DOSA- YUMMY N HEALTHY TOO:-)

A yummy as well as a healthy food, one of the staple diets of South Indians.

How many can you eat a stretch..Don't ask me ;-) 

A very light, crispy or soft or spongy plain, bland or can be moulded into many variations by changing the toppings, like drizzling just a bit of oil, or shower your dosa with few onions, green chillies, coriander, grated carrot or even want to have a heavy calorie stuffing.. go with mashed potatoes stuffed with your dosa, or non-veg lovers can explore your dosas with a paint of raw egg, or even can add small, small chunks of finely diced chicken over this versatile and tasty dish.

While we happily enjoy all those toppings over the dosa, we do have to think of kids also ..Right..

So, need not disappoint them friends, instead just add your kids favourite grated cheese along with some home made tomato sauce or even can add some amount dairy products like paneer and ghee or even few kids just love the plain dosa paper crispy..In fact my kids ask me to make paper dosas :-)

A lot of recipe variation and mouth watering description, That's ok..But does the amount of nutrients in dosa work out good/bad for our body??

Just check the description of the hidden health benefits of our common food available as well as prepared easily:-)

              Hmm.. We all know dosa is prepared from rice and lentils(black,urad dal) soaked overnight and made into a batter. 

Now this lentils are actually a good source of proteins, carbohydrates(complex), and fat which is saturated fat, but before you guys start worrying of the saturated fats which are actually risky for heart when taken in excess..the amount of fat is less only. Again this rings an alarm when you go on bingeing lots and lots of those soft pancakes at a stretch ..In stead if you are really fond of these dosa divide the quantity among the day, I mean, have 1-2 in your breakfast, another dose of them in your mid-day meal, and again enjoy them in your supper(dinner):-) 

                    Fermentation - This is again another super process being practised since olden times and again here we have to be thankful to our ancestors as, in those days when the machineries and processing of food particles was not invented they actually introduced a fantastic method called fermentation which helps in making the grains and legumes more softer so that they are easily digested and not only that, fermentation also removes the phytic acid over the grains..And now..what is this phytic acid??

It is the villain hidden in the highly nutritious grains and legumes which blocks the minerals to get absorbed in the human body..We humans are more intelligent and found out that soaking the grains for a certain period of time in water helps in washing away the villain(phytic acid) ;-)

This Urad dal also is highly rich short chain fatty acids, which plays a major role in preventing the accumulation of cholesterol in the body..

Urad dal(black lentil) is also an excellent food which protects you from the chilled winters as it has a property of providing heat to your body and keep you warm from inside:-)

Another excellency of these dosas (rice & lentil pancakes) is they are gluten free, and dairy free and people with gluten sensitivity and lactose intolerant people can happily enjoy our desi dosas:-)

Calcium, Iron and few B vitamins and Vitamin C are also gained by eating Dosa.

Vegetarians can have their dose of proteins even through dosas as these LENTILS have good amount of proteins:-)

Being a good carbohydrate, these dosas are actually apt for people recovering from illness or even to those who are sick and suffering from fever as they provide instant energy through their carbohydrate content and at the same time palatable to your tasteless tongue.

Low in calories these dosas are good friends of people who are on diet;-) But if you guys are having it with loads of masala, oil and ghee, then beware!! as you may be doubling the amount of calorie intake compared to plain or onion dosas.

Trailer of my new book..SUGAR - A MYSTERIOUS TEMPTATION

CHAPATI..

Being a staple diet in most parts of India, we can say chapati(roti) comes as a complete package of nutrients. 

Made exclusively of wheat, with just a sprinkle of salt and a bit of oil too, is the most common cereal available all over the world but originated in Asia:-)

Most versatile food, It acts as a sincere boy and nourishes us by being a part of breakfast, lunch and dinner. It also has its funky side as it treats us in the form of quick grabbing snacks too in the evenings;-) It even entertains our little kids, while preparing them as well as eating them with various combinations. Its really tough for any food to compete with our chapati or roti in its versatility..Agree friends??

Let's check whether the goodness is limited to its taste and versatility or even hidden in its amount of nutrition it provides.

Whole wheat is highly rich in fibre and due to this fibre in our diet, we are less prone to gall stones, constipation, obesity, colon cancers. The fibre plays a fantastic role in reducing the the intestinal transit time and therefore decreases the amount of bile acids secreted, which are actually the main culprit of formation of gall stones.

The Betaine content in wheat also adds value by helping in prevention of chronic inflammations such as osteoporosis, cognitive decline(loss of memory), type 2 diabetes mellitus etc.. No wonder people who include roti's in their regular diet are less prone to such diseases and those already suffering from these diseases also can be advised to replace their polished and refined rice eating habits with roti's:-)

Whole wheat has very minute amount of saturated fats, the so called bad fats, and all those struggling with your cholesterol levels can substitute your meal at least once in a day with this versatile fibre rich chapati's. But check the oil/butter/ghee you add over your chapati which in turn reduce its healthy properties..why add lots of salt or oil over while preparing your chapati as anyhow you will have it along with well cooked vegetables tossed with salt and oil and spices.

