All posts by HealthyLife

HealthyLife is a part of www.WeRIndia.com, an all India – centric website (https://healthylife.werindia.com) and is solely owned and operated by WeRIndia.com. It is a Indian nutritional portal providing educational articles.This nutritional port was launched on February 5th, 2015.
DATE & GRAPE MANTHA DRINK

DATE & GRAPE MANTHA DRINK

Health benefits: Mantha drink can work as energy booster for compromised digestive health, dehydration, or fatigue. It is rich in iron so good for post-surgery, anemic patients, and pregnant women. Rich in electrolytes such as potassium, magnesium, calcium and in an instant energy source and a body coolant. Rich in vitamin B6. It is gluten free so great alternative for celiac disease during flares and due to its fiber contents, good alternative for colitis, hemorrhoids.

Mantha means mashed or well blended. The drink which is prepared by churning or blending the ingredients well and diluting with cold water is known as Mantha.

 Ingredients

  1. Seedless grapes – 30 gm
  2. Soft dates – 20 gm
  3. Puffed paddy – roasted – 3 teaspoons (15 gm)
  4. Jaggery – 10 gm
  5. Cold water – 300 ml

No of Servings: 2 glasses (400 ml)

Preparation Method:

Blend the ingredients in a mixer grinder, add cold water and stir well. For better effects ingredients can be soaked for an hour in required quantity of water before blending.

Contradictions

Not advisable for diabetics because of high glycemic index. Puffed rice is rich in carbohydrates, therefore, too much use may lead to obesity

Image credit; Image by David Mark from Pixabay (CC by 0)

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: June 17, 2021
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YUSHA MEDICATED SOUP

YUSHA MEDICATED SOUP

Health benefits: Yusha is used as a nutritious drink and as adjuvant or vehicle (anupana) with medicines. It is easy to digest and less likely to cause bloating, indigestion and flatulence because of green gram and fenugreek so can be used post-surgery, post-delivery to meet protein demands when digestion is weak. It contains less phytic acid so increases body’s ability to absorb iron and other minerals. The high fiber and protein levels produce longer satiety times by increasing the satiety hormone cholecystokinin. The presence of large amount of magnesium makes it a potent BP regulator.

Yusha is the watery portion drained after cooking pulses. Green gram is standard pulse, but other types of pulses also can be used. Salt, ghee or other oils, pepper, cumin seeds, coriander seeds etc. may be added to obtain desired taste and benefit.

Ingredients

  1. Green gram – 50 gm
  2. Water – 200 ml
  3. Salt – 5 gm
  4. Pepper – as per taste
  5. Oil/ghee – 10 ml
  6. Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
  7. Fenugreek seeds – 6 to 8 seeds
  8. Curry leaves – 5 – 10
  9. Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon

Total quantity: 2 bowls (400ml)

Preparation:

Cook green gram and take the substrate, add salt. Roast some pepper on flame, crush them and add to the substrate, boil for 3 minutes. Season with mustard, fenugreek and curry leaves. Add lime juice or dry raw mango powder. Yusha or delicious soup is ready. Coriander leaves, ajwain (carom seeds), garlic can be added as per the taste and availability.

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on:
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RAGI AND BANANA SMOOTHIE

RAGI AND BANANA SMOOTHIE

Health benefits: This smoothie is an ideal breakfast for all age groups. Jaggery is rich in iron and minerals. Ragi is a great source of iron and calcium. Healthy alternative for celiac patients if coconut milk is used instead of normal milk as it is naturally gluten-free and alkaline. Because of its high nutritional content, longer satiety and it is recommended as a weaning food for babies. It is good for blood pressure because of its high potassium and magnesium and low sodium levels. Aids milk production in lactating mothers. It is rich in antioxidants and amino acids (especially tryptophan) which help to provide relief from conditions like anxiety, hypertension, depression, and migraine.

A Smoothie is a thick, creamy, and cold beverage made from pureed raw fruits, vegetables, and sometimes dairy products, typically using a blender. The healthfulness of a smoothie depends on its ingredients and their proportions. Many smoothies include large or multiple servings of fruits and vegetables, which are recommended in a healthy diet and intended to be a meal replacement.

Ingredients

  1. Ragi powder/ flakes – 3 spoons (45 gm)
  2. Ripe banana – 1-1/2 (120 gm)
  3. Jaggery or palm sugar – 15 gm
  4. Milk/ coconut water/ butter milk
  5. coconut milk/ plain water – 200 ml

No. of servings: 1 glass (250-300 ml)

Preparation:

Roast washed and dried ragi, make fine powder. If ragi flakes are available, soak for 5 minutes. In a blender add banana, jaggery / palm sugar, ragi flakes or powder and blend for few seconds. Then add the liquid of choice and then blend for some or time till it is smooth and homogeneous.

