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Baby’s Best Start: Nutrition and Wellness Advice from the Experts

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The human body is one of nature’s finest creations, and no artificial intervention or replacement can supplant its original form. Similarly, breast milk is one of the purest, healthiest, safest, and most economical foods for newborn babies. It directly impacts the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of new mothers. Breast milk is a priceless gift that you can offer your baby, unmatched by even the finest artificial formulations due to the absence of growth factors and immunoglobulins present in breast milk. Feel glad if you can breastfeed your baby; there is so much science and art behind breastfeeding that you will cherish during your motherhood.

The significance of breast milk and its health benefits to both the baby and the mother have been detailed extensively in medical books, human physiology, nutrition, and more recently through social media. The success of breastfeeding is purely dependent on the health status of the mother, closely associated with her dietary habits, socio-economic status, geopolitical environment, and pre-existing medical conditions. Hence, it’s important that women take care of their health and nutritional status even before they shoulder the responsibilities of family and motherhood.

During pregnancy, a woman is looked after with a lot of care and love, often expressed through feeding her according to her cravings, likes, and dislikes. However, it is crucial to maintain a balance and avoid extreme food behaviors like overindulgence or starvation, which can affect the growth of the fetus. Understanding the importance of balanced nutrition during pregnancy, eating at regular intervals, along with light exercise and prenatal yoga, provides extended benefits post-pregnancy.

In recent times, I have observed that mothers, grandmothers, and extended families are increasingly concerned about the nutrition and health of mothers and newborns within hours of delivery. While this is a positive sign of caution and care, going overboard can create psychological distress. It’s also important to recognize that some women suffer from postpartum depression, which can impact breastfeeding.

Steps to Ensure Quality Breastfeeding:

  1. Preparation: Many maternity hospitals offer sessions to prepare women for nursing during the last month of pregnancy. These sessions provide valuable information on holding the baby, breastfeeding methods, dos and don’ts, and breast hygiene, easing the initial challenges of nursing.
  2. Consultation: Talk to nursing or lactation specialists for personalized advice.
  3. Initiation: Start breastfeeding soon after birth. Encourage skin-to-skin contact and offer your breast as often as your baby wants to feed in the early days. This helps stimulate milk production. The first milk, colostrum, provides significant immunity, so start feeding without hesitation.

Health and Nutritional Significance of Breast Milk:

  • Colostrum: The first milk your baby receives, rich in white blood cells and antibodies, especially immunoglobulin A (IgA), which coats the baby’s intestines to prevent infections and allergies.
  • Mature Milk: Contains essential nutrients like proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals that are easily absorbed by the infant, unlike formula feeds.

Benefits for the Baby:

  • Strong immunity
  • Prevention of acute infections and chronic disorders
  • Mental sharpness and timely milestones
  • Economical and safe

Duration of Breastfeeding:

  • Minimum of 6 months, ideally up to 12-13 months.
  • Gradually wean from the 9th month, introducing whole milk and solid foods by 15 months.

Alternative Feeding Methods:

  • Seek expert help if breastfeeding is challenging.
  • Avoid feeding foreign foods like honey, sugar water, or cow milk.
  • Consider wet nurses or breast milk banks if necessary.

Benefits for the Mother:

  • Helps uterus contraction and reduces postpartum bleeding.
  • Lowers the risk of breast and ovarian cancers.
  • Builds a strong emotional bond with the baby.
  • Aids in losing postpartum weight and toning the body.
  • Acts as a natural contraceptive to some extent.

Dos and Don’ts During Lactation:

  • Follow researched and traditional guidelines to ensure a healthy breastfeeding experience.

Let your bosom nurture your little one to blossom into a happy and healthy child!

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Transform Your Kitchen: Expert Tips from a Top Nutritionist and Dietitian

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This information may not come from a nutrition or health expert, but I’ve ensured to cover this issue for multiple reasons that affect our time, enthusiasm, effectiveness, and variety in cooking. Cooking food in a clean place with a happy mind can be meditative—try it yourself! 😊

  1. Maintain Your Equipment: Ensure all your equipment like the gas stove, microwave, oven, toaster, sandwich maker, water filter, mixer, grinder, food processors, chopping boards, and knives are in good condition and serviced timely as required.
  2. Grocery Assessment: Conduct a fortnightly assessment for groceries and list down the foods required for the next 15 days.
  3. Weekend Prep: Dedicate 1 hour on a weekend to prepare your masalas, curry powders, sprouts, and batter for idly dosa, or ready-to-use paratha stuffing/phulka/roti dough (dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days).
  4. Container Cleanup: Clean up empty containers and refill foods needed for the next 15 days. Ensure foods stored in large amounts are protected with good insect/pest control measures.
  5. Natural Pest Control: Use red chillies in dal and dry neem and tulsi leaves in rice to keep grains clean and insect-free, along with other organic products available in the market.
  6. Spice Box Organization: Clean up your spice box, add the required spices, and keep it handy.
  7. Fridge Maintenance: Clean out the fridge, remove leftovers, and ensure proper defrosting and cooling temperatures are maintained. Keep different foods in separate sections (dairy products, meat and poultry, cooked foods, ready-to-make foods, vegetables and fruits, and foods that require freezing).
  8. Menu Planning: Plan a week’s family menu. It’s easier to cook when planned and everything is in place.
  9. Regular Cleaning: Clean kitchen towels, napkins, and covers every 15 days. Sanitize the kitchen sinks and dustbins regularly.
  10. Pest Control: Pest control in the kitchen is essential, especially to get rid of cockroaches, fruit flies, and mosquitoes.
  11. Surface Scrubbing: Scrub the cooking platforms and tiles at least once every 15 days. A clean and bright kitchen will make you happy and encourage you to cook. When you cook with happiness and love, the food will surely taste better!
Nutritious Food

Supercharge Your Nutrition: Double the Green Power with Advice from a Renowned Nutritionist

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How to Double Up the Goodness of Greens?

