All posts by Sumana Rao

Don't worry about the people in your past; There's a reason they didn't make it to your future.
Black Pepper, Ginger, Cumin Kashaya

Black pepper, Dry ginger and Cumin kashaya

Ingredients:

  1. Black pepper – 1 tsp
  2. Dry ginger – ½ inch
  3. Cumin -1 tsp
  4. Jaggery – 2 Tbsp
  5. Water – 2 cups
  6. Milk – 1 cup

Method: 

  1. Crush black pepper and cumin seeds. Or make coarse powder.
  2. Crush ginger using a mortar (if powder is available, you can use dry ginger powder too)
  3. Boil water and jaggery. Wait until jaggery dissolves.
  4. Now add black pepper, ginger, cumin into boiling jaggery water. Continue boiling for another 4 minutes.
  5. Strain and add boiled milk. Drink when it is hot.

Benefits:

Best for winter season. All three herbs are known to reduce symptoms of flu, cough and cold. Reduces joint pain.

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: January 11, 2018
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Curry Leaves Kashaya

Curry Leaves Kashaya

Ingredients:

  1. Curry leaves – 3/4 cup
  2. Black pepper – ¼ tsp
  3. Jaggery – ½ cup
  4. Milk – ½ cup
  5. Water – 2 cups

Method:

  1. Wash and crush curry leaves using a mortar.
  2. Boil water and add jaggery. Let the jaggery dissolve.
  3. After couple of minutes add crushed curry leaves and black pepper.
  4. Continue boiling for another 3 minutes.
  5. Strain and add boiled milk and drink when it is hot.

Benefits:

Good for digestion, reduces weight, reduces morning sickness, good for diabetic condition, reduces diarrhea – Do not drink this every day. Drink alternate days or three times a week.

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Ajwain Kashaya Benefits

Ajwain Kashaya

Ingredients:

  1. Ajwain – 5 tsp
  2. Salt – a pinch
  3. Asafetida – a pinch
  4. Water – 2 cups

Method:

  1. Dry roast ajwain and prepare powder.
  2. Boil water and add ajwain – continue boiling water for few minutes. Let the content reduce a bit.
  3. Remove the vessel from heat source.
  4. Add salt and asafoetida and drink the liquid.

Benefits:

Reduces bloating and helps in weight loss.  Helps in sleeping and controls appetite.

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Coriander, Black Pepper and Ginger Kashaya

Coriander, Ginger and Black Pepper Kashaya

Ingredients:

  1. Coriander seeds – 1 Tbsp
  2. Ginger – 1 inch
  3. Black pepper – 1 tsp
  4. Cumin – ½ tsp
  5. Jaggery – 1 Tbsp
  6. Water – 3 cups
  7. Milk – 1 cup

 Method: 

  1. Together coarse grind coriander, ginger, black pepper and cumin seeds.
  2. Boil water and add the powder mix.
  3. Add jaggery and continue boiling for few more minutes (till you get that good aroma).
  4. Strain and add boiled milk and drink when the liquid is hot.

Benefits: 

All three ingredients known to reduce cold symptoms. Good for reducing stomach ache and bloating. Helps to reduce arthritis pain.

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Indian Sarsaparilla Root

Indian Sarsaparilla Kashaya

It is a must try Kashaya.

Indian Sarsaparilla is also known as Maahali, Haaluballi (Kannada), Nannari (Telugu), Kshrini (Hindi). Roots are very fragrant and has medicinal properties.

It is used for making Ayurvedic medicines. Pickles prepared using root is very tasty and sold in the market.

Ingredients:

  1. Sarsaparilla root – few pieces
  2. Black pepper – ½ tsp
  3. Water – 2 cups
  4. Milk – 1 cup (optional)
  5. Jaggery – 1 Tbsp
  6. Lemon juice – Optional

 Method:

  1. Wash and crush sarsaparilla root.
  2. Boil water and add jaggery, followed by crushed sarsaparilla root.
  3. After a minute add black pepper (crushed)
  4. Continue boiling for few more minutes. Liquid releases good aroma.
  5. Turn off heat and strain the liquid. Add boiled milk OR little lemon juice and drink.

Benefits:

It is a blood cleanser. Helps to reduce swelling in joints, stomach ache and diarrhea. Increases appetite and helps digestive system. Induces perspiration and helps to reduce fever.

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Tips to clean silverware

Tips to clean and store silverware

Silverware when meet sulfur or hydrogen in the air turns to black or tarnishes. Tarnishing is nothing but the black film that develops on silverware or silver items. Tarnishing also happens when silverware meets certain types of food that contains sulfur. Prolonged exposure to moisture also causes tarnishing. There are many chemicals available to clean and polish silverware. Instead of using chemicals all the time, try some natural tips to clean silverware.

 Use banana peel and lemon juice:

What you need? Banana peel, lemon juice and water.

How? In a blender add water, a Tbsp lemon juice and couple of banana peel. Blend it to a paste. Using an old cloth apply the banana peel paste on the silver. Leave it for half an hour or so. Wash silver using dish washing soap.

Tomato ketchup:

Using a soft cloth apply ketchup on silver. Leave it for half an hour. Use a scrubber and clean the silver. Wash using dish soap.

Toothpaste:

Apply toothpaste on silver. Let the toothpaste completely cover the silver item. Don’t leave any place. Leave it for 15 minutes. Simply rinse off the toothpaste and wash using dish soap. Wipe off water and store in dry place. This method also polishes the silver item to give a new look.

Aluminum foil and baking soda: This is the most popular method to clean the silver.

What you need: Water, baking soda, vinegar, aluminum foil.

To boiling water add baking soda, and several pieces of aluminum foil. Slowly add white vinegar. Vinegar helps to speed up the cleaning process. Now place silver items in the boiling water. Silver items should come in contact with aluminum foil. Continue boiling for few more minutes. You will notice color change in aluminum foil to black. See how the silver item looks. It should look new. Using tongs remove silverware from the water and buff off water using old cloths. If you would like to, then using dish soap  wash once and rinse with water. Don’t forget to buff off the water from silver piece and store in dry place.

White vinegar and baking soda:

Mix ½ cup of vinegar and 2 Tbsp of baking soda. Apply this paste on silverware and leave it for an hour or so. Rinse using cold water and dry silverware and store in dry place.

Tamarind, wood ash:

Apply tamarind paste on silver vessel. Leave for half an hour or so. Later use wood ash (or burnt rice husk) and clean the silver vessel. Wash using water.

** Never wash silverware in dish washer. Chemicals will spoil the silverware.

Storing silverware:

Do not store silverware in carry bags, plastic or bind using rubber bands. Instead, use anti-tarnish bag and keep all silver items in these bags and place couple of chalks. Wrap pieces of chalks in cheese cloths and place inside the bags.  Chalks will absorb the moisture and keeps silver items shining for a longer time.

Store silverware in an area with no humidity. Do not wrap silver items in newspapers as newspaper ink can be acidic to silver.

Grandma’s tips; www.healthylife.werindia.com

Image credit: Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: January 6, 2018
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Listen to your body

Listen to your body to keep fit

There are many diet programs are available. Many of these diet programs will keep you away from normal, daily, staple food. Why can’t we eat normal food that makes us happy and still lose weight? Grandma has some suggestions for you… Listen to your body to keep fit

  1. Wake up early, brush and drink a glass of warm water – Getting up early (say 6 am) gives you lot of light, positive thoughts and drinking warm water in empty stomach helps your bowl movement.
  2. Within two hours of waking up, have your breakfast as breakfast gives energy. Eat traditional breakfast items prepared from scratch or have quick cereal or bread. Breakfast helps you to focus on entire day task and keeps you healthy.
  3. When should be your lunch? Lunch at noon. But in between breakfast and lunch have a glass of fresh juice and water.
  4. Don’t keep snacking throughout the day – wait until you really feel hungry. Your system tells you when you are hungry and ready to eat. Don’t resist hunger, instead get ready to eat something that is less fat, healthier item.
  5. Eat slowly – don’t rush eating. You should feel the hunger go away and stomach should feel the food intake. Control excess eating, control your portion. Your body tells you how much it needs and when to stop.
  6. Watch what you eat – Let half of the plate consist salad with good vegetables and fruits. Consume complex carbohydrate – brown rice or sweet potato or roti. Select protein food and water. Moderation is key, nothing should be excess!
  7. Eat home cooked food – you can find out what makes your stomach happy by trying different types of food. Some foods make you feel heavy, bloated, uneasy, lethargic and full soon. Some food really makes stomach happy – find out which items are preferred for your body. For some eating yogurt or yogurt based items helps to keep intestine in good condition.
  8. When you eat, make sure you are not distracted or disturbed. Eating with heavy head can result in over eating or under eating. Both are not good for your mind and body health.
  9. Snack – Understand which types of snacks does not make you uneasy and uncomfortable. If you feel like eating samosa – restrict the quantity. Likewise, eating potato chips or chocolate or any oily items – Take control on your mind and eat half the quantity of what you wanted to eat.  Practice control on eating oily items.
  10. Sleep: Get enough sleep that your body needs. Going to bed early or on proper time and sleeping without any sort of disturbance helps to lose weight. All body pain and stress goes away with good sleep. Getting good sleep helps control sugar and salt intake.
  11. One more suggestion – don’t be ideal and keep watching TV, smart phone. Find out how you can help with house tasks, go for walk or gym and be active. Your body tells you what activity is good for you. This helps you a lot in reducing that extra weight.

Instead of dieting listen to your body – Eat when you are truly hungry. Eat what appeals to you. Stop eating when you feel full.  With these simple techniques, you will maintain a healthy body and healthy weight.

Listen to grandma – www.healthylife.werindia.com

Image credit: Image by Robin Higgins from Pixabay

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: January 5, 2018
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Tomato has more genome than humans

Tomato has more genome than humans

Tomatoes are most used fruits in the world and the most famous fruit for various reasons.

  • Do you know? Tomato has more genomes than humans – 31760 genes! Scientists made this discovery when they sequenced tomato genomes with a variety Heinz 1706 from Peru.
  • Peru is the place where tomato’s ancestors are originated.
  • Tomato is a fruit as per botanists. However, it was declared as a vegetable as its uses are more like vegetables. Unites Supreme Court decreed this many years back. Potato and tomato both belong to same family and the joke is “potato is happy because tomato is also a vegetable” Moreover both plants have 92% of common DNA.
  • China is the largest producer of tomatoes followed by USA and India. More than 7500 varieties of tomatoes available in the world
  • We have seen mostly red color tomatoes. Tomatoes are available in green, yellow, orange, pink, black, brown, white, and purple
  • Tomatoes contain lycopene, an antioxidant that is good for health. Compared to raw cooked tomatoes are better. They also contain vitamins A and C, calcium, potassium.
  • Tomato skin is not good for everyone. People who suffer from diverticulitis should avoid tomato skin. People who suffer from gastritis should also avoid consumption of tomato.

 

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

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: January 4, 2018
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