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All about Wheat Grass and its benefits

wheatgrass

In the ancient days in India plants were used as a medicine to cure health issues. Later allopathy was invented and it made life simpler. During my days of college, I came across this magical grass called ‘Wheatgrass’ and it’s amazing benefits to our health.

Wheat grass itself cannot be eaten as it is hard to digest. Interestingly, it can be grown indoors and outdoors by putting wheat seeds in water and then harvesting the leaves; which also occupies less space. It is available in various forms such as juice outside parks, powders and in capsule form. But, the ideal way to have it is in the fresh juice form to get enough nutrients. Wheatgrass is used as a concentrated source of nutrients in powder and capsules.

Wheatgrass is a good source of potassium, dietary fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Iron, Zinc, Copper, Manganese and Selenium, and has negligible amount of proteins.

Wheatgrass is generally considered safe. A word of caution as it may cause nausea, headaches, swelling to your throat due to the bacteria present in it (due to contamination) as it is grown in soil or water.

 Benefits :

  1. It is rich in chlorophyll (similar to haemoglobin) and iron which increases blood cell count.
  2. Lowers blood pressure by dilating the blood pathways.
  3. Wheat grass juice has alkaline minerals which reduces acidity also gastrointestinal tract problems.
  4. It detoxifies liver and the bloodstream.
  5. It has powerful ability to fight against tumors.
  6. If applied externally on the skin which eliminate itching immediately.
  7. It prevents hair from greying.
  8. It helps in stabilising blood sugar levels.
  9. Drinking wheat grass juice will help in clearing sinuses by breaking up the mucus.
  10. It helps in increasing immunity.

We trust this exploration into the wonders of wheatgrass has sparked your curiosity about incorporating this nutritional gem into your daily routine. Are you already a wheatgrass enthusiast, or are you inspired to give it a try? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. For further insights into holistic health and nutrition, check out Healthy Reads. If you’re seeking personalised guidance, connect with our certified experts through GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here. Embrace the goodness of wheatgrass and embark on a journey to enhanced well-being!

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4 Healthy Pizza Recipes You Can Try for World Pizza Day

4 Healthy Pizza RecipesHave you been craving for a delicious slice of pizza? While indulging in this forbidden treat can be a sin for those who are on their way to being healthy and fit, there are some who just can’t resist. Now that there’s no possible way you can cheat on your diet, let’s try some awesome healthy pizza recipes you can make at home!

1. Healthy Whole Wheat Pizza Base

(Recipe by Azra Faisan)
Whole Wheat Pizza Base
You can’t possibly go wrong when your foundation is this strong! Try this Healthy Whole Wheat Pizza Base for starters:

Ingredients:

  • 2 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour
  • 1 Cup of All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 Cup of Grounded Oats
  • 1 tbsp Yeast
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 Cup of Lukewarm Water
  • 1/2 a Cup of Milk
  • 2 tbsp Sugar
  • 3 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper Powder
  • 1 tsp Oregano (optional)
  • 1 tsp Dried Basil (optional)

Method:

  1. Dissolve the sugar in lukewarm water
  2. Mix the yeast and keep it for 15 – 20 minutes in a warm place
  3. Mix all the dry ingredients (grounded oats, pepper powder, etc.)
  4. Add the wet ingredients, including the yeast mixture
  5. Mix them with a spoon and bring them together with your hands (You may have to wet your hands a bit).
  6. Keep them in a dry place for 2 hours for proving. By this time, the dough will have expanded to twice it’s volume or more
  7. Punch it down and carefully shape it into balls
  8. Roll each ball and flatten them to make a thin pizza base
  9. In a pre-heated oven, pre-bake the base at 200°C for 8 minutes (only if you want a pre-baked base)
  10. If you want to skip pre-baking the base, then add your choice of ingredients (choose a few veggies and add only a little cheese to make it even more healthy!)
  11. Bake at 200°C for 10-15 minutes

2. Roti Pizza Recipe 

(Recipe by Urvi Gohil)
Roti Pizza
One of the easiest healthy pizza recipes ever made!

  • Prepare a Wheat Roti
  • Apply pasta sauce or you can even mix ketchup with chilli sauce
  • Add chopped onions, tomatoes, olives, lettuce, or any veggies you have at hand
  • Top it off with cheese, paneer and condiments such as oregano, mixed herbs or chilli flakes
  • Bake them in the oven or you can pan fry it for a healthy and delicious treat!

3. Cauliflower Pizza

(Recipe by Shraddha Shetty)
Cauliflower pizza

This might seem like a bad idea until you taste it! A must try recipe for anyone who loves their veggies!

