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.
Delicious and healthy buttermilk rasam

Delicious and healthy buttermilk rasam

During winter time we hesitate to drink cold buttermilk yet we feel like drinking buttermilk. Here is a way to drink buttermilk during winter -try this delicious recipe – buttermilk rasam and get all the benefit of buttermilk. It slightly warm and tastes delicious because of another wonderful ingredient namely coconut milk. Both together give not only good taste also provide all the benefit that they are known for. Buttermilk is good for digestion and helps to lighten the system. Coconut milk contains nutrients that are unique and helps in boosting our energy.

Why delay… try this simple recipe today at home!

Ingredients :

  1. Buttermilk – 2 cups
  2. Grated coconut – ½ cup
  3. Salt – as per taste
  4. Asafetida- little
  5. Clarified butter / ghee – 1 tsp
  6. Mustard – 1 tsp
  7. Cumin 1 tsp
  8. Urad daal – 1 tsp
  9. Green chillis – 1 or 2
  10. Warm water – 1 cup
  11. Chopped cilantro – 2 Tbs
  12. Curry leaves – few

*One can add chopped onion – 2 tsp (optional)

 Method:

  1. Grind grated coconut in warm water and squeeze to get the milk. Collect the milk and keep away the left over aside.
  2. Now, mix coconut milk, butter milk and salt in a container.
  3. In a pan heat clarified butter on medium heat and add urad daal, mustard, cumin seeds and green chilli. Add asafetida and curry leaves and turn off the heat.
  4. Add this above seasoning to buttermilk rasam and sprinkle chopped cilantro. If you prefer you can add cut onion too.
  5. One can drink this buttermilk rasam or mix with white rice along with pickle on the side!

Recipe: www.werindia.com


Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: November 20, 2017
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Remedies For Menstruation Problems

Remedies For Menstruation Problems

Apart from taking tablets and medicines there are several grandma’s remedies easily available at your home kitchen. Try these remedies next time and see how it works out for your condition. If the problem that you are facing not reduces within a day or two then contact your family physician.

Here are home remedies and tips to take care of yourself during your period times.

Periods (Menstruation) getting slightly delayed – How to get periods on time?

It is due for your monthly periods, but you still have not got it and you are having slight stomach ache only i.e., there is a slight delay of periods (menstruation).There is a simple grandmas home remedy to get your periods, almost immediately within a day. Sesame and jaggery are the magic home medicines. There are 2 ways in which one can consume this. -Sesame seeds for delayed periods and sesame seeds and jaggery.

  1. Sesame should be dry roasted in a frying pan, ground with jaggery and eaten. This has a very a yummy taste and it is really unstoppable. You don’t need to stop. You can simply eat 5 to 6 tablespoons in a day and if you have still not got it, you can eat the next day also.
  2. Sesame and jaggery are mixed and sold as nutri bars (popularly known as chikki in India) in many supermarkets which can be readily eaten.

Caution:

A word of caution to expecting ladies. Women who doubt if they could be pregnant should avoid this before confirming pregnancy. If it is confirmed that they are pregnant, then they should stay away from this.

For cramps and bloating :

  1. To warm water add little asafetida powder, salt and lemon juice. Mix well and drink slowly. This reduces bloating and cramps.
  2. To one cup of plain yogurt add a tea spoon of cumin powder and eat.
  3. Boil water and add coriander powder and cumin powder for couple of minutes. Strain the water and drink.
  4. Chew few cumin seeds.
  5. Drink buttermilk with asafoetida and cumin powder: Add little salt for taste. This one is always a winner.
  6. Ginger – ginger is a tummy tamer!

Drink ginger tea – add one or two inch ginger to water, boil and add sugar. Drink.

Add few drops of honey to fresh ginger/ ginger powder and consume it.

  1. Keep heating pad on your lower tummy where you get pain.
  2. Apply lavender oil on the lower abdomen and gently massage for 3-4 minutes. Do this every half an hour till the pain reduces.
  3. Drink basil leaves tea to reduces stomach cramps.
  4. Have hot water bath and expose lower abdomin portion to hot water, followed by slightly cold water. Drink plenty of warm water to reduce the pain.
  5. Drink turmeric milk with little ginger and sugar.

