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Potato juice- The Ancient Elixir

potato juice

For the longest time potatoes have been listed in the high carb fattening food category and all we keep hearing is to avoid potatoes if you want to be healthy. Well, there exists another unexplored side of the story! Potatoes are loaded with essential micronutrients like Vitamin A, C, B, and iron and phosphorous. These starchy tubers have amazing health benefits! For those who believe in the power of nature read on!

From our Desi Aloo Parathas (Wheat Flat Breads) to the world famous fries, Potatoes are loved widely by all cultures across the globe. Apart from being a star in the kitchen space, there are several other uses one is unaware of. Did you know that Potato juice can be used for hair, skin care, tackling joint pains & immunity related issues?

Potato Juice for Skin Care: Skin related issues such as skin darkening, scars, spots, blemishes, hard skin and tan reduction can be tackled with Potato juice. It removes excess oil, acne, clears pores and makes the skin look radiant. With skin bleaching properties that help to clear blemishes and correct uneven skin tone, Potato juice reduces appearances of fine lines, tightened skin and reduces wrinkles. So much from a simple juice!

How to USE: Potato juice can easily be combined with a range of skin-benefiting ingredients like Cucumber juice, Fuller’s Earth (Multani Mitti), Gram Flour (Besan), Aloe Vera and even Olive oil.

A scrub can be made by combining Gram flour (Besan)/ Wheat Bran/ Ground Oats with equal quantities of Lemon juice and Potato juice. Mix well and gently rub it on the affected area.

Potato juice can also be mixed with curd/ honey/ lemon juice/orange juice to be used as a face pack. It will help tighten the skin and give a clearer, brighter glow.

Potato Juice for Haircare: Potato juice overall improves hair health and treats conditions like dandruff, dryness, redness, flaking and itching of the scalp. It can help improve hair texture by making it softer, delaying early grey hair and helps hair fall conditions too It helps in persisting eczema or reduces oozing of the sebum from scalp pores.

How to USE: Take the juice of 2 raw potatoes and add 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 egg yolk. If you want to avoid egg you can add 2 tsp of Aloe Vera gel. If you find honey sticky- you can use 1 tsp of virgin coconut or olive oil instead. Apply this mixture to the roots and shampoo as usual, after one hour. You will notice good results after applying this every once or twice in a week.

Eye care: Potato juice comes to the rescue of people facing under eye issues. It helps reduce under eye circles speedily and effectively. It helps the eyes to relax and reduces strain after a long day at work. Since the skin under the eyes is very thin, it tends to wrinkle very fast. Regular application of potato juice on the affected area can lead to positive results.

How to USE: Soak eye size cotton pads in cold potato juice and apply on eyes for 20 minutes. Remove and gently wash eyes. You can use a moisturizer if your skin feels dry.

Immune system: Potatoes contain a significant amount of vitamin C -the nutrient that fights colds and infection and helps to strengthen the immune system. Drinking a glass of potato juice regularly wards off diseases and helps improve one’s immunity. It also increases circulation in the human system, thereby improving overall health.

Joint related issues: Potato juice has wonderful anti-inflammatory properties that help to relieve all most all kinds of pain related to swelling, inflammation, or redness. It helps in neutralising and flushing out Uric acid which is the major cause of joint relates issues. Applying compressed potatoes to the joints directly or wrapping a sliced potato to the joint with the help of fabric bandages is helpful in eliminating the soreness and pain. This makes potato juice one of the best natural treatments for gout and pain associated with arthritis.

How to USE: To extract maximum benefit drink raw potato juice, 1 glass in the morning and 1 glass in the night.

GI tract benefits: Potato juice works as an excellent antibacterial probiotic drink.  It helps reduce acidity, heartburn, constipation, bloating and flatulence. Potatoes contain a significant amount of fibre, with unique antibacterial molecules which help in treating constipation and cleansing our digestive system. Drinking 1 glass of potato juice every day can help in preventing and treating many gastric and digestion related issues.

Heart-healthy ingredient: Potatoes contain essential nutrients like fibre and vitamins A, B-complex and Vitamin C fibre. These nutrients help lower the cholesterol levels in the body. Potato juice can help prevent strokes by reducing deposition of fats in arteries as it contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds.

