All posts by Sumana Rao

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Pita shells with vegetables

Pita shells with vegetables

Try this one definitely for evening snack or for the party as a starter.

What you need? Pita shells, cut onions, cucumber pieces, carrots, chopped cilantro, green chilli, spiced corns, tomatoes, cheese and cumin powder.

Preparation:

  • Place pita shells in a plate
  • Add all ingredients – onions, tomatoes, cucumber pieces, carrots, green chilli, spiced corns, cumin powder and place cheese at the top. One can serve without cheese. If you prefer adding cheese then place it on top.
  • Microwave the contents only for few seconds so that, cheese will melt slightly. Serve this as soon as the cheese melts.
Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: January 29, 2016
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Crackers with peanut butter and banana slices

Crackers with peanut butter and banana slices

This healthy snack is not only filling and tasty, it is packed full of nutrients that make ideal brain food for the kids.

What you need? Crackers – stone ground or preferably with less salt, tomatoes, cilantro hummus or peanut butter, cucumbers, banana slice, green chutney, corns, thin slices of pepper jack cheese.

Preparation:

  • Place a cracker
  • Place cucumber
  • Place banana slice
  • Apply peanut butter or cilantro hummus
  • Place tomatoes
  • Apply green chutney
  • Keep few corns
  • Place a slice of cheese
  • Serve as snack
Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Bread slices with healthy hummus & vegetables

Bread slices with healthy hummus and vegetables

What you need?

Whole wheat or white bread slices,  box of hummus, carrot slices, cabbage, onion rings, tomatoes, green chillies, coriander – mint chutney, tomato ketchup.

Preparation:

  • Cut each bread slice to half
  • Apply green chutney
  • Place sliced vegetables- carrots, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, green chillis
  • Apply hummus
  • Add little tomato ketchup
  • Place another bread slice
  • Serve as snack or starter
Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Sev Cucumber Chat: A chaat salad

Sev-Cucumber Chat: A chaat salad

Sev is something like Indian spicy or salty chickpea flour noodles. It is rich with calories. Instead of having just sev, have sev with healthy vegetables. 

Add these ingredients: Add 2 cups fresh curd, one sev packet, cucumber slices or make cups of cucumber by removing seeds, 1 cup moong sprouts or 1/3 cup uncooked green moong, 1 small finely chopped onion, 1 green chilli (finely chopped), 2 tbsp fresh coriander (finely chopped), ½ tsp chaat masala,  ½ tsp cumin powder, one cup of pomegranate,  ¼ tsp black pepper powder, salt as per taste.

Preparation:

  • Hang the curd in a muslin cloth for half an hour to drain excess water. Remove the thick curd from the cloth and transfer to a bowl.
  • Mix moong sprouts, chickpes, pomegranate, onion, fresh cilantro, green chilli, pepper and salt.
  • Spread the cucumber slices on a serving dish. Ladle spoonfuls of the mixture on the slices.
  • On top of this add little sev.

Garnish with chaat masala, cumin powder and fresh coriander. Serve immediately.

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Popcorn with onions & vegetables

To popcorn add carrots, onions & chilli

Fond of watching movie at home with popcorn? Try this any combination for healthy fiber rich popcorn.

  • Cut carrots, tomatoes, baby spinach, onions long and add popcorn to the mix and add little chilli powder and salt.
  • Grate carrots and add chopped onion along with cilantro
  • Add sprouted moong to popcorn, add little salt and chilli powder for taste
  • Add chilli powder, hing and chopped onions to popcorn and have.
Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Add vegetables & little spice to Nachos

Add vegetables & little spice to Nachos

It is going to be a big game in February – you will have nachos for the super bowl party. Why can’t your try something different this time?

What you need?

Cut onions, tomatoes and add little chilli powder or pepper powder.

Preparation:

Place little amount of cut vegetables on the nachos and a little pepper jack cheese.  Microwave this content for 20-25 seconds and serve.

If you like you can also add cut cucumber, cilantro, corns, sprouted moong on the nachos along with other vegetables. Fiber rich transformed nachos presents healthy and friendly food to stomach.

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Foods for lungs

Fiber Rich diet can help to Reduce Risk of lung diseases

A new research and studies from The American Thoracic Society suggests that a high fiber diet could help to reduce the risk of lung conditions. So far we knew that diabetic and heart patients get much benefit from fiber rich food and now lung patients can also get benefit of fiber rich vegetables and fruits.

The study’s lead author Corrine Hanson, an associate professor of medical nutrition, said: ‘Lung disease is an important public health problem, so it’s important to identify modifiable risk factors for prevention. However, beyond smoking very few preventative strategies have been identified. Increasing fiber intake may be a practical and effective way for people to have an impact on their risk of lung disease.’

Analyzing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) researchers report in “The Relationship between Dietary Fiber Intake and Lung Function in NHANES,” that among adults in the top quartile of fiber intake:

  • 68.3 percent had normal lung function, compared to 50.1 percent in the bottom quartile.
  • 14. 8 percent had airway restriction, compared to 29.8 percent in the bottom quartile.