Here’s a simple solution: Just grow them in your little kitchen garden! The rainy season often brings more polluted greens into the market, leading us to skip eating them for a while. However, this is the perfect season to grow green veggies in your own garden, ensuring safe, pesticide-free, and fresh produce.

How to Get Started:

Well, we (green leafy veggies) don’t need 24/7 WiFi or constant watering, nor do you need an app to grow us! 😉

We just need a little patch of manure-rich soil in a space as small as a shoebox.

  • Sow the Seeds: Plant the seeds in your prepared soil.
  • Care for Us: As we grow, lay us in rows, and shower us with a little water and love every single day.
  • Harvest Joy: This small effort will double up the joy when you harvest us.

You can then use us to make wholesome meals, whether mixed with your lentils or soup, or added to a bowl of salad with carrots and cucumber.

Delicious and joylicious, this is how we greens double up the goodness of your meals!

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Discover Why Ganesha Loves Jaggery Laddu: Tips from a Dietitian

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As part of the series I mentioned during Ganesh Chaturthi, where I share 10 offerings (Prasadam) made to Lord Ganesha and their nutritional benefits, today I present Bappa’s (Lord Ganesha’s) favorite laddu – Jaggery with Groundnuts (Peanuts/Phalli Dana).

This recipe is very simple and quick to make, and it’s also very healthy, especially for kids, young girls, and nursing mothers!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup grated jaggery
  • 1 cup roasted groundnuts, coarsely ground (Note: Do not make a fine powder)
  • Cardamom powder

Instructions:

  1. Mix the grated jaggery and groundnuts.
  2. Add cardamom powder and mix well.
  3. Form the mixture into round laddus. (Note: If the jaggery is too dry and the mixture doesn’t bind, microwave it for 15-20 seconds to soften and moisten it, making it easier to form into laddus.)

Nutritional Benefits:

Jaggery is an unrefined form of sugar made from sugar cane, rich in iron, mineral salts, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. It generates warmth in the body and is absorbed gradually, preventing sudden spikes in blood sugar levels. Jaggery also aids in digestion, prevents constipation, and helps with lung and upper respiratory blockages. It acts as a nerve tonic, helps in fluid balance, and purifies the blood. Regular intake can prevent muscular cramps, especially in women.

Groundnuts are rich in proteins, essential fatty acids, fiber, B-complex vitamins (especially niacin and riboflavin), and phosphorus. Cardamom adds flavor and a dash of antioxidants.

This laddu is a complete food, especially for those looking to increase complex carbs, reduce direct fats, and improve fiber intake. It’s a wholesome and delicious offering (Naivedhyam/Prasad), especially loved by kids!

Word of Caution:

  • Use plain peanuts without additives like salt, sugar, or coatings.
  • Roast the peanuts fresh for this recipe; do not use pre-powdered and stored groundnut powder as it can turn rancid.
  • Avoid this recipe if you are allergic to peanuts/jaggery or suffer from frequent headaches/migraines.
  • Remember, anything in excess can be harmful!

Sukha Karta Dukha Harta! Ganapathi Bappa Moriyaa!

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Expert Dietitian’s Guide to Bengal Gram & Coconut Salad for Gowri Ganapathi

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I was completely absorbed in the preparations for Gowri (Maha Lakshmi/Jeshta Gowri) Pooja celebrations, which fall on the 4th, 5th, and 6th days of Ganesh Utsav, celebrated on the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd of September 2012 this year. I was also involved in making several traditional Prasadam/Naivedhyam over these three days and, of course, indulging in all the delicious food prepared. However, as I always say and practice, anything in excess is dangerous. Enjoy moderate amounts without overloading your tummy, and savor what you eat, keeping all senses in sync!

Today, I would like to share a savory dish prepared during this pooja: Vatlya Dalichi Koshimbir (Bengal Gram Dal Coconut Salad). It’s one of the simplest yet most wholesome recipes, loved by both mother and son (Ganesha and Gowri/Parvathi)! It’s also prepared on the last day of Ganesh Utsav, but you can enjoy it anytime as a nutritious snack!

Ingredients:

  1. Soaked Bengal Gram – 150 gm (soaked for 6-7 hours in water prior to making)
  2. Fresh Coconut – 100 gm, grated
  3. Freshly chopped coriander – 1/2 bunch
  4. Ginger – coarsely pounded, 1 tsp
  5. Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
  6. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
  7. Curry leaves – approximately 20 leaves
  8. Green chillies – 2-3, as per taste
  9. Asafoetida – 1 tsp
  10. Oil – 1 tbsp
  11. Salt – as per taste (lesser the better!)
  12. Lime juice – from 1/2 lime

Instructions:

  1. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and add cumin, mustard seeds, and asafoetida to crackle.
  2. Add chopped ginger, curry leaves, and green chillies. Mix well and leave on low flame for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, drain the water from the soaked Bengal gram, rinse it well, and add it to the seasoning mix. Cook on a low flame.
  4. Add the grated coconut, chopped coriander, and salt as per taste. Mix well and leave on low flame for 2-3 minutes.
  5. Add lime juice and serve warm.

