Let the Fast Begin : Healthy food for Fast

The fast is supposed to be one of the way to help you go  closer to the god  . It has got very much importance in many traditions and cultures .

But most of the times wrong methods and food chosen for fast leads to health problems like hyperacidity , flatulence ,head ache and indigestion . Ideally  the fast should enhance the overall health by giving rest to the stomach.

To gain this benefit from fast, the food one eat on fast should be

1.     Light  to digest

2.     Non greesy

3.     Non spicy

4.     Small in amount at intervals 

Food that should be avoided:

1.     Sabudana and dishes from sabudana

2.     Potatoes,  and dishes from potato like fried chips , chivda etc.

3.     Sour curd

4.     Peanuts

Unfortunately  we  use to gorge on them on fast due to their taste and our habits .

 The above mentioned food is heavy to digest , can increase acidity, can produce  flatulence and other  symptoms like head ache , belching etc  due to these .

What are the good options for these?

1.     ‘varai ‘ rice  in form of ‘thalipith’ or rice  to replace sabudana

2.     Sweet potato in boiled form.

3.     Ghee , Buttermilk (freshly prepared )

4.     Coconut to replace peanuts

5.     Rajgira in various forms

6.     Seasonal fruits preferably whole and not in juice form

7.     Milk in stead of tea and coffee

8.     Dry fruit laddu , coconut laddu,

9.     Red pumpkin soup or salad

Simple changes in selection of food on fast will keep you energetic through out the day .

So ..let the fast begin … !!!!!!

 

Mangoes  mangoes  everywhere!!!

Mangoes ,summer and childhood has an inseparable memories in almost everybody’s life.  

Mango has medicinal uses apart from its devine taste.      

·         Chew tender leaves to avoid bleeding in the gums. This reduces pain in the tooth.

·         Eat mango with salt to overcome thirst and reduces the effects of sun stroke during summer. This is the reason during season, roasted or raw mango pulp mixed with sugar, water and cardamom is served as a drink. It supplies vitC and micronutrients and also proviedes instant energy.

·         Mangoes that have ripened on the tree are tasty and improve appetite.

·         One bowl of mango juice with a pinch of pepper serves as energy source to the body, increases inner glow of the skin and acts as diuretic.

·         It also improves eye sight and immune power of the body.

·         Mango can be used in pickles, chutney, sakharamba(mango jam)with daily meals. Kids love the jam that is prepared out of Mangoes and sugar.
  Finely ground Mango seeds mixed with buttermilk taken twice a day helps people with piles and such disorders.

·         Here it should be noted that in ayurveda  fruit mixed with milk is contraindicated but mango is said ‘’kshirmitra’’ ie. It can consumed with milk and with milk the properties of mangoes enhance further

But  the intake of mangoes should be appropriate to avoid indigestion . daily intake of 2 bowls or according to prakriti.

So enjoy the king of fruit this summer

Happy summer!!!!

How to deal with hypercholestremia

Hypercholestremia is the term used for increased level of triglycerides in blood .

The condition is mainly lifestyle related .Therauptic Lifestyle Changes  (TLC) play important role in dealing hypercholestremia.

TLC  contains

1.     Appropriate diet changes

2.     Excersice

3.     Medical intervention 

But the very first step is to determine the mind for adapting positive changes in lifestyle and to stick to them

1.Appropriate diet changes:

Diet do’s

• Eat freshly cooked food.
• Eat in small quantity 4-5 times in a day.
• Make sure eat variety of food.
• Enough but not excess water to maintain fluid level,
• Drink unsweetened and freshly prepared juices
• Make sure you eat lunch and dinner on time.
• Breakfast should be between 8am -9am
• Breakfast should be heavy to fulfill calorie need
• Lunch should be between 12 to 1pm
• Light lunch to avoid fullness of stomach at workplace
• Evening snacks should  b rich in micronutrients like fruits, juice,etc .
• Early  light dinner with variety of soups, soft rice ,dal,buttermilk etc

• Lots of green, leafy vegetables properly cooked.

• Use lots of curry leaves, garlic, fenugreek seeds, dried ginger. While cooking
• Use green sprouted mung, carrots, cooked beet  root for salad.
• Eat Amla in any form everyday.

• Seasonal fresh fruits

Diet don’ts

• Avoid eating at the fullest of stomach.
• Avoid eating too fast or standing.
• Don’t drink water just before your meal.    
• Avoid hotel and street food.

