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Healthy Eating: Oats and Gram Flour Cookies

oats and gram flour cookiesWith all those delicious festive Christmas sweets now out of reach, we’re sure your sweet tooth is craving for some of that sweet goodness! Those sweets often come with unhealthy baggage, but don’t worry – we’ve found a way to stick to your healthy eating routine in the New Year without guilt. Here’s a crispy, crunchy oats and gram flour cookie recipe with the goodness of healthy fats. Let’s get started! 

What You Will Need 

  • Rolled Oats – ½ cup
  • Besan (Gram Flour) – ½ cup
  • Cinnamon Powder – ½ tsp
  • Flax Seeds – 1 tsp
  • Raisins – 2 tsp
  • Ghee – ¼ cup
  • Olive Oil – 2 tsp
  • Jaggery Powder – 4 tsp
  • Vinegar – 1 tsp
  • Vanilla Essence – ½ tsp
  • Warm Milk – 1 tbsp
  • Dark Chocolate Chips – 2 tbsp
  • Baking Soda – ¼ tsp
  • Baking Powder – 1 tsp
  • Salt – ½ tsp

How To Prepare 

  1. In a bowl, combine oats, besan, cinnamon powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix it well and set aside.
  2. In another mixing bowl, add ghee, olive oil, vinegar, vanilla essence, warm milk & jaggery powder. Mix thoroughly until the jaggery powder dissolves, forming a smooth paste. It may  still have small jaggery particles, so don’t worry about achieving a completely smooth texture.  Once done, add chocolate chips, flax seeds and raisins.
  3. Combine the dry and wet ingredients thoroughly. Line a baking tray with butter paper. Portion the dough into small parts, flatten each between your palms, and place the cookies on the tray. Sprinkle some chocolate chips & raisins on the top for extra flavor.
  4. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°c for 18-20 minutes or in a microwave using convection mode. Alternatively, you can use an air fryer at 180°c for 15-20 minutes. Check the cookies after 12 minutes to ensure they bake evenly.

Note: You can substitute coconut sugar or stevia powder for jaggery powder if preferred.

Highlights of the Oats and Gram Flour Cookies Recipe 

  • A guilt-free cookie that everyone in the family can enjoy
  • Packed with the goodness of protein and healthy fats
  • Healthy sugars, like jaggery, are safe for most, but diabetics may opt for stevia powder

We hope you enjoy this Oats and Gram Flour Cookie recipe. Share it with your loved ones and leave your thoughts in the comments below! For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here. 

Eat healthy and #BeTheForce 

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How to Burn Body Fat & Keep it Off!

body fatHow many times have we pushed ourselves to our physical limits in order to get rid of excess body fat, only to end up gaining it all over again? Keeping body fat off is a difficult task, but it is not impossible. All you need is the right knowledge and this article has it!

Need to Burn Body Fat

Many articles explain the need to burn body fat. However, they often overlook the fact that muscle behavior changes when body fat is burned. When you’re on a journey to lose weight, it is important to burn body fat as well as restore body muscles to gain control over important body functions.

How to Burn Body Fat

1. Increase Protein Intake:

The theory behind increasing protein intake is that more muscles result in more fat burning. It’s best to start your day with good carbs and proteins, as adding protein to breakfast works on hunger hormones, making you feel fuller for longer.

This is why including protein helps in losing weight and keeping it off. If you don’t have a good protein source, add it. But remember, only consuming protein without good carbs, fiber, vitamins, and minerals may result in weight gain, as extra protein will get deposited.

Sources of protein that can be included in your daily lifestyle are quinoa, moringa, peanut butter, almond butter, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans, lean meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products like curd, yogurt, cottage cheese, paneer, and soy products like tofu.

2. Water Intake:

The average water intake of a person is 2.17 liters. Water intake can be increased to 3 liters per day to prevent sunstroke and dehydration, especially in hot weather. Hydration is crucial because your body will not burn fat when it is dehydrated.

Drinking a glass of water before meals acts as an appetite suppressant, helping you keep extra fats from food at bay. Avoid sugary drinks like colas or other carbonated beverages. Instead, carry a chilled bottle of water containing chia seeds or basil seeds, mint leaves, a little salt, and a piece of jaggery to stay hydrated and refreshed!

3. Foods with Fiber:

Gut health is the key to maintaining body weight and shedding extra fat. Fiber helps in maintaining a healthy weight and reducing cholesterol and diabetes levels.

