Search Results for: summer

April 17, 2018 By Neha Morche 3 Comments

Beat the Heat with cool drinks

Its summer and the heat have already started to sap us out. The heat starts creeping in, finding its way to draw fluids from our body cells as we sweat while playing, travelling or even just sitting around in the sun. Keeping the body hydrated helps the heart pump blood easily through the blood vessels to the muscles. Hence, the muscles work efficiently.

Dehydration can be a serious condition that can lead to problems ranging from swollen feet, lack of concentration, lethargy, headache to heat stroke.

Let’s beat the heat by ensuring optimum hydration through adequate water intake throughout the day and grabbing some hydrators like:* Coconut water This has natural electrolytes to replenish lost minerals in perspiration

* Buttermilk it is a blend of curd with water and dash of Cumin powder, asafoetida, coriander leaves, rock salt, ginger all of which aid in improving digestion.

* Lemon water/Lemonade: Lemon a citrus fruit has a good amount of vitamin C, it turns our body alkaline.

* Jaljeera water: It a mixture of rock salt, cumin powder and is known to reduce indigestions.

* Soya milk Flavoured/plain soya milk as it provides a good amount of proteins apart from hydrating the body.

* Berry/seasonal fruit sorbet: Blending any berry like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries (which has a lot of antioxidants to increase immunity) with ice is good.

* Mint Mojito: blend of water + mint leaves and few drops of lemon for flavour. Mint leaves are extremely good body coolant.

* Green tea lemonade: a bunch of antioxidants and vitamin C from lemon to increase immunity.

* Peach ginger ice tea: Mash 6 canned peach halves with 1 and 1/2 cups of the juice, raw honey and 1 tablespoon grated ginger in a pitcher. This aids in good digestion.

* Peanut butter frappe: A glass of cold milk blended with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. In summer our food intake drops down drastically, apart from hydration this drink also provides a good amount of proteins and required fats.

* Honeydew ice: 1 cup each frozen honeydew melon and frozen diced cucumber with the juice of 1 lime and some raw honey.

* Any fruit or dry fruit milkshakes. (which will be a good substitute for evening snack)

* Subja (chia seeds) soaked overnight in water is a natural coolant, it can be had with milk

* Vegetable juice ( leafy vegetables/beets/cucumber) + citrus fruits + ginger + garlic + lemon

* Solkadi (a blend of coconut milk+kokum+ginger+corriander leaves) known for reducing acidity and is a body coolant.

* Kokum Sharbat: Kokum extract (after soaking in water) blended it with water, Cumin seed powder and rock salt. Kokum is again known for reducing acidity

* Aam (Mango) Pannah is raw mango drink mostly available in Maharashtra region of India. It has heat resistant properties. It is also rich in Vitamin B1, B2, niacin and vitamin C.

* Aloe Vera juice: This is natural coolant. It is available in the market in a concentrated form. It needs to be mixed with water. It has anti-bacterial, antifungal properties too.

* Bottle guard + 1 cup of black basil ( mint optional) is an excellent cooling agent.

April 16, 2018 By Vrushali Athavle 1 Comment

KOKUM: The healing and cooling spice

Recently, my mother called to check if I had finished the Kokum juice and dried Kokum that she had given me when I had visited her during the summers. I have been having Kokum for so many years but had never checked its nutritional content. It always acted as a rescue food in most of the digestive illness which my family suffered. Today, I however thought to check more about it and share with all of you.

Kokum’s botanical name is Garcinia indica. It is a tiny fruit which is red in colour when it is raw and turns into deep purple when it ripens. It is then dried and used as a culinary and medicinal agent in most of the houses.

Nutritional value:

Nutritional value of Kokum is amazing. It is low in calories, no saturated fats and high in fiber. Apart from this it is rich in Vitamin C and also contains vital minerals such as Potassium, Manganese and Magnesium.WOW! What a power packed food.

I very well know about its contribution in fighting all the digestive issues but when researched more about it, here is what I found.

Benefits of Kokum:

Anti-oxidants: Kokum fruits are packed with antioxidants which ensure protection from all the worldly diseases. It also promotes cell regeneration and repair which makes it an important nutrient to consider for cancer patients. It’s anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties stops the growth of cancerous cells.
Get rid on your allergies:It can be used as an application to get relief from any allergic skin rashes. Applying kokum butter on cracked heal has proved to be an excellent cure for my mother which she shared with me. Kokum butter, an emollient similar to shea or cocoa butter, is often used in cosmetics such as lipsticks, moisturizing creams, conditioners and soaps.
Beat the body heat:People store them to use it as a coolant and refreshing drink in scorching summer heat. It can be used as thirst quencher throughout the year by adding to your bottle of water.
Get relief from all digestive issues:

* Constipation: Approximately 500 mg of dried kokum fruits if taken at night, helps to ease constipation.

