Aruna Bhatia, Author at GOQii

October 17, 2021 By Aruna Bhatia 3 Comments

Healthy Eating: Chinese Quinoa Pulao

Have you been craving for some delicious chinese food? Knowing that it might not be safe to order from your favorite restaurant or hit up your local street food joint yet, we’ve got an exciting recipe for you! Satisfy your cravings with this delicious Chinese Quinoa Pulao recipe that’s a healthy twist on fried rice!

What You Will Need

Quinoa – 1 cup
Water – 2 cups
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder – 1 tsp
Soya sauce – 1 tsp
Red chilli sauce – 1 tsp
Oil/Ghee – 2 tsp
Mixed vegetables (carrot, green beans, cabbage and capsicum) – 2 cups
Chopped onion – 1 medium
Chopped garlic pods – 3
Chopped green chilli – 1

How To Prepare

,Heat a pan with one tsp of oil/ghee
Add soaked, rinsed and strained quinoa.
Let it roast for a minute on a medium flame and keep stirring it.
Now add two cups of water to it and salt to taste.
Once it starts boiling, turn the flame on low, cover and cook it for 10 to 15 minutes. Keep checking to prevent burning.
After 15 minutes, switch the flame off and keep it covered for 5 minutes so it gets steam cooked. After 5 minutes check if the quinoa is cooked and not sticking to the pan.
Next we take another pan and add a spoon of oil to it. Once the oil is heated, add 2-3 garlic pods and chopped onion.
Slowly add chopped vegetables, a little salt and cover it for a minute till all vegetables are cooked but still crunchy.
Now add 1 tsp soya sauce, one tsp red chili sauce and half tsp black pepper powder. Give it all a mix.
Finally, add the cooked quinoa and stir it all well. Your Chinese Quinoa Pulao is ready!

Please Note: Quinoa has high quantities of saponin coatings on the outside of the kernel which is bitter to taste. So it’s very important to rinse it well after soaking it for at least 10-20 minutes. 1 cup of dry quinoa will give almost 3 cups of cooked quinoa.

Highlights of the Chinese Quinoa Pulao Recipe

It is a good one pot meal consisting of proportionate carbs, protein, fiber and fat.
It will give you a healthy satiety for your cravings for restaurant style Chinese food, without any guilt.
Suitable for balanced dinners, for weight loss, diabetics, PCOS and muscle builders as well.
This dish is excellent for vegetarians as they have to rely upon good sources of plant protein and quinoa is complete protein as it has all the essential amino acids which the body is unable to make itself

We hope you try and enjoy this delicious Chinese Quinoa Pulao recipe! Do leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments below! For more Healthy Recipes, check out Healthy Reads or you can ask a GOQii Coach directly by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce

May 8, 2021 By Aruna Bhatia Leave a Comment

Healthy Eating: Hydrating Summer Bowl

During summer, our bodies crave for some chilled drink or ice cream due to the immense heat. But given the current pandemic situation and the fact that anything available outside is loaded with refined sugar and unhealthy fats, it might not be the best option as you need to keep your immunity up and stay cautious about your health. But we understand your craving and hence, here’s a healthier alternative – your very own hydrating summer bowl which will help you beat the heat and you can enjoy it guilt-free!

What You Will Need

Sabja Seeds – 1 tsp
Fresh Hibiscus flower – 1
Diced mango cubes – one small bowl
Pomegranate – 1 small bowl
Grapes (cut in half) – 1 small bowl
Fresh Coconut water – half glass

How To Prepare

Soak the sabja seeds in half a glass of coconut water for fifteen minutes.
Boil a cup of plain water, soak the hibiscus flower petals in this hot water for a minute or two. Then put it into the refrigerator to chill.
Next, in a big bowl, add the sabja seeds along with the coconut water. Then add all the diced fruits and the chilled hibiscus water.
In the end, add some crushed ice for the crunch and enjoy this guilt free summer bowl.

Health Benefits Of the Hydrating Summer Bowl

Sabja seeds are rich in fiber and help combat the heat inside the body
Coconut water hydrates you and is full of electrolytes – a must have during summer
Hibiscus makes it more antioxidant rich, helps lower blood pressure, improves immunity, releases constipation, reduces inflammation and also helps reduce hair fall.

We hope you try this Hydrating Summer Bowl! If you do, do share your pics with us on social media, tagging GOQii! Let us know your experience in the comments below. For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE cooking sessions on GOQii Play.

To get more such recipes, nutrition and diet tips, subscribe to GOQii and ask your GOQii Coach: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu

Eat Healthy, Stay Home, Stay Safe and #BeTheForce

May 3, 2021 By Aruna Bhatia Leave a Comment

What Should You Eat If You Get Infected By COVID-19?

We are going through a very tough time with everyday monster surges in COVID-19 cases all over the country, excluding a few districts. It almost seems like each and every household has one or more members down with this infection. Thankfully, we have a good number of people getting well too! Food plays a key role in any form of recovery. So which kind of food should a person infected with COVID-19 eat?

