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October 15, 2015 By Rimjhim Chaturvedi 1 Comment

How to fast right? This Festive season

Today marks the third day of Navratri and most men and women fast through these 9 days of the festival. But, does anyone know what it means to fast right? Yes! You read it right! Fasting right! One would question, what could possibly go wrong with not eating?? The answer – A lot! could go wrong.

Many people fast during the navratri for various reasons. Some for religious beliefs others to just weigh a little lighter or just give your system a break or detoxify! Whatever, be your reason for fasting, it is important to do it right !

When done properly fasting has its own benefits for the body. It helps in re-setting the electrolyte balance, detoxification and freedom from bloating and water retention.

Well, a healthy fast should not put your body through stress. It should help you achieve your goal or purpose of fasting and make you feel good emotionally and not leave you irritable or feeling drained or sick. It should give you a feeling of fulfilment and accomplishment and make you feel energetic the next day and reduce cravings.

Starting the fast –

Start your day with a glass of warm water.
Have tender coconut water as this will keep you hydrated and energized through the day.

Through the day –

Do not stay hungry for a long period of time as that would bring about a drop in the metabolic rate, lower blood glucose levels and blood pressure resulting in giddiness and headaches. Staying hungry for a long time sends out a famine signal to the body which then goes into a conservation mode. It conserves all the energy or calories from your next meal and stores it as fat for future use fearing it might have to go without food for a long time! Bang goes your efforts to loose weight and burn fat! Therefore, it is advisable to have plenty of fruits and cucumber through the day as it will keep you hydrated and provide essential micro nutrients to keep you going. It will also help the body balance it’s pH and stay alkaline. Make sure you include papaya as they are one of the best foods to cleanse the liver, purify blood, reduce inflammation and remove harmful toxins. Also, if you eat papaya through the day, it will help in digesting the meal that you eat later during the day. It will help prevent constipation that might occur after fasting.
Drink tender coconut water or buttermilk. These would provide you with all the essential electrolytes and energy and also help the body attain an alkaline pH.
Snack on unsalted nuts and dry fruits and makhana (foxnut) through the day. Makhanas (foxnut) are a rich source of fibre, calcium and potassium ad are an ideal low calorie snack. CAUTION – they are highly addictive too!
Avoid sugar through the day. Have natural sugar in the form of dates, raisins, figs, apricots and prunes. Use jaggery and honey to sweeten things.
Avoid dairy products like milk and yoghurt. Choose coconut milk or almond milk. A fast is beneficial when we maintain an alkaline pH and dairy or milk is highly acidic in nature. That is the reason why some people experience acidity, bloating and discomfort during or after a fast. So, have buttermilk, coconut water, nimbu pani with honey or coconut milk instead and reap the benefits of fasting.
Avoid tea and have herbal teas instead. You can even sip on warm water with lemon and honey through the day. Lemons are great sources of vitamin C, which helps make glutathione, a substance needed for detoxifying the liver. They also contain a phytochemical called limonene, which enhances phase two detoxification of the liver and get rid of chemicals inside of the body.

Ending / breaking / opening the fast –

Always break your fast by having a glass of water or coconut water as this would hydrate you and activate your digestive enzymes and intestines and prepare your body for the food you are going to eat.
Certain fasts require you to break or open the fast by eating certain foods. In that case, have a glass of water and after 5 minutes have a small quantity of the recommended food item and then have fruits. After that you can eat a proper meal.
Refrain from a fat laden meal at the end of the day and avoid puris, kachori and deep fried sago vadas as they are deep fried and loaded with fat and also a source of empty calories in large amounts which are nutrient deficient. Moreover, eating a fried dish after a day’s fast is difficult to digest and leads to acidity. Opt for healthier options like roasted or boiled sweet potato and Singhada or lotus seeds.

If you are required to eat kootu ka atta ( buckwheat flour) or singhade ka atta ( water chestnut flour) then opt for healthier options like cheelas * instead of deep fried puri, kachori or pakodi. Remember not to feast while you fast!

Besides having powerful antioxidant properties and being a rich source of beta carotene, vitamin C and potassium, sweet potatoes contain a strong chelating agent – compounds that can bind heavy metals like cadmium, copper, mercury, and lead to help detoxify the body.

Use Sendha namak (Rock salt) instead of regular iodized salt or table salt. Sendha namak is low in sodium ad rich in potassium and helps in re-setting the electrolyte balance.
If you are fasting for entire 9 days, one will have to get back to normal diet very gradually. Start by having coconut water. Move over to a non citrus fruit like apple or banana. Then have semi solid foods and finally progress to a proper whole meal !

