Monday, October 5, 2015

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.
Rawa Uttapam a healthy breakfast option4. 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!

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

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.

Sunny side upOmelette: 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!


Tuesday, August 25, 2015

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 healthy vegetarian recipe

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

Thursday, August 20, 2015

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.

Natural home care tips for oily skin1. 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.

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Best Food for the New Mom

Post pregnancy the food you eat can make you and your baby healthy. The right food not only gives you a good health, lose the extra pounds but also will ensure a healthy baby. Foods that give you constant energy the new mom needs & the nutrients both mom and the baby needs, because if it doesn't come from the food it goes away from the mother's body.

1. Water: The body consists of 75% water and the body needs it for making milk for the baby also, so definitely increasing water intake will help you to make more milk. Also the breast-feeding can cause dehydration in the lactating mother, so drinking water helps.

2. Salmon: Salmons like any other fatty fish have a compound called DHA, which is essential for the nervous system of the baby. The mother's milk has DHA but the nutrient might not be enough if not taken in mother's diet.

3. Low fat dairy product: Dairy products like milk, yogurt & cheese help provide the body with essential calcium, protein, Vitamin D & Vitamin B complex to the body & also the milk you feed to your baby gives him the strength for stronger bones with the calcium & Vitamin D.

Good nutrition is essential for the nursing mother for her & her child's well being
4. Legumes: A good source of proteins for vegetarians & vegans. Intake of the dark colored legumes like kidney beans & black beans also provide a good amount of iron in the milk.

5. Oranges: Powerhouse of antioxidant & rich in Vitamin C, they are very much needed by the nursing mother, if sipping on juices check out for natural ones without high sugar levels.

6. Garlic: Garlic has been known as age old remedy for boosting milk in new mothers. Adding it to food not only adds flavor but also the bonus. If not fan of garlic in food, can take pills which are equally good & does not have the afterward pungent smell.

7: Leafy Greens: They are a great source of Vitamin A which is good for the baby. They are also a great source of calcium for vegans. They also provide ample amount of iron & Vitamin C and known for excellent heart healthy anti-oxidants.

8. Eggs: They are versatile way to provide the body with protein & nutrients. If DHA fortified eggs are available in your area, you stand a better chance to increase your DHA intake.

There are also other advised foods which are good during & after pregnancy, you can add the best to your diet for your & your baby's health. A sick mother cannot be a great mom. Thanks!

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Fertility Friendly Foods!

If you are trying to start a family & want babies, believe me, diet does help. Our ancestors have always said that the kind of food we eat makes us more fertile & some affect adversely, it's true. So, we will list some foods which, is also suggested by preliminary research, help women in the ovulation stage. A healthy diet which is clean from chemicals & organically grown can give the best results.

Dairy Product: Adding dairy to your daily diet helps you in the preconception stage. It is suggested to to keep it low fat in all forms of milk, yogurt & cheese if you want to keep a watch on your weight as well. But it is known that a full fat version helps in the ovulation stage for women. But keep it under limit to avoid any unwanted consequences.

Lean Meat: Lean version of chicken, turkey or red meat helps improve the protein intake the body. Not only protein they are high source of iron & the iron present in the diet in preconception stages improve the chances. Also remember too much of animal protein will not be good. Vegan diet can add iron by spinach & other leafy vegetables in the diet.

Whole grains or Complex carbohydrates: Any carbohydrate source with a low glycemic index keeping a good watch the insulin is good. Insulin spikes & changing sugar levels are not good for fertility. So, ditch the refined flours & rice etc. Complex carbohydrates are difficult to digest & release the insulin & sugar periodically, this also helps the ovulation process.

Berries: Any berries like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries etc are great if you are planning for the next step. The antioxidants protect you from cell damage & cell aging, including your ovum. The best part is they taste good as well, add to the fruit salad, custard or smoothie.

Omega 3 fatty acids: The best source are fatty fishes and if you are vegan nuts like almonds, sesame, pumpkin seeds etc are great for you. They increase the blood flow to the reproductive organs, beefing up fertility also improving the production of hormones necessary for the reproduction cycle.

These foods for fertility can improve ovulation, hormones production and the health of the eggs and sperms. These foods for fertility also prepare a woman to have a healthy pregnancy. A balanced diet & stress-free life is the best way to a better family planning.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Home Remedies for Acidity & Heartburn

Hi Friends! Hope all of you are doing great. I decided to write about a topic lot of Indians suffer from & probably blame the spicy food we eat, acidity or acid reflux. And at times it does get bad & causes many more associated digestive problems. I will gist down some home remedies which are found to be pretty effective.

1. Raw potato grated & the juice with some water lets acidity vanish in a few minutes. This works like a miracle for acidity.

2.Green coconut water taken daily helps in digestion & aids in relief from acidity & heartburn, also increases appetite.

3. Ginger is known to be great for digestion so adding it to your recipe helps you fight problems related to the stomach.

4. Lemon, Yogurt, Almond & Jaggery are all known for their good effects to soothe heart burns immediately.
Learn about home remedies for heartburn & acidity
5. Avoid caffeine & aerated drinks for best results.

6. Drinking a glass of lukewarm water in the morning empty stomach helps.

7. Clove & cumin are also known excellent for acidity problems, so adding it to food helps. One Clove can also be had raw once a day.

8. Basil Leaves help you with instant relief from acidity gas & nausea.

9. Chewing a sugar free gum also helps lower acidity as it produces saliva which eases out the digestion process & reduces heartburn.

10. Cold milk also helps alot, and if you are suffering from acidity ensure not to drink hot milk, and also don't add any additives like sugar or flavors etc.

These home remedies mentioned above have been tried & tested over years & have aided in relief from acidity & heartburn. Hope it also helps you.