To control heavy bleeding:

  1. Try using cold compress. The cold temperature will cause vasoconstriction, which means constriction of the blood vessels. This will help reduce the flow of blood as well as pain in the lower abdomen.
  2. Add a pinch or two cayenne peppers to water with a tsp of honey and drink 2 to 3 times a day.
  3. Add crushed coriander seeds to boiling water. Bring the water to half and drink with little sugar.
  4. If you are lucky and banana flower is available then, use it. Eating cooked banana flower with a cup of curd increases progesterone and helps control excessive menstrual bleeding.
  5. Foods like sesame seeds, water melon seeds, oat, cocoa, pumpkin, squash must be included in the diet. These are magnesium rich foods. Magnesium helps in stopping menstrual bleeding.
  6. A mixture of 10 ml of liquid extract of mango bark in 130 ml of water is effective in arresting excessive periods. Take one teaspoon of this preparation every hour.
  7. Take 40 grams of dried mustard seeds and grind to fine powder. Take 2 grams of mustard seed powder with milk twice a day before or during menstrual cycle to arrest excessive bleeding.
  8. Keep consuming iron rich food – leafy vegetables, molasses, pumpkin, raisin, apricot etc. will help to control iron leach from the body.

If the bleeding does not come to control in 5 to 6 days and you need to change your pad 5 times a day then contact your doctor for further care.

To control Nausea:

  1. Try frozen ginger chips. First, infuse fresh ginger in hot water. Strain, and then freeze the concoction in ice cube trays. Crush the cubes and suck the icy chips throughout the day to provide your tummy with a steady soothing dribble. Ginger’s anti-nausea properties are particularly effective during pregnancy or after surgery.
  2. Drink lemon juice with sugar and a pinch of salt.
  3. Drink warm water.
  4. Drink ginger tea as explained in controlling bloating.

Yoga practice:

Several yoga poses helps to strengthen the uterus. Understand which yoga pose is good for your problem. Practice yoga minimum 30 minutes a day. This will help you to improve health related to uterus. Boat pose, chair pose, child pose, pelvic tilting pose, bridge pose – these few poses that helps to strengthen uterus. Yoga poses that promote circulation to the uterus are slanted plane, cat/cow pose, pigeon, the squat and butterfly. Also, circling your hips to the right and then left in the hands and knees position really gets the blood flowing down there. 

Personal care:

  • Take care of used pads. If possible wash the pad in the sink and then cover with a waste paper and put it in a garbage bag.
  • If you have normal periods change your pads minimum 3 times a day.
  • Carry pads in your handbags all the time. Put it in a Ziploc bag or buy a small pad bag for your usage.
  • Take a shower twice a day during period time.
  • It is important to take rest – sleep minimum 7.5 hrs during period days. Drink plenty of water.
  • If you are not upto then, skip your gym. But go for short walks to keep your muscle active.
  • Do not lift heavy items during blood flow time to avoid any risks to your uterus and back.
  • Drink cumin tea two to three days your PMS to reduce pain during the period time.
  • Keep your leg elevated to avoid edema during periods.

 

Read more at: Healthylife.werindia.com

Image credit: Image by Foundry Co from Pixabay 


Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: November 17, 2017
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MEMORY BOOSTER: GOTU KOLA (ONDELAGA, TIMIRE) DISHES

Memory Booster: Gotu Kola (Ondelaga ,Timire) Dishes

“GOTU KOLA IS REGARDED AS THE MOST SPIRITUAL OF ALL HERBS PROBABLY BECAUSE OF ITS DEVINE CHARACTERS”

If you are in India, probably you will see a runner plant often on roadsides and paddy fields or in farms that have beautiful heart shaped leaves with tender stems. These plants are known as Centella asiatica, or as gotu kola, is an annual herb native to India, Australia and Asia. Its leaves are eaten as a vegetable and it is an important herb in the traditional medicine systems of these places. Research has revealed support for several of Centella asiatica’s purported health benefits. Gotu Kola is a rejuvenating nervine and recommended for nervous disorders, epilepsy, senility and premature aging. As a brain tonic, it is said to aid intelligence and memory. Grandmothers and native herbalists often suggest to young parents to feed gotu kola leaves to their kids to improve kids memory. It also, strengthens the adrenal glands and cleanses the blood to treat skin impurities. One of its constituents, asiaticoside, works to stimulate skin repair and strengthen skin, hair, nails and connective tissue. In India, Gotu kola is regarded as perhaps the most spiritual of all herbs. Growing in some areas of the Himalayas, gotu kola is used by yogis to improve meditation.

