Health Benefits of Herbs

Post Pregnancy-Weight Loss

Pregnancy is a beautiful thing to happen to a woman's life. It also adds weight to the beautiful figure you had before. Getting back to shape & looking like a sexy Mom surely is on the top of the list. Just to help out all those women I'm writing this post.

1. Breastfeeding: It is good for you & your baby both. Breastfeeding helps burn around 500 calories.

2. Drink Water: Drinking water helps you keep hydrated & during breastfeeding the body has a tendency to dehydrate.

3. Eat smaller meals, many times a day: Eating small meals are related to weight loss & helps weight maintenance. Skipping meals is not a good idea, as then the body tends to store carbs for future use. Eating lots of vegetables, fruits & fiber filled foods help you feel full for longer.

4. Avoid craving: Eat only when hungry & keep tempting foods out of sight. This will not only help you reduce the excess weight but also help the baby get the right nutrient share. You are the source of nutrients to the baby when you breastfeed.

5. Exercise: Do not hit the gym! Light exercise including walking, aerobics & yoga can be of great help in this phase.

If the above steps are taken care of especially taking care of the diet will surely help.

Saturday Brunch- Pasta!!!

Happy Saturday to all! Lazing around & eating good food is all I want to do. So thought of sharing a brunch recipe, Chicken Pasta in Red Sauce.

Chicken Pasta in Red Sauce

Ingredients
Penne Pasta: 200 g
Chicken: 1 cup small cubes
Broccoli: 1 small
Peas: 1 cup
Baby Corn: 5-6
Onion: 1 medium
Vinegar: 1 tablespoon
Red sauce (tomato based): 1 tablespoon
Oregano: 1/2 teaspoon
Fresh Grounded Black Pepper: 1/ 2 teaspoon
Salt: as per taste
Olive Oil: 1 tablespoon

Preparation
1. Boil the pasta, till it becomes tender. Strain the water & keep aside.
2. Dice the vegetables in 1 inch pieces. Marinate the chicken in vinegar, salt & pepper for 10 min
3. Toss the vegetables till golden in a little oil. Keep it aside in a bowl.
4. Toss the marinated chicken on low flame, cover it till it is cooked & the chicken secretes the fats. Add the vegetables to it & let it cook for some time.
5. Add the pasta to the mix & toss it well, add salt & freshly grounded pepper.
6. Add the sauce & mix it well. Sprinkle the oregano over the recipe & it is ready to be served hot.

A Happy Saturday with a happy brunch....

Healthy Breakfast: Rawa Uttapam

The instant South Indian meals are easy to cook as well as healthy & tasty. I will share the recipe of Instant Rawa Uttapam for a healthy breakfast.

Rawa Uttapam

Ingredients
Rawa or Semolina: 2 cups
Yogurt (un-fattened): 3 cups
Green Capsicum: 1/2 cup chopped
Cauliflower:1/2 cup chopped
Tomato: 1 medium chopped
Onion: 1 medium chopped
Chillies: 2 chopped
Salt: as per taste
Oil

Preparation:
1. Mix the Rawa & Yogurt well till a smooth paste is made. Mix it well with salt.
2. Add the onion & chillies to the mix. Let it stand for 15 min
3. Mix the rest of the veggies in a bowl & add some salt. This will help it get cooked easily and also the taste would be better.
4. On a non-stick pan, let it heat up and then brush oil.
5. Pour the batter enough to get a 6" uttapam.
6. After it is half cooked, add the veggies on the top & turn the side.
7. Let the other side cook on low flame for 2-3 min.
8. Serve it hot with veggie side up.
9. You can make the chutney also with khus khus paste, coconut paste & curd mixed or enjoy it with tomato sauce.

A healthy breakfast with good proteins & good taste served on the platter. Thanks!

Low Carb Breakfast Ideas with Eggs!

Here I am with a few ideas of low carb breakfasts, a day started with protein packed diet will keep you satiated & energized for hours. What better to start your day with eggs... they are protein packed & filled with nutrients you would love to start your day with. Here are a few egg recipes to try for breakfasts.

