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Winter Wellness Recipes: Boost Immunity with Nutrient-Packed Delights!

Millet Vegetable pan bread

Winter has set in and it is that time of the year when our body experiences tremendous changes in energy levels, metabolism and our food preference also changes. Winter is also the season which is full of colorful veggies and fruits in market. Our body needs extra vitamins and minerals to help combat cold weather, illness and to maintain your good health.

Let me share with you some nutritious food ideas that will help boost immunity and maintain energy levels through the day.

Here are 5 healthy dishes which will help you to keep warm on cold days-

  1. Millet Vegetable Pan Bread (Bajra Dudhi Thepla)

Millet Vegetable pan bread

Ingredients–

  • (Bajra) Millet flour – 1 cup
  • Wheat flour – 1 cup
  • Bottle gourd (Dudhi)- 1 cup (grated)
  • Curd – ¹⁄₃ cup
  • Oil – ½ cup (to add in flour and roast theplas)
  • Green coriander – 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
  • Green chilly – 1-2 (finely chopped)
  • Ginger paste – 1 tsp
  • Asafoetida – 1 pinch
  • Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
  • Red chilly powder – ¼ tsp
  • Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
  • Sesame seeds – 1 tsp (optional)
  • Salt – ½ tsp (as per taste)

Preparation

Take out millet flour in any big utensil. Mix wheat flour in the same bowl. Also add bottle gourd, ginger, green chilly, green coriander, Asafoetida, cumin seeds, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, sesame seeds, salt, 1 tbsp oil and curd. Add 1-2 tbsp water or as per requirement and knead soft dough. Keep aside the dough for 10-15 minutes so that it gets set.

Grease your hand with some oil and knead the dough. Pre-heat the pan (tawa). Take little amount of dough (lemon size) and make a round ball. Take one ball, dust it with dry flour and place it on rolling plate and roll into 6-7 inch diameter bread (thepla).

Place the rolled bread (thepla) on pre-heated pan (tawa) and when color of the bread (thepla) turns darker from surface then flip the side. Spread 1 tsp oil on the upper surface. Flip the side and spread some oil on this side as well. Roast the bread (thepla) on medium flame until it gets brown spots on both sides. Take it of the pan and place it in a plate.

Serve the Millet Vegetable pan bread (Bajra Lauki Theplas) with curd (yogurt), coriander paste or pickle or with any vegetables of your choice.

 Suggestion: Mix finely chopped spinach in the flour for making Millet Spinach Breads (Bajra spinach thepla) and add finely chopped fresh fenugreek leaves for making millet fenugreek breads (bajra methi theplas).

  1. Winter special Fenugreek seeds and edible gum sweet balls

Fenugreek seeds and edible gum sweet balls

Fenugreek seeds gum balls is a traditional recipe which can also be used as an Ayurveda treatment for various ailments, especially during winters. These sweet gum balls are not only known for their medicinal properties but also taste delicious.

These are prepared with Fenugreek seeds mixed with wheat flour and Jaggery. New mothers can have these sweet balls as dietary supplement or to overcome any post-delivery problems. People suffering from joints pain, especially in winters, can have this sweet.

Ingredients-

  • Fenugreek (methi) seeds – 100gms.
  • Milk – ½ litre (2 ½ cup)
  • Wheat flour – 300gm (1 ½cup)
  • Ghee – 250gm (1 ½ cup)
  • Edible gum (Gond) – 100gms (½ cup)
  • Almonds – 30 to 35
  • Black Pepper – 8 to 10
  • Cumin powder – 2tsp
  • Dry ginger – 2tsp
  • Green Cardamom – 10 to 12
  • Cinnamon – 4 pieces
  • Nutmeg – 2
  • Jageery – 1 ½ cup

Preparation:

Clean Fenugreek (Methi) seeds properly (wash seeds then put them in a thick cotton cloth and leave it in the sun to dry, cloth can be washed and used again). Put clean seeds in a mixer and make a thick paste somewhat similar to flour. Boil milk.

Put the grounded Fenugreek (Methi) in milk and let it soak for 8-10 hours.

