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5 Healthy Recipes For Janmashtami

healthy janmashtami recipes Janmashtami marks the birth of Lord Krishna. It is celebrated all over India with vigor and zeal. Devotees of Lord Krishna observe a fast and offer Puja to the Lord. Most people observe a fast religiously without even drinking a single drop of water while others do the same with various considerations. So, here are a few Healthy Janmashtami Recipes for people who observe the Phalahar kind of fast, while keeping healthy eating in mind.

1. Sago Uttapam

Ingredients:

  • Soaked Sago (Sabudana) – ½ cup
  • Water Chestnut Flour (Singhara Atta) – ½ cup
  • Curd – ½ cup
  • Boiled Potato, Chopped Tomato – 1 each
  • Grated Carrot – ½ cup
  • Grated Paneer – ½ cup
  • 2 Green Chilies chopped
  • Ginger (grated) – ½ inch
  • Chopped Coriander Leaves
  • Ghee or Coconut Oil – 1 tbsp
  • Sea Salt to taste

Method:

  1. Grind sago, boiled potato & curd together in a blender.
  2. Mix Singhara Atta into this & make a smooth batter. You can mix water to adjust consistency of this batter. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
  3. Now add salt in the batter & heat a nonstick pan. Pour few drops of oil/ghee on pan & spread Uttapam batter in desired thickness.
  4. Sprinkle vegetables and grated paneer over Uttapam & let it cook from one side. After few minutes, flip it & let it cook from another side as well.
  5. Your healthy Uttapam is ready.

2. Creamy Coconut Chutney

Ingredients:

  • Fresh Grated Coconut – 1 cup
  • Roasted Peanuts – ¼ cup
  • Sea Salt to taste
  • 3-4 Green Chilies
  • Chopped Coriander Leaves – ¼ cup
  • Curry Leaves – 10 to 12
  • Hung Curd – 2 to 3 tbsp
  • Water as required

Method:

  1. Blend all the ingredients in a mixer until you get a smooth paste
  2. Add 2-3 tbsp of water at a time
  3. Your creamy coconut chutney is ready to have with the Uttapam

3. Fruity Delight

Ingredients:

  • Low Fat Hung Curd – 1 cup
  • Pomegranate Seeds – ½ cup
  • Fruits (Banana, Apple, Pear) – 1 of each
  • Pineapple – ½ cup
  • 10-12 Cashews
  • Cardamom Powder – ¼ tsp
  • Honey – 2 tbsp (optional)

Method:

  1. First chop banana, apple, pear & cashews & keep aside
  2. Whisk hung curd with cardamom powder & honey in a bowl
  3. Add all fruits & chopped cashews
  4. Keep in fridge for half an hour before serving

4. Carrot and Dates Kheer

Ingredients:

  • Skimmed Milk – 1 glass
  • 2-3 Dates (chopped)
  • 4-5 chopped Cashew
  • Grated Carrot – 2 tbsp
  • 1 pinch Cardamom Powder

Method:

  1. Boil milk in a deep pan & add dates & carrot
  2. In another pan dry roast cashews & keep aside
  3. Let the milk simmer at low flame till it reduces to half. Keep stirring in between
  4. Let it cool a little & then add cardamom powder & roasted cashew. Serve warm

5. Paneer Rolls

Ingredients:

  • 2 Boiled & Grated Potato
  • Grated Paneer – 2 cups
  • 1 Green Chili Chopped
  • Chopped Ginger – ½ tsp
  • Black Pepper Powder – ½ tsp
  • 7-8 Raisins Chopped
  • Cardamom Powder – ½ tsp
  • Chopped Coriander Leaves – 2 tbsp
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tsp Ghee

Method:

  1. Take boiled potato & paneer in a bowl. Add green chili, ginger, black pepper powder, raisins, cardamom powder, coriander leaves & salt.
  2. Mix all ingredients well and make a dough.
  3. Make rolls of desired size out of dough & keep aside.
  4. Heat a nonstick pan & grease it with some ghee. Now place the rolls in pan & fry till they get golden brown.
  5. Keep turning them a little so they cook evenly. Serve hot.

Highlights of the Healthy Janmashtami Recipes

  • All the recipes have a good mix of carbohydrate, protein & healthy fats.
  • Fruits, dry fruits or veggies provides vitamins & minerals.
  • Preparing all these recipes this Janmashtami can make a complete thali with variety of flavors.

Do try these healthy recipes & enjoy a guilt free feast on Janmashtami in controlled portions. Do tell us which one you liked the most in the comments below! To get these Healthy Recipes directly from your GOQii Coach, subscribe to Personalised Health Coaching here.