Here are two easy Gotu kola recipes:

1) Gotu kola salad:

Ingredients:- 

  • Centella bunch or gotu kola : 1 bunch
  • Shallots chopped : 5-6
  • Green chilli : 3
  • Grated coconut : 2 Tbs
  • Lime Juice: Half Tsp
  • Freshly ground pepper: Half Tsp.
  • Salt: For taste

Method:

Wash and finely cut the gotu kola. Remove any roots or basal part that has root hairs.
Chop the shallots and green chili.
In a medium bowl, mix gotu kola, onion, green chili, grated coconut, pepper and salt together.
Lastly add limejuice and mix again.
Serve this salad before meal or as a side dish with rice, chapatti or rotis.

2) Gotu kola chutney:

Ingredients:

  • Gotu kola Leaves : 1 bunch
  • Coconut : 1 Cup
  • Urd daal : 1 Tsp
  • Pepper: 1/2 Tsp
  • Tamarind : 1 Small Marble size
  • Asafetida : a pinch
  • Salt : as needed
  • Cut raw mangoes : Half cup: Optional (if available in the season)

Method :

  • Slightly dry fry the gotu kola leaves, pepper and urd daal.
  • Allow it to cool
  • In a wet grinder add tamarind, asafoetida and fried ingredients along with grated coconut. Grind to fine paste.
  • Add salt and mix well.
  • In a frying pan for seasoning heat little oil add mustard, red chilli and curry leaves. Before serving, add seasoning to the chutney.
  • Serve chutney with, idli, dosa, white rice or as a side dish.
  • One can add curd /yogurt to this chutney and have as raita with pulav and other spicy rice dishes.

Reference:

https://healthylife.werindia.com/your-road-to-healthy-life/gotu-kola-centella-asiatica
Recipe: www.werindia.com


Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: November 16, 2017
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Traditional Iyengar's Puliyogare Recipe

Traditional Iyengar’s Puliyogare Recipe

Puliyogare is famous dish made of tamarind, jaggery and spices.

It is a delicacy of  South Indian states – Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu & Kerala. It is a tangy-spicy South Indian Rice variety, which is known for its long shelf life and great travel food.

Many temples offer tamarind rice as “prasadam” to devotees. It is an integral part of festive menus and wedding feasts.

Because of tamarind and balanced spices the taste and aroma of tamarind makes it one of the most popular breakfast, lunch or dinner item.

The other names for this dish is puliodharai, pulihaara, pulisaadam or tamarind rice.

 Ingredients for puliyogare paste:

1. Cumin – 1 Tbs

2. Fenugreek seeds – 1 Tbs

3. Black pepper – 1 Tbs

4. Mustard – 1/2 tsp

5. Coriander seeds – 3-4 Tbs

6. Red chilies – 6-7 (Guntur variety is good!)

7. Byadgi chilies – 10 – 12

8. Asofietida /hing– 1/2 tsp

9. Jaggery – 3/4 cup crushed

10. Tamarind – 1 cup

11. Salt to taste

Method

1. Soak tamarind in 2 cups of hot water  for 10 – 15 min

2. Except mustard dry roast all the above ingredients separately.

3. Add mustard seeds to the roasted ingredients and allow ingredients to cool

4. Using a dry grinder prepare spice powder of the ingredients.

5. Squeeze the soaked tamarind and collect the thick water.

6. On medium flame heat tamarind thick water and let the consistency become thick. Now add turmeric powder, jaggery and salt. Bring the mixture to boil, stir until jaggery dissolves in it.

7. Now add the spice powder combine it with the mixture, boil it for 5 min on a low flame and turn off the flame.

Preparation of puliyogare: For 2 cups of rice

For seasoning –

1. Black sesame – 1/2 cup

2. Byadagi chilies – 4-5

3. Fresh curry leaves – 1 bunch

4. Urad daal-1 tsp

5. Chenna daal-1 tsp

6. Peanuts – 1/2 cup

7. Mustard – 1 tsp

8. Asafoetida/hing– 1/4 tsp

9. Grated dry coconut (copra) – 1 cup

10. Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

11. Oil – 1 cup

12. Salt to taste

Method :

1. Dry roast black sesame and after cooling prepare coarse powder.

2. In a pan take oil for tempering and on medium flame heat the oil. Add mustard, allow it to splutter and add curry leaves, dry chilies,

3. Now add peanuts fry until it turns to golden brown and crisp

4. Add coarsely powdered sesame powder into it, stir for a while in oil

5. Add grated copra fry it for a minute.

6. Remove pan from the flame and add tamarind mixture and mix properly.

7. Prepare rice (1 cup rice add 2 cups of water). Rice should not be sticky. Use either Sona massori or Basmati rice – both are good for puliyogare.