       Keep away from leftover, fried, preserved, salted, and ready to eat food

• Avoid plain flour food like pasta, pizza, white  bread.
• Avoid Red beans, dry green beans, double bean, chole, rajma.
• Avoid all type of sweet from shops. Homemade sweet  on few occasionas will do.
• Avoid Thick gravies, curries like in Punjabi food.
• Strictly avoid use of curd, milk while preparing curry or sabji
• Avoid Fermented food like dhokla, Idali, Dosa etc.
• Avoid heavy, greesy food at dinner
• Avoid frequent cheese and paneer

Recommended Foods

Group Recommended Foods

·        Grains  :

 Whole grain breads and cereals, including oats and barley(javas), jawar , bajra, , nachani

Pasta, especially whole wheat or other whole grain types

                    Brown rice

• Pulses: Masur dal, mung dal, green mung dal, whole green mung

• Vegetables : pumpkin, bottle gourd ,bitter gourd , snake gourd ,cabbage, ladyfinger, spinach, lal math, brinjal are more beneficial

Fruits:  Fresh, fig , apple, banana, pomegranate , chikku, pear, jamuns, amla etc

Food Group

Foods Not Recommended

Grains : High-fat bakery products, such as doughnuts, biscuits, croissants,

danish pastries, pies, cookies

Snacks made with partially hydrogenated oils, including chips,

cheese puffs, snack mixes, regular crackers, butter-flavored

popcorn

Vegetables : Fried vegetables

Vegetables prepared with butter, cheese, or cream sauce

Fruits : Fried fruits

Fruits served with butter or cream eg. Fruit salads, milk shakes

Whole milk yogurt or ice creams

Cream

Red meat, fried meat

2. Excersice :

 

·        Brisk walking in early morning at least for 45 mins

·        Suryanamskar is the ideal exercise for each and every oragan and body part.

·        Yogasanas  and  breathing exercise like kapalbhati, pranayam etc

·         Other exercises under guidance of expert and medical advise

3.Medical intervention:

In some cases apart from diet and exercises medicines and therapies are advised.

·        Panchkarma therapy like vaman , virecha and lekhan basti   

·        Shirodhara for stress related conditions

·        Ayurvedic medicine to enhance the digestion and absorption of nutrients to avoid the accumulation of lipids.

·        Ayurvedic medicine to combat or to prevent the ailments due to hypercholestremia  

·        A very important part is counseling the patient to prepare him for the lifestyle change which is really very difficult to adapt

·        Regular follow-ups to check on the progress

·        Avoid sleeping at daytime after lunch

Fruits and medicinal properties: POMEGRANATE 

·         Pomegranate is pitta shamak and kaf dosh and vat dosh shamak

·         Excellent source of vit c and antioxidant

·         The juice is immediate replenish for thirst and exhausts

·         It is free from cholesterol ,fat and sodium

Medicinal properties:

·         Peel decotion or peel powder with honey or gargles in oral ulcers and throat infections

·         Fruit for dry cough

·         Dried peel powder or the liquid ‘dadimavleh’ for hyperacidity and colitis , diarrhea

·         Antiemetic( reduces vomiting)

·         Good appetizer

·         Good haematinic ( increases Hb )

·         Useful in dysurea (painful urination)

In ayurveda this fruit is said to be pathya (good to eat) for everyone and almost every disease.

Medicines in kitchen– Turmeric

Turmeric is a must spice in asian cooking . It has refreshing aroma and strong taste and pleasant yellow colour. Beside its importance in cooking it has got many medicinal properties and it a important herb in ayurveda .

Turmeric properties:

• Detoxify the liver
• Balance cholesterol levels
• Fight various allergies
• Stimulate digestion
• Boost immunity
• Enhance the complexion

Diseases in which turmeric is used as a medicine :

• Anemia,
• cancer,
• diabetes,
•  food poisoning, indigestion
• gallstones, , IBS, parasites, poor circulation,
• staph infections, and wounds.

How turmeric is used in food items :

·        Wet turmeric pickle is very good in taste and has anticancer and antioxidant properties

·        In many delicacies turmeric leaves are used for its aroma . eg steamed fish wrapped in turmeric leaf or some swwet dish finally seasoned with turmeric leaf

·        Dry turmeric powder in almost all curries, pickles etc.

So add the yellow colour in your food and let the aroma spread .

Wish you health

Curry leaves : medicinal properties

curry leaves has refreshing aroma and taste. As the name suggest it is and should be used  abundantly  in various curries

medicinal properties :

·       Curry leaves improve digestion

·       Fresh juice useful in bilious vomiting

·       Regular intake reduces the possibility of diabetes having genetic history of the same

·       Improved digestion and assimilation further help for weight management

·       Its is supposed to be beneficial in cataract

·       It is an excellent hair tonic .  Intake and also medicated oil with curry leaves improves hair growth and delays graying of hairs

·       It has antioxidant properties.

Using curry leaves in various forms:

·       Boil curry leaves while making various soups, dal and curries

·       Prepare fresh chutney of curry leaves with coconut, coriander and cumin

·       Eat tender fresh curry leaves in morn

·       Dry them in shadow and use powder

Next time think twice before lifting and keeping aside those curry leaves from the curry .