A drizzle of oil/ghee won't harm I guess, unless you are worried of your calories as adding oil while drastically increase the calorie count of your chapati:-(  To be more clear, oils actually contain good fats compared to ghee/butter, so choice is yours:-)

Now let me justify the first statement "roti comes with a complete package of nutrients".. It is rich in magnesium, potassium, calcium, silicon, sulphur, chloride, arsenic, iodide, manganese, zinc,  sodium, copper and also Vitamins such as B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, E.

The good amount of magnesium present in roti's is actually an excellent property which acts as a co-factor for many enzymatic reactions, and one of the use of these enzymatic reactions is your blood sugar levels are in good control. Oh..Got that!! That might be the reason, once you are diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, your doctor starts advising you to shift to eating roti's:-)

With the package of minerals mention above, certain health concerns like anaemia, obesity, gall stones, breast cancer, asthma, chronic inflammation, Tuberculosis can be kept at a distance if you have the versatile food in your daily diet.

As we know fish helps in reducing your asthmatic attacks, the chapati also helps in relieving Asthma due the good amount of magnesium and Vitamin E in it.

Don't ever think that only the colourful and pigmented foods are rich in antioxidants, instead even chapati's also provide their share of cancer fighting components, I mean antioxidants..They are known to have certain antioxidants like lignans, catechin, curcurmin, quercetin, phytic acid, phytosterols,salicylic acid. 

Fantastic and fabulous :-) Obviously friends that has to be the reaction after knowing so many benefits from our regular, staple diet which is once again a food habit taught by our ancestors:-)

Complex carbs, proteins, no fat, low glycemic index, lots of minerals and vitamins, rich in fibre, good for diabetics and good for people with loads of cholesterol.

But just hold on if you guys go on indulging in plenty of chapathi's at a single shot :-) as in the end it is a Carb. 

PEAR SHAPED PEAR;-)

I always wondered which word first evolved, either the fruit pear or the shape pear??

Pear, was my mid-day snack on a sunny sunday..And I guess nothing can substitute this juicy and grainy sweet fruit..What say friends!!

Though quite similar to apple, our door pear is not getting enough limelight.. Yup, I feel it is not getting enough chances, inspite of lots of hidden talent..Oops, I mean Pear has a lot of nutrients in it which help in fighting many inflammatory reactions and also protects our body to certain extent from the silent killers..Guess what!! Not the terrorists, my dear friends, it is Cancer.

Loaded with lots of dietary fibre, Pear is an amazing fruit for people with Diabetes, Weight conscious persons, those with digestive problems, even people with Piles can be benefited if they eat this light skinned fruit. In fact, Doctors too advice the patients to have this fruit incase if any patients complain of constipation, piles or even anal fissure. 

Fibre in our foods is a fabulous content as, any foods having  fibre in them, their Value increases, as the fibre in them, not only helps in clearing your digestive system, it adds enough bulk to your food, absorbs water along with the foods and make them easy to pass down your alimentary canal..I guess many of you can remember your 7th class science lessons:-) 

The advantages of fibre doesn't stop over there and it also helps in increasing your satiety(fullness) and even plays another super role in dragging the excess bile acids out and thus reducing the production of cholesterol content in your body.

Once upon a time, this fruit was also named as "Gift of Gods" , being apt for the title, Pear can be your life saver too, in any case you are feeling deprived of your energy or have been a prey to the sunGod ( I mean sunstroke).. the high fructose and glucose in Pears helps in providing instant energy and also pear is famous for its cooling effect .

Young women should grab this bell shaped fruit, regularly especially married young women as Pear is abundant in folate content and you all might be  aware of the benefits of this amazing vitamin which actually helps in improving your chances to be pregnant and also helps in your cute little foetus to grow safely without any neural tube defects..Point to be noted!!

Even your little baby is also benefited from this juicy fruit as Pear can used as food to wean your kid, as it has very less allergic issues, you can just boil it and mash into a soft paste and feed your sweet little kid:-)

Being a coloured, pigmented fruit I need not highlight  the antioxidant benefits, though pear too has its share of antioxidants (Chlorogenic acid, Epicatechin, Quercetin, Cyanidin) and also Betacaotene, Lutein and Zea-xanthin. These fancy names are not only fancy in their names, but also help in acting smart and shield your body cells from the dangerous free radicals which actually attack your cells and ultimately cause Cancer. Pear is known to protect you guys from Colon cancer, Breast cancer, Rectal cancer, Prostate cancer and Lung cancer.

Bunch of Vitamins are also hidden in this super fruit, such as Vitamin A, C, K,B1, B2, B3, E. Another healthy gang called minerals( calcium, chloride, potassium, iron, phosphorus, sulfur, sodium, magnesium) is also found in Pears.

Again the potassium plays a major role in the goodness of this fruit and consuming this fruit helps in maintaining your blood pressure and also water balance in your body and not only that potassium also helps in increasing the blood flow to all the parts in your body and indirectly provides enough oxygen to your cells, so that they can function promptly and actively:-)

Copper and Iron in Pears helps in maintaining your nervous system healthy, iron as usual responsible for the blood production.

