Nutrition Archives - Page 65 of 69

April 4, 2020 By Soni Thakur 1 Comment

Healthy Eating: Tasty Anjeer Wrap

How are all of you doing during this lockdown? We hope you are all safe and healthy. Right about now, we know that your sweet tooth must be craving for something delicious but whatever you do, don’t give in to junk! To ensure that, and to make your quarantine time more productive, we’re sharing a sweet recipe for a delicious anjeer wrap that will warm your heart and keep you healthy!

What You Will Need

Anjeer (Figs) – 10 pieces
Almonds – 5-6 (roasted and crushed)
Walnuts – 5-6 (roasted and crushed)
Raisins – 10 pieces
Jaggery Powder – ⅓ Cup
Dried grated coconut – ¼ Cup
Cardamom powder – for taste

How to Prepare

In a pan, dry roast the almonds and walnuts. Once done, keep them aside by roughly crushing them.
In the same pan, put jaggery powder and keep stirring by pouring ½ cup water into it.
Now put cardamom powder along with dry fruits and let it caramelize.
Turn the flame off and let it cool a bit.
Take the Anjeer and fill each with half teaspoon of stuffing material prepared and wrap it like a taco.
Sprinkle some grated coconut on the open front of wrap and enjoy.

Health Benefits of the Anjeer Wrap

Figs are a good source of dietary fibre. They are ideal for weight watchers as a high fibre diet gets slowly digested, cutting off hunger pangs.
Being rich in potassium, magnesium, calcium and other minerals, it can help manage and lower blood pressure.
Fig fruit and even dried figs are used as natural laxatives to treat constipation.
Dried Anjeer has a moderate glycemic index, which makes this a smart choice for people with diabetes as you will experience a rapid increase in your blood sugar.
It is found to improve bone health because of its good source of calcium which is the main element required for healthy bones.
It has been found that consuming them on a daily basis can lower triglycerides levels within the blood. High triglycerides may contribute to hardening of the arteries which increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and other related heart diseases.
Anjeer has so many health benefits but its leaves have also been used as medicine for a long time to treat diabetes, cholesterol, and many skin conditions such as vitiligo/eczema/psoriasis.

We hope you enjoy this sweet Anjeer Wrap recipe. Do try it at home and leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more healthy recipes, check out healthy reads within the app or tune in to GOQii Play.

Stay at home, stay safe and #BeTheForce

March 20, 2020 By Richa Sanghvi 2 Comments

What You Should Eat After a Workout

workout With the recent self-quarantine due to the coronavirus in full effect, most of us have been working out at home. We understand that exercise is important to keep ourselves fit, healthy and build immunity but one thing that we need to watch out for is what we eat after a workout. Eating the right food post workout is important for several reasons.

When you exercise your muscles use glycogen as a fuel to provide you optimum energy. This results in partial depletion of glycogen from your muscles. Some of the proteins in your muscles also get broken down and depleted, especially when you do strength training. After you workout, your muscles try to replenish these stores within 30-45 minutes of workout. That is the reason why you should eat after a workout so that muscle recovery happens quicker and less wear and tear of muscles occur. This ultimately leads to muscle growth, which is our main goal.

The Right Nutrition

Not only eating but also eating the right food is important. Proteins, as discussed above, get depleted. Thereby, eating the right amount of protein (0.3-05 gm/kg body weight) just after workout gives your body the amino acids required for muscle recovery and growth.

Glycogen is used as a fuel by body therefore eating carbohydrates (1.1 – 1.5 gm/kg body weight) within 30 minutes of workout helps in glycogen re-synthesis. A combination of both carbs and proteins helps in maximizing protein and glycogen synthesis.

Don’t shy away from including some fat in your meal as well. A little bit of it will not harm your recovery. In fact, fat is required by your body to absorb all the fat soluble vitamins.

Last but not the least, you should keep yourself hydrated always. As drinking enough water will help in better recovery and next day’s performance.