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Is Lactose Free Milk The Same As Dairy Free Milk?

lactose free milk

Many of you must have heard about lactose intolerance. When somebody has this condition, milk falls in the list of “don’t” for them. It is a very common digestive problem where the body is unable to digest lactose, a sugar mainly found in milk & most dairy products. What it means is that your body does not have sufficient amounts of the digestive enzyme ‘Lactase’ to break down milk sugar. Lactose free milk is free of these carbs that cause discomfort while providing all the benefits of regular milk.

What is Lactose Free Milk? 

Lactose free milk is commercially produced in such a way that it is free of lactose. For this, 3 methods are used:

  • Addition of lactase enzyme in the milk which pre digests or breaks lactose into simpler sugars. Thereafter, milk is pasteurized to deactivate lactase to increase milk’s shelf life.
  • Passing milk over lactase which is bound to a carrier. Using this method produces the same effect as above, but the enzyme is not present in the milk.
  • Mechanical removal of lactose through membrane fractionation & other ultrafiltration techniques while preserving normal flavor of milk.

With the first two methods, breakdown of lactose into simpler sugars gives milk a sweeter taste (as perceived by your taste receptors). But ultra-pasteurized milk tastes different (cooked flavor) due to heat applied during preparation. 

What Are the Pros and Cons? 

Now that you know what lactose free milk is, you might be wondering if it is good for you. Some reported benefits include: 

  • Prevents symptoms of lactose intolerance
  • Easy to digest
  • A little sweeter than regular milk
  • Good for bones as calcium & Vit D is the same as before. In fact, some manufacturers fortify it with extra calcium & Vit D
  • Low fat versions are good for heart health
  • Complete protein profile

Despite its benefits, there are also some cons to it:

  • Not suitable for people with dairy allergy
  • Not suitable for vegans
  • Technically it is a processed food as it is treated with heat & chemicals to make it safe for use
  • Sometimes sweeteners may be added by manufacturers
  • Presence of simpler sugars due to breakdown of lactose might increase the glycemic index of the product

Difference Between Lactose Free and Dairy Free Milk 

While these two sound similar, they actually aren’t. Despite being different from regular milk, lactose free milk is prepared from regular cow milk. Basically, it’s an animal product which still has proteins like whey & casein in it after removing lactose. On the other hand, dairy free milk is a plant based product, made using nuts, seeds, grains & legumes. These milk options are very popular among vegans or people with dairy allergy (immune system’s reaction to proteins in milk) to replace regular milk in different recipes. There is a wide array of dairy free alternatives available in the market these days such as rice milk, almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, flax milk & soy milk.

So the final take away from lactose free vs dairy free is that something dairy free is automatically lactose free but not vice versa. Now that you know the difference, your choice will be dependent on your health and body! We hope this information helps you. If you have any queries, leave them in the comments section below! 

For more information and topics like these, check out Healthy Reads or speak to a certified expert by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

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All About Cooking In Clay Pots

clay pots

As we are becoming more and more health conscious, trying to eat healthier meals, we cannot overlook the cookware used to prepare those meals. The vessels we choose have a great impact on the taste, quality and nutritional value of food. While Researching about which cookware is the best for our health, I always noticed that clay pots are on top of the list but I was never sure if I can really cook my regular food in them. A few weeks back, after a lot of research on how we can use them for regular cooking, I gave it a try and bought one home. Now I can confidently say that everyone should give them a try. In fact, I am planning to buy some more as I find more space in my kitchen to keep them safely. Before you get convinced by my experience, let’s understand why you should be switching to clay pots.

Benefits Of Using Clay Pots 

  • They infuse your food with calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sulphur and many other minerals depending on the composition of clay used in making these pots.
  • Help in restoring pH balance of food as clay is alkaline in nature.
  • Lends a nice earthy aroma and enhances the flavor of your food which metal pans usually destroy. 
  • Preparing food in clay pots requires slow cooking which helps retain maximum nutrition.
  • Less oil is required while cooking in clay pots as the porous nature of clay pots allows heat and moisture to circulate evenly.
  • Prevents us from harmful chemicals and metals that leach into our food while cooking in metals like aluminium and non-stick cookware. 
  • They are pocket friendly and available in different sizes and shapes.
  • Environmentally friendly and completely biodegradable.

How To Choose Them 

Clay pots are available in glazed and unglazed form. Both have their own set of advantages. 

Glazed ones are ready to use, have a shiny appearance and are easy to clean. These encourage good steam circulation due to low ability to absorb water. But sometimes, their glaze could be of low quality that may contain harmful chemicals. On the other hand, unglazed pots need a little bit more care being more porous, but have better ability to balance the pH of food.