Cut almonds into small pieces. Gently crush black pepper (break 1 pepper into 4-5 pieces), crush cinnamon and nutmeg into fine powder. Peel Cardamom (Elaichi) and crush it as well. Pour 1/2 cup clarified butter (Ghee) in a pan, fry soaked (Fenugreek) on a medium flame till it turns light brown and smells good. Remove the mixture in a plate.

Put the remaining clarified butter (Ghee) in the pan and heat, fry Edible gum (Gond) and take it out on a plate (fry Gond on a law flame). Fry flour in leftover Ghee in the pan till it becomes light brown then take it out.

Put 1 tsp clarified butter in the pan followed by the pieces of Jaggery (Gur), melt Jageery (Gur) into liquid form (Chashni) on a low flame. Add Cumin (Jeera) powder, Dry Ginger (Sauntth) powder, cut almonds, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, Cardamom in the Liquid syrup of Jageery and mix well.

Take little amounts of the mixture, shape it into small balls similar to a lemon and put it on a plate. Keep Fenugreek seeds and edible gum sweet balls (Methi Ladoos) in open air for 4-5 hours.

The sweet is ready, keep them in an air tight container and eat one sweet ball every morning or evening with warm milk. This prevents pain in joints, back and pain due to the cold.

  1. CARROT CAKE SNACKS BITE

high-protein-snacks-by-Green-Blender-carrot-cake-bites-600x404

Ingredients-

  • 2 ¼ cups shreddedcarrots
  • ¾ cup dates (about 10 large dates)
  • ²⁄₃ cup coconut (shredded or flaked)
  • ½ cup walnuts
  • ½ cup sunflower seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¹⁄₈ cup toasted sesame seeds
  • ¹⁄₈ cup shredded coconut
  • ¹⁄₈ cup chopped almonds

Preparation

In a food processor, blend all the snack bite ingredients together. Scoop out full grinded mixture in a bowl and roll it into a ball.

Roll the balls in sesame seeds, coconut, or chopped almonds for additional crunch. Use the listed optional ingredients to determine the amount of sesame seeds, coconut, or almonds you need.

Store refrigerated or in an air tight container.

  1. Spinach with Chickpeas Green Salad

Spinach-Salad

Ingredient–

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ onion, diced
  • 300g frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
  • 400g tin chickpeas and green peas, drained and boiled.
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Preparation: Take 400 gm of chickpeas and green peas in a pressure cooker. Add half a litre water to it and cook till 4 whistle blow. Let it cool for some time. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add and cook the garlic and onion in the oil until they turn translucent, for about 5 minutes. Add and stir in the spinach, chickpeas, green peas, cumin and salt. Use your stirring spoon to lightly mash the beans as the mixture cooks. Allow to cook until it gets thoroughly heated. Serve it hot. 

  1. Green Greek Smoothies

Green Greek Smoothies

Ingredients-

  • Cup freshly cut pieces of kiwi
  • A bowl of Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup of milk
  • Pinch of grounded cardamom
  • 1 tsp of (water) soaked chia seeds
  • Fresh Mint Leaves

In a blender, place kiwi, yogurt and milk and blend it for about 1 minute or until smooth. Pour it into a glass, and sprinkle with cardamom. Garnish with mint leaves and add 1 tsp of soaked chia seed on it. Serve immediately.

Tip – You can also try other winter fruits and veggies – like oranges, apple, spinach, Beets instead of Kiwi.

Try these healthy and delicious winter warming recipes. And, don’t let the cold weather keep you from enjoying fresh homemade foods. Let’s Enjoy! For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

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Are you breathing properly?

breathing technique

Before I start with the article, I want my readers to try this.

Let’s do a quick breathing test.

– Keep your hands free.

– Keep one hand on your chest, one had on your belly.

– Start breathing naturally.

– Which hand is moving more?

Hand on the belly or Hand on the chest?

Do this test without reading ahead because it is important to do this without knowing the interpretation of the test.

Which hand was moving more?

If it’s your belly than its right way! That’s how one should breathe.

If it’s your chest than its alarming, you might be inviting health issues!