The healthy gang in pears helps in conserving the minerals for the bones and therefore prevents osteoporosis, and drags you out of the general weakness, in any case you tend to suffer;-)

Vitamin K in Pear keeps your blood as lustrous as it is, and thus prevents any clots forming in your blood. Vitamin A keeps your eyes healthy and provides strength and enough moisture for your skin and hair.

Vitamin C is a super vitamin with versatile properties, and few of them are it helps in giving good amount of immunity so that our cells will do dishoo dishoom with the microorganisms, vitamin C is also useful in maintaining skin integrity(collagen and elastin requires vitamin C), antiageing, wound healing etc..

When a simple, sweet, thin skinned, juicy bowl of sweet natural snack is offering us so many benefits, how could anyone miss to have at least 2-3 Pears in a week.

AN EXOTIC SENSUOUS FRUIT.

Hello friends.. That was, quite a romantic title..Isn't it:-)

Hope you could guess the fruit, yup..It is the fruit of angels..PAPAYA.

Papaya is a quite common fruit which was eaten frequently in olden days and I guess each house had the papaya tree, but slowly the importance of the fruit started vanishing and again, like a sudden lightening the fruit is back with its royality;-) Hope I'm right..

It is one of the fruit we get, in almost all the seasons at an economical cost too, if I'm not wrong!!

The first thing whenever I think of Papaya, that come into my mind, in past few few years being a woman is, that, it should be strictly avoided in pregnancy as told by our elders.. and nowadays whenever I see papaya, all the nutritious facts crawl into my mind and I never miss buying this exotic fruit whenever I visit the grocery store.

Regarding the point above that papaya is not good for pregnant women, it's right, as papaya is a fruit which causes heat and this heat in turn activates the production of the oestrogen hormones and this oestrogen hormones in turn may cause contractions in pregnant women and finally cause abortion. Huh!! That's scary!!

Let's check out the reasons for the second innings of our lustrous and sweet fruit..

Papaya is sweet in taste and good for diabetics, due to its low glycemic index and the dietary fibre in it, which helps in fullness and prevent us to eat more quantity and thus indirectly controlling our body fat too..That's an extraordinary reason for its comeback:-)

Papaya aids in good digestion due to papain a digestive enzyme which helps in the breakdown of proteins..That's again wonderful..Let me explain how? Whenever you feast your body with all sorts of food especially a lot of fat and proteins, though, only during occasions which are at certain times unavoidable and you being a diet conscious person, can actually happily rely on papaya to help you the next day as it will help in cleansing your digestive system :-) So what you guys are waiting for!!, keep a papaya on your dining table to help you in such situations..

Vitamin C is known to be in good amount in papaya and due to its presence, papaya helps in preventing us from inflammatory reactions and acts as  a super anti-ageing agent.

Not only carrot, papaya also has a decent amount of Vitamin A in it. Other vitamins present in papaya are, Vitamin B1, B6, B5, B2, folate and Vitamin E. Minerals such as potassium, copper, magnesium also add value to the orange coloured fruit. Potassium helps in regulating both blood and water in our body.

Females, suffering from irregular periods benefit from regular intake of papaya, and males suffering from any infertility issues can too be benefited from papaya due to the Arginine content in it.

Last, but not least the exotic fruit is highly rich in anti-oxidants which helps in preventing mainly prostate and colon cancer, these anti-oxidants have a role in reducing stress.

The seeds of this fruit, being black in colour and happily burried in the pouch of the fruit are actually the other side of the fruit, I mean, as we all have the good and bad shades, the papaya being so good, also has its bad part in its seeds, which actually contain carpine which is known to cause cardiac depression and make your nerves numb.. so better avoid eating those black seeds, I know, that we normally never eat them:-)

In patients recovering from any surgeries, eating papaya can be helpful as it will fight against any inflammation occurring at surgery site and protect you from developing any swelling or fever which are common complications of post-surgical patients.

Bottom Line: So, why are we going to eat a bowl of papaya fruit evenly cut into small squares, atleast 3-4 times in a week??- To look young, for immunity, better digestion, irregular periods, sweet fruit for diabetics, shield us from cancer and ultimately for fitness foodies:-)

Bye for now.. Good night friends..Tc.

MILK TEA??

A hot cup of milk tea in a cold, cozy winter morning or evening is a perfect drink.. Just remembering a song in one of the TELUGU FILMS, which is framed with this single word CHAI!!

I tried to click the pic with the vapours coming up but could not..I just love the images of tea with hot fumes dancing above it.. I shall try next time to click a better pic.

Now, coming straight to our main stream.. shall we peep into the health benefits (or risks ) of one the most common drink worldwide especially in India or even Asia.

How many cups of milk tea do you have daily?? I have a minimum of 3 cups;-):-)

With all the extensive research going on and increase of the social networking  becoming quite common in each and every household as a commodity, just kidding,!!( But I guess that's the fact.. ), I mean to say that due to this, an amazing spread of awareness of any topic is rushing like a rocket.

All the introduction above was just a bit of drama. Now lets be serious.

Tea is an excellent source of antioxidants called flavonols(catechin), L-theanine. Main superhero is the catechin which offers anti-inflammatory, anti-cancerous effects to our body. 

It also protects your nerves, and don't we commonly have an extra cup of tea than our regular basis whenever we are stressed out or anxious or tired of the extra work ordered by our boss or even we use it as a zandu balm:-) Right guys.. So what is the moral here, it is, tea has a fabulous property of combining with the cannabinoid receptors that help in reducing your anxious attacks, vanishes your pain, and also any nausea and so on.. Great Isn't it!!

Recent research has shown that tea is helpful in preventing from certain cancers such as ovarian cancer, lung cancer, oesophageal cancer, breast cancer, endometrial cancer and even prostate cancer.

Most importantly tea improves the flow in your blood vessels and never allows the blood in the vessels to get stagnant;-) C'MON I MEAN TO SAY, IT PREVENTS YOU FROM HEART DISEASES WHICH USUALLY OCCUR DUE BLOOD GETTING CLOTTED IN YOUR BLOOD VESSELS. Indirectly it helps in regulating your blood pressure too.

Now, here comes the most controversial part .. IS MILK IN TEA HEALTHY OR NOT??

Milk has good amount of protein called casein, and calcium, magnesium, potassium and few vitamins such as Vitamin A, D and K, and also the main culprit which is slowly converting the pure, white liquid into a controversy is the SATURATED FAT in milk.

My explanation here is, as milk tea is taken more than 4-5 times a day, daily we slowly tend to accumulate the fat I guess!! And the protein in tea is known to bind with the catechin(anti-oxidant) found in tea and delays or even may reduce it from getting absorbed. If the super anti-oxidant is not absorbed properly, there is no point in getting all the super benefits the anti-oxidant offers. This is the major reason of all the hype of green tea, black tea, lemon tea, honey and mint lemon tea and so on..And it is a genuine hype.

Plenty of advertisements on television appear everyday of green tea helping in reducing your weight. Though not instantly, a regular consumption does help as, green tea is known to increase  your metabolism and in any case you add lots of milk and cream that will again block the property of tea to increase the metabolism.

Before you guys start worrying.. Let me tell you that 2-3 cups of milk tea, with low-fat skimmed milk won't really do any harm as we just add a little amount of milk in tea but MAKE A HABIT TO DRINK, PLAIN BLACK TEA AND GREEN TEA AT LEAST ONCE OR TWICE even though you have your tasty milk tea.

People suffering from anaemia just try to reduce the amount of tea, as black tea is known to reduce the absorption of iron in body due to the tannin content in it.

Milk tea acts as a good diuretic and laxative;-) Oh! this might be the reason that our ancestors have taught us to have  a cup of tea early in the morning..Great..Hats off to all our ancestors for the wonderful and healthy habits they taught us.. lets not dilute them guys!!

Those with the habit of having more cups of milk tea should drink more water and keep yourself hydrated, as tea being a diuretic, will push the water outside your body and chances are there you get dehydrated, in case you drink lots of tea and nothing else. So, whatever you drink don't ever neglect the king of drinks which is WATER:-)

Good day..See you:-)

EASY AND A SIMPLE SALAD

My dinner last night. I had  some solid stuff in the evening so I wanted my dinner to be light. Was quite easy to prepare, Just boiled the eggs and sprinkled some salt, chilli powder, chat masala powder and a pinch of pepper powder. Being winter season wanted to add  something hot to the boiled egg;-)

Salad is much more simple. It's just raw onions and tomatoes pampered with some lemon juice :-)

Let's check the nutrition facts hidden in the raw Onions: As many are familiar that onions are rich in organic sulphur compounds, did you guys have any idea what amazing benefits they provide.. Not completely ..Right..

Check out..

They actually reduce the heart attacks, lower your blood pressure levels and help you to be stable:-)

Not only that the disulphides , trisulfides, cepaene and vinyldithiins  present in onions, have superb antimicrobial properties and are also anti cancerous..Wow..that's wonderful.. never knew the vegetable that makes us cry everyday is actually protecting us from many infections, diseases and few cancers too:-) So never misinterpret anyone who makes you cry, they might be harsh to bring out the best in you..Agree.. Friends:-)

Another important antioxidant present in onions is QUERCETIN which attacks the free radicals causing harm to our body cells and indirectly prevent or reduce the risk of prostate cancer, lowers the bladder infections, and also has a role in maintaining your blood pressure in normal limits.

Who said external appearance is not important.. It is!! Confused?? Let me clear,.. Fruits and vegetables have a fabulous external appearance with wonderful colours. And the cause of the coloured pigments in fruits and vegetables is  actually due to Flavonoids.

These Flavonoids not only add external beauty, but also contribute a lot to the inner beauty of the fruits and veggies, I mean, due the presence of  Flavonoids, eating those colourful vegetables will help in reducing the risk of Stroke, Cardiovascular diseases and also Parkinsonism  Got my point.