Please do not fast if you have a medical condition or are unwell and / or are on medication.

So, this navratri wish you happy FASTING! Try fasting the above mentioned way and transform your body. Feel the changes at many levels and do share with me.

Feel free to write in and ask for recipes * cheela recipe, reasoning behind the tips or if you have any queries.

September 17, 2015 By SNEHA CHIKHALE Leave a Comment

10 Healthy Lunch Ideas

Lunch box….. The big question always is what do I pack today for lunch? Whether it is packing lunch for your own self or for your kid is a perennial challenge. By the time noon rolls in, it is very easy for us to head to the nearest eatery. Constant splurging of money on restaurant food which we can make at home for lesser costs and healthier too ends up as a tedious task apart from getting boring.

How can one keep their lunch tasting good day after day? How can one have mouth watering food and stick to their diet too? How can one be hero of their kids by winning their hearts with innovative and yet healthy recipes?

Here are 10 healthy lunch ideas, where health meets ease, losing weight become interesting and kids will love you for having new meals in their tiffin box everyday!!

1) Sandwiches and Wraps:

The simplest meal, one can ever make. Nutrition packed between two slices of bread, make sandwich a wholesome meal. One can make sandwich a complete meal by adding various elements to it. Veggies of your choice will give you ample of fibre and protein can be derived by adding grilled chicken or scrambled or poached egg to it. Vegetarians can opt for cottage cheese for their protein quota!

Wraps too are good option, when we are running out of time. One can make a wrap healthy by opting for healthier base like wheat base or ragi or multi grain base.

2) Salads:

When one thinks about salads and to most of us, salad is one of the most boring foods treated as side dish. But, if some dash of creativity is added to it, then a salad can be one of the most interesting and a wholesome meal!

Various experiments can be done with the salad, especially with the veggies in it. One can stick to classic salads, made of carrots, cucumber, onion, tomato. Or can go exotic by adding vegetables like broccoli, red cabbbage, zuccini, mushrooms, cherry tomotoes, baby spinach, avacado etc. One can always make it interesting by adding a zest to it with salad dressings. But, be cautious here as it can be fattening too, if mayonniese is added.

One can make it a whole meal by adding cottage cheese, grilled chicken, poached or boiled eggs to the salad.

3) South Indian meal fare:

South Indian style meal can never go out of fashion! It is one of healthy and quick meal to prepare and is favourite of every second Indian!

Stick to the classic choice of white idli, paper dosa, masala dosa, rava dosa or one can opt for healthier verisons of the dosas and Idli’s!! Instead of classic rice and urad dal combination, one can have idli or dosa made of ragi or oats. One can make it colorful by adding different veggies to it or simply can add a paste of spinach or dill leaves to the batter.

Don’t forget to have a sambar by your side, as it is your protein dose which should be taken with the main meal!

4) Soups:

Looking for something piping hot to moisten your throat? What can be the better option than the soup!! Soup is always considered as a starter. But, now this starter can also be taken as a main course, if made healthy changes to it! Classic soup can be given a wholesome twist by adding fresh vegetables to it. To get the more nutrition, one can change the trend of having clear broth and go for thicker soup instead.

But, beware of those packed soup. It is best to avoid them, as preservatives is been used and to get the thicker consistency, corn starch is generally added to the soup.

5) Parathas and Theplas:

Yet another easy, quick and healthy option we can have on our platter for lunch. One can make stuffed parathas, more full of fibre and rich in protein by adding vegetables and cottage cheese to it. Give a miss to a classic Aloo paratha this time, and make parathas more tempting and healthy by adding vegetables like carrot, peas, cauliflower, brinjal, cabbege etc.

One can combine methi or palak theplas with thick curd to make a healthy and balanced meal.

6) Try something new:

If you have some time to use little imagination, then here are few quickies for you. Most of us are aware of Quinoa by now. How about having this high on protein meal for our lunch? We can make this cereal healthy and wholesome by throwing in some vegetables to it. Same can be applied to Daliya (broken wheat) as well as for red and brown rice.

Veggies will add fibre to it and cottage cheese or chicken or egg piece or even curd aside to suffice the protein requirement of the lunch.

7) While eating out:

Not necessary it has to be packed or home cooked for us every day for lunch. There will be days, when we have a party thrown by an office colleague, or you are the one who is giving the party or sometimes, we can be in no mood to cook food for ourselves and wishing to simply eat out!!

Start your meals with some sumptuous healthy starters like grilled or tandoor chicken or fish platter, Paneer and baby corn tikka or order for a Mediterranean platter that contains hummus and pita bread.

Sizzlers could also be a good option to start your meals with. Order varieties of starters so that your stomach will be half filled with the starter and will have less place for typical Indian main course meal.