In two important breathing tests, those with the highest fiber intake also performed significantly better than those with the lowest intake. Those in the top quartile had a greater lung capacity  and could exhale more air in one second) than those in the lowest quartile. Fiber consumption was calculated based on the amount of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains participants recalled eating. Those whose diets included more than 17.5 grams of fiber a day were in the top quartile and represented the largest number of participants, 571. Those getting less than 10.75 grams of fiber a day were in the lower group and represented the smallest number of participants, 360. Researchers adjusted for a number of demographic and health factors, including smoking, weight and socioeconomic status, and found an independent association between fiber and lung function.

Although the team acknowledged the study’s limitations such as not factoring in physical exercise or analysing fibre consumption and lung function over a longer period, they still concluded that there was a link between low consumption of fibre and a decrease in lung function.

Researchers believe that benefits of fiber on lung function can be explained by results of previous studies.Previous results demonstrated, diet fiber’s ability to reduce inflammation in the body, a factor in many lung diseases, and have shown fiber also has the ability to change the balance of microbes in the gut, which could in turn help to release chemicals into the body, which help to protect the lungs.

How much fiber one should get per day? : Women should get about 25 grams a day and men at least 35 to 40, but the average person gets just 15 grams a day.

Which are high fiber rich foods? : High fiber foods include bran, broccoli, cabbage, berries, leafy greens, celery, squash, beans, mushrooms, and oranges. How much fiber these foods supply?

1: Bran (Corn)

Fiber in 100g (Crude)  1 Cup (76g) 1/2 Cup (38g)

79g (316% DV) 60g (240% DV) 30g (120% DV)

Other types of bran high in fiber (%DV per cup crude): Wheat Bran (99%), Rice Bran (99%) and Oat Bran (58%).

2: Cauliflower & Broccoli (Raw Cauliflower)

Fiber in 100g   1 Cup Chopped (107g) 1 Cup Cooked (124g)

2g (8% DV)      2g (8% DV)      3g (12% DV)

Broccoli contains 2.4g fiber (10% DV) per cup raw, chopped and 5g (20% DV) per cup cooked.

3: Cabbage (Raw Savoy)

Fiber in 100g   1 Cup Shredded (70g) 1 Cup Cooked (145g)

3g (12% DV)    2g (9% DV)      4g (16% DV)

Other Cabbages High in Fiber (%DV per cup shredded and cooked): Red Cabbage (16%), Common Cabbage (12%) and Chinese Cabbage (8%).

4: Berries (Raspberries)

Fiber in 100g   1 Cup (123g)   Per 10 Raspberries (19g)

7g (26% DV)    8g (32% DV)    1g (5% DV)

Other Berries High in Fiber (%DV per cup): Elderberries (41%), Blackberries (30%), Gooseberries (26%), Cranberries (18%) and Strawberries (12%).

5: Leafy Greens (Romaine Lettuce)

Fiber in 100g   1 Cup Shredded (47g) Per 3oz Serving (85g)

2g (8% DV)      1g (4% DV)      2g (7% DV)

Other Greens High in Fiber (%DV per cup shredded): Turnip Greens (7%), Beet Greens (6%) and Spinach (3%).

6: Celery

Fiber in 100g   1 Cup Chopped (101g) 1 Medium Stalk (40g)

2g (6% DV)      2g (6% DV)      0.6g (2% DV)

Celery contains just 16 calories per 100g and 6 calories per medium stalk.

7: Squash

Fiber in 100g   1 Cup Cubed (205g)

5g (10% DV)    10g (40% DV)

Other Squash High in Fiber (%DV per cup cooked): Acorn (36%), Butternut (26%), Winter, all varieties (23%), Pumpkin (11%) and Summer, all varieties (10%).

8: Beans (Kidney)

Fiber in 100g   1 Cup (177g)   Per Tblsp (11g)

6g (26% DV)    11g (45% DV)  1g (3% DV)

Other Beans High in Fiber (%DV per cup cooked): Navy (76%), French (66%), Pinto (62%), Black (60%) and Chickpeas (50%).

9: Mushrooms (Cooked White Mushrooms)

Fiber in 100g   1 Cup Pieces (156g)    Per Mushroom (12g)

2g (9% DV)      3g (14% DV)    0.3g (1% DV)

Other Mushrooms High in Fiber (%DV per cup cooked pieces): Shitake (12%) and Portabella (11%).

10: Oranges (All Varieties)

Fiber in 100g   1 Cup Sections (180g) Per Fruit (131g)

2g (10% DV)    4g (17% DV)    3g (12% DV)

An average orange provides 62 calories.

References:

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: January 28, 2016
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WHAT DID YOU DO TO GET RELIEF FROM YOUR BODY PAIN?