* Hyper acidity: In 1 liter of water, drop 6 to 7 dried kokum and keep sipping it throughout the day to get relief from acidity.

* Flatulence: Make a nice mixture of kokum, ginger, organic honey and get quick relief from flatulence, stomach pain and gaseous distention.

* Indigestion: Due to lot of travelling my husband faces a lot of indigestion problems. Kokum has always helped him to get quick relief. He remembers to carry Kokum along with black pepper wherever he goes. Add it to your water and sip it.

Apart from all these, name any gastric and digestive issues like piles, fistula, dysentary, kokum has shown wonders. Not to forget about its antihelmintic (against worms) properties. You can give it to your kids to cleanse their system too.

Aids in weight loss: The hypocholesterolaemic agent, suppresses the activity of the enzymes responsible for conversion of calories into fat. It induces weight loss by hindering with the process of lipogenesis (fatty acid synthesis).

Side-effects and Precautions: The fruits of Gracinia indica shouldn’t be used in excess. Milk and milk products should be used after one hour.

Use of Kokum:

The dried version of kokum is used in daily preparation in most of the Marathi, Gujarati, Konkan, Kerala and Goan cuisines. They are added to veggies, dals and curries to give it a sour taste and obviously reap its other benefits too.

Let me end the blog by sharing a recipe: Goan speciality known as ‘Solkadi’

Soak 10 to 12 kokum rinds in 1/2 cup of water for about half an hour. Next squeeze them and add 2 cups of warm water and 2 cups of coconut milk to it. Add salt and temper it with mustard seeds, cumin, garlic, asafoetida and red chillies. Enjoy this delicious recipe with after you meals or with rice.

January 18, 2018 By Trishala Chopra 50 Comments

Make your own whey protein at home

Protein supplements have become the need of the hour today. But, the prices of supplements are away to high. Not everyone can afford to invest in them. So, does that mean that they need to compromise on their proteins?

NO!

Here is how you can make whey protein at home and get your daily dose of protein!

Choose any milk product like yoghurt/curd, paneer (cottage cheese) or buttermilk.
The curd is the easiest option available at home but you can choose any products mentioned above.
Take a bowl and put a strainer on the top of it. (Strainer can be big or small)
Take a small muslin cloth and place it over the strainer.
Put 250 grammes of curd on the strainer and cover it with a plastic wrap. Keep it in the refrigerator overnight for 6-8 hours.
Remove the bowl which was kept overnight. The solid part which is there on the top of the strainer is called as curd cheese and the liquid which will be collected in the bowlis called as home whey protein.

The shelf life of homemade whey protein: –

If you refrigerate homemade whey protein, it can last up to 6 months.
It can be stored in airtight bottles or glass jars.
It is ideal to make a whey protein batch for a month and then prepare another fresh stock.

Nothing goes waste! You can use the curd cheese as well…

Curd cheese can be mostly commonly used as a cheese dip or cheese spread. You can add milk according to your requirements. If you want to make a dense dip then milk should be less and vice versa.
This curd cheese which is obtained has healthy fats which are required by the body.
Apart from these dips, you can use curd cheese in baking cakes as well.

Benefits of homemade whey protein: –

– It has no additives. It is the source of pure whey protein!

– It is cost effective, unlike the supplements which are available in the market.

– It has abland taste so you can blend it into your own protein shake!
“ Now you can fulfil your protein needs with purest whey protein “

How much protein is there in homemade whey protein has and how to measure it?

1/2 cup = 15 grams.

1 cup = 30 grams.

Here are some interesting recipes to make your bland whey protein into tasty protein shakes!

(1) Peanut choco blast!

Name of the ingredient	Quantity
Peanut butter	2 tbsp.
Banana	1
Home Made whey protein	1 cup
Curd	½ cup
Skimmed Milk	1 cup
Cocoa powder	½ tbsp.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrients	Nutrition per serving
Calories	465
Protein	43 g
Carbohydrates	39 g
Fats	17 g

* Nutrition facts are derived on the theoretical basis.

METHOD: –

– Blend all the ingredients together and serve it.

– It can be an excellent post workout supplement.

(2) Power Green!