A Balanced Diet Is Key To COVID-19 Recovery

Each day, the combination of food should include:

Whole Grains: Millets, oats, wheat, brown rice, white rice, all this as roti, khichdi, upama, Pulao, Daliya, Chilla etc.
Proteins: Eggs, Lentils, Legumes, Dairy Products, Soy Products, can be taken as besan cheela, Dal Soup, Sprouts Chat, Moong dal Khichdi, Paneer Bhurji, Omelette, Dosa, chickpea bowl, rajma, etc.
Fats: Good fats have anti-inflammatory acids like omega 3 fatty acids. So include flax seeds oils, extra virgin olive oils and safflower oil. Good fats can also be added from almonds, avocado, laddu with a mix of nuts, white sesame seeds, kalonji, ajwain all roasted in desi ghee helps provide essential minerals like zinc and magnesium for fast recovery.
Fiber: Fresh fruits and vegetables are great sources of dietary fibers, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. So try to include two fruits a day, along with 2-3 cups of vegetables. This requirement can be met by adding soups mashed vegetables and fruits as small mid meals.

Apart from these main macros, here are a few things you need to consider:

2-3 liters of water should be included daily as infections dehydrate the body. Infused water, coconut water, water with honey can help meet the requirement.
Immunity boosters like a herbal concoction, turmeric milk, soups and broth should be included at least one or two times a day.
As far as possible, make sure that all fruits, vegetables are fresh and meals are home cooked.
Always eat small and frequent meals as the body will not tolerate big meals at a time.
Avoid alcohol as it is highly dehydrating and may inhibit your immune system.
Limit salt and sugar
Avoid packaged processed food.

Given all the dietary guidelines, a question may still come up as to how to manage adequate calorie intake when the infection has robbed you of your taste buds and sense of smell.

Try adding lemon juice or vinegar in food, soups and water. The flavor of acids from them comes through even when smell or taste is impaired.
Try going a bit heavy on spices like cinnamon, black pepper, cumin, garlic and ginger, which could add flavor back to food.

To make things a bit more clear, here is a sample diet chart, although it will be more customized as per symptoms.

Early morning: 5 to 6 soaked almonds, two dates and lukewarm lemon cinnamon water or tulsi lemon honey water.
Breakfast: Besan cheela or moong dal cheela or stuffed omelette sandwich or paneer paratha or idli sambar or vegetable uttapam with coconut chutney.
Mid meal: Coconut water or any one fruit with one tsp mix seeds
Lunch: Rice with dal and subzi or Ajwain roti with rajma and any green leafy vegetable
Evening: Any herbal concoction (kadha or green tea) and chana/ sprouts/ sweet potato chat and any one fruit
Pre dinner: mix veg soup or moong dal soup or chicken broth or boiled egg
Dinner: Khichdi or vegetable daliya or oats cheela or oats with milk or Garlic roti with any dal and mixed veg
Post dinner: One cup milk with turmeric and pinch of black pepper

We hope this article helps you manage COVID-19 infection and recover quickly. For more information, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by exprts on GOQii Play.

For more expert guidance, subscribe to GOQii or download the app here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu

#BeTheForce

April 20, 2021 By Aruna Bhatia 1 Comment

Summer Health Hazards You Need To Be Aware Of

Indian summers were always hot, but now they have turned lethal. Studies indicate that temperatures across many districts in India will exceed by two degree Celsius by the end of next two or three decades. So our huge population is likely to be exposed to the risk of summer hazards. Hence, I feel the need to talk about the most common summer health hazards.

Common Summer Health Hazards

1. Dehydration
It occurs when more water and fluids leave the body than enter it. Even low levels of dehydration can cause symptoms like increased thirst, fatigue, blurred vision, headache and muscle cramps. We all know that the human body is roughly 75% of water and without this water it cannot survive.

How can you prevent it?
Always make sure you drink lots of water during these scorching summer months (approx 35ml per kg body weight). Apart from this, drinks for replacing body fluids can be coconut water, aloe vera juice, amla juice, fruit juice, vegetable juice, buttermilk, sugarcane juice or an electrolyte drink. But fruit or electrolyte juice will be better if diluted to half the strength with water to moderate sugar or salt intake from those drinks. Drinks with alcohol or caffeine should be avoided as these dehydrate the body.

2. Heat Stroke
Sun stroke or heat stroke occurs from extreme exposure to heat and sunlight and is considered as a medical emergency. Symptoms of heat stroke include dizziness, nausea, headache, vomiting and even fainting.

How can you prevent it?
Choose lightweight, light-colored, loose fitting and cotton clothing. Stay indoors as much as possible and schedule outdoor activities carefully. Most importantly, take a good amount of fluids and hydrate well before stepping out. If caught with mild sunstroke, settling teas like chamomile, peppermint, fennel seeds or our own aam panna also helps best.

3. Food Poisoning
Summer heat raises the risk of food borne diseases. Food poisoning cases are one of the most common summer health hazards because bacteria grow faster in warmer weather. Symptoms of food poisoning include cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

How can you prevent it?
To avoid food poisoning, we simply have to be careful about what we put in our mouth. Furthermore, we should make sure that we eat only well cooked food and try to consume it as soon as possible once it’s cooked. Eat only fresh cut salads and fruits when eating raw. Do not leave food long outside before refrigerating. Try to refrigerate all the leftover food as soon as steam stops rising from it.

Ample rest, good hydration, eating light and, last but not the least, moving your body adequately helps us stay fit and healthy from summer health hazards. Prevention remains the key, as lack of awareness is one of the main reasons for the near fatal result of these hazards.

We hope this article helps you enjoy a healthy summer. Want us to cover some more hazards? Did we miss out on something? Let us know in the comments below! For more summer safety tips, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to live sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce