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July 1, 2020 By Priyanka Mangla 6 Comments

The Hidden Benefits of Okra Water

The Okra, Bhindi in Hindi or Ladies’ Finger, whatever name we call it, is an all time favorite for most of us. Fortunately, we get it throughout the year. You know, besides tickling your taste buds, okra as a vegetable and in the form of okra water has multiple benefits. Raw okra is 90% water, 2% protein, 7% carbohydrate and is negligible in fat. It is rich in dietary fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, some amounts of thiamine, folic acid and magnesium . Let’s discuss the benefits of Okra water one by one and I am sure, after knowing them, you won’t hesitate using okra water in your daily diet.

Benefits of Okra Water

It Lowers Blood Sugar: Okra Water is a low-carb diabetes fighting drink. Okra seeds contain alpha-glucosidase enzymes and its gum contains insoluble fiber. They prevent the release of sugar in the bloodstream by inhibiting the carbohydrate metabolizing enzyme. This helps in slowing down the rate of digestion, thus resulting in delayed absorption sugar in blood, keeping your blood sugar from rising too fast.
Keeps the Liver Healthy: Okra water helps in liver-detox. The slimy substance of the okra binds with the cholesterol and bile acids, thereby helping the liver flush out toxins from the body. It also helps in reducing cholesterol levels and is included in many weight loss programs.
Prevents Cancer: Being rich in folic acid, it helps in cancer prevention.
Prevents Stroke: It is rich in Vitamin C, which we all know is one of the most powerful free-radical fighters. In other words, it is a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin C is very essential in keeping our blood vessels healthy, keeping blood pressure under control and preventing stroke.
Boost Immunity: Being rich in Vitamin C, Okra helps boost our immunity as well, which is the need of the hour. Vitamin C is also required to keep our skin healthy by producing collagen. Skin is the largest protective organ of our body. Healthy skin ensures a good protective barrier to the entry of germs in our body.
Improves Brain Power: It has good amounts of potassium as well which is required for normal functioning of the brain. Potassium has other benefits too like controlling high blood pressure, preventing stroke, strengthening our bones.
Improves Digestion: The slimy substance of Okra which contains insoluble fiber, helps in the smooth movement through the gut and eases constipation.
Good Source of Non-Dairy Calcium: Those who cannot tolerate dairy products like milk, cheese, curd or are lactose intolerant, can opt for Okra. There is 82mg of calcium in just 1 cup of okra. This means, a single 100 gm serving of okra supplies about 8% of your daily calcium requirements. Now, we all know how useful calcium is for our bones, muscles, nerves and even weight management.

It is very easy to prepare Okra Water. All you need to do is soak 3-6 Okra pods (split each into two) in a glass of water overnight. In the morning, remove them and drink the water. This way, you get all the necessary benefits you need!

We hope this article helps you. Do give it a try and leave your thoughts in the comments below! For more useful information on nutrition and food, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to experts on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce

June 23, 2020 By Hajra Mithani Leave a Comment

How To Control And Fight Hunger Cravings

While we’re in lockdown, for most of us, our lifestyle has become sedentary. We are undergoing mental and emotional stress which often leads to binge eating. It is natural, when we are stressed, we find outlets to overcome it and the first thing that comes to mind is eating! A sedentary lifestyle coupled with irregular sleep leads to hunger cravings which ultimately leads to gorging on unhealthy food such as junk food, chocolates, refined foods, bakery products, juices, soft drinks, pizza, etc. that lead to weight gain. Let’s take a deeper look.

How Much Time Does It Take Food To Get Digested?

After having a meal, our GI tract slowly empties by pushing food through the stomach and from there it goes to the small intestine where it gets absorbed and then it reaches the large intestine. It takes approximately 2 hours for this entire process.
Hunger cravings occur 2 hours after having a meal when food gets digested. So, our brain picks up messages from the stomach and tells us that it’s time for our next meal.
This entire system is regulated by 2 hormones in our body which are known as hunger hormones – Ghrelin and Leptin.
Ghrelin stimulates appetite and is produced in the stomach when it’s empty and promotes fat storage.
Leptin controls appetite and signals the brain to stop eating.
If we eat after every 2 hours, ghrelin will not be released and there won’t be any overeating.

