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About Urvi Gohil

Urvi Gohil, a foodie turned Nutritionist assists people change or manage their lifestyle in terms of their diet and physical activity. Armed with a Masters’ degree in Clinical Nutrition her goal is to get people healthier. She believes in the act of ‘Moderation’ rather than complete elimination of certain foods. In the entire era of processing and shortcuts, she is there to guide people towards their long-term goals in a sustainable way.

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Healthy Eating: Beetroot Mix Dal Dosa

beetroot mix dal dosa

Depending on your preferences, beetroot can be the most loved or most hated vegetable on your plate. Now, whether you hate it or love it, you can’t deny the fact that beetroots are extremely healthy for you! They are packed with essential vitamins and minerals. Beetroots are low in calories, help reduce blood pressure and improve digestive health, among many other benefits.

Enriching your normal day meals with a superfood always fetches you more nutrients! Today, let’s make beetroot more interesting than it already is by preparing this beetroot mix dal dosa! It is packed with protein and all the nourishment from beetroots!

Let’s get started.

What you will need:

  • Chana Dal – 2 tbsp
  • Moong Dal – 2 tbsp
  • Toor Dal – 2 tbsp
  • Urad Dal – 2 tbsp
  • Rice – 2 tbsp
  • Shredded beetroot – 1 medium sized
  • Garlic – 5-6
  • Shredded Ginger – 1 tsp
  • Green Chillies – 2
  • Finely Chopped Coriander – ½ cup
  • Jeera (cumin seeds) – 1 tsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil

How to Prepare

  1. Take a bowl and mix all dals and rice after washing them thoroughly. Add 1 cup of water to it and soak for 4-6 hrs.
  2. Once soaked, remove excess water and blend it together in a mixer and make a smooth paste. Add 2 tsp of water if required. Keep the batter aside in a bowl.
  3. Now, add beetroot, green chillies, jeera, ginger and garlic in a blender jar and blend it all without adding any water.
  4. Mix the beetroot paste with blended pulses thoroughly.
  5. Add salt and coriander to the batter and allow it to settle for 10-15 min.
  6. Now heat a nonstick pan, brush some oil and using a spatula, spread the hot pink batter on the pan. After cooking it on one side, flip it over.
  7. Serve it hot with coconut chutney.

Highlights of the Beetroot Mix Dal Dosa:

  • Best way to start your day! The proteins keep you full and beetroot gives you all the essential vitamins and minerals such as folate, manganese, potassium, iron, Vitamin C along with very important nitrates. These nitrates help in reducing blood pressure.
  • It is a must to try for kids as the color fascinates them.
  • Also instead of beetroot you can incorporate blanched spinach or even carrots.

Did you find this recipe new and exciting? Will you try it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

For more healthy recipes, do check out the live sessions on GOQii Play within the GOQii App.

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Healthy Eating: How to Prepare Thick Curd At Home

homemade curdWho doesn’t enjoy a bowl of curd? With its many health benefits and the million different ways in which you can consume it, curd is almost irreplaceable. Did you ever wonder how curd came to be discovered? Was it made with intention?

History suggests that curd, like many other fermented milk products, was discovered by accident! It was primarily due to milk being left unattended for a long time which initiated curdling. Basically, the milk began souring as a result of microbial action. A microorganism called Lactobacillus is responsible for the curdling of milk.

Curd is considered to be a superfood as it is rich in proteins, provides the body with Vitamin B and Calcium and is a fantastic Probiotic and is good for the gut. However, there are many who still struggle to make good thick curd at home and dependent on packaged curd.

So let us learn to make thick, perfect curd at home!

What You Will Need

  • Milk – 500 ml
  • Curd – 2 tsp
  • Water – 2 tsp

How to Prepare Thick Curd

  1. In a pan add milk and allow it to boil. Keep stirring it lightly.
  2. After the milk comes to a boil, switch off the flame and let it cool down.
  3. Now take a bowl, add 2 tsp of curd and 2 tsp water & whisk it together.
  4. Once the milk cools down, remove the cream from the milk and strain the milk in a bowl.
  5. In the strained milk, add 2 tbsp of curd + water mixture & mix well.
  6. Cover the bowl and keep it in a warm and dry space for 4-5 hours to set.
  7. Refrigerate the curd for an hour before you serve it.

Things to Keep in Mind  

  • Do not use skim milk for making curd, it will be runny.
  • The milk should not be very hot when you add culture in it otherwise the curd will coagulate
  • Never forget to remove cream

Benefits of Homemade Curd

  • Curd which is commercially available is the result of a straining process that removes the liquid whey, resulting in thicker curd.
  • In its traditional form, the curd is far more nutrient-dense and is rich in high-quality protein, beneficial probiotics and cancer-fighting linoleic acid.
  • Poor quality milk is used to produce most commercial curd, which can be a concern.

What if You Do Not Have Starter Curd?

  1. Take boiled milk in a vessel and reheat it a little for making the starter curd. Use lukewarm milk. Now, pour little amount of milk in 3 different bowls for making the starter curd.
  2. In one cup of milk drop 2 green chilies. It is very important to have the stalk attached to the chilies for making the starter curd and make sure it is submerged completely in the milk.
  3. In second cup of milk, add 2 red chilies and submerge it completely.
  4. In third cup of milk, add 1 tbsp. of lemon juice and mix it well.
  5. Cover all the three cups of milk and store in a warm place for 12 hours.