8) Some innovations with your kids tiffin box:

Let’s face it. It is a universal question for every mom who prepares a lunch box for their kids!! What new and healthy can be packed which balances taste and the nutrition. We can pack everything from sandwich to wraps to bread omlete to parartha or even muffins and pastries!

Make sure we add some quirky twist to their meals which will simply WOW them and make them finish the entire tiffin!! Apply ideas like making cartoon faces over sandwich or paratha by using eggs, olives, carrots etc. Use the not-so-favorite-vegetable of your kids in such way, that they will unknowingly or consciously make an effort to eat it.

But, also keep in mind, that their meals should consist of each major element like carbs and protein, in ample amounts.

9) Something for calorie watchers too!

“I am on diet, I can’t have tasty food”. Say bye bye to this thought and make your lunch sumptuous by adding zest to it. Give classic recipes a healthy twist by adding your own ideas.

Heard of vegetable smoothies? Go wild over your ideas by adding your fav vegetable to the mixer and blend it to a thicker juice. Don’t go for straining and you can drink your vegetables!!

One can always stick to salads, soups etc. But, you can make the boring weight loss interesting by making the meals interesting with new ideas!

10) Go Traditional:

Nothing can replace classic dal chawal thali to any continental meal!! It has everything, right from carbs (rice) to protein (dal) to Vegetables (fibre) to chapati (complex carbs). Our typical Indian thali is actually a wholesome meal. Rather than going gung-ho about eating rice, we simply can enjoy rice by watching our portions. Make sure your vegetables are tossed in least amount of oil. No extra oil goes on chapati. If we keep these things in our mind then we are sorted.

I think I have shared enough of options with you to be a hero of your family! So, go ahead and indulge in some of the most delicious yet healthy food!

July 21, 2015 By Hardika Vira 3 Comments

7 Healthy, Nutritious SWEETS

When you hear about the word sweets, one expects loads of sugar and fatty foods. Who ever said that sweets cannot be nutritious and healthy?

There are some healthy and nutritious sweets which will not only satisfy your sugar cravings but, sure will also help you improve your health and immunity. Let’s have a look at these 7 recipes that I have in store for you

1. Date Rolls

Ingredients	Amount
Dates	1 cup
Almonds	8-10 nos
Dry ginger powder	1 tbsp
Gum (gond/ dink)	1 tsp
Cow’s Ghee	1 tbsp

The gum exudes naturally from the roots of the plant and from incisions made in the stem. This is collected and when dried forms crystals of flakes or may be formed into blocks. It is also known as gondkatira, or Tragacanth gum. It is a coolant and at the same time is rich in soluble fiber. It is easily available in where grains and dry fruits are available.

METHOD:

Warm ghee in a pan, once it heats up, add gum to it. Stir until it swells. Remove it out in a plate
In the remaining ghee in the pan, sauté the dates for a few minutes. Turn the gas off and add chopped almonds, dry ginger powder and fried gums
Mix it well and make rolls
Garnish with almond slivers
Serve at room temperature

P.S: You can add little cocoa powder to give it a chocolaty taste. You can also add walnuts instead of almond

BENEFITS: Dates are rich source of iron, ginger powder is anti-inflammatory and almonds are rich source of omega 3 fats, gum is good for bones.

All in all a super immunity and health booster sweet

2. Sesame Chikki or Blocks

Ingredients	Amount
Roasted Sesame seeds/ Unsalted peanuts	1 cup
Jaggery	½ cup
Oil	For greasing

METHOD:

Take ½ cup of jaggery pieces in a pan. On a slow flame, melt the jaggery and stir continuously. Keep stirring it until it attains hard ball like consistency (check by adding the jaggery syrup in cold water. It should harden like candy)
Once the hard ball consistency is achieved, add the roasted sesame seeds/ unsalted peanuts to the jaggery syrup. Mix well.
Get the mixture off the flame and pour the mixture on a greased platform and roll the mixture into a thin film. (Roll when hot so that it can be rolled into a thin film. Once the mixture reaches room temperature, it is difficult to roll.)
It will harden when it cools down and you can make small pieces of it.

P.S.:- You can use almonds/ walnuts/ dalia (Roasted unsalted gram dal)/ rajgeera (Amaranth seeds) etc.

BENEFITS: Jaggery a rich source of iron and til/sesame seed is super source of Calcium. 2 spoonfuls of sesame seeds equals calcium equal to 1 glass of milk.

Jaggery- til/ sesame seed chikki is best for women during their menses. It eases the menstrual pain.

