How to Make Watermelon & Cayenne Pepper

SERVINGS: 1

PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 0 MINUTES

MEAL: SNACK-DESSERT

STYLE: INDIAN

PREPARATION: RAW

EAT IN: SUMMER

How Can This Ayurvedic Recipe Make You Feel Great?

AYURVEDIC ANALYSIS

Cool and refreshing, watermelon invites children and adults alike to step out of the heat and enjoy a refreshing cool treat on a summer day. Watermelon cools the body and restores balance to overheated blood. Watermelon is cold and heavy, making it perfect to relax your stressed, overheated body and mind in the summer.

Watermelon's cool diuretic properties leave you feeling light and refreshed. Dry Vata types should exercise caution with watermelon. Although the large fruit might be a tempting way to relieve dehydration, watermelon's juiciness only quenches thirst temporarily. Those who suffer from water retention will be happy to hear that, ultimately, watermelon's diuretic properties dry out your blood (due to Potassium). Like most cooling diuretics, watermelon is perfect for purging heat from and cleansing the urinary tract.

Vata, who may have a hard time digesting plain watermelon because of its cool quality, will enjoy the addition of cayenne pepper. A dash of cayenne pepper gives your GI a pick me up. Spicing up fruits is normal in tropical countries where summer heat makes your digestion sluggish. If you are feeling a little hazy in the heat, the bright kick of cayenne will sharpen your mind, helping you think clearly once again.

WHAT IS WATERMELON & CAYENNE PEPPER?

Fruits are frequently garnished with cayenne pepper in tropical countries, where summer heat makes digestion sluggish.

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.

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Is Watermelon & Cayenne Pepper Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether Watermelon & Cayenne Pepper is a good fit for you. Time to complete: approximately 1 minute.

AYURVEDIC MEDICINAL QUALITIES

INCREASES Increases These Qualities (Gunas) Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main characteristics (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	EASY ABOUT EASY GUNA Easy refers to anything easy to digest, or digests quickly. LEARN MORE ABOUT EASY LIGHT ABOUT LIGHT GUNA Lightness is identified by reduced weight. LEARN MORE ABOUT LIGHT CLEAR ABOUT CLEAR GUNA Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama. LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAR MOBILE ABOUT MOBILE GUNA Mobile refers to anything that stimulates the nervous system, muscles, or activity. LEARN MORE ABOUT MOBILE DRY ABOUT DRY GUNA Dry is identified by lack of moisture, lack of fat, or anything that causes diuresis. LEARN MORE ABOUT DRY
DOSHAS The Three Doshas / Body Types People tend to get sick, over and over again, due to similar causes and habitual 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. Learn More	PACIFIES
HAS THE FOLLOWING	EFFECT: Alkalizing ALKALIZING An herb or food that makes the urine more alkaline (higher pH). This herbal action can be helpful for a number of inflammatory conditions. LEARN MORE ABOUT ALKALIZING , Prana PRANA Prana is the Sanskrit word for vital life energy, similar to Qi in Chinese Medicine. Many herbs stimulate your energy, or improve the flow of prana through your body. Generally, prana needs to be increased in spring after a sleepy winter. LEARN MORE ABOUT PRANA TYPE: Fruits CONTAINS: Nightshade NIGHTSHADE A member of the plant family Solanaceae. Members of this family have a tendency to irritate the liver and arthritic conditions. Tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and bell peppers. LEARN MORE ABOUT NIGHTSHADE NUTRIENT: Antioxidant

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.

Digestion:

Antispasmodic

ANTISPASMODIC

Herbs that reduce or inhibit muscle spasms or cramping, such as in asthma, colic or IBS.

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Cleanse and Detox:

Burns Toxins

BURNS-TOXINS

An herb that detoxifies by helping your body metabolize toxins, as opposed to eliminating them.

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Heart & Circulation:

Refrigerant

REFRIGERANT

An herb or substance that strongly cools the body. Can be helpful in cases of heat conditions.

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Vasodilator

VASODILATOR

A vasodilator is an herb that widens the blood vessels by the relaxation of smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls, thereby increasing circulation systemically or to a local area.

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Alterative

ALTERATIVE

Literally, an herb that restores the proper function of the body. In practice, alteratives are usually blood cleansers and blood chemistry balancers. They were traditionally used to revitalize and detoxify after a long winter.

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Immune System:

Anti Inflammatory

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

Reduces inflammation in the body. Different herbs and carriers target different body systems.

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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.

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Liver & Gall Bladder:

Livotonic

LIVOTONIC

An herb that strengthens the liver. It is helpful for people with a history of substance abuse, chronic liver issues from hepatitis and hemolytic anemias.

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Lung and Sinus:

Decongestant

DECONGESTANT

An herb that reduces mucus congestion in the sinus or lungs by restricting blood flow to mucus membranes.

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Reproductive Health:

Aphrodisiac

APHRODISIAC

Herbs that increase sexual arousal through various actions including increased circulation, relaxation, stimulation, or tonics that strengthen glandular health.

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Weight Loss:

Lowers Blood Sugar

LOWERS-BLOOD-SUGAR

An herb that lowers blood sugar.

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