If you’re looking for low-calorie foods, try broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, mushrooms, green beans, zucchini, apples, popcorn, cucumber, spinach, oats, and brown rice. These are good sources of fiber and keep you full for longer.

Psyllium husk (Isapgol) is great for detoxing the system. It also helps eliminate cholesterol and fat globules from the body. However, it needs to be consumed in moderation—half a teaspoon or 2 grams per day is sufficient.

4. Cut down on Salt, Sugar and Refined Carbs:

Everything in excess is harmful. Salt and sugar are basic needs of our lifestyle as they help maintain the pH level of blood. Excess salt results in water retention and can make it difficult to lose weight. Similarly, excess sugar affects your metabolism and can cause joint pain and fatty liver problems.

This doesn’t mean you need to go tasteless! Moderation is the key to a healthier lifestyle. Avoid extra salts and sugars from processed food, junk food, and refined carbs like white bread, white flour, sweetened beverages, and bakery products. Instead, carry healthy snacks like fox nuts, goji berries, dry fruits, mixed seeds, and popcorn. Also, cut off any additional salt in your curds or salads.

Foods That Help in Burning Body Fat Faster

  • Apple Cider Vinegar: Mix 1 or 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar in lukewarm water for a healthy morning drink. It helps burn extra fats.
  • Extra Virgin Coconut Oil: Reducing normal oil intake while consuming extra virgin cold-pressed coconut oil benefits thyroid functioning and increases the body’s metabolic rate due to medium-chain triglycerides. This helps burn fat faster. Add it to your salads or cooked curry (avoid heating it to retain its nutrients).
  • Beverages: Green coffee, black coffee, oolong tea, green tea, chamomile tea, and goji berry tea all improve metabolism and help burn fat faster. However, 2-3 cups a day is advised, as anything in excess is harmful.

Stress and Lack of Sleep Can Result in Weight Gain

Stress and sleep are often neglected during fat-burning journeys. Overindulging in workouts can lead to stress and weight gain. Working out 3-4 times a week is sufficient. Jumping jacks, HIIT, planks, crunches, lunges with stretching, and yoga help maintain body shape without stress while promoting good-quality sleep.

If mediation or deep breathing dosen’t help you relax, try stress-busting foods like dark chocolate, nuts, seeds, bananas, and avocados. Ensure you get enough sleep. Lack of sleep and stress can slow down metabolism and cause weight gain. To sleep peacefully, keep your room dark, avoid heavy workouts before bedtime and stay off screens at least an hour before sleeping.

By working on these small lifestyle changes, you can effectively lose body fat and keep it off!

We hope this article helps you. For more information or tips on weight loss, check out Healthy Reads or speak to an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for general awareness and educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalised medical guidance or concerns related to your health.

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Holiday Health Tip: It’s All In The Chew!

Holiday Health Tip: It's All In The ChewIt’s precisely between this week and January 1st when people tend to put on most of their weight. There are two reasons for this – The crazy festive season filled with weddings and parties followed by Christmas, New Year’s Eve and the tendency to let loose during this time, with the justification that they’ll start fresh with ‘healthy new year resolutions’ in January.

  • What if I told you that you could enjoy this season and it wouldn’t impact your weight?
  • What if I told you snacking on a cookie or dessert occasionally wouldn’t effect your weight goals?
  • What if you could eat rice, roti (Indian flat bread), and bread at lunch and dinner without it impacting your weight or health?
  • What if you could enjoy this festive season, have loads of fun, eat your favorite foods and still maintain your health and weight?

The human body is a miracle, and we are living examples of this miracle. The way our brain and body function, blood flow, smell, feelings, emotions, the ability to recover from the deadliest of diseases and the ability of our cells to heal and repair – is nothing short of extraordinary. Every day, trillions of cells in our body work non-stop to fight off germs and bacteria that could otherwise make us very sick or even threaten our lives. This miracle is called immunity.

Our stomach produces enough acid to dissolve a razor blade. Such is the power of our digestive system. So what’s an ice-cream, chocolate bar, or cookie going to do when it enters our stomachs? Our body is made to digest even the toughest foods. Red meat, for instance, is hard to digest, but the body will break it down. Vegetarians don’t escape either—cellulose in vegetables is extremely difficult to break down, but the body eventually does the job. This is one reason vegetarians may experience more flatulence than non-vegetarians.