Onions are one of the few foods, that has a good amount of Chromium( a mineral) in them.. And now, what is this chromium and how does your body benefit from this mineral?? Believe or not Chromium helps in reducing your blood sugar levels, as it helps in pumping out more of your insulin from the pancreas. It also helps the post- menopausal women out there, by improving the bone density and helps in all the women walking straight;-)

Vitamins such as A, B6, C, E, folic acid are found in onions. Magnesium, manganese, iron, low sodium and potassium are also present in onions.

B6 Vitamin has an effect to improve the nervous system and also helps in increasing your memory.

Due to these mentioned Vitamins, onions posses fantastic anti-ageing benefits, they improve the glow of your skin as the Vitamins A, C, E act as a soldiers against the harmful UV rays.

Any one suffering from frequent attacks of depression, have an onion salad, or mildly cooked onions in your curry or in whatever way you like.. onions act as natural anti depressants due to the folate content in it. Never knew this property of the blushing layered vegetable. Ha.. when I say layered, I just remember that onions have a good amount of fibre and therefore improves digestion and helps in reliving any bowel disorders.

Onions have a good amount of water, complex sugars, protein, low fat and obviously low in calories.. Hey all those dieting, check this!!

Having tough time to sleep cozily in your bed, don't worry,  have onions in your diet regularly as onions help you to sleep well.

The reason I had my onion salad is to lose some of my belly fat but never had an idea of so many hidden healthy benefits of this super food.

During olden days or (even now, Though I'm not sure exactly)  most of the farmers and daily labourers used to have rice soaked in curd and 1 or 2 raw onions in the bowl along with the curd rice the previous night and used to take it to the farms or to their work the very next early morning and had it as their breakfast.  Being uneducated, but hardworking they usually are more resistant to the infections and metabolic diseases which are actually more common in urbanised areas, and the reason might be, due to their food habits of eating natural foods without much of processing and good physical activity too.

Finally white or red onions, my vote is for red as research studies have shown that the pink variety of onions have more anti-oxidants which help in preventing cancers and other infections.

Huh.. So much of onions, I shall stop here and write some nutrition facts of tomatoes in my next blog.

You guys can check the nutrition benefits of egg in my previous posts.

GOOD DAY:-)

PURE AND CLEAR DRINK.

I just started my dieting plan a few months ago and have been looking for foods which are low in calories and as we humans are not used to monotony, we need new things everyday, variety of food daily and so on..

I have started taking this coconut water quite regularly nowadays as it is very low in fats, contain simple sugars, and also gives  a tummy full feeling for quite sometime so that I don't get tempted to any foods for at least an hour or two.

Not only that, this amazing tropical drink have good amount of electrolytes such as potassium and sodium in it. Due to the presence of these electrolytes coconut water acts as a perfect remedy during dehydration and also in diarrhoea.

Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus have a place in this mild sweet and tasty drink.. and these minerals contribute strength to our bones & teeth. Magnesium is known to be good for our kidneys.

Coconut water is also known for certain anti-ageing & anti cancerous properties due to the cytokinins in coconut.

Vitamins - B-complex group of vitamins  are found in coconut water. So instead of popping in those B-complex pills, just enjoy a glass of coconut water daily :-)

A group of digestive enzymes are also hidden in this clear water which helps in good digestion.

Pregnant women can happily have this healthy water as it helps them to overcome the common symptoms such as constipation, heart burn and indigestion especially in the 3rd trimester.

What's say friends .. Instead of putting a brake to your bike or car in front of a cool drink shop just shift to the local vendors selling this fantastic, pure and fresh coconut water,  I bet, you truly will feel THE best !!

TIL (SESAME) LADDOOS.

HAPPY PONGAL TO ALL. A festival of Harvest celebrated in India, also can be called as Thanksgiving festival.

Til (sesame) Laddoos are a kind of sweet snack prepared during this auspicious festival and it is a combination of white/black til seeds and cane syrup (melted jaggery) both together moulded into small balls.

Sesame seeds are excellent source of Iron, Calcium, Zinc, Vitamin A, copper and Niacin.

Due to the Iron in it, your red blood cell production will increase and helps in preventing you from being the victims of anaemia. Zinc in it will act as a natural ointment for your wounds and also helps in improving your fertility. Fantastic!! Right. Niacin is good in nourishing your skin and nerves, so that you don't lose your senses;-)

Calcium .. as usual good for your bones and teeth.

Til is also known to provide certain antioxidants which are again protective against cancers.

But beware of the excess cane syrup(jaggery) added to it as it will add the extra sugar as well as those  extra calories required to your body. Just be cautious while eating more of those sweet, bitter, pungent mixed tasty laddoos..

But if you guys want to taste 5 different tastes in a single food, you gotta eat these laddoos :-)

Especially known for their heat production to your body these sesame sweet snacks are the reason behind being prepared during winters.. Point to be underlined!! So, moral of the story is to be cautious before you eat them in summers.

Til actually is found in 3 different colours, Red/Black/White.

The black variety is said to be more nutritious, then the white one and lastly the red one. So be choosy.