How To Use Clay Cookware 

  1. Clay cookware needs to be prepared prior to first use by immersing them in water for 24 hours or at least overnight.
  2. Next day, scrub and rinse it and let it dry. Then you need to soak it in starch water/rice, cooked water/rice soaked water for one more day.
  3. Wash it again and dry it under the sun. After drying, wipe it with any vegetable oil and dry it under the sun till the oil is absorbed by the pot. 
  4. Your clay pots are ready to use now.
  5. Though this preparation process seems long but ensures a long life to your clay pots.

How To Maintain Clay Pots 

Some points are needed to be kept in mind while using clay pots in your daily routine.

  • Never keep hot clay pots on a cold surface or put cold water in a hot pot. This temperature shock may cause cracks.
  • You may not want to clean them with soap as it will enter into small pores of the pots which can mix into food while cooking. Use ash, baking soda and salt, rice flour or gram flour to clean these pots.
  • These pots work well on a regular gas stove, but never heat empty pot on very high flame. During cooking, it is advisable to keep the flame medium to low.

If you haven’t got a hold of clay pots yet, I suggest getting one and experiencing the goodness and flavor in food that usual cookwares lack. I hope this article helps you if you plan on using one. Do leave your thoughts and queries in the comments below! 

For more useful information, check out Healthy Reads or reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

 

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7 Reasons Why You Should Avoid Caffeinated Drinks During Winter

Avoid Caffeinated Drinks

Caffeine is a natural stimulant most commonly found in tea, coffee and cacao plants. Billions of people rely on caffeine to start their day and to get through their night shift or afternoon slump. It works by stimulating the brain and the central nervous system, helping you stay alert, reducing the onset of tiredness. Nothing is as comforting on a chilly morning as a hot cup of tea with a cozy blanket. For most people, intake of these caffeinated drinks increases during winter as they believe it provides warmth to beat the cold. But is that really so? Is there a reason to avoid caffeinated drinks? Let’s find out! 

How Caffeine Works

While caffeine is considered safe, drinking too much raises some concerns. When you drink any caffeinated drink, your gut absorbs it very quickly and sends it to your bloodstream. From there, as it reaches your brain, it starts blocking the effects of a neurotransmitter called adenosine. Adenosine relaxes your brain and makes you feel tired. So by blocking its receptors, caffeine helps you stay awake and alert. But with alertness comes anxiety as well. At the same time, caffeine also stimulates our stress or “fight & flight” hormones.

Reasons To Avoid Caffeinated Drinks During Winter 

  1. Dehydration: During winter, most people feel less thirsty and their water intake automatically reduces. All caffeinated drinks are diuretic and tend to flush out water from the body through urine, making it deficient in not just water but also vitamins and minerals that are required for the smooth functioning of the body.
  2. Amplified Heart Rate and Blood Pressure: Winter is not a good time for people with heart conditions and high blood pressure. They are always advised to stay away from low temperatures as it can constrict their blood vessels and lead to high blood pressure. Caffeine being a stimulant also increases heart rate and blood pressure. So it may increase difficulties for such people.
  3. Empty Calories: Most caffeinated drinks are loaded with sugar and give you not just empty calories but a sugar crash later, which might make you feel more lethargic after some time.
  4. Effect on Digestion: Being a stimulant, caffeine increases gut motility or the contraction of muscles that propel the contents in the gastrointestinal tract. This might be a reason why you feel like having tea or coffee with or after a heavy meal. But this actually isn’t good because it reduces the time your food stays in each part of your digestive system, not letting the nutrients fully absorb. In fact, too much can lead to diarrhea which is followed by dehydration.
  5. Pregnancy & Lactation: Caffeine can easily cross the placenta and can reach breast milk. So, women who consume caffeinated drinks may need to limit their intake to avoid risk of miscarriage or low birth weight.
  6. Interaction with Medication: Our body flushes out caffeine generally within 6-8 hours but while in the system, it can react with your medication and supplements, causing poor absorption or side effects.
  7. Suppresses Appetite: Now this can be both good and bad for all weight watchers. Research shows that caffeine acts as an appetite suppressant but increases higher plasma levels of PYY & Leptin (anorexic hormones). It might make you eat less calories, but with less food, there is less nutrition as well. So beware of consuming too much caffeine, as our body needs more nutrition to maintain immunity.

Now, the purpose of all this information was not to coax you off caffeine but to ensure you control your intake. Controlled amounts can have some benefits too! Make sure you drink the right quantity and the right version. 1-2 cups of black tea, green tea and black coffee are better options than sugary and cream filled versions. Also ensure that you drink your last cup 6-8 hours before you sleep. 

We hope this article on why you should avoid caffeinated drinks in winter helps you! Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below. For more on nutrition, check out Healthy Reads or speak to an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

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