, Stimulates-energy

LEARN MORE

Cinnamon

Cinnamon has these Actions in Common

Diaphoretic, Stimulates-energy, Diuretic, Warms-chest, Cardiac-stimulant, Soothes-throat

LEARN MORE

Mustard Powder

Mustard Powder has these Actions in Common

Diaphoretic, Stimulates-energy, Diuretic, Warms-chest, Cardiac-stimulant, Flushes-sinuses

LEARN MORE

Mustard

Mustard has these Actions in Common

Cardiac-stimulant, Flushes-sinuses, Diaphoretic, Stimulates-energy, Diuretic, Warms-chest

LEARN MORE

Mustard Seed

Mustard Seed has these Actions in Common

Diaphoretic, Stimulates-energy, Diuretic, Warms-chest, Cardiac-stimulant, Flushes-sinuses

LEARN MORE

Buffalo Milk

Buffalo Milk has these Actions in Common

Nutritive, Soothes-throat, Quenches-thirst, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Satisfies-stomach

LEARN MORE

Milk

Milk has these Actions in Common

Satisfies-stomach, Nutritive, Soothes-throat, Quenches-thirst, Nerve-relaxant-grounding

LEARN MORE

Horseradish

Horseradish has these Actions in Common

Diuretic, Cardiac-stimulant, Flushes-sinuses, Diaphoretic, Warms-chest

LEARN MORE

Wasabi

Wasabi has these Actions in Common

Diaphoretic, Warms-chest, Diuretic, Cardiac-stimulant, Flushes-sinuses

LEARN MORE

Garlic (raw)

Garlic (raw) has these Actions in Common

Diuretic, Cardiac-stimulant, Flushes-sinuses, Diaphoretic, Warms-chest

LEARN MORE

Herb Supplements with a Similar Nature to Black Bean Chocolate Smoothie

Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi)

Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi) has these Actions in Common

Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Stimulates-energy, Warms-chest, Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Hot Shower

Hot Shower has these Actions in Common

Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses, Warms-chest

LEARN MORE

Inhale Steam

Inhale Steam has these Actions in Common

Warms-chest, Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses, Soothes-throat

LEARN MORE

Hot Bath

Hot Bath has these Actions in Common

Flushes-sinuses, Warms-chest, Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic

LEARN MORE

Epsom Salt Bath

Epsom Salt Bath has these Actions in Common

Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses, Warms-chest

LEARN MORE

Hyssop Powder

Hyssop Powder has these Actions in Common

Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Stimulates-energy

LEARN MORE

Wild Ginger

Wild Ginger has these Actions in Common

Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Stimulates-energy, Warms-chest

LEARN MORE

Deodar (Himalayan Cedar, Devadaru)

Deodar (Himalayan Cedar, Devadaru) has these Actions in Common

Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Stimulates-energy, Warms-chest

LEARN MORE

Elecampane

Elecampane has these Actions in Common

Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Stimulates-energy, Cardiac-stimulant

LEARN MORE

Vidari

Vidari has these Actions in Common

Diuretic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Nutritive, Soothes-throat

LEARN MORE

Punarnava

Punarnava has these Actions in Common

Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Stimulates-energy

LEARN MORE


Joyful Belly is a recognized school of biocharacteristics medicine.

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About John Joseph Immel

About the Author

John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda biocharacteristics. His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful. John also directs Joyful Belly's School of Ayurveda, offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.

John's interest in Ayurveda and specialization in digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel, as well as 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. Outside of work, John enjoys spending time with his wife and 7 kids, and pursuing his love of theology, philosophy, and language.

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Comments & Impressions of 'Black Bean Chocolate Smoothie'

Do you like 'black bean chocolate smoothie'? Why or why not? What makes it unique? Is there something else you'd like to know about 'black bean chocolate smoothie'?

full start reviewfull start reviewfull start reviewfull start reviewfull start review(5.00 out of 5 stars) 3 ratings, 279 likes
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The black beans should be cooked or you can use canned.
- Kimberly Kubicke, Asbury park, NJ
full start reviewfull start reviewfull start reviewfull start reviewfull start review
, 09-05-17 (Reply)
Is this mix of fruit and beans suitable for maintaining good digestive function? I thought fruit should not be combined with other, more difficult to digest foods?
- Tressey Adams, Bolingbrook , IL , 07-02-18 (Reply)
This is true for most cases, except when pureed.

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