Category: Spices

Food, Health, Spices, Suphala care, Wellness

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!
balanced eating, bonding, Daibetes, Dal Tadka, decorations, eco freindly, engagemnets, event management, food carving, food wastegae, fruits smoothie, infants, infuse, nutritionists, Nutritious Food, seasonal, Spices, Suphala care, supplies, traditonal, Wellness

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!

Food, Health, Nutritious Food, Spices, Uncategorized, Wellness

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 🙂

Food, Healthy Heart, Jeera, Nutritious Food, Spices, Uncategorized

Dice and Spice Your Vegetables !

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Recently I had been to Sanjeevanam a health restaurant in Bangalore and realized that food was cooked with very little oil and was happy to see people in decent numbers. However I felt that use of spices and herbs and few other nuts and oil seeds would have really enhance the palatability of food and nutritionally more wholesome and healthy.

 Then I thought to my self let me start my first write-up on the soul of cooking healthy and wholesome foods – spices and herbs.Imagine plain sautéed mix of several finely chopped greens  or Okra (lady’s finger) with out spices ………. yes don’t worry I am not asking you to do that to stay healthy 🙂

What I would like to highlight is the first thing that we need to have in our kitchens  is the spice and herbs box. Traditionally this has been used by our grand mom’s and few mom’s 🙂 and slowly losing ground named,  Tikhat Mitha cha daba in Marathi, Ogrenni samaan in Kannada, Popu Dabba in Telugu, Paanch Phorna in Bengali etc…

We are lucky to be in a land blessed with a variety of spices. The use of spice is different in different regions of India. However due to fast paced lifestyles we minimize the use of spices  and herbs in our foods which are actually small concentrated store houses of  nutrients  and antioxidants  and very small quantities can bring in all the magic to the recipe. Before I go ahead and detail individual spices and herbs and which are the most important, in the followings days of this week. I shall like to share few key basics that we should have it handy in our kitchens especially when you intend to dish out  healthy Indian recipes.

10 must have spices in your kitchen  !

Always keep the following spices handy in small bottles (preferably in glass or steel) and whats important : Store tightly closed after each use!

 1.Mustarad seeds  (Raie) (big/small as per your preference)

2.Cumin seeds (Jeera)

3.Fenugreek seeds (Methi seeds)

4.Coriander seeds (Dhaniya dana)

5.Redcilly powder (Lal mirchi powder)

6. Red chillies (whole) (Lal mirch khada)

7.Turmeric powder (Haldi powder)

8.Pepper powder (Kali Mirch powder)

9.Asafoetida powdered (Hing powder) &

*10. Masala powder (Kala /Goda /Garam) {mix of  equal quantities of Cinnamon (Dalchini), cardamom(Elaichi), Cloves (Lavang), Black Cumin seeds ( Shah Jeera), Bay leaves (Tej patta), Star Anise (Badal phool) Black Stone Flower ( Dagad phool, it’s a form of lichen)}

 *Masala powders vary from region to region and liking for specific herbs and spices , however my idea behind using the way I have mentioned, these spices are commonly available globally and if roast these and powder and save it can be used for a long time without losing its flavours and nutritive values. However fresh ground masala is the best when you plan to make a large quantity of  particular recipe which requires garam/ goda/kala masala.

 On a typical rush hour we dice up a vegetable and stir fry it in a seasoning of mustard seeds, cumin , turmeric powder and red chilly powder  and finally finish with a dash of fresh herb like coriander and green chillies and salt as per taste. In the same time if you can add  a few more of these listed spices , provided you keep all these ingredients handy  your food will not only taste healthy but will heal you holistically. A set of different vegetables when cooked in combination of specific spices they enhance the nutritive value and also make the food more healthy and palatable. So folks keep watching for more posts this week to spice up your diced veggies 🙂 the healthy way!

Coming up next , my favourite spice (Jeera)

Jeera to jazz up your food!

Food, Healthy Heart, Jeera, Nutritious Food, Spices, Suphala care

Who am i?

suphalac

I’m a holistic nutrition and wellness coach–I work with people from all walks of life, Senior citizens, women, men, youth, teens, and kids to create a happy, healthy life in a way that is flexible, fun, and free of denial and discipline. No one diet works for everyone. I guide my clients, in sessions that can take place either in person or over the phone, to find the food and lifestyle choices that best support them. We are currently overloaded with information on health and diet from multiple sources however challenge is to make use of this information practically, my objective is to help you to make gradual, lifelong changes to food choices and healthy habits. For more information or to set up a consultation with me, visit my contact me section 🙂