Making starter curd is little time-consuming. Its not as good when compared to Dahi and is only used in making the curd.

Here you go! Try this natural and healthy way to make thick curd at home and don’t rely on packaged curd. Do share your experience in the comments below!

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3 DIY Face Masks For Younger, Glowing Skin

face masksImagine achieving younger, glowing skin without any aid from makeup… does it sound impossible? Nothing is impossible when you have the means to achieve an end. Today, I will share some simple but absolutely amazing natural face masks that are economical and give the best results!

These will require a little bit of work from your end but no good thing ever came easy!

1. Multani Mitti Face Mask

The oil-absorbing properties of Multani Mitti or Fuller’s Earth, make it effective against acne and help speed up the healing process. It helps in removing dead skin cells, blackheads, and whiteheads. Multani Mitti also gives an amazing natural and healthy glow!

What you will need:

  • Multani Mitti – 1 tbsp
  • Neem Powder – 1 tbsp
  • Aloe Vera Gel – 1 tsp
  • Rose Water – 1 tbsp

Method: Mix all the ingredients together and make a smooth paste. Apply it all over your face and neck. Keep it on your face until dry and then wash it off with cold water.

Say hello to your rejuvenated skin!

2. Yogurt Hydration Face Mask

The lactic acid in yoghurt will help dissolving dead skin and tighten pores. The honey in this face mask will beautifully hydrate the skin.

What You Will Need:

  • Yogurt/Curd – 2 tbsp
  • Honey – 1 tsp
  • Lemon Juice – 1 tsp

Method: Mix all the ingredients well and apply the mixture on your face. Allow it to stay for 20 minutes and then rinse it off with cold water. Healthy skin on its way.

3. Besan Haldi Face Mask

Trust me, our basic home-based ingredients give the best results. Turmeric along with gram flour helps in brightening up the skin.

What You Will Need:

  • Besan – 1 tbsp
  • Turmeric – ½ tsp
  • Vitamin E Capsule – 1
  • Rose Water – 1 tbsp

Method: Mix all the ingredients into a smooth paste and apply it all over your face. It will take more than 20 minutes to dry up and for the contents to get absorbed. Wash it off with cold water.

The best thing about these face masks is that you can use them daily and get healthy radiating skin from within the comforts of your home.

Do try these out and leave your thoughts in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

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5 Fat Loss Mistakes You Might Be Making

fat loss mistakesThe internet can be useful, there’s no denying it. Those fun DIY tricks and videos that can help you learn a new skill-set are pretty awesome indeed! But everything in this world has a downside and sadly, the internet has one too! While the internet helps you discover new things every day, it also leads you to fake news, tips and ‘hacks’ for instance – Quick Fat Loss Tips or Lose Fat in 10 days.

While there is no shortage of news that can lead you astray, you need to understand that there is no shortcut to fat loss and losing weight! Let’s bust some myths and check out some mistakes you might be making on your journey to fat loss!

1. Starving for Fat Loss 

Research indicates that chronic starvation reduces muscle mass and organ size by 20%. Weight loss via starvation decreases bone density and makes you more prone to injury. Along with this, starvation leads to a reduction in metabolic rate and your body functions slower. Also, post this eating phase, once you return to normal eating, you will gain all the fat back as the body starts storing extra calories as fat. So the rule of thumb is to eat healthy, balanced meals on time.

2. No Rest Day 

Are you thinking that if you overtrain, you are losing more fat? The answer is NO! Rest days are important to prevent overuse of muscles and allow the body to recover. Lifting weights creates tiny tears in your muscles which repair only during rest. Your lean muscles actually grow when you rest. Overtraining can cause a plateau in your fat loss process. It can mess with your menstrual cycle and cause Amenorrhea (absence of menstruation i.e. 2-3 missed menstrual periods). Ideally, you can rest 1 day per week and do very light activities like slow walking, yoga, breathing exercises, etc.

3. Excess Protein Doesn’t Mean Better Fat Loss

Excess of anything is bad. Eating more protein can definitely help you lose weight but a high protein diet alone cannot. Protein can make you feel full for longer and helps in reducing overall calorie intake. Excess protein makes it difficult for the body to digest it. You need enough fruits, vegetables and complex carbs too for losing fat.

4. Lack of Optimum Sleep

Research indicates that sleeping fewer than 6hrs reduces hormone leptin and stimulates hormone ghrelin which makes you feel hungrier and less satiated. It is documented that dieters with enough sleep of 7 or more hours lose more fat and less muscle. To add on, inadequate sleep raises your cortisol (stress hormone) levels and it actually inhibits the breakdown of fat for energy and increases muscle breakdown. So if you are someone who sleeps late and wakes up early to exercise without completing optimum sleeping hours, it might not be the best idea!

5. Keeping Unrealistic Expectations

Definitely tangible goals can keep you motivated but having unrealistic expectations can work against you. It is reported that overweight and obese women who expect to lose more fat in a short amount of time are most likely to drop out of a health program after 6-12 months due to frustration. Make your goals more modest with the help of a certified health coach.

To get the right information on exercise and nutrition for fat loss, you can always reach out to experts on GOQii Play or subscribe to personalized coaching – all within the GOQii App.

We hope this article helps you on your journey! Leave your thoughts and queries in the comments below!

#BeTheForce 

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