All the 3 macronutrients( carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) are present in it. Fat is mostly the unsaturated type and is actually good for breaking down your so called bad cholesterol. Also contains dietary fibre which will help in preventing constipation.

Eating Til seeds will make your hair healthier, and helps in relieving from insomnia and fatigue too.

Traditions are healthy too, so why not follow them for healthy and fit lifestyle.

Roasted unsalted peanuts..

Roasted unsalted peanuts!! One of the healthiest as well as tasty snack. Being rich in calories a handful of them will do and now don't start arguing whether a kids' handful or elder's handful because your own handful is sufficient for your built :-)

A complete nutritious snack, you can say, as these tiny NUTS are rich in Proteins, Carbohydrates and Fats. 

Fat!! Oh my God!!  Before you guys start worrying of how much fat your body is going to accumulate after eating this nutty snack, let me tell you that the Peanuts have Monounsaturated fats which are really good for your body and in fact help in burning your cholesterol. So never feel guilty when you binge on a handful of peanuts once or twice a week instead feel proud that you are actually eating something to keep your body fit by crushing the bad cholesterol.

Carb!! Another point of concern.. But I guess you all are aware that carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for our bodies. Thinking so, again if you guys start to keep a big bowl of peanuts beside you, and start munching, then you may land in trouble.  About 100 gms may give you nearly 250 calories. But anything given by Nature, if used in moderation, will never harm you.

These nuts are also rich in dietary fibre, Manganese, Copper, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Zinc, Potassium and Selenium. 

Suffering from Vitamin deficiencies!! Have a handful of peanuts once or twice a week or even can make it an option of using peanut butter on your bread once a week, or as we south Indians are used to the tasty peanut chutneys in our breakfast for Dosa and Idli also is perfect blend of nutrients.

Research studies have shown that these nuts are rich in antioxidants ( resveratrol) which are also available in red or black grapes, and due to this wonderful antioxidant this economical nut has gained more interest nowadays as it can help in fighting against Alzheimers diseases, certain Cancers, Viral infections, Degenerative diseases and Stroke. " OLD IS GOLD" - Phrase implies here I guess ;-)

A HOT AND TANGY FRUIT SNACK

Guava: A common fruit in the tropical areas, and is considered as a SUPER FRUIT. And another super title is awarded to this fresh looking fruit and the curtains raised.. Yes, it is named as "QUEEN OF FRUITS" Great!! And not just the title of the fruit, but it actually fulfils the title and provides plenty of vitamins and minerals and nutrients to your body.

Guava is low in calories and is a perfect fruit if your dieting. It has a good amount of dietary fibre in it and therefore acts as a natural Laxative. As we all know Vitamin C is plentiful in Guava and you got to believe that it is capable of providing more than 3 times of the required daily intake of Vitamin C. Benefits of Vitamin C you all are well aware I guess... Few of them are, it helps in wound healing, has  anti-inflammatory functions and also is responsible for the extra glow of your skin and vanishes those wrinkles which might be a concern of your beauty.

Vitamin A, Flavonoids like Beta-carotene, Lycopene, Lutein and Crypto-xanthine are also present in good amounts in Guava. All these antioxidants have a superb role in preventing your body from free radical attacks and thus keep your body at a distance from cancers which are nowadays becoming quite common.

Is any of your kids or even any of you are fascinated about the pink guava and love to eat those pink fruits.. Go ahead.. They actually have more amount of Lycopene an antioxidant and compete with the cherry red tomatoes too and have twice the amount of Lycopene when compared to tomatoes. Due to this Lycopene, Guava has a role in protecting the skin from the damage caused by the Ultraviolet rays and also offers protection against prostrate cancer. Now start buying or suggesting Guavas to your grandfather :-) Who knows you will be indirectly protecting him from the prostrate cancer.

Who told only Bananas are famous for their high potassium content, in-fact Guavas are known to have more amount of Potassium and what does Potassium actually do is, it helps in maintaining the electrolyte balance and not only that it is perfect for your muscles too. Athletes and fitness workout freaks .. Have a guava and be more fit :-)

This tropical fruit has very less fat in it and also has a low glycemic index, by this Guava can be helpful in diabetic patients too.But don't over eat the fruit as it is high in Fructose. I'm sure we are not going to over eat any fruit as we overeat the junk foods ;-)
Research studies have shown that leaves of guava can be used in tea as well.. Interesting!!

NUTRITIOUS MEAL

Our portion of dinner last night!! Guess what?? Ya.. It is wheat rawa upma with mixed veggies like onion, carrot, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves and beans. Side dish is 1 whole egg omelete with onions and green chillies. Let's have look into its nutritional facts..

Wheat Rawa Upma : Wheat is a super meal fully loaded with nutrition. It has plenty of minerals like Calcium, Selenium, Potassium, Sulfur, Chloride, Arsenic, Silicon, Manganese, Zinc, Iodide, Copper, Vitamin B1, Vitamin E. It also has a good amount of carb along with fibre, little amount of fat and protein.