If you are not breathing properly, you might not feel good. In this busy world, breathing which is perhaps the only important thing, if we don’t do that properly then it’s a cause for concern. None of us is consciously breathing which is what is leading to health issues!

I have come across this very often. Every 3rd person I know is having stiffness. Some part of the body is stiff (a Few years back, this was my case too!).

Are you having neck stiffness?

Is your back, shoulder, hamstrings, lower back tight/stiff?

Do you have that constant urge to stretch your body to get rid of that stiffness?

Stretching your muscles will definitely give you temporary relief but not for too long. The stiffness will come back in few hours sometimes even in two minutes. There are many therapies which help you in dealing with stiffness but it won’t be a permanent solution.

Why is it so? Because you are not addressing the root cause of the problem!

What is the root cause? Your improper breathing technique

There are many other causes of stiffness but the most basic one is improper breathing technique.

How does your improper breathing affect your stiffness/tightness?

Let’s do a practical (Helps in better understanding!)

Keep your hands free!

Put your one hand on your neck and one hand on your chest.

Start breathing from your chest consciously.

Do you feel that your neck muscles are contracting when you are breathing from your chest?

Now do one thing,

Put your one hand on your neck and one hand on your belly.

Start breathing from your belly consciously.

Do you feel anything on your neck muscles? Probably not because there is hardly any contraction because there is hardly any muscle tension in that place.

Not just the neck, similar reactions happen in your chest muscles, shoulders, lower back and to some extent even in the hamstrings. If you continuously breathe through your chest, those muscles will shorten, and you will get this chronic feeling of stiffness in your body.

You can stretch your tight muscles every day with different stretching exercises but until you correct the way you breathe, any corrective efforts which you take for getting rid of the stiffness will be useless, and at the end you will not be able to get rid of that sensation of tightness/stiffness which you keep getting in your body throughout the day.

Stiffness is just once such effect of poor breathing. Poor breathing can also lead to lower back pain, weight plateau, poor endurance, low energy throughout the day and some digestive issues.

What’s the solution? How to breathe properly?

Well, the solution is not as complicated as you might think.

Here is what you have to do:

  • Lie down for 5 minutes (this can be done first thing when waking up, or as you are lying in bed before you fall asleep or whenever you feel it is possible) put one hand on the belly and the other hand on your chest. Simply focus on making the hand on the belly move and keep the hand on the chest as steady as possible.
  • Point 1 should be done every day for at least 3 times a day daily for at least 3 weeks. After 3 weeks, you should naturally be breathing into your stomach by default.
  • It also helps if you set yourself little reminders throughout the day, like a little message on your iPhone/Android that asks you at regular intervals “how is my breathing?”

This trick has helped me definitely, try it out for yourself!

Try this for 3 weeks, and let me know what you feel! Would be happy to receive your comments! Share your experience!

For more informative articles such as this, check out Healthy Reads or you can get this information directly from a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

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The Effect Of Complex Carbs On High Cholesterol

complex carbs

The ill effects of high cholesterol is not alien knowledge to us. We all know how it impacts our health and wellbeing. Before we delve into the role complex carbs play with regards to high cholesterol, let’s understand what cholesterol is. It is a waxy substance which our body needs to build cells and make vitamins and other hormones. But, too much cholesterol is a problem. There is good cholesterol and there is bad cholesterol. Good cholesterol is HDL, which is heart friendly fat and bad cholesterol is LDL, Triglycerides which should be within limit. If it increases, it can cause cardiac issues. 

Cholesterol comes from two sources in our body:

  1. From the food we eat like meat, poultry, dairy products, etc.
  2. Our liver makes and releases it in our body

The Correlation of Complex Carbs and Cholesterol  

Carbohydrates is a group of chemical substances made up of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. They include starches, sugars, glycogen, dextrins and celluloses. There are 2 types of Carbohydrates: Simple carbs and Complex Carbs. Both affect our cholesterol levels differently. 