The body can break down meats, vegetables and desserts alike! The secret lies in the ‘chew’. Food tastes so good because you’re meant to enjoy it—slow down and savor it, not just rush it to your stomach.

How Does Chewing Thoroughly Help? 

Chewing your food thoroughly is actually the first step in the complex process of digestion, and if you compromise this process, a common mistake, it can affect your overall health.

We have teeth not just to smile for a pretty picture but primarily to tear down and break up food into small bits. Saliva mixes with these small bits, further softening them.

Let’s dive into the basics:

Why Should You Chew Your Food Thoroughly? 

When you chew, more saliva gets produced and your saliva contains enzymes that break down FATS and CARBS. Yes!!! Digestion starts in the MOUTH! By the time your food reaches your stomach, it’s already processed by enzymes, making it easier for your stomach to complete the digestion process.

  • You feel light
  • You feel full for a longer period of time.
  • You reduce flatulence, gas, indigestion and burping.
  • You learn to savor and enjoy the taste of your food.
  • Your body absorbs all the goodness of your food (vitamins, minerals) better.
  • You eat just the amount your body needs to maintain or achieve a healthy weight.

Imagine all the times you’ve gobbled down your food. You’re left with undigested chunks sitting in your stomach, causing gas, discomfort, and increasing the chances of food converting to fat.

Chew your food. Enjoy a dessert, but eat it slowly and savor it. Over time, you’ll learn not to overindulge. The more you chew your food, the cleaner you keep your intestines, stomach and colon because the body can cleanse itself more effectively when digestion happens correctly. Say goodbye to constipation, fatigue, and migraines.

Try This Exercise Today!

At your next meal, eat slowly. Take a spoonful of food, chew it several times, savor the flavor and taste, then swallow. Put your spoon down before taking the next bite.

You’ll find yourself getting fuller quickly and will naturally eat less. This habit helps you save calories over time. Eventually, you’ll serve yourself smaller portions—fewer calories mean better health, a longer life, and a healthy weight.

Take one serving spoon less at every meal, chew thoroughly, and eat slowly. You’ll find that this is enough. All these saved portions add up to a significant calorie reduction, helping you lose fat and feel healthier.

Most diseases are caused by overeating. Even if you think your portions are appropriate, eating too quickly can lead to overconsumption. Chewing thoroughly ensures you eat mindfully, eliminating the need for restrictive diets.

Meal times are sacred—they’re your personal moments to nourish and care for your body. Respect this time, as it’s essential for keeping you healthy and strong.

This is a lifestyle change and if you master it, you can enjoy all your favorite foods in moderation.

We hope this article helps you make that lifestyle change. For more tips like this, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

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Healthy Christmas & New Year Eve Recipes

Healthy Christmas & New Year Eve RecipesIt’s that time of the year when you reconnect with your loved ones for celebrations such as singing carols, dancing and most importantly – food! As we are nearing the closure of this year, I am drowned in sweet memories of Christmas Celebrations at school and with my friends and family. It’s a time to gorge on some festive food. But, the dilemma with most is how do you gorge on food and yet keep it healthy. After pondering over it for the past few days, here are some recipes which I have planned for my Christmas and New Year Eve parties.

Healthy Low Fat Christmas & New Year Eve Recipes

Cauliflower and Leek soup

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 Leeks, sliced
  • 1 Carrot, sliced
  • 1 Onion, sliced
  • 1 Cauliflower, roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp Dried Basil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks, carrot and onion. Stir a little and cover. Let the leeks cook till they’re soft for about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the cauliflower and stir to coat. Turn heat to high.
  3. Add a little water, basil and bring to a boil, then cover and let it simmer on low heat.
  4. Puree the soup with a hand blender.
  5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  6. A dash of nutmeg helps in stimulating taste buds.

Nutritional Value: This is a low-calorie soup that is rich in folic acid and soluble fiber. Basil and nutmeg act as super foods for immunity building.

2. Stir-fried green beans: An Accompaniment For The Soup

Ingredients:

  • 100 gm Green French beans
  • 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Sesame Seeds
  • Grounded Pepper
  • Rock Salt
  • Oregano

Method:

  1. Heat oil in a pan
  2. Add sesame seeds and allow them to splutter
  3. Add the beans and sauté
  4. Put some salt, pepper and cover the lid
  5. Cook for 5-7 mins until it’s a little soft with some of the bite remaining
  6. Sprinkle some oregano and serve

Nutritional Value: The best side dish that is full of fiber and protein. Also works as a low-calorie snack.