Nutritional Benefits:

  • Bengal Gram: Rich in protein, carbs, fiber, minerals, and B vitamins.
  • Coconut: Provides protein, calories, medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), vitamins A and E, and fiber.
  • Coriander, Curry Leaves, and Green Chillies: Packed with minerals, vitamins A and C, and antioxidants.
  • Cumin and Mustard Seeds: Contain essential oils and antioxidants, adding warmth and flavor.
  • Asafoetida: Carminative, soothes intestines, prevents gas, and enhances flavor.
  • Oil: Adds fats and calories.

This salad is a complete, wholesome food. Treat yourself to this energy and protein-packed snack and feel the difference. Just remember to pre-plan by soaking the gram and grating the fresh coconut in advance.

Please remember, anything in excess is dangerous!

Ganapathi Bappa Moriyaa! Mangal Moorthi Moriyaa!

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Laddu Extravaganza for Bappa! Insights from an Expert Dietitian

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Lord Ganesha is offered several forms of laddu/laadu during Ganesh Utsav as he is fond of laddus. It seems like we have borrowed his sweet tooth for these ten days! 😊

After Modak, there’s a long list of laddus starting with motichoor laddu, boondi laddu, besan laddu, and rava laddu, which are commonly prepared and must-have prasadam/offering on one of the ten days.

However, it occurred to me that Ragi (finger millet) can be used to make delicious laddus and should not be missed as this is another preferred food of the elephant lord! In fact, I call Ragi laddus “Indian choco laddu” though they are devoid of cocoa. 😊

There are several variants in making these laddus. Below is my version of Ragi Laddus.

Ingredients:

  1. Ragi flour (Finger Millet) – 200 gm (slightly roasted in microwave for 1 min)
  2. Wheat flour – 100 gm (roast with a teaspoon of ghee (clarified butter) to a slightly brown color)
  3. Jaggery – 100 gm (grated)
  4. Dry coconut – 50 gm (grated)
  5. Milk – 100 ml (lukewarm)
  6. Ghee (clarified butter) – 20 gm
  7. Cashew nuts – 10-15 (plain roasted)
  8. Cardamom powder – 1 tsp

Method:

  1. Mix all the ingredients in the sequence listed above to make a soft dough.
  2. Form the dough into round laddus. The malty flavor and chocolaty color attract kids at first sight, so do make a point to name it Choco Laddu. What’s more, you are giving your child the best choco ever, 100% nutritious! 😊
  3. Laddus can be preserved in the fridge for up to one week. If you find the laddus too dry, just break them and bind them again by adding a little warm milk.
  4. You can also make a soft porridge of this laddu by adding hot milk, an ideal meal for infants and toddlers.

Some Knowledge on Ragi and its Qualities: Ragi (finger millet) is popular in the southwestern states of India. It is widely consumed as a staple food apart from rice in Karnataka and some parts of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra. Ragi is a very soft millet when made into flour and is a rich source of calcium, other minerals, and fiber. It is easily digested, soothes the digestive system, and is a natural coolant. Ragi soaked overnight in buttermilk or water is consumed as the first meal in hot summers, as it is loaded with rich minerals and fiber, absorbed gradually due to its fiber content, helping maintain fluid balance in the body and preventing energy loss/exhaustion. It is one of the cheapest and best infant foods popular in southern states of India and is making its mark in several branded cookies for its fiber and calcium-rich qualities, making it ideal for diabetics, cardiac patients, and weight managers. Regardless of the region, Ragi is a great food for infants because of its soft malty taste when cooked in milk with a bit of jaggery or sugar and a pinch of cumin powder. This is certainly an important food for moms-to-be and nursing mothers.

Nutritional Benefits:

  • Ragi: Rich in calcium, fiber, energy, and protein.
  • Wheat: Good amount of protein, energy, and fiber.
  • Jaggery: Unrefined sugar, iron, minerals, and fiber; great taste enhancer as a sweetener; complex form of sugar.
  • Coconut: Rich source of protein, vitamin E, minerals, and fiber.
  • Ghee: A better option of fat compared to saturated fats and trans fatty acids.
  • Cashew nuts: Rich in protein, essential fatty acids, fiber, and antioxidants.
  • Cardamom: Adds flavor, antioxidants, and essential oils.

Shall we call it a complete nutritious food? YES, of course! My take is that it’s the best food for all seasons and festivities and a great snack for kids with the goodness of all nutrients from various sources. You can make variations by replacing wheat flour with any other flour of cereals or pulses as per your taste and liking. You can also add cocoa powder to make it a real choco flavor for normal days. However, it is a practice in India to use all-natural sources of foods to prepare the Prasad or Naivedhyam (offering), so it’s all-natural in the current recipe. 😊

So, let’s get started with a hands-on experience!

Note: Always remember, anything in excess is dangerous!

Ganapathi Bappa Moriyaa! Mangala Moorthi Moriyaa!

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Expert Dietitian’s Guide to Ganesha’s Beloved Kheer/Payas/Payasam

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Any festival is incomplete without the regional form of Kheer/Payas/Payasam offered to Lord Ganesha. As we enter the third day of Ganesh Utsav on 21st September 2012, here’s a little detail on Kheer. There are at least 50 variants of Kheer prepared across India that I am aware of, and there may be more! 😊 However, I have ensured that my version is not too elaborate, requiring too many ingredients or long hours of cooking. Typically, Kheer is a sweet made using milk (boiled to half its quantity on a low flame) mixed with sugar/jaggery, along with vermicelli/sevainya made from wheat or rice flour. It can also be made from broken wheat/semolina or cracked rice (Govindobhog rice is the best option for rice kheer) and sometimes a mix of rice and dals/pulses (green gram/bengal gram).

