Sweet potatoes are low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods packed with immense health benefits. There are numerous ways of including these delicious tuberous roots in the diet. Baked sweet potato stuffed with cinnamon assorted nuts makes an amazingly nutritious dish to satisfy your sweet tooth the healthy way.
Owing to their rich nutritional content, extensive research has been conducted on sweet potatoes. Studies have linked eating sweet potatoes to reduced weight, healthy blood pressure, enhanced energy, and stronger immunity.
Baked Sweet Potato For Adrenal Fatigue
Sweet potatoes are loaded with several essential nutrients. They are high in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin E, vitamin B6, fiber, antioxidants, potassium, niacin, copper, magnesium, thiamine, manganese, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, iron, calcium, and phosphorus. Enjoying baked sweet potato is a delicious way of reaping the remarkable health benefits of this food.
These nutrient-dense, low-calorie root vegetables provide immense health benefits and can be particularly beneficial in fatigue. Feeling fatigued from stress and everyday work can be normal. However, when you frequently experience extreme fatigue along with symptoms such as low energy levels, difficulty in waking up, anxiety, brain fog, low concentration levels, craving for salty and fatty foods, stubborn weight gain, constipation, and lightheadedness, then it could be indicative of Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS). Stress is the major contributing factor to adrenal fatigue. The NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response System is your body’s natural shield against stress. It is a delicate network of six circuits and various organs that are closely connected and work in close coordination to help fight against stress. A pair of adrenal glands, each located on the top of your kidneys, is also part of the response system.
During stressful situations, the NEM system signals your adrenal glands to secrete the anti-stress hormone cortisol. However, with constant stress, your adrenals can soon get overburdened and are no longer capable of secreting adequate cortisol. This reduces your body’s ability to cope with stress. When there is an imbalance in cortisol levels and the stress exceeds your body’s coping capability, then it may lead to AFS.
Adrenal fatigue sufferers should consider adding nutrient-dense foods such as sweet potatoes in the diet. These amazing foods can prove quite beneficial in alleviating AFS symptoms by helping to lose stubborn weight, reduce constipation, curb cravings, strengthen the immune system, and boost energy levels. Being rich in fiber, sweet potatoes help ease constipation. Eating these high-fiber, nutrient-rich foods helps curb cravings by giving you a feeling of fullness, thus promoting weight loss. Mild detox is an integral part of adrenal fatigue recovery. Purple sweet potatoes are high in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant anthocyanins which help to detoxify your body by eliminating heavy metals and free radicals.
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Amazing Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
Being low in calories and high in nutrients, sweet potatoes are known to possess incredible health benefits. Scientific studies have linked sweet potatoes to significant weight loss, improved cognitive ability, and healthy blood sugar levels. The amazing health benefits of these nutritious root vegetables are given below:
Promote Weight Loss
Obesity is one of the major contributing factors to various diseases. Many adrenal fatigue sufferers have stubborn weight gain. Incorporating sweet potatoes in the diet helps lose stubborn weight. These nutrient-dense root vegetables high in fiber promotes weight loss by keeping you full and satiated. Just one cup of sweet potatoes contains 6.6 grams of fiber which can meet up to 26 percent of your daily fiber requirement. Recent animal studies suggest that purple sweet potatoes are particularly high in weight-reducing properties. Pairing sweet potatoes with a nutritious diet and regular exercise can help maximize weight loss.
Boost Energy Level
In AFS, people often experience low energy levels and fatigue. The abundant fiber in sweet potatoes moves slowly through your digestive tract and is digested slowly, releasing long-lasting energy which can prove greatly beneficial in beating adrenal fatigue. Baked sweet potato can make a great pre-workout snack by keeping up your energy levels during workouts and gym sessions.
Rich In Antioxidants
Besides being rich in fiber and nutrition, sweet potatoes are loaded with antioxidants which help fight the harmful damaging effects of free radicals. Antioxidants help in protecting the body against several diseases including heart attack, diabetes, and various types of cancer. Orange-colored sweet potatoes are particularly rich in beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant which helps promote healthy skin and vision, as well as heart and respiratory health. Studies suggest that colored sweet potatoes such as the purple ones are high in antioxidants.