Patients suffering from Anemia,  Mineral deficiencies, Asthma, Obesity, Breast cancer, Gall stones, Sterility and  Chronic inflammatory disorders may benefit with Wheat based foods.

The magnesium in wheat helps in controlling your sugar levels and that is the reason wheat foods are recommended for the type 2 Diabetic patients.

The Betaine content in wheat will do wonders in patients with Rheumatic problems, Alzheimers diseases, Osteoporosis, Heart diseases, Cognitive defects etc..

The good amount of fibre will help in preventing the formation of gall stones and also will reduce the chances of colon cancer.

Latest research suggests that wheat is a good source of phytonutrients (lignans) which act like hormone like substances, and are surprisingly helpful in protecting women from certain risk factors whichever cause breast cancer. Studies suggest that a daily intake of 30gms of wheat is enough for women in order to keep them safe from the attack of the silent killer (Breast cancer).

Is your child suffering from asthma and worried of the frequent attacks due to any seasonal change or dust exposure.. Try giving your child more of wheat based foods and your child will be relieved a lot from frequent asthmatic attacks, though not completely atleast  to about 50%.

Carrot and beans: They are veggies with good amount of antioxidants, fibre, high water content, very less fat and protein. Carrots have a low glycemic index but the cooked form has a medium glycemic index and if you are a lover of the carrot puree, beware!! the glycemic index in it is on the higher side.

Omelete: 1 Whole egg omelette is nearly about 110-120 calories. So according your health status, I mean if you are a diabetic or suffering from high cholesterol just keep a check before you eat an omelette a day.  Better go for egg white omelette if you are worried of excess calories. But as we wont eat daily I don't mind in having a whole egg omelette, knowing the benefits of egg.

GRAPES JUICE.

California grapes (10) blended along with water and poured into the tumbler without using any filter. This can be a welcome drink for any guest  :-) or a perfect refreshing drink as soon as you arrive home. A chilled glass of grapes juice is one of the best, healthy, refreshing and tasty drink which can be your best companion after a long tiresome, stressful day.

I just wanted it to be pure and natural and thats the reason, I didn't add neither sugar nor honey nor salt. You can add either salt, sugar, or sprinkle some pepper powder too. It tastes great with grapes juices.

Let's peep into the nutritional facts of this drink:-)

As we all know grapes are an excellent source of phytonutrients, flavonoids and polyphenol antioxidants( Resveratrol). Polyphenols have an awesome property of protecting your body against fungal infections and they actually act as soldiers to your body( I mean they possess defensive activity).

This fancy phenols also tend protect your heart by reducing the clot formation. They are perfect in helping you maintain longevity. Incredible!! Isn't it!!

Grapes are also a good source of Vitamins, mainly we can find Vitamin B6, B1, K, C. Vitamin B6 and B1 are Pyridoxine and Thiamine and these vitamins perform many functions in our body and mainly are responsible for a better neurological and cardiac functions.

Vitamin K performs a great role in blood coagulation and therefore it is responsible for a normal blood flow thus preventing excess blood loss.

Vitamin C as usual it helps in maintaining immunity of our body and helps in the formation of new collagen and elastin thus maintains integrity of our skin as well as hair.

Recent research suggests that inspite of all the above benefits of grapes on our body, they also help in protecting our eyes and colon. It have been found in certain research studies that grapes inhibit certain genes that promote tumours in the colon. Point to be noted!!

Grapes have a very little amount of Protein, minute quantities of Fat, and a good amount of Carbohydrate including some fibre content. Don't start worrying about the carb in it.. Grapes are known to have a low glycemic index, so can say that a few grapes won't harm the Diabetics :-)

Confused, which coloured grapes are more healthy, Black and red are better than the green.

So, all the wives over there, want to accompany your dear husband while he sips his glass of wine or beer, whisky or whatever.. Why don't you pick yourself a glass of red or black grape juice.. It is an excellent form of wine without any alcohol content.. Who knows, your husband may also get addicted  to this healthy non-alcoholic drink ;-)

YUMMY AND A HEALTHY MEAL

My lunch today! Tasty and healthy too. Let's see the nutrition facts of my lunch.

• Chapathi: When compared to rice(which is a staple diet in southern parts of India) has lesser calories, not only that, chapati has more protein and fibre embedded in it. 2 Chapathis will give you nearly 6gms of fiber.  Many minerals such as Iron, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Potassium, Calcium are also available in chapati.

• Egg: A complete protein, an inexpensive source of protein. No wonder Egg is treated as a standard protein. Egg shall give you the required Vitamins too, it is rich in B12, B2, folate, A, D. Want your Thyroid to function properly have an Egg a day, the Iodine in Egg will help your thyroid function properly. Worried that Cancer may attack you, eating egg may protect you as it has Selenium in it which acts as a perfect antioxidant. Are your bones not listening to you?? An egg will surely help you, with the Phosphorus content as well as the Vitamin D in it. Who doesn't want their wounds to heal faster, again Egg says I'm there with its Zinc content and any anaemic patients out there, you could benefit from Egg as it also has a good amount of Iron. I know!! You guys are worried about the fat in the yolk and it contains mostly monounsaturated fats (38%), polyunsaturated fats (16%), and about 28% of saturated fats.  Before you guys start worrying, egg also contains long chain omega-3 fatty acids, DHA which are actually essential  for normal brain function and good vision.