Name of the ingredient	Quantity
Spinach/Kale	1 cup
Banana	1
Curd	½ cup
Skimmed Milk	1 cup

Nutrition Facts
Nutrients	Nutrition per serving
Calories	235
Protein	18 g
Carbohydrates	38 g
Fats	4 g

* Nutrition facts are derived on the theoretical basis.

METHOD: –

– Blend all the ingredients together and serve it.

– It can be an excellent post workout supplement or can be used as a meal replacement also.

(3) Mango Rejoice!

Name of the ingredient	Quantity
Apple Juice	1 cup
Mango	1
Home Made whey protein	1 cup
Curd	½ cup
Orange Juice	1 cup
Pineapple pieces	½ cup

Nutrition Facts
Nutrients	Nutrition per serving
Calories	600
Protein	64 g
Carbohydrates	79 g
Fats	4 g

* Nutrition facts are derived on the theoretical basis.

METHOD: –

– Blend all the ingredients together and serve it.

– It can be an excellent post workout supplement or can be used as a meal replacement also.

(4) Choco Shake!

Name of the ingredient	Quantity
Skimmed Milk	1 cup
Water	1 cup
Home Made whey protein	1 cup
Instant coffee	1 tbsp.
Cocoa Powder	1 tbsp.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrients	Nutrition per serving
Calories	350
Protein	32 g
Carbohydrates	87 g
Fats	8 g

* Nutrition facts are derived on the theoretical basis.

METHOD: –

– Blend all the ingredients together and serve it.

– It can be an excellent post workout supplement or can be used as a meal replacement also.

(5) Pro-Oats shake!

Name of the ingredient	Quantity
Skimmed Milk	1 cup
Dry Oats/ Steel cut oats	1 cup
Home Made whey protein	1 cup
Cinnamon	½ tsp
Honey	2 tbsp.
Almonds (Chopped)	5-8 pcs.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrients	Nutrition per serving
Calories	580
Protein	44 g
Carbohydrates	92 g
Fats	12 g

* Nutrition facts are derived on the theoretical basis.

METHOD: –

– Blend all the ingredients together and serve it.

– It can be an excellent post workout supplement or can be used as a meal replacement also.

Now enjoy your daily protein source without worrying about the cost and nasty ingredients!

December 11, 2017 By Neha Morche 14 Comments

Seasonal fruits and vegetables

Nature has given us all the possible amenities to keep ourselves healthy. Interestingly, our body responds according to the change in season say summer, spring, monsoon, autumn and winter depending on particular weather patterns and daylight hours.

It is important for us to know the seasonal fruits and vegetables to get accustomed to the climate. The food list may vary according to the hemisphere.

There are three main seasons Summer, Monsoon and winter.

During Winter: The temperature drops down compared to our body temperature thus, we face cold, cough. Building immunity becomes very necessary during this season. Availability of papaya, all citrus fruits like oranges, sweet lime, strawberries, apples, guava, lemons, mushrooms, cabbages, turnip, winter squash, potatoes, beets, carrots, leafy vegetables, pomegranates, pineapples, custard apple, asparagus, green beans, radish, cauliflowers, spinach and mustard greens are good for the consumer during Winters.

During Summer it is common to lose our appetite which makes us stay away from the heavy foods. Our body tends to maintain temperature by perspiring heavily, thus we need more amount of water to keep our body well hydrated.

Seasonal food has the naturally cooling effect on the body so we can rely completely on them such as watermelon, tomatoes, Cantaloupe, plums, peaches, raspberries, grapefruits, mangoes, kiwi, mushrooms, eggplant, corn, cucumbers, bell peppers, green peas, pumpkin, bottle guard, celery, bitter guard, apricots, bananas, zucchini, asparagus, artichokes, lettuce etc.

During Monsoon our body becomes vulnerable to infection, water born diseases. Hence our health takes a toll. Fruits and vegetables like pumpkins, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, sweet potatoes, corn, eggplant, cauliflower, cranberries, blueberries, apples, beets, ginger, garlic, Brussel sprouts etc. are good during this seasons.

Here are some amazing benefits of having seasonal fruits and vegetables:

It is affordable to buy them as it is more abundant and you can stock for future use.
It is tastier as it is fully, naturally ripened and they have significantly delicious taste than the artificial one.
They are grown in the season under appropriate conditions for the particular fruit or vegetables.
They retain the most natural colour and flavour.
We are more likely to get vitamins, other micronutrients and antioxidants from them.

While variety is important nutritionally, it is also important in terms of flavour and texture.

Beat the Heat with cool drinks

KOKUM: The healing and cooling spice

Make your own whey protein at home

Seasonal fruits and vegetables

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