What did you do to get Relief from your Body Pain ?

“That is the thing about pain, it demands to be felt”

People suffer from various types of pains – neck, migraines, shoulder, knee, elbow, various chronic pains and then there is fibromyalgia. Many of these pains are related to stress that we go through in our mind.  Recent report by Partners in Pain reveals that half of 44 million household in America suffers from chronic pain. This applies to other parts of the world too. In India and European countries, the number of population who are suffering from chronic pain is increasing. Surprisingly majority of the younger generation between the age group 25-35 are also reported to suffer from chronic pain. People who are shaping up their career and family life are undergoing through lot of stress and are developing these pain symptoms. People are willing to live with pain due to increase in healthcare and medicine cost and by sick of taking those OTC painkillers -many are moving away from the conventional pain control medications and are embracing holistic and natural ways to reduce pain.

According to Ayurveda whenever the energy (prana) flow in the body gets disturbed we experience pain (it same as disturbance in blood flow and lymph). Pain can be caused by vata, pitta and kapha – that is, spasm, inflammation and congestion. Vata or congestion is involved in all pain. It is important to take care of this dosha.

How to manage pain?

Eat well and be well : Watch what you eat especially when one need to balance vata. Vata is cool, dry, rough and light, so eating foods that neutralize these qualities – foods that are warm, moist, oily, smooth, and nourishing – can help to balance excess vata.  Vata balancing foods are soft, mushy in nature and contains protein and fat. Eat warm and hot food that helps muscle to relax. When fat is taken in a moderate way, it lubricates the organs. It is important to keep moisture and warmth of the body to relieve the muscle pain. What food to eat? See below:

  • Drink plenty of warm or hot fluids. Do not drink fluids that are below room temperature.
  • Eat moist foods like berries, melons, summer squash, zucchini, and curd to offset vata’s dry quality. Drink various soup varieties
  • Oily foods like avocado, coconut, olives, buttermilk, cheese, ghee, whole milk, wheat, nuts and seeds are good too.
  • Avoid exceptionally drying foods like popcorn, crackers, white potatoes, beans, and dried fruits.
  • Eat moderate amount of sweets because sweet taste is the foundation of a vata pacifying diet. It is the predominant taste in most of vata’s staple foods.

Relaxation & Sleep well: It is important to relax the mind and then the body when you are undergoing pain.

  • Take a 10 minutes nap: Practice it. If you are at work, take a small break during lunchtime. If you are home, take a afternoon nap for 20-30 minutes. Let the body recover as mind relaxes.
  • Practice shavasana (corpse pose) : This practice can reduce muscle spasms, relieves tension and relaxes the aching parts of the body.
  • Soft music & reading: Take time to listen to some soft music of your choice. Read book that sheds positivity in your mind.
  • Go to bed early: Sleep is the best medication – make sure to go to bed early and sleep well (see how to get good sleep article People who have chronic pain need 7-8 hours sleep every day.

Aromatherapy: Use essential oils to reduce your stress. Try these oils as diffusers, in hot bath or for massaging purposes. Make sure to test it before applying on your skin.

  • Rosemary and thyme oil known to increase the blood flow by creating warmth in the body.
  • Chamomile oil is helps to relieve muscle pain and spasms, low back pain, headaches and pain caused by PMS.
  • Sweet marjoram oil has sedative properties. It helps to relieve muscle pain and spasms, stiffness, rheumatism, osteoarthritis and migraine.
  • Lavender oil is probably the most famous essential oil for pain relief and relaxation. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and sedative properties and it helps to relieve muscle tension and spasms, joint pain and headache.
  • Eucalyptus oil has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. This oil is good for muscle pain and nerve pain.
  • Peppermint oil is good for muscle and joint pain, headache and nerve pain.

Massage: Massage experts estimate that high percent of diseases and conditions are stress-related. In addition, perhaps nothing ages us faster, internally and externally, than high stress. Massage is an effective tool for managing this stress, which helps our mind to: Decrease the anxiety, enhance sleep quality, to get greater energy, to improve concentration and to increase energy circulation by reducing fatigue.

Read further: https://healthylife.werindia.com/body-and-mind/massaging-can-help-body-mind

Yogasana: Pain can stop anyone from stretching and exercising. But, many people does not know that by stretching the muscle one can remove the body pain.  By restricting ourselves or by withholding ourselves from stretching we will commit injustice to our body. Because by being stagnant all the toxins in the body retains inside. If we exercise then by sweating we remove toxins or by doing simple yogasana we can contract and relax our muscles so that there will be an easy flow of various fluids in the body -blood, lymph and synovial fluid.  Stretching for 15-20 minutes helps throughout the day.

Some of the asanas one can practice for chronic pain

It is very important to understand the problem of the body and the source of pain.  Before the pain overtakes and puts you down – find it and try to relieve it. This helps you to be positive, energetic and happy and keep focused in life.

References:

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: January 20, 2016
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