Precaution

Diabetics and obese persons can have without jaggery

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on:
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GREEN SOUP

GREEN SOUP

Health Benefits: Green leaves are rich in iron and fiber contents. Including green leaves in diet helps to improve digestive system health and keeps body fit. They supply almost no calories and hence are good choice for reducing weight.

Green leaves have long been used as a milk-boosting food. This light, flavorful soup made with fresh fenugreek or other edible leaves and dal water (supernatant of boiled pulses) not only improves breast milk but aids digestion and provides appropriate nutrition as well.

Ingredients

  1. Fenugreek/ spinach or any other green leaves – 1 cup
  2. Onion finely chopped – 1/2 cup
  3. Ripe tomato (finely chopped) – 1
  4. Garlic cloves (minced) – 3-4
  5. Dal water (supernatant of boiled pulses) – 2 cups
  6. Salt and pepper powder – to taste
  7. Oil – 1 teaspoon

Total quantity: 2 cups (1 serving)

preparation:

Heat oil in a pan, add chopped onion, garlic and sauté until onions turn translucent, add the tomatoes, and cook for a few more minutes. Now add cleaned and chopped green leaves and sauté until they soften, then add 2 cups of diluted dal water, salt, and simmer for 15 minutes. Blend half of the quantity and then add this to the rest of the soup and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add pepper powder to taste.

Image credit: Image by Robert Forster from Pixabay (CC by 0)

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on:
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RASALA -Medicated Curd

RASALA -Medicated Curd

Health benefits: This recipe is rejuvenating, appetizing, carminative a probiotic & strength promoting and useful in inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and colitis. It is recommended to take in summer and autumn. It is good for general debility and emaciation.

Curd, when churned with sugar and spices such as pepper is known as Rasala.

Ingredients

  1. Fresh curd – 1 cup (150 ml)
  2. Pepper powder – 1/2 teaspoon (3 gm)
  3. Jaggery /sugar – 10 gm (2 teaspoons)
  4. Salt – 1/2 teaspoon (2 gm)
  5. Butter/ghee – 1 teaspoon
  6. Mustard – 1 teaspoon
  7. Fenugreek – 1/2 teaspoon (3 gm)
  8. Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon (3 gm)
  9. Crushed red chilli – 1 or 2, as per taste
  10. Curry leaves – 5 to 6

Total quantity: 1 glass (200-250 ml)

Preparation:

Pepper powder, jaggery and salt are added to fresh curd and blended well using a blender or traditional churning. Heat butter or ghee in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, add fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, red chilies and curry leaves and use it for seasoning. Salt can be used in place of jaggery /sugar as per the taste and requirement. Ressala is ready to serve with roti, rice etc. or as a health drink by adding more water and lemon juice.

Contradiction: During respiratory illness.

Image credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/340373684345488978/

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on:
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Diet & home exercises for diabetes

Home based exercises and Diet for Diabetic People During Pandemic

Regular physical activity and nutritious food intake is important to all to keep fit and healthy. This applies to people who have chronic conditions like diabetes. Daily exercise and balanced diet keeps body fit, fine and immune system active. While many countries are opening up gyms, sports centers and parks for walks, countries like India which is still under lockdown making it hard for people to step out and do regular activities. A series of daily exercises are recommended for Diabetic people from ANIAD, the Italian National association of Athletes with Diabetes. These activities will help to burn good amount of calories to stay fit.

Recommended exercises:

Treadmill: One hour brisk waling which can be split into three 20 minutes sessions. Based on age, energy level and preferences, individual can adapt to uphill walk, increase speed etc.

Stationary bicycle:  15-minutes, two sessions at variable intensity, if the equipment has recliner option, then session can be increased a bit as the backrest gives support during exercise.

Bodyweight exercises: Push-ups, squats, lunges, crunches, sit-ups, forward bends, weight lifts will help tone the muscle and increases energy level.

Stretching and increasing flexibility: Yoga, Pilates, will help to increase flexibility, and keeps mind calm.

Walking inside home: If you have staircase walk up and down for 8 sets of stairs for 6 floors. Or simply do brisk walk inside home covering entire house for half an hour to one hour.

Jumping jacks and total body exercise: Use small weights, ankle weights or wrist weights to perform total body exercises. This can be done at home easily.