Strengthen Immunity
Sweet potatoes are a powerhouse of vitamin A and can meet up to 438% of your daily vitamin A requirement. Vitamin A helps fight against diseases, strengthens the immune system, impedes the growth of cancerous cells, and reduces the risk of various infections. Studies show that vitamin A can help cut down the risk of infection-related deaths and improve overall health.
Stabilize Blood Sugar Level
The good news for diabetics is that sweet potatoes are a healthy way of satisfying your sweet tooth. Baked sweet potato stuffed with assorted nuts makes a healthy dessert to devour on. Extensive studies suggest that sweet potatoes, especially the Caiapo variety, are high in anti-diabetic properties. In one study from the University of Vienna in Austria, over 61 diabetics were provided with either a placebo or 4 grams of Caiapo for up to three months. When compared to the control group, the sweet potato group reported lower blood sugar levels. Another study showed that diabetics treated for six weeks with sweet potatoes had considerable improvement in insulin sensitivity which helped in maintaining normal blood sugar levels. Furthermore, sweet potatoes being rich in fiber slow down sugar absorption, thus preventing any blood sugar spikes.
Improve Brain Function
Animal studies suggest that sweet potatoes, particularly the purple ones, can help improve brain function. One study showed that rats fed with purple sweet potato extract had lower oxidative brain damage, and improved cognitive performance, and memory. Another study showed that feeding mice with purple sweet potato extract improved memory and spatial learning ability as well as reduced aging of the brain.
Promote Healthy Vision
Vitamin A deficiency has been linked to vision problems such as night blindness, dry eyes, and eyesight loss. Sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants, vitamin A, vitamin C, beta-carotene, omega-3 fatty acids, and zinc that help promote healthy vision. Macular degeneration due to aging can result in vision loss. Beta-carotene has been shown to impede macular degeneration and boost vision health.
If you are looking for an easy way to include these nutritious root vegetables to your diet, then baked sweet potato stuffed with cinnamon assorted nuts makes the ultimate recipe. Nuts are powerhouses of essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, proteins, and antioxidants which help promote remarkable health. The recipe requires soaking the nuts ahead. This helps in enhancing the nutritional content of the nuts as well as making them easily digestible. Adding a touch of olive oil and ground cinnamon instantly imparts moisture and enhances the flavor of the dish taking it to a newer level.
Recipe – Baked Sweet Potato Stuffed With Cinnamon Assorted Nuts
Ingredients A
2 handfuls of mixed nuts such as cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans
Ingredients B
4 medium sweet potatoes
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
Ingredients C
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp olive oil
Method
Rinse and soak ingredients A in water overnight or for at least 3 – 4 hrs.
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Rinse the sweet potatoes well with water. Gently scrub potatoes, prick them with a fork, and place on a baking sheet. Depending on the thickness, bake sweet potatoes for about 35 – 50 min in preheated oven until tender.
While the potatoes are baking, drain water from ingredients A and pulse them in a food processor for around 30 seconds. Now add ingredients C and combine with a spoon.
Using a knife, gently make shallow cuts lengthwise along the baked potatoes and stuff them with the nut mixture. Return the sweet potatoes to oven for baking them for a minute until the nuts are just warm. Allow the potatoes to stand in the oven for 2 minutes. Remove baked sweet potato from the oven and sprinkle Himalayan pink salt.
Conclusion
Sweet potatoes are rich in several vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants that are known to provide immense health benefits. Incorporating these healthy, low-calorie root vegetables in a balanced diet helps in nourishing your body. Baked sweet potato is an easy and healthy way of incorporating this delicious food in the diet. Eating sweet potatoes helps to alleviate AFS symptoms, promote weight loss, boost energy level, strengthen immunity, stabilize blood sugar levels, improve brain function, and promote healthy vision. Sweet potatoes, when included in a balanced diet along with regular workout sessions, can help you attain optimal health and well-being.