Note: When milk recipes are cooked on a low flame for a longer time, the taste is certainly richer compared to short-time, high-flame cooking!

My Version of Kheer:

Ingredients:

  1. Milk – 4 cups (boil on low flame for 30 minutes; leave a small porcelain dish in the pot to prevent spilling or burning)
  2. Jaggery – 1/2 cup (grated)
  3. Milk Maid – 100 ml
  4. Broken wheat (Bansi Rava) – 1/2 cup (soak for 30 minutes before cooking)
  5. Clarified butter (Ghee) – 20 gm
  6. Dry fruits (cashews, raisins, and almonds)
  7. Cardamom and saffron for flavor and color

Method:

  1. Pressure cook the soaked broken wheat with its soaking water for 4-5 whistles.
  2. Heat a frying pan, add ghee, and fry the dry fruits until golden.
  3. Add the cooked broken wheat to the pan and mix on a low flame for a few minutes.
  4. Add grated jaggery and Milk Maid diluted with 100 ml of water. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the jaggery melts, stirring continuously.
  5. Slowly add the reduced milk, keep stirring, and allow it to boil for 5-10 minutes on a low flame.
  6. Serve lukewarm.

Nutritional Benefits:

  • Milk: Rich source of protein, calcium, and vitamin A.
  • Jaggery: Rich in iron, minerals, and fiber.
  • Milk Maid: Provides calories, protein, and fat.
  • Broken Wheat: Rich in protein, carbs, vitamin B complex, and fiber.
  • Clarified Butter: A better fat option compared to saturated fatty acids and butter.
  • Dry Fruits: Provide vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.
  • Cardamom and Saffron: Add flavor, natural color, antioxidants, and essential oils.

A complete food indeed! 😊 So go ahead and experiment with ingredients to make your version of a complete food Kheer.

Note: You can avoid Milk Maid if you have good quality milk, but you might need to boil the milk longer to make it creamy/thicker.

Caution: Anything in excess is dangerous!

Ganapathi Bappa Moryaa! Mangala Moorthi Moryaa!

Nutritious Food

Suphala Care recognised among Top 10 woman entrepreneurs @ Banagalore

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Dear Friends,
With great pleasure and happiness sharing a wonderful news about Suphalacare. We have been recognised among 10 best Woman Entrepreneurs in Bangalore….
This was made possible only by the love and trust of thousands of our Patrons.

Heartfelt Thankyou to all our wellwishers for helping us in our entreprenueral journey in Holistic Nutrition and Wellness Industry.

Nutritious Food

Day 8 of Navarathri 

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Day VIII of Navratri – Maa Maha Gowri

The VIII is basically highlighted to nourish young girls and pray for their good health and overall wellbeing. Goddess Maha Gowri is worshiped on eighth day. On this day Coconut is offered to the Goddess as prasadam. She bestows us with success in all our good deeds, and helps preserve fertility of woman. No wonder Coconut is offered as its one of the most pious of all fruit/Nut also called as Shreephal (the fruit of prosperity) and tree is called as Kalpavruksha since every part of this tree has so many uses and it’s the most selfless and giving tree known to man kind and its specialty is it co exists with other crops and plants without disturbing the growth of other plants. Coconut is a very versatile and indispensable food item for most people under the tropical belt. It is a complete food rich in calories, vitamins, and minerals. A medium-size nut carrying 400 g edible meat and some 30-150 ml of water may provide almost all the daily-required essential minerals, vitamins, and energy of an average-sized individual.

While there are several aesthetic, religious beliefs associated with this great Nut as it helps us to know our inner self. On any festive occasion a coconut is broken in front of the deity to remove negativity and bring out goodness. The whiteness inside the coconut denotes purity. Breaking of coconut is similar to breaking of ego, the water inside represents the inner tendencies or vasanas and the white kernel offered is the mind of the Lord! A mind thus purified by touch of the lord is used as Prasad. Tender coconut water is used in abhishek rituals since it is believed to bestow spiritual growth of the seeker.

• 100 g kernel consists of 354 calories. Much of this comes from the fats and protein. Although, its meat is disproportionately high in saturated fats on comparison to other common edible nuts, coconut has many bioactive compounds that are essential for better health.

• The important saturated fatty acid in the coconut is lauric acid (1:12 carbon fatty acid). Lauric acid increases good-HDL cholesterol levels in the blood. HDL is a high-density lipoprotein, which has beneficial effects on the coronary arteries by preventing vessel blockade (atherosclerosis). Physicians recommend high HDL to total cholesterol levels in the blood for the same reason.

• Coconut water is a very refreshing drink to beat tropical summer thirst. The juice is packed with simple sugar, electrolytes, minerals, and bioactive compounds such as cytokinins, and enzymes such as acid phosphatase, catalase, dehydrogenase, peroxidase, polymerases, etc. Altogether, these enzymes aid in digestion and metabolism.

• Coconut oil extracted from dry kernel (copra) is an excellent emollient agent. It is used in cooking, applied over scalp to nourish good hair growth, employed in pharmacy and in medicines.

• The cytokinins (e.g., kinetin and trans-zeatin) in coconut water showed significant anti-ageing, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-thrombotic effects.

• The kernel is an excellent source of minerals such as copper, calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, and zinc.

• It is also a very good source of B-complex vitamins such as folates, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, and pyridoxine. These vitamins are essential in the sense that body requires them from external sources to replenish.

Coconut meat and water contain a very good amount of potassium. 100 g of fresh meat contains 356 mg% or 7.5% of daily required levels of potassium.

So make the most with coconut in as is form or some yummy coco laddu or burfi /kheer to mark this day and also share this healthy goodies with some little girls and cherish the auspicious day of Ashtami (day-8) Sri Maha Gowri .