What Should You Eat After a Workout?

Brown bread and Peanut butter
Egg whites and toast
Chocolate milkshake (Avoid sugar if you are aiming at weight loss)
Chicken, brown rice and veggies
Quinoa with plenty of veggies or like a salad
Sweet potato
Cornflakes and milk
Banana milkshake
Fruit smoothie – Fruit of your favourite choice + Yogurt
Salad containing seeds like chia, sunflower and flax seeds

Don’t let social isolation or self-quarantine hamper your routine! Try these foods after a good home workout to strengthen your body and your immunity. If you need guidance for home workouts or more tips to build your immunity, tune in to LIVE classes on GOQii Play.

Let’s get stronger and #BeTheForce against COVID-19 together.

February 13, 2020 By Soni Thakur 2 Comments

Beetroot, Will You Be My Valentine?

They say love comes in all shapes and sizes and isn’t necessarily limited to your life partner. But just like with humans, you need to love things which are good for you. You could love exercising, eating a certain kind of healthy meal or even fruit. For me, love came in the form of beetroot and for good reason as well.

Health Benefits of Beetroots

Beetroots are known for their nutritional content consisting of Calcium, Iron, Potassium, Fiber, Manganese, Vitamin A and C – all the essentials that your body needs.
Being rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, beetroots help in weight loss and fight inflammation.
It has been found that nitrates present in a beetroot convert into nitric oxide, which in turn dilates blood vessels, hence lowering blood pressure.
Beetroots aren’t boring! They can be consumed in a variety of ways by making it into juices, soups, salads, pickle, and smoothies.
Prevents Heart diseases.
Beetroots are the topmost choice for people with Diabetes as phytochemicals present in them are associated with regulating effects on glucose and insulin.
Boosts Energy levels.
When juiced, it is an all-natural detox drink.

Despite all these awesome benefits, there are many people who do not like the beetroot because of its bitter and earthy taste. I used to be one of them. I didn’t like the taste and completely avoided it in school. Later, when I graduated as a Nutritionist, I came across the super healthy beetroot again. Now, if as a nutritionist who knows its health benefits, I had my qualms about consuming beetroots, imagine others. How can one incorporate it in their daily diet? This made me come up with some awesome recipes which can make consuming a beetroot far more interesting.

Healthy Recipes With a Beetroot

The most common way to have them is raw by sprinkling pink Himalayan salt and a dash of lemon but there are other ways as well.

1. The Beetroot Pickle

What you will need:

Beetroot – 1kg
Coriander Seeds – 2 tbsp
Kalonji – ½ tbsp
Amchoor Powder – 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds – 1
Olive Oil – 1 tbsp
Mustard Oil – 100 ml
Salt to taste

How to Prepare:

Peel beetroots, wash and cut them into small pieces of about 2 inches.
Take a pan, put 1tbsp olive oil in it along with cut pieces of beetroot and roast them till they are tender.
In another pan, roast all the other ingredients till you get that awesome aroma. Keep aside and let it cool down.
Grind all the roasted ingredients but do not turn them into fine powder.
Take a bowl, put beetroots and grinded spices all together and mix well. Store it in a glass jar by adding mustard oil and keep it in sunlight for the next 2-4 days. Your pickle is ready.

2. Beetroot Kebabs

What You Will Need:

Beetroot – ½
Oats Powder – 1 cup
Red Chilly Powder – 1 cup
Coriander Powder – ½ tbsp
Black Pepper Powder – ½ tbsp
Garam Masala – ½ tbsp
Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp
Onion – 1 chopped into small pieces.
Green chillies (optional)
Coriander leaves

How to Prepare:

Peel and grate the beetroot and squeeze the water out from it.
Take a bowl, put oats powder, beetroot, and all other ingredients mentioned above and mash them well.
Take a frying pan and fill half the pan with oil
Make tikkis of the batter and shallow fry them on a low to medium flame.
Serve them hot with paratha/ roti.