Ingredients:

  • 2 Cups of Riced Cauliflower Florets
  • 1 Cup of Parmesan or Mozzarella Cheese
  • 1 Egg
  • Salt to Taste
  • Mixed Herbs

For Topings:

  • Tomato Sauce (Tomato puree, fresh garlic, mixed herbs, black pepper powder, salt)
  • Your Choice of Vegetables
  • A Little Cheese

Method:

  1. Clean the Cauliflower Florets by washing and drying them well
  2. Pulse the florets in a food processor or grate them into rice-like granular consistency
  3. Take the riced cauliflower and transfer it to a non-stick pan. Keep stirring on low flame till most of the moisture is gone (ensure that it does not turn brown) and let it cool
  4. Beat 1 egg in a bowl, add cheese and mix them well
  5. Add the riced cauliflower and mix well with salt and herbs
  6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and transfer this mixture onto it to make a pizza base
  7. Gently pat the mixture to make a base of your desired shape with a thickness of a quarter inch. Ensure that you keep the edges slightly thick to avoid burning
  8. Place it in a pre-heated oven at 200°C for 20 mins
  9. Remove and let it cool
  10. Once cooled, spread the tomato sauce, add any topping of your choice with a little cheese and bake it again at 200°C for 10 minutes
  11. Serve hot!

4. Buckwheat Flour Bread Pizza

(Recipe by Shilpi Agarwal)

Ingredients:

  • 4 Slices of Whole Wheat Bread
  • 100 gm Buckwheat Flour
  • 1 Chopped Onion
  • 1 Chopped Tomato
  • Grated Carrot
  • Finely Chopped Green Chillies
  • Salt to Taste
  • 4 tsp Oil

Method:

  1. Mix the Buckwheat Flour and chopped vegetables
  2. Adding salt and water, make a batter of thick consistency
  3. Pour 2 tbsp of this batter on one slice of bread and spread well to cover the whole surface of the bread
  4. Heat a non-stick pan and grease it with oil
  5. When the pan is heated, put the bread coated with batter in the pan upside down
  6. Add ½ tsp oil and let it cook for a minute
  7. Turn it, add ½ tsp oil again and let the other side get cooked
  8. Take the bread slice off the pan when both sides turn golden brown
  9. Serve hot with tomato ketchup or tamarind chutney or a little bit of cheese

We hope you try these healthy pizza recipes at home and level up your health. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below! For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE cooking sessions on GOQii Play.

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The connection between Sleep and Liver!

Improve sleep and sleep qualitySleep can never be categorised as a boring topic to discuss. 8 out of 10 people love to sleep at any time of the day. For some sleeping is one of the best relaxation techniques.

An old adage says ‘Early to bed, Early to rise, Make a man healthy, wealthy and wise’. How true is this phrase? Is it alright to sleep late and wake up late?

In this digital world the bedtime for most people has changed drastically. Mobile phones, laptop, work pressure, deadlines and online markets have captured most of the sleep time leading to sleep issues for most. I have many clients who have everything in life but not good sleep.

We all know good sleep is very necessary for good health and to live long years. Lack of sleep or sleeping late can reduce your cognitive power, ages your skin faster, leads to weight gain, increased risk of death and also impairs judgment and decision making ability.

While sleep requirements vary from person to person, most adults require about 7-8 hours of sleep. Children and teens need even more. But, yes the quality of sleep is more important than quantity of sleep.

We have an amazing biological clock given by nature inside our body. Various functions occur in our body when we are sleeping. The most important function is detoxification which happens during our sleep hours.

So ideally between 11 pm to 3 am most of our blood circulation concentrates in our liver. The liver gets larger when filled with more blood. This is the time when liver undergoes detoxification process. But, if you cannot sleep during this hour, the liver cannot perform its function smoothly.

Later you sleep lesser the body detoxifies and keeps accumulating toxins in the body leading to weight gain, ageing, greying hair, belly fat, low immunity, multiple organ disorders and impure blood too.

Have you ever noticed when you go to bed very late you end up feeling tired and lazy the next day? Why does this happen?

In yoga practice, it is advised to wake up as early as 4 am and 5 am and exercise. Why is that?

Because between 3-5 am, most of the blood circulation is concentrated in the lungs. Breathing fresh air and exercise during this time is good. As per yoga, this is called Brahma Muhurat. During this time, the air is fresh, the mind is calm and stable and there is very less pollution.

Between 5-7 am most of the blood circulation concentrates in the large intestine. This is the right time to Poop. Pass out all unwanted toxins from the body, preparing the body to absorb good nutrients during the rest of the day.

From 7-9 am most of the blood circulation concentrates in the stomach. This is a good time to have breakfast and digest food well. Having healthy breakfast is a great way to start the day.