Nutritious Food

Day 7 of Navratri Maa Kaalratri – Offer her jaggery to seek her blessings!

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blue-durga

Day VII of Navratri Maa Kaalratri – Offer her jaggery to seek her blessings and ward evil from our mortal forms. Eat complex carbohydrate rich sweets made of jaggery and yes same time remember Jaggery is a high caloric food and hence unless you have really lived on fruits on day 5 and 6 do not go over board on eating sweets today .

The Day 5 and 6 are purely spent on fruits and honey it’s now time to again charge your system with high energy complex foods with jaggery (Gur) as main ingredient. Maa Kaalratri is worshipped as the seventh form of Maa Durga. She is a remover of all the evil powers and thus is called by the name of Kaalratri. She is offered sweets made of jaggery or jaggery as Prasadam.

What to make ? Jaggery stuffed rotis (Gur ki roti), Bengal gram jaggery cooked and stuffed rotis (puran poli),  Jaggery with rice or  or broken wheat and Jaggery kheer, rice flour Jaggery mixed pan cakes, any local food offered as Prasadam where Jaggery is the sweetener – sweet Pongal, chana daal Gur porridge, ragi laddu, groundnut/ til laddu etc.
Some learning on Jaggery: Jaggery/Gur is made from sugar cane, its unrefined form of sugar made in large Iron barrels, without any preservatives and has a small amount of fiber too. It is rich source of Iron and several mineral salts. It is also a decent store of calcium, magnesium, and zinc.

Jaggery is loaded with antioxidants and minerals like zinc and selenium, which help prevent free-radical damage and also boost resistance against infections .It is a complex form of sugar, generates warmth in the body and is absorbed in the body gradually without causing fluctuations in blood sugar levels (sudden rise in sugar levels that is typically noticed on consumption of glucose or white refined sugar)

Jaggery is excellent in secreting digestive juices, and prevents constipation. It benefits in case of lung and upper respiratory blockages. It is a nerve tonic and helps in fluid balance, and cleansing the body and purifying blood. Muscular cramps especially among woman can be prevented with regular intake of Jaggery in small amounts. Jaggery enhances and improves the quality, color of a recipe apart from sweetening

Want to effectively detox your body? Eat a small piece of Jaggery. It helps detoxify your liver by flushing out harmful toxins from your body. Cough and cold, water retention, bloating and migraine are some of the minor health problems that most of us experience on an everyday basis. However, you can fight these symptoms with the help of Gur. All you need to do is mix it with warm water and drink or add it in your tea instead of sugar to reap its benefits.

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Day 6 is dedicated to Maa Katyayani and she blesses each of us with strong immunity and wellbeing.

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manohrangi-mata-durga

Today we continue on the 6th day of detox with honey and Guavas. The Day six of Navratri is dedicate to Maa Katyayani – the daughter of Sage Katyayani. She is offered liquid gold (honey) and Guavas as she is the symbol of health and wellbeing.

Honey is one of the most ancient natural sweetener known to man with a chest of health benefits and a quick energy drink. It provides calming effect on the mind and body and helps in repair and regeneration of cells and builds immunity against seasonal changes, allergies and wounds and associated health issues. It aids in good sleep and boosts memory and an excellent remedy for seasonal cough and cold.

Guava is considered one of the healthiest fruit because it has proven positive effects on our body’s numerous functions. Right from strengthening our immune system to regulating a healthy and ideal blood pressure, Guava provides a number of health benefits. It’s a rich source of Vitamin C as an anti-oxidant contributes in maintaining a good skin health by cleaning the body off the free radicals and other impurities thereby delaying skin ageing.

Lycopene and anti-oxidant property of Guava help in protecting from tumors and cancerous growths in the body. It restores the lost potassium reserve of the body thereby maintaining a sound balance of this mineral in the electrolyte. The nutritional composition of Guava especially Potassium, Vitamin C, K, Folate, B6, Copper and Manganese help in maintaining a healthy blood pressure and aid in blood formation and iron absorption. Process of ageing can be effectively slowed down and delayed by consuming guavas that are naturally fortified with anti-oxidant properties.

The low Glycemic index of guava makes it a safe sweet treat for diabetics and also help in controlling the sugar spikes that they experience. The Vitamin A in Guava improves the vision and eye health including protecting from infections whereas Beta Carotene fights against sunburns by reducing your body’s sensitivity to sun damage. Digestion and good digestive health is encouraged by Vitamin A, C and high fiber in Guava. It prevent constipation and cleanses the digestive system. In short it’s no surprise to quote Day VI as an immune boosting day, so add immune boosting foods for overall wellbeing.

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Day 5 of Navrathri reap the benefits of Banana

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Day V of Navratri – Mata Skanda Mata

With a gradual meal of complex carbohydrate on day four, today – day five is time again to rest your gut with some good dose of fructose and vitamins and fiber and yes an energy booster. Maa Skandmata is the mother of Kumar Karthikeya. Banana is offered to the Goddess as Prasadam. Prasadam of Banana will bring in general wellness.

Here’s more on goodness of banana : Beats fatigue, constipation, prevents acidity, instant energy, regulates blood pressures and brings in flawless glow on skin. With an average of 105 calories, banana is an excellent source of instant energy. It is especially great as an after workout food because it instantly replenishes the low levels of glucose in the blood. The probiotic effect of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) present in bananas, helps stimulate the growth of friendly bacteria in the intestine and protect you against gastric disturbances. It is also good for your bone health too. Fermentation of FOS reduces the pH in the gut thereby promoting calcium absorption which in turn builds strong bones. Banana stem helps to eliminate fluids from the body. This diuretic effect is thought to be useful in eliminating kidney stones and also help detoxify the body. The stem is also believed to dissolve stones.