Tip To Control Hunger Cravings

Eat before you feel hungry at an interval of 2 hours.
Have 6 meals in a day: 3 main meals and 3 mid meals and eat slowly. Have a fruit as a mid meal and avoid having fruits with the main meals.
Snack on nuts like foxnuts, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, mixture of various seeds to help you stay full.
Add spices and chillies in your food as it increases the satiety.
Avoid fasting: Skipping meals can cause your body to go into a fat storing starvation mode, making it harder to burn calories.
Have jaggery, jaggery powder, stevia leaves and honey to curb sugar cravings.
Include proteins in all your meals. Proteins are the building blocks of our body. It takes longer to digest than carbohydrates and is considered to be more satiating than carbs and fats. It keeps your energy levels up and appetite down.
Have fiber rich foods since it helps in regulation of bowel movements and helps you feel fuller for a longer duration. It doesn’t add calories to your diet and cannot be converted to glucose. Include leafy green vegetables, fruits with the peel like apple,pear, plum and even berries, sweet potatoes with skin, potatoes, oatmeal, fenugreek seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, cinnamon powder, drumstick, garden cress seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts, figs, raisins and prunes.
Quench your thirst to control your appetite by drinking plenty of water. Drink 12-15 glasses of water throughout the day. Have 1 glass of water before and 1 after having your meal, as water is a no calorie quencher, you’ll be able to decrease your hunger before you start eating so you aren’t starving at the table. In case you don’t like the taste of plain water, have green tea, cinnamon tea, buttermilk, coconut water, lemon water or detox water.
Exercise for 30 mins everyday: since it lowers the level of ghrelin. It increases the feeling of fullness, increases your metabolism and helps in burning more calories. Indulge in yoga, pilates, cardio, stretching, skipping, dancing, etc.
Have a wake up and sleep schedule: To avoid midnight hunger pangs, don’t stay awake for a longer time post dinner and have soups, salads and protein rich meals for dinner to avoid eating junk food. Make a habit of having 1 tsp flax seeds post dinner since it has fibers that will make you feel satiated.

We hope this article helps you understand your hunger cravings and helps you curb them. For more tips on controlling hunger cravings, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to expert nutritionists on GOQii Play.

Stay home, stay safe, eat healthy and #BeTheForce

June 16, 2020 By Navnee Garg Leave a Comment

Does Food Cooked In Different Utensils Impact Your Health?

If cooking is an art, then the utensils are the canvas. With different cuisines in our country, even the variety of utensils are different – each has its own use. This makes it essential to know how the metals react to different foods. While we’re busy choosing fancy non-stick cookware or microwave friendly utensils, we need to understand that they aren’t safe as they can harm your health in the long run. Back in the day, clay pots, iron, brass and bronze utensils were used for cooking as they not only preserved the nutrients in food but also enhanced the taste.

How Do Different Utensils Impact Your Health?