When peanuts or other nuts are used, it serves as an excellent energy bar, without any preservatives

3. Makhana (Foxnut) Kheer

Ingredients	Amount
Makahana/ foxnut	1 cup
Low fat milk	500 ml
Cardamom powder	1 tsp
Almonds	6-8 nos
Ghee	1 tsp
Jaggery/	Approx. 3-4 tbsp
Saffron	Optional

METHOD:

In a pan, take a tablespoon of ghee and roast the foxnuts or Makhana. You can powder the foxnuts too if you want a thick consistency in kheer
In another pan, heat the milk, when it comes to a boil, add foxnuts, stir well and simmer for 5 -10 mins stirring occasionally in between on a medium flame
Add cardamom powder, pinch of saffron, almond slivers to the above mixture.
Add jaggery and stir well.
If you want a thick consistency, simmer for a few minutes more stirring occasionally

PS:- You can replace Foxnuts with brown rice/ grated carrot/ grated bottlegourd/ Haleem seeds/ Ragi/too.

BENEFITS:Foxnut is rich source of calcium, high in fiber, antioxidant and proteins which when had along with milk increases its nutritional value further. Almonds again is a rich source of omega 3 and fiber.

It serves as the best food for toddlers and infants in their growing age. Even for pregnant and lactating females.

4. Mango Yoghurt Candies

Ingredients	Amount
Low fat fresh yoghurt	1 cup
Ripe Mango puree	1 cup

METHOD:

In a blender, mix well the low fat fresh yoghurt and the ripe mango puree. Do not add any sugar since fruit has its natural sweetness. If need be, add stevia leaves.
Add this blended puree in moulds. Deep freeze it for 6-8 hours. You can add wooden sticks while unmoulding to give an ice-cream effect
Unmould and serve immediately
S.:- Choose fruits which are fresh and ripe as it is sweet and does not require sugar substitute to make the dish sweet. You can use fruits like strawberries, litchi, kiwi, blueberry, custard apple

BENEFITS: Yoghurt is great source of probiotics which maintains gut health and fights bacteria and disease producing organisms in our body. It is also great source of vitamins and minerals available from fruits. It makes for excellent ice-cream that is sugarless and low fat + no added preservatives. You wouldn’t mind giving it to your kids for sure

5. Lapsi

Ingredients	Amount
Broken wheat/Dalia/ fada	1 cup
Jaggery	1 cup
Cardamom powder	½ tsp
Almonds	6-8 nos
Ghee	2 tbsp
Raisins	Optional

METHOD:

Heat a tablespoon of ghee in a wide pan on medium heat; stir in the broken wheat and roast the wheat until it gets a roasted aroma and the color changes to golden orange.
In another pan, dissolve the jaggery in 2 cups warm water. Strain if you see any impurities/residue. Pour in the jaggery mixture and cardamom powder in the broken wheat mixture stirring continuously until well combined. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 10-15 minutes; stirring occasionally until the wheat is cooked to tender.
Allow the Lapsi to rest covered for five minutes. Stir in the cashew nuts and the raisins to the above mixture and serve
Stir in few of the almond slivers and the raisins to the Lapsi Recipe (Gujarati Broken Wheat Pudding). Garnish with remaining almond slivers. Serve hot

P.S. You can also use oats/ coarsely ground Moong dal flour instead of broken wheat

BENEFITS: Broken wheat is rich in fiber and manganese, magnesium, phosphorus. It contains all the nutrients present in whole wheat. When had with jiggery, it serves to be a nutrient dense sweet.

6. Puran Poli

Ingredients	Amount
Whole wheat flour	1 cup
Tur dal/ Chana dal/ lentil	1 cup
Jaggery	1/2 cup
Cardamom powder	½ tsp
Nutmeg powder	¼ tsp
Ghee	1 tbsp
Oil	1 tsp
Saffron	Optional
Salt	To taste

METHOD:

Take a large bowl; combine wheat flour with salt, water and knead to form a firm dough mixture. Add 1 teaspoon of oil to coat the dough and knead for a couple of more minutes until smooth and firm. Cover the dough and keep it aside for 10-15 minutes
Cook the lentil with 1-1/2 cups of water until soft and is well cooked. You can even pressure cook the lentil for one whistle and simmer on slow flame for a few minutes more. Drain any excess water from the lentil and keep aside.
Heat ghee in another pan on medium heat, add the jaggery and stir until the jiggery dissolves completely. Stir in the cooked lentils, saffron, cardamom and nutmeg to the jaggery mixture until well combined.
Continue stirring the mixture until the lentil mixture begins to thicken and leaves the sides of the pan. Turn off the flame and let the mixture cool completely.
Divide the dough and Puran mixture into 6-7 equal portions. Roll out rotis with the help of dry wheat flour. Place the puran mixture into the center, bring all the edges of the rolled roti towards the center and fold over to cover the filling, thereby sealing the puran mixture completely.
Flatten the stuffed dough; dust over a little flour and roll gently into medium sized rotis/ circle ensuring not to put too much pressure as the puran can come out of the dough.
Preheat an iron skillet on medium high; place the rolled puranpoli’s onto the skillet to cook until golden brown on both sides by applying minimal of ghee over it to give it a crispier texture.
Repeat the above process for all the remaining dough and puran portions.