8. Once rice is ready spread it in a wider vessel. Add puliyogare paste and mix well. If needed add little oil.

.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve  puliyogare hot.

*You can store puliyogare paste (gojju) for about 15 days outside. For long term storage transfer the paste into an air tight container and store in refrigerator.


Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: November 15, 2017
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Cranberry Chutney

Cranberry chutney

Being a versatile fruit, cranberry is used both for food as well as medicinal purposes. Native to North America, cranberry is cultivated for its tremendous applications. It has more antioxidants than many other fruits and vegetables. Rich in Vitamin C and salicylic acid.

Cranberry juice is a popular remedy for urinary tract infections. It is believed to have antitumor property too.

Other benefits of consuming cranberry is, preventing tooth decay and respiratory infections, strengthening of bone and muscle, reduces cold, prevents kidney stone development.

With these, it is also known to emulsify fat deposits and helps in weight loss and obesity.

Cranberry jam, juice, sauce, salsa, jelly, relish, syrup, pancakes, granola, smoothie, ketchup are some of the popular dishes one can make using cranberry.

Another recipe you can add to this list is cranberry chutney! Try this easy recipe in this cranberry season.

Ingredients

  • Cranberry – 3 cups
  • Urad daal – 2 tsp
  • Cumin – ½ tsp
  • Red chilli – 8
  • Asafetida – A pinch
  • Mustard – 1 tsp
  • Curry leaves – 1 string
  • Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
  • Jaggery – One small lemon size or brown sugar -1/2 cup
  • Salt – As per your taste

Preparation:

  • Wash cranberry and transfer on a paper towel to remove excess water
  • Heat 2 to 3 tsp oil in a deep pan and add red chilli, cumin and urad daal. Once all these items fried add cranberry and continue frying. Fry cranberry in the oil and allow it to cook – Cranberry cooks very fast (in less than 10 mins).
  • In a blender/grinder, add above fried mix. Add jaggery, salt and asafetida and grind to a paste.
  • Remove grinded chutney and taste. If needed add salt and jaggery or brown sugar. Cranberry is very sour. To remove sourness you need both salt and jaggery.
  • Season chutney with mustard and curry leaves.
  • After cooling, you can serve cranberry chutney as a side dish for rice item or with chapatti, roti or parata. One can apply it on bread toast. For longtime use store cranberry chutney in an airtight container.

Reference: www.werindia.com


Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: November 7, 2017
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Kitchen hacks one should know

Kitchen hacks one should know

Some kitchen hacks are really useful and makes our kitchen work easy.

  1. If you are using cutting board to cut vegetables and cutting board is moving chances of cutting your fingers is always there. Don’t worry, place a damp paper towel under the cutting board and it is secured in one place
  2. To peel ginger skin, if you don’t have a peeler or misplaced it use a spoon instead of knife.
  3. To peel garlic cloves, take whole garlic and separate cloves by putting pressure. Transfer the cloves in a bottle, put the lid and shake well.
  4. Other way to peel garlic clove is, keep cloves in a microwave container and warm it for 15 secs. Now it is easy to peel the garlic skin.
  5. If butter is too hard and have difficulty in spreading on toast all you need to do is, take a knife and glass of hot water. Dip knife in the water and cut the butter.
  6. If the bread or bun that you bought from store becomes hard and not yet expired, take the bread and cover with a wet paper towel. Bake for 5 minutes. Bread or bun, it becomes soft. Alternatively you can keep in microwave for few seconds.
  7. To keep cut fruits from browning, mix lemon juice with honey and sprinkle on the cut fruits.
  8. To remove seeds from cucumber and squash fruit, use a ice-cream scooper.
  9. If you find it hard to peel citrus fruit skin, microwave fruit for just few seconds and peeling of skin becomes easy!
  10. To stop onions hurting and tearing your eyes, after peeling keep onion for few minutes in freezer. Or hold a bread piece in your mouth. It absorbs Sulfur from onion.
  11. If you cannot spread the hard butter, then use a grater to grate it like cheese and spread it on the bread
  12. If honey in the kitchen is crystallized, take a bowl of water and boil it. Place the honey container in the hot water bowl – you will get de-crystallized honey.
  13. To keep left over cakes for few more days, keep sliced breads with cake. Bread keeps the cake moisture for sometime.
  14. To get clear ice cubes, boil and cool the water before putting in ice cube maker.
  15. To avoid mess while boiling liquids or broth in a pot, place a wooden spoon across on top of the pot. Being a poor conductor of heat, wooden peace stops over boiling and the mess.