Stainless Steel: It is the most commonly used iron alloy made up of chromium, nickel, carbon and silicon and has aluminium or copper coating at the bottom for heating purposes. Stainless steel is considered the safest metal to use for cooking as it does not react with food or flake or leach harmful chemicals into the food leading to no adverse effects on the immune system.
Aluminium: Our baking utensils are mostly made up of aluminum as the metal is ideal for high temperatures. Aluminum also has a larger than life use in our Indian Kitchen, in the form of utensils or a foil wrap. Food cooked in aluminum utensils tends to absorb aluminum because aluminum dissolves into food and water during the cooking process. But cooking alkaline foods in aluminum is completely safe for our immune system as the amount of aluminum soaked is very less. It is always better to avoid cooking acidic food like tomatoes or sauerkraut in aluminum as it can react quite badly with the metal and may release harmful compounds in your meal, making it dangerous to consume.
Cast Iron: A very popular metal for our kitchens. All our kadhai, tavas and skillets are made of Cast Iron. Cooking in iron is an excellent way to add some iron in our diet as it leaches iron into our food. Iron is not only a metal but also an essential mineral required by the body. Imagine cooking an iron rich food in an iron pan, this would help you add value to the daily required Iron for your body. For example , premenopausal women require 18mg of iron per day and A serving of scrambled eggs cooked in a cast iron skillet increased from 1.49 mg to 4.76 mg of iron. And along with it, we can prepare tomato sauce in an iron pan that can provide 5mg off iron which is 60% of RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance). Infact, cooking regularly in iron utensils can help you hit the struggle to achieve daily iron RDA.
Non-Stick: Mostly called as Teflon coating, this is an easy cookware to use and clean. But unfortunately, as a Nutritionist, I do not recommend excessive use of these utensils as the chemicals used to manufacture the non-stick coating can harm human health by causing abnormal thyroid hormone levels, liver inflammation, cancer, elevated cholesterol and reduced immune system response. We can use non-stick for a few recipes like pancakes, cheela or dosa which is not a daily staple meal. But, I would not recommend making paranthas or subzis on a daily basis.
Glassware: Considered another Neutral cookware and a good heat conductor to consider for baking your dishes. Although a few unhealthy components such as lead and cadmium leach out in food while cooking but the amount is minimal to harm human health.
Ceramic: is considered to be the safest when it comes to healthy cooking. An environment friendly cookware made using all-natural clay, water and gas. This can be a great replacement for dishes we cook in Teflon non-stick pans and pots as it does not affect the immune system adversely.
Copper: An excellent metal to promote health from your kitchen. Copper utensils with tin or nickel coatings can be used for cooking rice due to its antibacterial properties or storing drinking water due to its medicinal properties, the ability to improve the digestive system, slow down ageing and heal wounds faster. Copper can also detoxify the body and increase Hemoglobin. But you need to take care while cooking in copper as acidic foods react with copper and can hinder the taste.

Every metal has its own pros and cons. The ideal way to cook is to choose the perfect cookware as per the recipe. Try some more ancient methods of cooking in iron, clay/earthen pots as they are not only safe but loaded with various health benefits like retaining/adding nutritive value to the food and helping the immune system.

We hope this article helps. For more tips on health and wellness, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to experts LIVE on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce

June 12, 2020 By Dr. Naina Sudarshan 1 Comment

Healthy Ayurvedic Concoctions To Boost Immunity

Ayurveda, the “Science of Life” is an invaluable treasure to India from our ancestors which is trending in the current pandemic situation. According to classical texts, the aim of Ayurveda is “To maintain the health of a healthy person through prevention and to treat the health issues of a sick person”. Our body needs to maintain good metabolism and immunity to fight against foreign invaders like germs and other external disease-causing factors. So, it is critical for us to maintain and boost our immunity on a regular basis to maintain our health. Ayurvedic concoctions are the best and easy choice to make at home yourself and have it frequently.

Ayurvedic Concoctions can be basically made with dry herbs, or dry herb powders or some of the fresh herbs too. As the herbs are boiled in water, the water absorbs all the therapeutic properties from the herbs making it better for digestion and absorption into our body.

5 Varieties of Ayurvedic Concoctions For Immunity

1. Turmeric-Pepper Concoction

Ingredients:

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Black pepper Powder – ¼ tsp
Jeera – ¼ tsp
Water – 1 glass
Lemon – 1 tsp
Himalayan Pink salt/Sea salt/Rock salt – ¼ tsp

Method: Mix turmeric, pepper and jeera in water and boil it for 3-5 mins to bring it down to 1 cup of concoction. Add lemon and salt before you sip the warm concoction.