3. Chicken, Kale & Sprouts Stir Fry

Ingredients:

  • 100 gm Kale
  • 2 lean Chicken Breasts shredded
  • 2 tsp Sesame Oil
  • 1-inch Ginger shredded
  • Red Pepper thinly sliced
  • Handful Brussel Sprouts
  • 1 tbsp low sodium Soy Sauce
  • 1 Lemon juice and Lemon Zest

Method:

  1. Cook kale with a good splash of water for 1-2 mins until soft, yet a little crunchy. Once done, cool under running water to keep the color.
  2. Add half the oil and cook the chicken strips until brown, then remove and set aside.
  3. Heat the remaining oil and fry the ginger, pepper and sprouts until they’re a little soft.
  4. Combine all the cooked ingredients in the pan, then drizzle with soy sauce and add the lemon zest and juice. Mix well and serve immediately.

Nutritional Value: This dish is a great balance of lean protein and fiber. Adding ginger and lemon makes it digestive. A good recipe for a snack or salad or as a main course with some brown rice.

4. Whole Wheat Flour & Ragi Cake

How can you host a party without dessert? Ditch the calorie-laden and not so healthy maida and give a healthy twist to your cake!

Ingredients:

  • Ragi Flour – 3/4 cup
  • Wheat Flour – 1/4 cup + 1 tsp
  • Baking Soda – 1 tsp
  • Jaggery – 1/2 cup
  • Palm Sugar – 1/2 cup
  • Oil – 1/4 cup
  • Curd – 1/tsp
  • Water – 1/4 cup
  • Banana – 2 (Ripe)
  • Raisins – 15
  • Badam – 8
  • Butter – 1 tbsp

Method:

  1. Remove gasket and whistle of the cooker and keep it on low flame. This is to bring the preheat effect of the oven (20-25 minutes would do)
  2. Heat water in a saucepan and add jaggery (powdered/grated) and palm sugar and let it dissolve and filter.
  3. Mash the bananas and leave aside
  4. In a bowl, sieve both the flours together and add 1 tsp of baking soda and mix well.
  5. In another bowl, add the jaggery + palm sugar mixture, mashed banana, curd, oil and beat them well.
  6. To this, add the flour mixture and beat/mix well.
  7. Add the raisins and almonds and mix well.
  8. Grease the tin and pour the mixture
  9. Place a stand/plate inside the cooker and then place the cake tin.
  10. Close it and let it cook for 5 minutes in medium flame.
  11. After 5 minutes, keep the flame slow and let it cook for 30-40 minutes.
  12. Use a toothpick to check if the cake is completely cooked. When you prick the cake deep inside, the toothpick will come out clean when the cake is completely cooked.

Nutritional Value: Low calorie with the goodness of calcium from Ragi. Eat it guilt free!  

5. Crusty Pita Bread & Chickpeas: A quick snack

Ingredients:

  • Pita Bread or a Multigrain Bread
  • Boiled Chickpeas
  • Chopped Onions, Coriander, Green Chillies
  • Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Other herb seasonings

Method:

  1. In a bowl mix all the above ingredients and set aside.
  2. Toast the pita or the multigrain bread.
  3. Put this mixture and have it like that or you can toast them in a sandwich.

Nutritional Value: Low-calorie, protein-rich and good carbs snack. 

6. Christmas Balls

Ingredients:

  1. Dark chocolate
  2. Dry Fruits Mix (coarsely ground)
  3. Honey
  4. Sesame Seeds (for coating)

Method:

  1. Take a bar of dark chocolate and melt it in hot water (boil some water and keep the second bowl in hot water and put the chocolate bar)
  2. Put all the ingredients together, except the sesame seeds and make small balls.
  3. Now coat these balls with sesame seeds when still wet.

Nutritional Value: Have these with no hesitation as they are full of antioxidants and the richness of dry fruits.

We hope you enjoy these healthy Christmas and New Year Eve Recipes that will surely liven up your party. Try them out and let us know your experience in the comments below! For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

From Terminal Illness To Complete Wellness! Ananda Mukherjee Health Story

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