Have you ever noticed the daily routine of our grandparents? No matter what happens they sleep early and wake up early and carry out their routine work. This is the only reason they are so fresh, energetic and healthier even in the old age as they have followed their biological clock.

If you go against nature, things will turn out bad!

Some helpful tips to support your liver and get a good night sleep.

  1. Drinking lemon water in the morning
  2. Choose cruciferous veggies in the day for their liver supporting properties
  3. Try to express emotions in the best way rather than suppressing it as the liver is somewhere connected to your emotions too
  4. Have a light dinner and keep a gap of 2 hours before bed
  5. Turn off the phone, laptop, Ipad for one hour before bedtime. Use this time as ME time by reading books, meditation, reflection and yes chatting with family members
  6. Avoid stimulants like caffeine and sugar post 5 pm
  7. Practice yoga
  8. Have warm milk at bedtime to get good sleep as it enhances the production of sleep hormone.

In the symphony of health, the link between quality sleep and a thriving liver is undeniable. A commitment to early, restful nights not only enhances detoxification but also rejuvenates our vitality. Embrace the magic of a good night’s sleep for a healthier, more vibrant you. For personalised guidance on optimizing your sleep and liver health, connect with our experts through GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

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Healing power of herbs and spices – Part 2

spice_palette1 copy

I hope you found the first part of the blog interesting enough for you to come back and read Part 2. Herbs and spices have always been used by our ancestors and grandmothers as home remedies. They have found cure for any ailment purely through herbs and spices. Today, slowly and steadily we are getting back to our roots. This is one of the reasons why I got down to researching on herbs and spices. In this Part two we will talk of herbs and spices such as Mint, Himalayan Salts, Parsley, Paprika to name a few…