  • Two series of 20 Jumping Jacks (on-site jumps with synchronized leg and arm spreading and closing)
  • Two series of 15 crunches (abdomen strengthening)
  • Two series of 15 forward flexes (lower back muscle strengthening)
  • Two series of 10 rowing exercises using dumbbells and slight forward flexion (back muscle strengthening)
  • Two series of 8 push-ups (pectoral muscle strengthening – knees to floor for beginners)
  • Two series of 8 sitting/standing hand-weight lifts (shoulder muscle strengthening)
  • Five minutes of treadmill training or stationary/reclined bicycle
  • Three series x 15 squats (lower limb strengthening)
  • 20 minutes treadmill training
  • Final stretching and relaxation.

Plan your meals and record what you eat :

While at home, take time to plan on your meals for the entire week including the important meal of the day – Breakfast. Include fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Eat balanced, fresh, and unprocessed food 

  1. Eat fruits, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils, beans), nuts and whole grains. Include milk and yogurt.
  2. For snacks, choose raw vegetables and fresh fruit. Cut down on sugar, fat and salt.
  3. To reduce loss of important vitamins and nutrients do not  overcook vegetables and fruit.
  4. Avoid canned food as much as possible. If you must then while using canned or dried vegetables and fruit, choose varieties without added salt or sugar.

Eat moderate amount of fat and sugar:

  1. Consume unsaturated fats over saturated fats.
  2. Use low-fat or reduced-fat versions of milk and dairy products.
  3. Avoid industrially produced trans fats. Avoid processed fast food, snack food, fried food, frozen pizza, pies, cookies, margarines and spreads.
  4. Limit the amount of salt and high sodium condiments (soy and fish sauce, hard cheese).
  5. Limit your daily salt intake to less than 5 g (approximately 1 teaspoon), use iodized salt
  6. Limit or say no to your intake of soft drinks or sodas and other drinks that are high in sugar.
  7. Choose fresh fruits instead of sweet snacks such as cookies, cakes and chocolate.

Portion control: Focus on portion control. Listen to your brian what it says – need more food or your stomach is full?

Prepare home cooked meals: Rather than eating outside and premade food, cook simple meals at home. If you prefer delivery of home cooked meals, order it from sources that follow hygiene rules.

Drink plenty of fluids: Water is the best drink. Drink enough water to keep yourself hydrated. Drink fresh smoothie, fruit juice that are suitable for your condition.

Practice mindful eating: Avoid any distraction (like watching phone, TV etc) during your meals.

In summary:

  • Adopt to proper exercising habits by knowing your ability. Monitor your health before, during and after exercise.
  • Focus on nutrient, calorie intake. Select healthy foods that are rich in nutrients and control on sugar, salt and fat.
  • Take good rest, get good sleep.

For further information on how to take care of Diabetes in this pandemic please visit:

https://www.idf.org/

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: June 4, 2021
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The Good and Bad Anger

The Good and Bad Anger

Most of the time anger does not give us good reputation. Anger mostly associated with lack of respect, bad choice of words and negative energy. We never know how our reactions could be for some circumstances especially when it come to anger. Without recognizing our emotions we can get angry in a good or bad way. Do you know sometimes the feeling of anger is also good for you providing you should be able to recognize that the anger that you have at that moment is good or bad.

Feeling of anger can be good and bad. Bad anger can destroy a life. With bad anger, a person will enjoy seeing others getting hurt or in trouble.

With good anger (an emotion), it is different – you know you did the right thing, you want to stand up for yourself and you might feel helpless. In these situations, you will end up getting angry with yourself. Good anger is the one that you should feel right about, before expressing yourself.

How to recognize these two feelings? Feeling of good, healthy anger vs. bad, unhealthy anger?

Anger is a secondary feeling that arises due to frustration, anxiety, fear and hurt. To distinguish between the two types of anger : Healthy anger that propels you to act to protect and promotes your growth and the bad anger that is destructive and destroys the growth.

A proverb says “If you are angry over something that someone did to you today… that’s on them. If you are still angry over the same thing a year later… that’s on you.”

Anger is a feeling and it is not an action. In other words, what you do with these feelings does matter.

Recognizing Healthy Anger – With good anger you can justify yourself with proper reasons. You will be able to control this type of anger because of your positive nature towards the person and situation.

  • When someone whom you love demands something from you, you will find yourself in a situation that you will swallow your feelings for the sake of loved ones. You get annoyed but you will not show your feelings outside.
  • When you feel that your loved one is saying something and you disagree with it and will hold back your words or you will talk to the person only inside your head and cannot say those words (to avoid fights).
  • The anger that comes from expectation – you are fed up of doing something for someone all the time and you get sick and tired of doing stuff.
  • Anger that comes out when you keep doing something to family and friends and in turn they don’t reciprocate or never attempts to understand your feelings and your wants.
  • Good anger comes and goes fast – no one will get hurt.