Simple ways to prepare & use potato juice:

  1. Wash the potatoes thoroughly and clean out any sprouts and green spots.
  2. Peel the potatoes and grate them. Or you can also chop the potato and grind them in a mixer.
  3. Put the grated potatoes on a linen cloth/ sieve and squeeze out the juice.
  4. Since potatoes are 80% water one can get around 1/2 cup juice from 2 medium sized potatoes. Which is safe to be consumed.
  5. Drink the juice immediately or you could let it cool in the refrigerator for a while and then drink it.

Side effects: All good things if taken in the wrong way or quantity can cause harm:

  1. If you have any health-related issue and are advised to stay low on potassium then check with your doctor before consuming potato juice as it has high potassium levels.
  2. Pregnant and breastfeeding women and diabetic patients should consult their physician before drinking potato juice as it is high in sugar content.
  3. Also, this juice can cause an upset stomach, or cause diarrhoea and vomiting if consumed in excess.

 

 

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A Cereal Breakfast – WHY IT’S THE BEST WAY TO START THE DAY!!!

breakfast 1

Good Morning begins here….

I do not need to explain to you what Breakfast means. It has been iterated many times on this platform that it is one of the most important meal of the day. Still the phenomenon of skipping this meal is widely prevalent across the globe. People skipping breakfast is higher among those living in the metros such as Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and the likes.

First thing in the morning, the body is low on energy reserves and needs fuel in the form of breakfast. Hence, skipping it can impact general health both in short and the long term.

 Few benefits of breakfast to highlight its importance:

-It helps support brain function.

-It can improve nutrient intakes

-It helps to maintain weight

-It improves metabolism

-It promotes physical and mental well-being.

But, then the question arises- What does one have daily in the breakfast? Some examples of balanced breakfast are whole grain cereal with toned milk and 1 fruit, or  bowl of puffed rice (Poha), toned milk and few cubes of papaya or whole grain bread sandwich with veggies , 1 fruit and toned milk or oats porridge with dates , raisins apple and almonds.

breakfast 2

According to me, Cereal is the best breakfast. Most Indians staple diet is mostly based on cereals. I remember the days of my childhood, when my grandma used to give me cereal breakfast(wheat flour cooked in milk)and that used to keep me energetic throughout the day.

The word “cereal comes from the word ‘ceres’ meaning the ancient Roman goddess of the harvest.It is food derived from any plant in the grass family that yields edible grain or seed.

It is people’s basic food since Neolithic times, following the birth of agriculture.Wheat, Millet, Oats, Corn, Rice, Barley, Rye comes under cereal category.Research shows that eating a cereal breakfast can help kick-start our metabolism and set us up for a more successful day.

This is not restricted to this, eating cereal breakfast has lot more benefits:

1. Cereal eaters beat breakfast skippers in terms of BMI(body mass index)

2. It can help reduce disease risk factors: obesity and overweight are major risk factors for all lifestyle disorders. It helps to reduce the same.

3. Eating cereal break-fast can improve nutrient intakes:.Cereal taken along with milk gives carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals too especially vitamin B complex and iron and also gives a good amount of fiber. It is a simple, safe and inexpensive way to give required nutrition to a pregnant woman. Also, elderly get the required nutrition with such breakfast with fewer calories, as calorie needs declines with age but not nutrient needs.

4. It may help promote future health: The type of breakfast chosen may impact cardiometabolic risk. More frequent cereal consumption in children is associated with lower waist to height ratio, total cholesterol, and LdL cholesterol.

5. Cereal enhances general well-being:People who eat regular BF get less stressed, less anxious, and less likely to be depressed.

6. Cereal is typically a low fat, cholesterol free food which fits into healthy eating recommendations

7. Cereal is relatively low in calories and nutrient dense. An average serving of cereal with skim milk has fewer calories compared to other breakfast choices.

8. Cereal helps to incorporate milk into the diet. If eaten with milk, it is a terrific gateway to calcium, vitamin D, and protein. In fact, a bowl of high fiber cereal with skim milk has more than twice the calcium of a breakfast of toast and juice.And cereal is one of the top contributors for iron, thiamine, folate, vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium, zinc, and potassium, bringing essential nutrients to your breakfast table each morning.

But the next question that comes up in the mind- Is it fine to eat ‘Ready to Eat’ breakfast cereals?

There has been a lot of misinformation floating around about breakfast cereals. It’s so convenient and easy to prepare – even the kids can help out, making it a great breakfast option for busy families.

