TYLER TOLMAN BLOG
Nutritional Value of Sweet Potatoes in Dealing With Stress
Nutritional Value of Sweet Potatoes in Dealing With Stress
Do you love sweet potato? Then you’ll love knowing the nutritional value sweet potatoes have in dealing with stress and disease! Stress causes biochemical changes in our bodies and these changes affect our blood sugar and take up a lot of nutrients from other processes in the body. Of course, relaxing is important but getting good nutrition can also put you in a better position to deal with stress. And in this blog I want to share the AMAZING benefits of sweet potato with you.
Doctrine of Signatures
When a food resembles a bodily organ that it nourishes it’s called the Doctrine of Signatures. And w I look at a sweet potato I can see it is shaped like the pancreas. The pancreas helps produce hormones that regulate blood sugar balance and believe it or not sweet potato IS one of the best foods for balancing blood sugars. I love this kind of science!
Leaving You Feeling "Sweet As" Instead of Stressed
Keeping blood sugar levels balanced is important in stress as it helps us keep our cool and not ‘lose it’ so easily. Sweet potatoes are high in potassium which helps to lower blood pressure (by reducing excess sodium) and is known to help relax muscles, calm the nerves and balance your cognitive function.
When we are stressed it can also make our digestion weaker. Sweet potatoes are easy to digest and known to be good for inflamed colons, digestive disorders, and constipation – all of which can occur if we are stressed out.
Nutritional Powerhouse
Sweet potatoes are high in the antioxidant beta-carotene (that’s what gives them that amazing orange colour). They are also high in vitamins C, D & E, and the minerals manganese and iron.
I’ve also heard sweet potatoes can help bind heavy metals due to compounds called phytochelatins. These compounds can bind to things like mercury, copper and cadmium and help get them out of the body safely. Heavy metal toxicity is a problem for many people now more than ever so this is a HUGE bonus!
The health benefits of sweet potatoes are the most bioavailable when eaten raw, steamed, or baked.
Sweet Potato Flavour Sensations You Have to Try
Try making a simple fat-free sweet potato soup by steaming sweet potatoes until soft and then placing them in a blender or food processor and blending until creamy smooth.
Spices such as cloves, cinnamon, ginger, chili pepper, nutmeg or curry can be added for a flavour and nutritional boost.
Baked sweet potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator and later sliced over a fresh green salad for a hearty lunch or dinner. Sweet potatoes are also delicious mashed with a drizzle of olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado. Sweet potatoes are a comforting, satisfying, and very healing food… consider finding more ways to include them in your diet.
Sweet potatoes are a comforting, satisfying, and very healing food…it is definitely worth considering finding more ways to include them into your diet.
Thanks for reading!