BENEFITS: Excellent cereal pulse combination providing good quality proteins. Iron from jiggery. Good satiety value since high in proteins, fiber.

7 Dry fruit Barfi

Ingredients	Amount
Seedless Dates chopped	½ cup
Dry figs chopped	½ cup
Almonds finely chopped	½ cup
Walnuts finely chopped	½ cup
Cashew+ Pistachio mixture finely chopped	¼ cup
Milk	1-2 tablespoon
Cardamom powder	A pinch
Nutmeg powder	A pinch
Ghee	½ tbsp.

METHOD:

In a pan, heat ghee. Roast all the dryfruits except dried figs and dates until you get roasted aroma
Blend the finely chopped dates and figs with 1-2 tablespoon of milk until smooth.
In a nonstick pan, sauté the blend paste until golden brown. Keep stirring continuously till the mixture leaves sides of the pan. In this mixture, add the roasted dry fruits and mix well.
Pour and layer this dry fruit barfi mixture into a greased pan and smoothen it well. Allow it to rest until the mixture is cooled completely and it firms a little
Cut the Dry Fruit Barfi into equal squares. Your dryfruit barfi is ready to serve. You can garnish it with almond slivers

BENEFITS: Serves as an excellent nutrition bar. High in omega 3, iron, calcium, fiber , multivitamins and minerals. Great option for all.

April 16, 2015 By Jyoti Sawant 3 Comments

Herbs and Spices – Key to reducing your Sodium Intake

Most Americans eat too much sodium, and, as a result, more people are being diagnosed with high blood pressure. The average intake of sodium is 3,400 milligrams per day – more than double the 1,500 milligrams that the American Heart Association recommends!

By following a heart-healthy, low-sodium diet you can decrease your chance of developing high blood pressure and other harmful effects.

But, reducing salt doesn’t have to mean reducing flavor! Herbs and spices are great salt substitutes and add intense flavor to all kinds of dishes. Here are five common herbs and spices and quick ways to incorporate them into your meals.

*Basil

-It’s highly fragrant leaves and are used in a variety of foods, but basil is most commonly used as the main ingredient in pesto. Whenever you can, try to use fresh basil over the dried form for more intense flavor. Blend with garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese and pine nuts for a quick pesto sauce.

-Layer fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and basil leaves for a colorful salad. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

-Freeze in an ice cube tray covered in water to use in soups later on.

*Oregano

-The warm, aromatic flavor of oregano makes it a perfect addition to Mediterranean and Mexican dishes.

-Garnish your pizza with fresh oregano.

-Sautee with mushrooms and onions. ( if you have an allergic to Mushrooms you can use Bell Peppers)

-Sprinkle chopped fresh oregano onto homemade garlic bread.

*Rosemary

-The wonderful fragrance and flavor of rosemary goes a long way to flavor chicken, lamb, pork and fish dishes, as well as soups and sauces. Before using rosemary, give it a quick rinse under cool water and pat dry. Most recipes call for rosemary leaves, which can easily be removed from the stem. You can also add whole sprigs to season roasts and soups.

-Seasoned chicken and lamb dishes.

-Add to your favorite soups or stews.

-Puree rosemary with olive oil for a dipping sauce for bread.

*Turmeric

-Turmeric has a peppery, warm flavor similar to orange and ginger. It’s used most commonly in curry dishes and to color mustard.

-Add to egg salad to bring out the yellow color.

-Sprinkle on steamed green beans or cauliflower.

Use 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder in your smoothies to increase the antioxidant power.

*Ginger

-This spicy, aromatic spice adds great flavor to Asian stir fries and veggie dishes. You can buy fresh ginger in the vegetable markets.

-Add to lemonade for spicy kick.

-Mince fresh ginger and add to sauteed veggies or salads.

-Grate fresh ginger into hot water and a splash of lemon for an invigorating hot drink.

The more herbs and spices you add, the less salt you will need for flavor. By lowering your sodium intake, you can decrease your chance of developing high blood pressure and other harmful effects. Take care of your heart!