Online Grandma: Grandma’s tips

Image credit: Photo by Kaboompics .com from Pexels (Free for commercial use)


Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: November 3, 2017
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Sweet pumpkin Idli

Sweet pumpkin Idli

Sweet pumpkin has a special place in Halloween celebrations.  Carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns is a popular Halloween tradition. Without sweet pumpkins and dishes prepared with sweet pumpkin, Halloween is not enjoyable. Bread, soup, pie – so many varieties of dishes are prepared using pumpkin. This Halloween try a special dish from India. This is similar to traditional idli with pumpkin as the main ingredient. In local language it is called “kadabu” – Sweet pumpkin Idli.

What is in sweet pumpkin that is nutritious?

Sweet pumpkins are low in calories, fat and sodium and are rich in dietary fiber. They provide good amount of Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin E,  potassium, copper and iron.

Recipe for Pumpkin idli:

Ingredients:

  1. Grated pumpkin – 2 cups
  2. Finely chopped pumpkin – ½ cup
  3. Coarse rice – ½ cup
  4. Jaggery (powdered) – ½ cup
  5. Coconut (grated) – ¼ cup
  6. Coconut pieces – 2 Tbs
  7. Salt – as per your taste (less is better)
  8. Cardamom powder – little
  9. Poppy seeds – 1 or 2 tsp
  10. Water – 1 cup

Preparation:

  • Dry roast coarse rice for few minutes or until it gives slight aroma
  • Dissolve jaggery in little water and boil jaggery for few minutes.
  • Add chopped and grated pumpkin, coconut grated and pieces, salt, poppy seeds, coarse rice and cardamom into jaggery water and mix well.
  • Bring the above mix to idli dough consistency. Not too thin. Keep it aside for half an hour.
  • Apply little oil on idli plates or idli cups.
  • Pour the pumpkin mix into cups or plates and steam cook in a cooker for fifteen minutes.
  • Turn of the heat and allow it to cool. Check whether idlis are cooked or not by inserting edge of knife inside idli. If it is cooked there wont be stickiness in the knife edge.
  • Remove pumpkin idli using a spoon. Dip spoon in cold water and slowly remove idli one by one. If you are using idli plate, cut them to square shape using a knife.
  • Serve pumpkin idli with coconut chutney and ghee.


Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: October 23, 2017
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Gucci just announced fur free by 2018

Gucci just announced fur free by 2018

Starting next year 2018 Gucci, the Italian Fashion Luxury brand is going fur-free. Marco Bizzarri, the CEO of Gucci announced this move in his recent talk in London College of Fashion.

Gucci is famous for its animal fur coat products. According to Bizzarri, Gucci will no longer use any type of animal fur including mink, coyote, fox, rabbit, sheep (Karakul, Swakara or Persian Lamb). These animals in fur industry are subjected to intense cruelty, living their entire lives in filthy cages and are miserable to watch.

The change has come based on the idea of Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele who joined the company two years back (2015).

Gucci going fur -free is a game changer – Kitty Block, Humane Society International President.

The remaining fur clothing that are in Gucci’s hold will be sold in an auction and the money made by auction will be donated to animal rights organizations, Humane Society International and LAV – members of the Fur free alliance FFA – an organization well known to initiates legal actions to assert animal rights.

Nearly a staggering one hundred million animals are sacrificed for the fur industry. It can be stopped only when the Fashion designers stop recommending and using fur.

Marco Bizzarri, in his statement said that ‘Being socially responsible is one of Gucci’s core values, and we will continue to strive to do better for the environment and animals”. With the help of animal rights organizations Gucci is ready to take the next steps.  HSUS and LAV is going to support Gucci in identifying and reducing the impacts on both environment and animals.

Gucci thus is joining other leading Fashion brands in going cruelty free product. Other brands who have taken similar good step are Armani, HUGO BOSS, YOOX Net-a -Porter, Stella McCartney to name a few. Gucci is also will be part of the International Fur free retailer program.

Gucci’s this bold step is a good game changer for the whole luxury fashion industry to follow. This bold step will have a huge ripple effect throughout the world of fashion. It means the world fashion in future will be FUR-FREE !!

Reference: www.werindia.com


Author: HealthyLife | Posted on:
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