The amount of sugar contributed by ready to eat cereals is just 4% of the total daily intake of sugars.  Did you know that a glass of orange juice (125ml) has the same sugar content as a 30g serving of cornflakes?

Taste matters: If the food is unacceptable, it will not be eaten and unless it is eaten it cannot give nutrients. Even though it contains a slight amount of sugar, it doesn’t lead to tooth decay and dental problems.

Children who eat cereals at breakfast are likely to meet their recommendations of calcium and folic acid than those who eat non-cereal breakfast.

Taking sugar out of these cereals does not typically reduce the calories. So, if we remove a gram of sucrose, it lowers sugar content by one gram but, it does not affect the calorie level since the sugar is often replaced by one gram of starch to maintain the texture.

Ready to eat cereal contains less than one-half the sodium of many popular breakfast items and also the very small percentage of the total sodium in the diet.

Last but not the least beneficial component of cereal is fiber. It helps to protect against colon cancer, breast cancer, reduce the risk of Dm, coronary events, bulkier stools

So, if, you are always short of time, snoozing the alarm and waking up late….just pour a cup of milk over two tablespoons of your favorite cereal, sprinkle some nuts or fruits and get yourself nourished.

Hence, let’s take five minutes off to relax and prepare for the day with a bowl of cereal , milk and fruit and ensure a POSITIVE start of the day!!!

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Are you eating your beans right?

kidney-beans

My friend Neetu, recalls an incident from her childhood when she went to receive her aunt at the railway station who was arriving from Lucknow. On seeing Neetu, her aunt spontaneously asked her, “Guess your favourite thing that I’ve brought for you” and Neetu spontaneously replied “Rajma Chawal”! (Of Course, it was not Rajma Chawal that her aunt was referring too !!)

Kidney beans or Rajma is liked by kids and adults alike. It’s not just the taste but, the nutritional profile which makes it my favourite too. While it’s a rich source of protein and fibre, it’s also packed with several micronutrients, especially molybdenum, folate, copper, manganese, phosphorus, vitamin B1, iron, potassium, and magnesium. Dietary fibre in these beans helps in lowering cholesterol and prevents the rapid rise in blood glucose levels after consuming a meal.

However, in kidney beans, these nutrients exist with certain anti-nutrients or natural substances that can be harmful to our health.

1)   Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA):  This substance is classified as a lectin-glycoprotein. Lectins are known for their ability to agglutinate red blood cell types, alter cell membrane transport systems, alter cell permeability to proteins, and generally interfere with cellular metabolism. Even a small amount of PHA can have a negative effect on health. You may not consume enough to become noticeably sick, but continued exposure can result in poor growth, malnutrition, or liver damage.  White kidney beans contain about one-third the amount of toxin as the red variety.

2)   Raffinose and Stachyose: These are carbohydrates that are not digested in the small intestine by human gastrointestinal enzymes. They are passed into the large intestine where they are fermented by intestinal microflora with the production of gas. It is this behaviour which is responsible for flatulence, bloating that many of us experience after consuming these beans.

Central Public Health Laboratory (PHLS, UK ) and FDA (US) recommends this procedure to render kidney, and other beans safe for consumption:

  • Soak in water for at least 5 hours.
  • Pour away the water.
  •   Boil briskly in fresh water, with occasional stirring, for at least 10 minutes.
  • Undercooked beans may be more toxic than raw beans.

Tips for cooking –

1)     Add salt to the soaking water and cooking water as it helps remove raffinose and stachyose and thus reduces gas producing tendency of beans. Also, salt improves water absorption so beans are evenly softened and cooked.

Isn’t this what we have been watching our grandma and mum doing – Soaking overnight in salt water! Now we know the scientific basis for that.

1)     Acids, including tomatoes, lemon etc; prevent beans from absorbing water efficiently and thus may result in uneven or partial cooking, thereby retaining anti-nutrients. Always add tomato/tomato puree after boiling the beans.

2)     Microwave cooking is not recommended. Microwaves do not heat food evenly. This can cause parts of beans to remain undercooked. Boiling /pressure cooking is best. Cook for 15-20 minutes.

Next time when you enjoy beans, make sure they are safe as well!

 

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How to include proteins to your Breakfast?