Bananas actually protect you from muscle cramps. Because of its high magnesium and potassium content, bananas are the best way to replenish the minerals in your body. It helps relax the muscles and protects you from any further episodes of leg cramps. Bananas, being very rich in potassium and very low in sodium help manage blood pressure better. It aids in maintaining water balance in the body and detoxify the body to protect you against heart attack and stroke. Bananas are also very effective antacids. It coats the inner lining of the stomach and suppress acid secretion, thereby protecting you from stomach ulcers and acidity. Hence if your food on day four caused any form of acidity banana on day 5 is best antidote. Both the fruit and stem are rich in fiber and pectin which helps assist bowel motility and eases out constipation. If you feel your body dehydrated and depleted of electrolytes. Restore the lost potassium by eating bananas. The feel good factor after is certain, having a banana before bed can help promote sleep. The soothing effect is due to high levels of tryptophan which gets converted to serotonin in the brain. This not only improves your mood but also makes you more alert and improves your concentration levels. Apart from helping you get some much-needed beauty sleep, you can add bananas to your beauty regime too. So eat bananas for glowing skin and instead of making a face pack!

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​Day IV of Maa Durga Navrathri

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Treat yourself to some delicious complex carbohydrate (when simple sugars + Starch+ Protein from Milk solids – and deep fried in Ghee) this is digested slowly and absorbed gradually with out causing spikes in your blood sugars even if you are a diabetic! So for once just enjoy your prasad to glorify your health! Yes always remembers any thing in excess is dangerous 🙂

The Day IV– of Navratri – Maa Kushmanda

The fourth day of prasadam gets a slightly more complex form of food yet provides complete and balanced nutrition. Maa Kushmanda is worshipped on fourth day. There has been so much talked about low sugar foods and low fat foods but remember we are again making a full circle that simple sugars in small proportions are required and equally important to fuel and maintain energy levels in the body and too less of fat can lead to several nervous disorders and general weakness. Hence no surprises for guessing, Maa Kushmanda improves the intellect and decision making ability. This is possible when u take foods that consists of fine balance of carbs, proteins and fats.

The Prasad that is severed on the day four is an adequately balanced food with all the key nutrients required for bodily functions and no wonder it is said that the universe is formed from the abdomen of Mata Kushmanda, meaning these nutrients are key to origin of life, development and survival – carbohydrate, protein, fat and water.

Malpua is the most common Prasad made on this day. However Malpua has several versions as per regional foods and made in north, west and eastern parts of India during festivities. The batter for malpua in some areas is prepared by crushing ripe bananas / pineapple/mangoes or (in Bangladesh) coconut, adding flour, and water or milk. While Bengali, Maithili and Oriya malpua is traditionally made only with thickened milk and a little flour (sometimes rice flour instead of wheat flour).is delicately seasoned with cardamoms. It is deep fried in oil, and served hot. The Bihari version of this dish has sugar added to the batter prior to frying, while the method prevalent in Odisha has the fritters dipped in syrup after they are fried. Malpua in northern India, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan, don’t contain fruit. There are several variations, using some or all of the following ingredients: Maida (refined flour), semolina, milk, and yogurt. The batter is left to stand for a few hours before being spooned into a kadhai/deep frying pan [ of hot oil to form a bubbling pancake which should be crisp around the edges. The pancakes are then immersed in a thick sugar syrup. Though it is not made in the same manner in south of India but we do have similar food made of rice flour jaggery and ghee/oil called as (Attirasa/anarsa/ arise -rice pancake).

So go ahead and treat yourself to some delicious complex carbohydrate (when simple sugars + Starch+ Protein from Milk solids – and deep fried in Ghee) this is digested slowly and absorbed gradually with out causing spikes in your blood sugars even if you are a diabetic! So for once just enjoy your prasad to glorify your health and don’t skip ur exercise since u r feeling heavy 😉

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Day III of Navratri- ! Make the most of this day by offering your prayers to Maa Chandraghanta and consume plenty of milk based foods !

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​Day -3 of Navratri – Maa Chandraghanta

The third day of Navratri is dedicated to Mata Chandra ghanta who carries the half form of Moon on her head is the third form. She is clam like Moon i.e. Chandra. She fulfils all the wishes and provides relief from worldly pains. She gets pleased by offering milk, sweets and Kheer.

After a detox with ghee on day 1 and ensuring good growth of gut flora by adding simple sugars and fruits on day two


your body is now ready to absorb protein rich complete food i.e.  milk and sweets made with milk. So enjoy a good dose of Payasam/Payas/Kheer/ made with milk and cereals (rice/broken wheat/semolina/sago/vermicelli).

Milk provides special and unique and complete nutrition that cannot be derived from any other type of food. Milk, when digested properly, nourishes all the tissues, promotes balanced emotions, and helps to balance all the doshas. It is one of the most important foods to promote ojas. According to Ayurveda, ojas is a refined substance the body produces from the most subtle level of proper digestion. Ojas brings strength, strong immunity, happiness, and contentment.

How to use Milk:  Milk should be brought to boil till the milk foams up, and then bring the heat down so the milk is on a slow boil for about 5 to 10 minutes. Heating the milk changes its molecular structure so it is much easier for human consumption, and it reduces Kapha, making it lighter to digest. Warm milk may be consumed with following foods such as rice, wheat, broken wheat, vermicelli,  sago, dates, mangos, banana, and almonds makes it wholesome and balanced meal in itself. Also remember Milk should not be mixed or eaten with sour, bitter, salty, astringent, or pungent tastes. When combined with incompatible tastes, milk becomes indigestible and causes the build-up of harmful toxins in the body.