Omelette: Make your omelette your way! Add low fat goat cheese or crumbled cottage cheese to your omelette or spice it up with bell peppers & tomatoes. Spice up your mornings!

Scrambled Eggs: Add herbs oregano or parsley to your scrambled eggs with a flavour of cayenne pepper with a pinch of lemon. Your scrambled would taste heavenly.

Baked Eggs with cream & mushroom: Bake your eggs with cream & mushroom, they make a good way to start your day, if you are not fond of mushrooms choose your veggies.

Devilled Eggs: Boil the eggs & change the taste of the yolk as you want. Add herbs, spices & molten low fat cheese & fill your egg whites again. Cilantro added as garnishing makes it taste the best.

Poached eggs: Use fresh eggs to poach & if you want some flavours added to your egg, make small pouches of eggs in food grade plastic & add the spices. Put the pouches in boiling water & in 5 min your poached eggs are ready.

Sunny-side Up: Just have it like that!

Let me know your pick of recipe for your eggs for a healthy low carb breakfast. Thanks!

Healthy Vegetarian Recipe: Dahi Soya Chunks

A protein-rich vegetarian recipe with a different tasty tinge is on the plates today. Dahi is none other than yogurt which is known for its great nutritional values, rich in calcium easy to digest & light on the stomach. Soya chunks or soya nuggets possess the qualities of soy protein, an excellent source of plant protein.

Dahi Soya Chunks

Ingredients:
Soya nuggets: 100 g (2-3 cups)
Yogurt: 200 ml
Turmeric powder: 1/2 teaspoon
Paprika or Kashmiri Lal powder: 1 teaspoon (This is for the red color)
Coriander powder: 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin powder: 1/2 teaspoon
Onion:1 medium
Ginger: 1/2 inch
Garlic: 1-2 cloves
Chili: 2-3
Mustard Seeds: 1 teaspoon
Dried Chili: 2-3
Kadi patta or Curry Leaves: 4-5 twigs
Rice bran oil or any white oil of your choice: 1 tablespoon
Salt & Sugar to taste

Preparation:
1. Soak the nuggets in hot water & boil till soft (3-5 min in boiling water).
2. Blend the yogurt with the spices turmeric powder, Red Kashmiri mirch powder, coriander powder & cumin powder with salt to taste.
3. Heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, dried chilis, chopped onion, ginger, garlic, chili, curry leaves. Add the nuggets till they turn slightly golden.
4. Add the blended yogurt, Stir it well & let it boil. Stirring helps the curry to remain smooth. Check the salt & add a pinch of sugar before taking off.
5. Serve hot with Indian breads or rice.

A simple tasty & healthy recipe for the family to enjoy. 

Natural Beauty Tips for Oily Skin

Suffering from an oily skin, feel sticky all the time, then this article will sure help. Good skin is like a mirror of the well being. However well dressed & chique you look without the perfect skin you cannot look beautiful. If your skin is soft, supple & glows even a tee & jeans would make you look pretty. Oily skin is also acts like a magnet to dirt & pollution making you look dull & tired. These natural tips at home will help you alot fight the odds.

1. Lemon juice applied liberally over the face helps pull out the oil from the skin. Wash after 10 mins & you get a soft oil-free skin. This is an age old remedy works well for oily hair as well.

2. Gentle scrubbing helps the skin to breathe, cleaning the clogged pores of dirt. It also removes dead skin cells & renews your skin surface. The extra sebum, dead cells & dirt are one of the major causes of acne, blackheads, whiteheads etc. The gentle exfoliation helps the blood circulation & gives a glow to the skin.

3. A face mask once a week from natural substances like papaya & lemon juice, apple & honey, almond & honey work miracles for an oily skin. Keeping for 15-20 min and washing it with cold water is very good for skin.

4. Cucumbers also help to manage oily skin due to their cooling, astringent, and soothing properties. The high vitamin and mineral content, magnesium, and potassium, are good for oily skin. Rub a slice of cucumber before going to bed. Wash it in the morning with water.

5. Use a skin toner everyday which will provide the skin with essential nutrients & wipe off extra oil secreted. Rosewater is one of the best known natural toners. Make sure if using any other toner it should be alcohol free.

Try these tips for beautiful oil-free skin.