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All of us are well aware that breakfast is the first important meal of the day. The second most important thing is to have frequent meals to keep our metabolism high. Our body goes into the rest mode for almost 8 to 10 hours after dinner when we are sleeping through the night. Hence, it becomes essential to eat a good, balanced meal which has the right proportion of carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibres, anti- oxidants etc.in the morning. More often than not it is a difficult task to incorporate all these nutrients in the morning breakfast due to our rush to get to work.But, one can always try to incorporate as many nutrients as we can out of the above if not all.

It is advised to include proteins in every meal. The inclusion of proteins to your breakfast becomes a challenging task especially if you are a vegetarian. Lacto- Ovo vegetarian breakfast can easily get proteins through the milk and eggs. The tough task is for vegetarians and vegans (those who limit dairy products).

Common Indian breakfast items are Poha (cooked Puffed Rice with some veggies), flat breadsUpma, Idli and Dosa (steamed Rice pancakes), flatbreads(Chaapti), Rice, Porridgeetc. Today, I am going to tell you how we add proteins in our 1st meal of the day – breakfast.

Whenever we have options like steamed rice pancakes (Idlisambhar) or bread omelette we’re obviously getting proteins from the dish.  When we have options like Cooked Puff Rice, Upma, rice, cooked Wheat Flat breads (Chappati)  etc. without any side dish we need to add some proteins to it.

Here are few items which you can add:

  1. Peanuts/ Groundnuts: A humble source of proteins and MUFA (mono unsaturated fatty acids) will add to proteins in breakfast. We can use in different forms as peanut butter, chutney etc. spread it on your bread or chapatti. Excellent to be added in pre workout meal.
  • 100 g of Dry roasted peanuts will give 24-26 g of proteins.
  1. Roasted Chana: Simple, easily available and can be stored. Just add a handful of black (Kabuli)or brown Chana to your plate or have it on the go post breakfast. If you couple it up with peanuts it will be even better.
  1. Mixed Sprouts: This one will need some preparation. Soak the sprouts for 6-8 hours, then drain the water and tie in the cloth for sprouts to come. Add handful of it either raw or steamed. Raw will give you good enzymes as compared to cooked ones. Whereas steamed will be easier to digest. Following are the rough values for sprouted and steamed sprouts.
  • Moong/ Green gram 2-3 g
  • Matki/ Moth bean 8 g
  • Chana/ Chick peas 9 g
  1. Green peas: It is very to incorporate peas in any dish. Add it to your upma, poha, rice liberally. They will taste good as well as increase the protein value. Its green colour also add to the visual effect.
  • 100 g of fresh green peas contain 5 g of protein
  1. Nuts like (almond, walnut, cashew nut): Again a very handy option. Just adding them to your bowl of breakfast is very easy. They are rich in minerals like calcium, good fats like MUFA, omega 3 fatty acids. Don’t forget to soak and peel almond to avoid anti nutritional factors in the peel.
  • Almond 21.2 g
  • Walnut 15.2 g
  1. Sesame, flax, sunflower, pumpkin seeds: Dry roasted seeds can serve as a protein quotient of the meal. You can easily stock it in cool and dry place. You can have them as it is or grind to make into chutney. Dips like tahini can be made from sesame seeds.
  1. Milk: You can just add a glass of milk to complete the protein quota of the meal. It goes well with roti, chapati, bread, cereals etc. It is better to go for low fat milk. If having cow’s milk make sure it is Desi cow’s milk. Make sure you’re not having it with salty or savoury as milk and salt is not recommended to have together.1 cup of milk gives you 8 g protein on an average.
  1. Curds/ Yogurt: Add a bowl of curds or yogurt to make your breakfast not only protein rich but yummy. We can mix poha, rice with it to give a better texture and taste. Fruits with yogurt can be another hit option and light still complete meal. 1 cup gives you 10-11 g proteins on an average.
  1. Buttermilk: It is the best bet in summer. Having it post breakfast will help in digestion. It has good water content and therefore it will not be a concentrated source. Unlike milk it can be coupled with salty and savoury options as well.
  1. Cheese: I am yet to come across a person who doesn’t like cheese unless of course you are a vegan. We can add it with breads, chapatti, pancakes etc. You can use different varieties like cheese spread, cubes, and slices or just grate some cheese on your dish. People who are targeting weight gain can have it on regular basis. Those who are trying to lose weight should limit it once or twice in a week. 100 g will give approx. 20 g of proteins.

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