Hence go ahead and nourish your self with goodness of milk and bring your self all the peace and happiness your body deserves !

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​Day II of Maa Durga Navratri. Unleashing the systematic body detox through Navratri Bhog / Prasad offered to divine form of woman Maa Durga (Mother Durga – Hindu Goddess)

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The Second day of Navratri – Mata Brahmacharini
As per Hindu calendar it’s still the first day of Pratipada today 2Oct 2016. If you have followed the prasadam of ghee for first day, now this is the time to take simple foods like sugar and fruits on 2 Oct 2016

, the second form of Maa durga, Goddess Brahmacharini. She is the one who mediates and hence likes simple food. She is offered sugar and fruits. This increases the longevity of the family members. Same time very simple to understand once you have cleansed your gut, it craves for enzymes and simple sugars in order to provide quick energy and improve concentration levels of an individual. So its simple food, sugar and fruits sucrose and fructose and yes this will add a good dose of vitamins and minerals coming from fresh fruits. Remember it’s the whole fruit and will not rise your blood sugars unlike juices, squashes and jams or milkshakes

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​Unleashing the systematic body detox through Navratri Bhog / Prasad offered to divine form of woman Maa Durga (Mother Durga – Hindu Goddess)

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Each one of us might have surely come across several method of body detox in the recent past, signifying how it refreshes mind and body wellness and energizes different center in the body. However as we look back into the religious traditions, we actually welcome various Gods close to every 3 months  and celebrate a Navrathri – 1. Chaitra Gowri – 9 days 2. Ramanavami – Navaratri 2. 3.Bhadrapad Ganesh Gowri – Navratri  4. Ashwin Durga Navratri 5.Margali – Shakhambari Navratri (south of India)
The first day of Durga Navratri : Dedicated to Maa Shailaputri

Maa Shailputri, the daughter of Himalaya is pleased by offering pure Ghee. This blesses the devotee with a disease free life. Meaning the first day of detox start with ghee, now being made popular in west as clarified butter ! Two scoops of Cow ghee on empty stomach and see the glow and magic you feel for your self !

Desi Ghee or clarified butter oil – often blamed for obesity and heart diseases – is not that bad after all.

Its found that the cow ghee could protect us from cancer. Cow ghee enhances the availability of enzymes responsible for detoxification of cancer-causing substances and decreases the availability of those responsible for activation of carcinogens, scientists from the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) have reported in the latest issue of the Indian Journal of Medical Research. Because of its high melting point its best to make sweets yet not harming the gut ! The new finding, however, does not mean you can go ahead with liberal amount of ghee in your food. Vitamin enriched ghee when taken in controlled portions does more healing than harming.

Jai Maa Durga !

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Why Offerings made to God are so nutritious !

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With the upcoming festivities Ganesh Utsav celebrated across several parts of India,  ( The 10 day celebrations of Lord Ganesh, the Elephant Buddha!) most of us would be busy preparing for the event and most importantly preparing foods favourite to Lord Ganesh !

Interestingly I realised that all the various foods offered to lord Ganesh are complete and wholesome foods. I shall post 10 recipes over the next days which are wholesome and nutritious foods. Let me start with Lord’s fav food “MODAK”

There are several variations to Modak that have been adopted over several parts of India. However the traditional recipe is as follows :

Make a dough with rice flour cooked in milk, allow it to cool, now make a mix of jaggery, fresh coconut grated and cardamom powder. Make small dumplings as showing in the pic and fill the dumplings with this mix and steam in pressure cooker for 10 -15 minutes and serve hot with clarified butter !

Now is this stuff really wholesome and nutritious ? Lets see :

1. Rice – rich in carbs and high biological value protein

2. Milk- protein and calcium rich

3. Jaggery – Minerals and Iron apart from calories

4. coconut rich in fiber, several essential fatty acids , vit-E and A

5. cardamom spice to add the extra flavour and antioxidants to the sweet dish

6. Cooked over steam so no fat required except for 5 gm of clarified butter again a better option compared to butter and other saturated fats

Now should we call it a complete food, yes of course , so please go ahead and take a hands on now …………… 🙂

Always remember any thing in excess is dangerous !

Ganapati Bappa Moriyaa ! Mangal Moorthi Moriyaa!

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Suphala Care at Kidzee BTM 2nd Stage

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Suphala Care just finished a health and wellness camp at Kidzee BTM 2nd Stage at Bangalore. Much has been made recently about the meals that our children consume in places such as school cafeterias and outside.  A general sentiment that these types of establishments place cost and convenience over nutrition and well being seems to be developing.

In case parents have ever suspected that your child’s nutrition takes a back seat to fun , we hope this engagement with Suphala Care at Kidzee BTM 2nd Stage has helped put your mind at ease.  And if you’re still not convinced, we invite you to continue visiting this blog as we continue our series about healthy bytes and food full of nutrition and wellness.

 

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Muse and Amuse with Yoga and Music Everyday apart from 21 of June

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Yoga with right breathing brings Bliss and Beauty to each of us from within,
You can say good bye to BB creams and lotions 😉
How ?
Make up your Mind for Mindful Yoga and Music and Not Mac Makeup

Why to do Yoga?
Well firstly its your choice and your body ! On a lighter note 🙂

When we jump into deeper aspects of understanding Yoga, it is not mere fixing oneself in yogic postures, its much beyond the physical flexibility and endurance and when you take up Yoga on a serious note,

Regular (Nitya) Mantra Japa(chanting) of Omkara in Meditative Posture (Dhayana Mudra) helps one to attain Knowledge (Gyana), Wisdom (Pragnya) to rightfully make use of the knowledge and harness Prana (Soul) !