  1. Simple Carbs: are refined, processed and have less fiber in it. They have a high glycemic index and affect blood sugar. Increased blood sugar will raise insulin levels which may increase cholesterol. Simple carbs are found in sugar, soda, white rice, white bread, pasta, pizza, noodles,cakes, cookies, snacks such as chips, nachos, etc.
  2. Complex Carbs: are high in fiber, Vitamins, and Minerals. The body will take time to break down and release energy/glucose. As complex carbs are high in fiber, it helps reduce bad cholesterol and triglycerides, helps in healthy heart function, and improves bowel movements. Oatmeal, oat bran, kidney beans, and brussels sprouts are good carbs; they have more soluble fiber, which helps to reduce the amount of cholesterol that gets absorbed into the bloodstream. We should include at least 5 to 10 gms of soluble fiber per day to see beneficial effects. Good sources of complex carbs include whole grains, beans, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.

You should include complex carbs in their natural form. For example: 

  • Have whole fruit instead of fruit juice, soft drinks.
  • Go with whole grain instead of processed flours or refined flours.
  • Limit foods that are high in processed, refined food, simple sugar, which provides calories but has fewer nutrients in it.
  • Have more veggies and fruits which have more fiber and packed vitamins and minerals.
  • Focus on whole grains, cereals, legumes, pulses, sprouts, beans, lentils, and dried peas, etc.

Complex carbs help us reduce bad cholesterol. Always choose it over simple carbs. We hope this article helps you make healthy food choices. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more on nutrition, check out Healthy Reads or for further guidance, speak to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here. 

Eat healthy and #BeTheForce 

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Top four reasons why diets fail?

494985-belly-fat

The battle of the bulge is on –any movement on the scale yet? “Losing weight is one of the top resolutions made every year, yet only 20 percent of people achieve successful weight-loss and maintenance,” says Jessica Bartfield, MD, internal medicine who specializes in nutrition and weight management at the Loyala Centre for Metabolic Surgery & Bariatric Care.

Despite the fact that two-thirds of Americans say they are on a diet to improve their health, very few are actually decreasing in size. According to Bartfield, “Dieting is a skill, much like riding a bicycle, and requires practice and good Instructions.” But, this is not a case unique to the Americans alone, it is the case with most people on the heavier side and who go on diets to lose weight. Their constant complaint is that they do not lose weight.

Here are top four reasons why dieters don’t lose weight?

  1. Underestimating Calories Consumed

Most people underestimate the number of calories they eat per day. Writing down everything that you eat-including drinks and “bites” or “tastes” of food – can help increase self-awareness. Pay attention to serving sizes and use measuring cups and spoons as serving utensils to keep portions reasonable. Foods eaten outside of the home tends to be in much larger portion sizes and much higher in calories. So try and look up nutrition information of your favourite take-out meal or restaurant and select a healthy meal before picking up the phone or going out to eat.

  1. Overestimating Activity and Calories burned

Typically you need to cut 500 calories per day to lose 1 lb (pound) per week. This is very difficult to achieve through exercise alone, and would require 60 minutes or more of vigorous activity every day. A more attainable goal would be to try and increase activity throughout the day and get a total of 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise most days of the week. Buy a tracker to track your steps; try to increase your goal of 10,000 steps per day. But, be careful – exercise is not an excuse to eat more!

  1. Poor Timing of Meals

You need a steady stream of glucose throughout the day to maintain optimal energy and to prevent metabolism from slowing down. Eat breakfast everyday within one hour of waking up, then eat a healthy snack or meal every two to three hours. Try not to go longer than 5 hours without eating a healthy snack or meal to keep your metabolism steady.

  1. Inadequate sleep

Studies have shown that people who get fewer than six hours of sleep have higher levels of ghrelin, which is a hormone that stimulates appetite, particularly for high-carbohydrate/high-calorie foods. In addition, less sleep raises levels of cortisol, a stress hormone which can lead to weight gain.

Avoid doing the above mentioned, avoid go on diets and have a normal balanced meal daily and you will be able to maintain your weight and health.

Good health practices are more than just learnt, they become a regular habit and a way of life.

If you found these tips valuable and have more questions or thoughts to share, drop a comment below! Explore more insights on maintaining a healthy diet through Healthy Reads. For personalized information and guidance, subscribe to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

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