Recognizing Unhealthy Anger: With bad anger you cannot reason yourself.

  • You will feel strong and aggressive to shut someone down
  • You will enjoy the feeling of victory over someone who try to appease you
  • When someone does not give attention, you will feel enraged right away
  • You don’t allow to let it go from your mind for a longtime and don’t feel like forgiving. This is the type of anger that spoils relationship and is toxic.
  • The anger that often exhibits in a sudden fit of rage that stems from our selfish motivations and is generally characterized by a lack of self-control is bad.
  • Some people are quick tempered for small, no reasons and this temper is bad.
  • Often the bad anger leads to fights, spoils the relationship and destroys one’s life.

It is important to make a distinction between two types of anger feelings and chose what is good for our growth. That anger that is not motivated by selfishness and is characterized by self-control is good one and is the right one. It is also important to adopt proper strategies to control the anger to lead a balanced and peaceful life.

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Reference: Healthylife.werindia.com

Image credit: Image by Anastasia Gepp from Pixabay  (Free for commercial use)

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: May 9, 2021
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Post Covid Nutrition

WHO: Nutrition and Food Recommendation for Adults Post Covid-19 Recovery

Post Covid-19 patients who return home must consider taking nutrient rich food. At hospital care takers will give nutrient and calorie rich food that helps to bring energy back. After returning home what should be the diet and what can be eaten and what cannot be? To answer the question World Health Organization has given instructions which helps people to recover and gain strength as well as immunity back – Healthy Life

Proper nutrition and hydration are vital. People who eat a well-balanced diet tend to be healthier with stronger immune systems and lower risk of chronic illnesses and infectious diseases. So you should eat a variety of fresh and unprocessed foods every day to get the vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, protein and antioxidants your body needs. Drink enough water. Avoid sugar, fat, and salt to significantly lower your risk of overweight, obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

Eat fresh and unprocessed foods every day

  • Eat fruits, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils, beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, brown rice or starchy tubers or roots such as potato, yam, taro or cassava), and foods from animal sources (if you are non-vegetarian).
  • Daily, eat: 2 cups of fruit (4 servings), 2.5 cups of vegetables (5 servings), 180 g of grains, and 160 g of beans.
  • For snacks, choose raw vegetables and fresh fruit rather than foods that are high in sugar, fat or salt.
  • Do not overcook vegetables and fruit as this can lead to the loss of important vitamins.
  • When using canned or dried vegetables and fruit, choose varieties without added salt or sugar.

Drink enough water every day

  • Water is essential for life. It transports nutrients and compounds in blood, regulates your body temperature, gets rid of waste, and lubricates and cushions joints.
  • Drink 8–10 cups of water every day.
  • Water is the best choice, but you can also consume other drinks, fruits and vegetables that contain water, for example lemon juice (diluted in water and unsweetened), tea and coffee. But be careful not to consume too much caffeine, and avoid sweetened fruit juices, syrups, fruit juice concentrates, fizzy and still drinks as they all contain sugar.

Eat moderate amounts of fat and oil

  • Consume unsaturated fats (e.g. found in fish, avocado, nuts, olive oil, soy, canola, sunflower and corn oils) rather than saturated fats.
  • Where possible, opt for low-fat or reduced-fat versions of milk and dairy products.
  • Avoid industrially produced trans fats. These are often found in processed food, fast food, snack food, fried food, frozen pizza, pies, cookies, margarines, and spreads.

Eat less salt and sugar

  • When cooking and preparing food, limit the amount of salt and high-sodium condiments (e.g. soy sauce and fish sauce).
  • Limit your daily salt intake to less than 5 g (approximately 1 teaspoon), and use iodized salt.
  • Avoid foods (e.g. snacks) that are high in salt and sugar.
  • Limit your intake of soft drinks or sodas and other drinks that are high in sugar (e.g. fruit juices, fruit juice concentrates and syrups, flavored milks and yogurt drinks).
  • Choose fresh fruits instead of sweet snacks such as cookies, cakes and chocolate.

Avoid eating out

  • Eat at home to reduce your rate of contact with other people and lower your chance of being exposed to COVID-19. We recommend maintaining a distance of at least 1 meter between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. That is not always possible in crowded social settings like restaurants and cafes. Droplets from infected people may land on surfaces and people’s hands (e.g. customers and staff), and with lots of people coming and going, you cannot tell if hands are being washed regularly enough, and surfaces are being cleaned and disinfected fast enough.

Information reference: http://www.emro.who.int/nutritionhttp://www.emro.who.int/nutrition

Image credit: Moong daal khichadi Flavors of Mumbai

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: May 4, 2021
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