One can revive the nature(Prakruti) one is born with, by Love and Devotion(Bhakti) towards his Teacher (Guru),

Through Practice(Sadhana) , Glow/ Perseverance (Tapas) with power(Shakti) and breathing extensions (pranayam) and being truthful (Satya) to attain Vitality (Ojas), Bliss (Ananda), and freedom (Mukti) from ignorance (Avidya).

To attain a state of “truth, consciousness, bliss”(Satya, chitta/ consciousness of mind and Ananda) ! Satchitananda!

21 Jun is World Yoga Day and World Music day as well

Play your mindful music for a joyful experience towards pink of Health !

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Hypertension and Hyper tempting pickles!

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Can a single day go with no salt or low salt in our diets?
If we could celebrate one day in a year with salt free diet to bring awareness about Hypertension to people at large? Not just by celebrating every 17th of May the world hypertension day on podiums, health camps and lectures and launching “low sodium salt!” but actually practising no salt day! The amount of whites – Salt Refined Sugar and refined flours (maida/refined wheat flour, rice flour, corn flour) in our everyday foods is leading to major chronic disorders, while hypertension being the most common yet undiagnosed one.

Of all the varieties of foods we eat everyday pickle forms an integral part and severed at least once and in few households served with every meal! Pickle here is referred to any preserved fruit/vegetable which is sour in nature packed with spices, oils and loads of salt. How much is too much? Well though pickles have many healthy spices the salt overload makes it an occasional food in ideal balanced diets for present lifestyle. Traditionally pickle was severed in the thali during lunch, since those days, we worked hard in farm lands,as well in kitchens, used no chemicals to grow crops,no motors for farming or household chores,strangely we now use motored tooth brush to brush teeth as well! We never ate vacuum packed chips and snacks, nor guzzled bottles of soft drinks or ate festive snacks everyday, never ate cheese pizza burgers doughnuts and other bakery snacks. Hence eating pickle once everyday was easy 🙂

Our present salt load at various meals –
Morning – Breakfast+ pickles/Sauce /Ketchup /Salted Butter/Cheese/Breads/Buns/Podis/Spicy chutneys etc

Afternoon- Lunch/ meals + Pickle/Papad/Vada/Appalam/salt in curds/buttermilk/additional salt in dals,curries and rice;other than salt added while cooking rice /chapati dough/boiling Dal etc
Evening – Snacks/Tea/Coffee/Fruit Juices /Soft Drinks;
Bhajji,Pakora/Samosa/Kachori/Chats/Panipuri/chips/crispies/Puffs/fried dals /khatta meetha
mixtures/boondi/sev/bhujiya/burger/Pizza/Sandwiches/Chinese foods/
Sauce /Ketchup /Salted Butter/Cheese/Breads/Buns/Podis/Spicy chutneysetc

Night- Dinner Meals +Pickle/Papad/Vada/Appalam/salt in curds/buttermilk/additional salt in dals,curries and
rice;other than salt added while cooking rice /chapati dough/boiling Dal etc

Note : All Italicised foods are Sodium dense.

Apart from this we add salt as per our personal taste in all the food that we prepare and many times also add additional salt while eating. While this is the salt overload on any normal given day.
How much salt do we really need?
Sodium is lost in urine,thru sweat as Sodium chloride. Though sodium present in foods is not adequate to meet body requirements, additional dietary sodium enhances taste and helps in various bodily functions.
The recommendations of National Institute of Nutrition is about 8-10 gm, while its difficult to understand an average Indians sodium consumption per day ,given the above account of sodium rich foods that we are exposed to currently it is wise to reduce further salt intake to 6-8 gm /day, given the climatic conditions, working conditions of individuals (Air conditioning or too much of Sunlight both lead to dehydration leading to water imbalance and sodium -Potassium imbalance.) Proper balance of Sodium and Potassium is essential to keep the osmotic balance and normal functioning of body cells.

Hypertension is one of the most common silent chronic condition which starts in young adults at 25 years or even early and goes unnoticed due to lack of awareness of hypertension symptoms as some times there are no symptoms and at times difficult to understand / interpret
Common symptoms of hypertension:
1.Dull headache
2.Dizzy spells
3.Rare occasions nose bleeds

While high sodium is key to raised blood pressures, the following are other ways to prevent hypertension
1.Regular physical exercise
2.Take plenty of whole grains, nuts fruits and vegetables in diet,
3.Let the pickles tickle the pallet occasionally
4.Choose foods that are less salty and free of trans fatty acids (refined floors and vacuum packed snacks)
5.Avoid smoking and Alcoholic drinks
6.over use of analgesics with out doctors consent /prescription
7.Take less of salt in your diet but never go for low sodium slat!

Some thoughts on low Sodium Salt !
While Normal salt is 20.00 INR /kg this might be double the price, I never bought one though!
I did get a few packs free with some other products which I used for cleaning purpose. Meaning this is not having enough market !
What is Salt? – Na Cl Sodium Chloride.
Now when we say Low sodium salt it has to be replaced with some other salt/Ions, does our body require the other salts like Na , answer is No.
So is it K Cl? Potassium(K) is plenty in all fruits, vegetables and grains so what is low Sodium?
Hence please do not invite more health hazards! Salt is Sodium Chloride and lets take it that way, with a pinch of Salt! may be little less but not Pseudo Sodium 🙂