• Tomato Dal: Again good amount of protein, carb, fibre and fat, and also provides Sodium and Potassium for our body.

• Curd: Here comes the Wonder food. 80-85% of water, which we all know how much water is good for our body, so for all those who thinks only drinking water can hydrate our body, please come out of that notion and start praising the nature for giving water embedded in many natural foods. Curd also is rich in a protein called casein. Methionine an aminoacid which protects the Liver is present in curd. It has its carb component in the form of lactose(milk sugar) and fats in curd are mostly monounsaturated and are healthy as they do not oxidize and provide fatty acids to the human body.  Calcium, Vitamin D and Phosphorus are in good amounts in curd, which we all have known since centuries that curd and milk are good for bones.. Right!! Now, let me tell you another fantastic property of curd, it is due the lactic acid present in curd which actually gives it a sour taste, helps in increasing the digestion and absorption of all the nutrients, Great, Isn't it!! In this way it helps in cleansing the colon and prevents the colon cancer. Good news for all the women out there, frequent attacks of vaginal infection?? A small bowl of curd will do wonders as the lactic acid in it will prevent the vaginal yeast infections. Coming to another cool property of curd!! A small or medium cup of curd will relieve you from the stress and anxiety.

• Beans: Another healthy veggie with very low calories, no saturated fat, high in dietary fibre, Vitamin A, polyphonic antioxidants, folate, B6, B6, C - Vitamins, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium.

COOL MELON :-) WATERMELON.

Watermelon juice with a pinch of salt and quarter a teaspoon of chat masala blended, poured into your fav tumbler, without using any strainer( to prevent the loss of the dietary fiber) ,  garnish with the lovely as well as healthy n refreshing mint leaves and just relax in your recliner and sip!! 

Regarding the nutritional information, as the name suggests Watermelon has about 91% of water. The red colour not only gives it a dashing appearance but it is due Lycopene, a carotenoid phytonutrient, which is actually important for your bones as well as your heart.  It is actually one of the high lycopene containing foods.

           Watermelon is rich in Vitamin C, A, B5, B6 etc.. And guess what!! Worried of your dry skin! Grab a bowl of watermelon pieces daily or every alternate day..The Vitamin A content in it will help in moisturising your skin and hair as well. Fab!! Isn't it..

Not only that.. Want your skin to look younger and your hair to be thicker and silky.. You have to get your share of this pretty n juicy fruit..As the Vitamin C in it will help in providing new collagen and elastin which are crucial for your skin and hair growth.

Though it do not contain a good amount of protein, it is rich in an aminoacid which is called Citrulline  ,  and this citrulline provides super benefits to our body like, reducing blood pressure, preventing accumulation of fat etc..

A glass of watermelon juice is excellent before or even after workout. It helps in reducing the muscle aches after a strenuous workout.

So, what you are you waiting for, go and get your share of watermelon to beat the heat this Summer :-)

   

BENEFITS OF FIBER.

FIBRE: A very important aspect in Nutrition. Yup.. We all know we need to take fibre daily, and it is good for our bowel movements and so on.
Fibre truly have tremendous healthy benefits.. Few of them are..

1. It helps in attaining satiety, so helps in eating the correct amount and avoid binge eating.
2. It has a great capability of carrying the bile acids out!! This is terrific, as excess bile acids in our body on long run acts as a villain on our Liver.
3. Fibre also helps in reducing cholesterol.
4. It absorbs water and softens the stool, in that way relives constipation and not only that, this awesome property helps in preventing colon cancer.

But are we exactly aware how much we need to take and in what all foods it is available??
Hmm.. Ya! we should know the numbers.. Right!!
Let's see..
An average built man (19years-50) is advised to take an amount of about 35gms of fibre daily and women should take about 25-28gms of fibre daily.
A few examples of high fibre diet are Pear, Avocado, Apple, Orange( interestingly an apple and an orange have the same amount of fibre content), whole grains, beans, prunes etc..

Will post a pic of certain high fibre foods commonly available and will also mention the amount of fibre exactly in each of them. So just wait for my next post:-)

CARROTS

Ha!!  A perfect mid-day snack, howz that!! Raw and fresh and healthy with good amount of vitamins.
Raw and freshly cut carrot along with the lovely mint leaves is purely healthy. Try this once daily, you can have a better eye sight for the rest of your life time, not only improves eyesight but also has antioxidants which will keep your body protective from the dangerous free radicals attacking your body cells.

BUTTERMILK

A chilled buttermilk with a dash of salt and lovely mint leaves is one of the healthiest substitute for empty calorie and chilled carbonated sodas. 

SALTY LEMONADE.

An ice cold lemonade with a pinch of salt and half a tea spoon of sugar along with a sprinkle of chat masala and with the lovely mint leaves is perfect to rehydrate and refresh you after a tiresome, sweaty and a sunny day.