    1. Dill: Dill has much more to offer than just serving the ornamental purpose in the gardens. Due to its anti-bacterial nature, helps in killing harmful intestinal bacteria, E.coli. The seeds also contain substantial amounts of calcium, and regular intake of dill seeds may help to boost bone strength. One outstanding use of dill is in treating hiccups. Hiccups occur for various reasons, but most likely, they occur due to trapped gas and repeated upward movement of gases through the food pipe. It can also be caused due to certain allergies, hypersensitivity, hyperactivity and nervous malfunctioning. Dill helps the expulsion of gases and also reduces gas formation at the same time it helps to calm down hiccups due to allergies, hyperactivity, or nervous disorders.
    2. Fennel Seeds : It’s most popularly used as a breath freshener but has many health benefits attached to it. They are highly beneficial in relieving digestive problems such as indigestion, bloating, flatulence, constipation, colic, intestinal gas, heartburn, and even irritable bowel. Also, Fennel is excellent for combating obesity as it suppresses the appetite and creates a feeling of fullness. Phytoestrogens present in fennel seeds helps to deal premenstrual syndrome, menstrual pain and menopausal disorders. Apart from these, fennel is traditionally used as a galactagogue to promote lactation in nursing mothers.
    3. Himalayan Salt : Gorgeous pink colored salt is much more beneficial over regular table salt. These light pink crystals are full of minerals. In fact, they come packed with over 80 minerals and elements that have shown to create an electrolyte balance within your body, strengthen bones, lower blood pressure, prevent muscle cramping, and improve circulation. On the other hand common table salts are stripped of any extra minerals. Adding to other crucial benefit, Himalayan salt is also lower in sodium than regular table salt which is one of the deadly nutrients when it comes to heart disease.
    4. Mint: Mint, the well known mouth and breath freshener, is an herb that has been used for hundreds of years for its remarkable medicinal properties. The menthol present in it activates digestive system, helps to calm stomach cramps, beat acidity and flatulence. Mint has a very strong smell that has ability to open up nasal passages and airways to allow relaxed breathing. It is also an expectorant and helps the expulsion of phlegm. Its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties help relieve inflammation along the respiratory tract. Since mint leaves purify the blood and have an anti-spasmodic effect on the soothe muscles of our body, it is a great remedy to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps.
    5. Mustard Seeds: Mustard seeds have been valued for their therapeutic effects in curing cold and sinus It is a wonderful decongestant and expectorant which helps in clearing the mucus in the air passages. A decoction made with mustard seeds helps in cleansing the body especially in the poisoning caused by narcotics and excess intake of alcohol.
    6. Nutmeg: It has been considered to be a useful medicine in a number of Asian societies. It induces the secretion of various gastric and intestinal juices that ease the digestive process. The fiber content of nutmeg can bulk up the bowel movement; it reduces the frequency and discomfort of constipation and other intestinal issues. Since olden days, nutmeg has been recommended as a home remedy for sleeplessness and insomnia. A pinch of nutmeg in warm milk before sleeping always seemed to help in better sleep quality. Nutmeg has a high content of magnesium which stimulates the release of serotonin and hormone responsible for relaxation. This serotonin is changed to melatonin in the brain, which is a sleep inducer.
    7. Oregano: This warm aromatic herb boasts several medicinal qualities. This marvelous herb is an excellent source of minerals like potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and helps control heart rate and blood pressure caused by high sodium. Magnesium and calcium are important minerals for bone metabolism. Oregano also being a rich source of dietary fiber helps to control blood cholesterol levels. The major components of oregano, carvacrol and thymol, are wonderfully anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic, and anti-fungal. Presence of powerful antioxidants in this herb makes it great for immune system. Also, Consuming 2 tsp of oregano daily during menses reduces cramps this is because carvacrol and thymol present in the herb relaxes uterine muscles and prevents painful contractions.
    8. Parsley: Most people are familiar with parsley as a food garnish and often discard the herb used for decoration without realizing the health benefits. Myricetin, a flavonol found in parsley and other plants, has been shown to have chemopreventive effects on skin cancer. A natural chemical found in parsley (apigenin ) has been found to decrease tumor size in an aggressive form of breast cancer and will play a promising role in treating cancer in future. Parsley also acts as a natural diuretic and helps in body cleansing.
    9. Paprika: Warm and spicy flavor of this herb has much more to offer apart fro imparting color to the meals. Capsanthin present in Paprika promoted increased activity of an enzyme involved in production of HDL (good) cholesterol. The presence of capsaicin has also attributed to lower blood pressure levels in the body. Vitamin B6 present in it stimulates the production of melanin, a pigment that lends hair its colour hence it’s a boon for spice lovers as it helps prevent premature greying of hair.
    10. Rosemary: This herb packs a powerful punch in the form of rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid and carnosol. It’s incredibly anti-carcinogenic, and has been found to significantly decrease levels of dangerous heterocyclic amines when cooked with meats at high temperatures. It’s also been shown to be effective in improving dermatitis, cognitive stimulant, enhancing memory and focus, protecting the liver (detoxification) and alleviating arthritis pain. The Eucalyptol present in this herb helps to loosen the chest congestion making phlegm easier to expel plus Rosemary is rich in anti-inflammatory tannin which helps to soothe a sore throat.
    11. Saffron : This is the world’s most expensive spice. Active components of Saffron i.e. crocin and safranal, helps preserve levels of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine in the brain thereby helping in treating depression. Saffron may help protect against Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, insomnia, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. Saffron can function as an effective energy booster and can increase body’s metabolism by increasing blood circulation. Consuming a pinch of saffron with a spoonful of honey can be an effective remedy for heavy periods. It’s also known for it’s ability to beautify your skin. Wearing a saffron face mask can help clear up acne and blemishes, brighten dull skin, and give you a glow.
    12. Sage: Sage is an herb native to the Mediterranean. Sage has a long history of medicinal use for ailments ranging from mental disorders to gastrointestinal discomfort. It boosts brain function, improves memory and concentration, helps in easing alzheimer’s symptoms. Also, Sage helps prevents arteries from hardening and thereby reducing risk of heart attack. Another promising role which is heart healthy, Sage helps in maintaining the healthy lipid profile.
    13. Turmeric: Turmeric was once called a poor man’s saffron, but now we know how incredibly healing and powerful this spice truly is. Curcumin is the active compound in turmeric that is powerfully anti-inflammatory as well as rich in antioxidants. I have written a blog focusing on health benefits of turmeric, it would be worthwhile to read that, it’s accessible on http://goqii.com/blog/why-should-we-all-eat-more-turmeric
    14. Thyme: Thyme is an herb more native to Mediterranean and French cuisine. It has a long history of use in natural medicine in connection with chest and respiratory problems including coughs, bronchitis, and chest congestion. The volatile oil present in thyme are believed to increase the content of omega 3 fatty acids in brain. Thyme has decent number of flavonoids and is proven to posses’ cancer preventing properties. Thyme is also believed to relieve pain of difficult menstruation better than ibruprofen. An ounce (28g) of the herb is steeped in two cups water is consumed after straining and sweetening (optional) for optimal benefits.

Phew !! Now that was pretty exhaustive list. Isn’t it amazing that these sparingly required ingredients can have such a huge impact on our health?? Now that you know about some of these amazing key benefits, go ahead, spread the word and try out a new recipe using one of the spices above.

Be sure to comment below and letting me know what you’re going to cook up !

We hope this article helps you. For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

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