Benefits:

The Cucumin in Turmeric is anti-inflammatory and has an immune modulatory effect which enhances metabolism and boosts immunity.
Piperine in Black Pepper enhances the absorption of curcumin making it a good combination with Turmeric. It is a rich antioxidant that prevents cell damage, increases the absorption of essential nutrients like calcium and selenium, helps in easy digestion, and controls blood sugar levels.
Jeera is a great source of iron besides potassium, helps in building immune system
Lemon, high in Vitamin C can fight against bacterial and viral infections by enhancing immune system

2. Fenugreek-Coriander Concoction

Ingredients:

Fenugreek/Methi seeds – ½ tsp
Coriander/Dhaniya seeds – ½ tsp
Water – 1.5 glass
Milk (Optional) – ¼ cup
Jaggery – ¼ – ½ tsp

Method: Soak Methi and Coriander seeds in 1.5 glass of water for 30-60 mins. Boil it for 5-8 mins to reduce it to ¾ cup. You can add milk at this stage and boil it for 1 more minute. Turn the heat off and add jaggery just before drinking.

Benefits:

Methi/Fenugreek may help to reduce the risk of bacterial fungal and viral infections. It generates heat in the body and is excellent for Kapha dominant people with weaker immunity.
Coriander has powerful antioxidants that prevent cellular damage caused by free radicals.
Jaggery is a natural sweetener rich in iron, zinc, and selenium.

3. Pomegranate Peel Concoction

Ingredients:

Peel of half pomegranate
Raw Honey – 1 tsp
Water – 1 glass

Method: Boil a glass of water. Put the pomegranate peel in the boiling water. Let it boil for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover it for 15 minutes. Add 1 tsp of honey to the concoction, before you sip it warm.

Benefits:

Pomegranate peels help in restoring overall health. It acts as a liver detox. It soothes sore throat and stomach infections. It helps in dental hygiene and promotes healthy cell growth.
Pomegranate peels can be dried and stored as a powder or peel to use it for a long time.
Raw honey has healing, antibacterial and antiseptic properties. Phytonutrients in honey can boost the immunity.

4. Licorice-Ginger Concoction

Ingredients:

1 inch Licorice root or ¼ tsp of licorice powder
2-3 slices of ginger or ¼ tsp of ginger powder / ginger paste
Water – 1 glass
Raw Honey – 1 tsp

Method: Heat 1 glass of water. Add ginger powder and licorice powder. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Add 1 tsp of honey before you enjoy this concoction.

Benefits:

Licorice Cleanses respiratory system as it is a strong decongestant, a natural remedy for cold, cough, sore throat, and flu
Ginger is a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory in nature and helpful in reducing cough. It also enhances the immune response and is good for digestion

5. Onion-Cinnamon Concoction

Ingredients:

Onion – 1 small (diced)
Cardamom Powder – ½ tsp
Cinnamon Powder – ¼ tsp
Water – 2 cups
Jaggery – 1 tsp

Method: Bring 2 glasses of water to boil, add all the ingredients and bring it down to 1 cup of liquid. Simmer for 15 mins and sip it while it is warm.

Benefits:

Onions are rich in flavonoids that help in fighting infections and inflammation. It is extremely useful in strengthening the capillary walls of the lungs and prevents the damage of bronchial tubes in any respiratory infections
Cardamom and Cinnamon are anti-inflammatory and effective remedies for cold, and flu as they impart warmth to our body. Both spices are among the ingredients in most commonly used Ayurvedic cough medicines like Sitopaladi churna and Thaleesapatradi churna.

These Ayurvedic Concoctions can be consumed once at any time of the day for about 2-3 days in a week preferably with a gap to maintain the metabolism and boost the immunity. Children under the age of 12 can have ½ a cup of any of these. People with diabetes should be cautious about the amount of honey and jaggery that they add – lesser the better. These are just preventive remedies and effective with mild symptoms of flu or cough and cold. Medical advice is always suggested with moderate to severe symptoms.

Before trying any of these, do consult your doctor in case you have any allergies. Try these Ayurvedic Concoctions at home and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

For more Ayurvedic Remedies or immunity boosting tips, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to GOQii Play.

Stay home, stay safe, boost your immunity and #BeTheForce

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