3. Beetroot Veggie Uttapam

What you will need:

Beetroot – 1 small
Fine Semolina – 1 cup
Onion – 1 small finely chopped
Tomato – 1 small finely chopped
Capsicum – 1 small finely chopped (yellow and green)
Curd – 1 cup
Green chillies (optional)
Salt to taste

How to Prepare:

Peel the beetroot and grind it into a thin paste.
In a bowl, mix the semolina, curd, salt, chillies and beetroot paste.
Let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
Take a non-stick pan, put a few drops of oil and gently spread the batter with a help of a katori or round spoon.
Sprinkle the chopped onion, tomato, capsicum and green chilies.
Cover it with a lid and let it cook on low flame for about 1 minute.
Flip it to the other side and cook well.
Serve hot with green chutney.

As a proposal to good health, we request you to level up your kitchen by adding beetroots to it for Valentine’s Day. Hope you enjoyed reading the article. Share the love in the comments below! For more healthy recipes and nutrition facts, check out Healthy Reads or GOQii Play, both within the GOQii App.

#BeTheForce .

January 2, 2020 By Dr. Naina Sudarshan 4 Comments

Why You Should Eat Oranges During Winter!

As winter hits the city, we find a lot of fruit carts loaded with Oranges. The best part about oranges during winter is that they are quite nutritious and healthier for the body. You might think that during winter, the body craves warm, spicy food but there are many reasons to not ignore this tasty citrus fruit.

5 Reasons to Eat Oranges During Winter

1. Boost Immunity

Winter has a notorious reputation of causing common cold, congestion and recurrent ear infections. Oranges are rich in Phytonutrients, Vitamin C and antioxidants which boost our immunity. This way, they help prevent common cold, congestion and related ailments.

2. Good for Skin and Hair

Oranges provide about 120 per cent of daily Vitamin C value that is required by the body. Vitamin C in Oranges helps the body to produce collagen that is required to maintain healthy skin and hair. Apart from this, Vitamin A in oranges keeps the hair moisturized by increasing sebum secretion. If you want radiant skin, smooth hair, and delayed ageing, eat an orange every day. Antioxidants in oranges prevent skin damage caused by free radicals. Orange peel can be used as a face mask which is excellent for preventing and fighting acne on the face.

3. Protects Heart Health

Oranges are high in fiber, Vitamin B6, potassium and Vitamin C, which are known to improve heart health. Oranges improve iron absorption in the body and Vitamin B6 supports the production of haemoglobin. Hence, if you have iron deficiency, it’s good to intake oranges along with Iron supplements. Magnesium present in Oranges keeps the cholesterol in check.

4. Enhances Digestion

Oranges are rich in both soluble and insoluble fibers which support gut health. Soluble fibers help feed the healthy bacteria in our gut. But make sure you eat the white fibers in Oranges along with the pulp to get this benefit. Insoluble fibers draw the water into the gut to make the stool soft and easier to pass. So, oranges can prevent constipation and irritable bowel syndrome to some extent.

5. Easy Go-To-Snack

There can’t be a better fruit snack than an orange! We don’t need to cut them and they are easy to peel. Oranges are nearly fat-free and sodium-free with as low as 60 calories and can make a good mid-morning or afternoon snack at work or at home. As they are rich in fibers, they can keep you full for a longer time. So Oranges can make a great weight-loss snack as well.

Interesting Fact:

Did you know Orange peel taken internally has double the health benefits than the actual fruit part? Orange peels contain flavonoids which can protect the heart, are good for digestion, and help to prevent allergies. They are good for boosting immunity, reduce bad breath and good for skin. Save the Orange peels, boil them in water and it can be made into a chutney grinding the peels with coconut, tamarind, jaggery, red chili and salt. It tastes the best and is healthy too!

Don’t forget to snack on Oranges in winter to stay healthy! We hope this blog helps you. Want to know about more fruits? Tune in to our expert nutritionists on GOQii Play. Subscribe now and #BeTheForce.