Tag: wellness

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Best Guacamole Recipe (Easy, Fresh and Authentic)

I absolutely love avocados for their rich buttery taste. Guacamole is an avocado-based dip or spread that originated in Mexico. Mexico cuisine is quite incomplete without guacamole. Making guacamole at home is super easy. It will literally take you 5 minutes with which you can make a classic side dish. You can spread guacamole on a toast, serve with tacos, chips, tortillas or burrito bowl.

Avocados are well loved for its buttery rich creamy flavour. Authentic guacamole doesn’t contain fillers and unnecessary ingredients. All you need is ripe avocados, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, and salt. Easy and delicious! The key to making a good guacamole is to keep it simple. Do not get too fancy with the ingredients. Keep it plain and simple!

Pick ripe avocado for best guacamole. How to pick ripe Avocado?

Pick ripe but firm avocado. We are not looking for soft mushy ones for this recipe. 

  • Ripe avocados will yield to firm gentle pressure in the palm of your hand. 
  • If avocado is ripe, it may have a darker colour but colour can vary so it is best to go by feel as well as colour. It will feel lightly soft but it will not feel “mushy” to the touch.
  • The “stem trick” can also help you determine—by pulling off the nubby stem—how ripe an avocado is. If it comes off easily and the color is bright green, it’s ready.
  • Another indicator is the skin. Feel for bumpy skin. Avocados that are ready to eat will have a bumpy and not smooth skin.

Avocado Benefits 

Incorporating avocado into a varied, healthy diet can provide a number of benefits.

  1. They are loaded with vitamins, potassium and antioxidants. Avocados are a source of Vitamin C, E, K, and B6, as well as riboflavin, niacin, folate and pantothenic acid.
  2. They are excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids. These are good fats which helps a person feel fuller in between meals. Eating healthy fats supports skin health, enhances the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and minerals
  3. Avocados also contain high levels of phytochemicals and carotenoids, which may have anticancer properties.
  4. It can also help you loose weight. A half-cup of guacamole has about 6 grams, almost 1/4, of your daily fiber needs. Fiber helps you feel full, so you’re less likely to overeat. Although avocados are high in fat, it’s mainly healthy monounsaturated fat which will not lead to unnecessary weight gain. 
  5. Avocados can also help lower “bad” cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure.

How do you make Guacamole?

Ingredients:

  • 2 large ripe Avocados
  • Juice of 1 Lemon
  • 1 clove Garlic, minced
  • 1 small Onion, chopped very fine
  • 1 small Roma tomato, chopped very fine
  • 1 small Jalapeño, chopped finely
  • Handful of finely chopped Sweet Basil leaves (optional)
  • Handful of finely chopped Cilantro
  • Salt, Black pepper and Cayenne Pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Slice the avocados in half, remove the pit, and scoop into a mixing bowl. 
  • Mash the avocado with a fork and make it as chunky or smooth as you’d like.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and stir together. Give it a taste test. Add more salt or lemon juice if needed.
  • Refrigerate the guacamole for 30 minutes before serving. It tastes best when it is cold.

How to store the leftover

Guacamole is best consumed the same day because it oxidizes and turns brown quickly. There are lot of old wives tales that tell you to keep a pit in guacamole to prevent it from browning but I tell you none of this works. 

The most common guacamole preservation hack is placing plastic wrap directly on the guacamole and refrigerate it to prevent oxidation. This may work for a day or two.

Happy eating! Do try out this easy peasy recipe and let me know in the comment section how you liked it. 🙂

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Energy Boosting Drink for Kids- No Sugar

My child goes to school at 7.30 am. My only struggle and concern in the morning has been his breakfast. He doesn’t like to have anything in the morning except for a glass of milk. The school recess starts somewhere around 10 am. So this long gap between waking up and the school recess always troubled me. I wanted to make him have something substantial, something that can sustain him till 10 which can’t happen with just a glass of milk.

So here is a Healthy Drink Recipe that I would love to share with you all. This drink contains dates, nuts, seeds and cacao powder. 

  • The dry nuts and seeds are soaked overnight. Soaking nuts and seeds before consuming has innumerable benefits as said by many nutritionists. Soaking nuts and seeds, starts the germination process which activates enzymes making it easily digestible and the nutrients present are better absorbed. Also, nuts and seeds by nature are protected by phytic acid which is a mineral binder. Soaking them, breaks the phytic acid which in return makes it easily digestible and increases the bioavailability of nutrients.
  • Raw cacao powder is a storehouse of many antioxidants and magnesium. Calcium alone does nothing to your bones. We need magnesium in our diet to absorb calcium. This is the easiest and yummiest way to ensure that your child is getting their daily dose of magnesium.

Difference between Cacao Powder and Cocoa Powder

Cacao beans are dried fermented, and heated at a low temperature. The heat separates the fatty part of the bean from the rest. Cocoa powder on the other hand, is harvested the same way as cacao but heated at a high temperature. This difference in processing helps cacao powder retain its nutrients and antioxidants properties while cocoa powder is more processed, decreasing its nutrients and antioxidants. 

Are the claims made by Store Bought Health Drink Powders True? 

As a mother it’s our duty to provide our child with best nutrition possible. Pick up the boxes of these health drinks and read the ingredients. The first ingredient is the dominant one followed by the second and so on. The dominant ingredients are malt extract or malted barley, sugar, liquid glucose, wheat, soy and vegetable oils. 

If you compare the ingredients of these drinks, you will realize that you do not need this highly addictive sugary fat filled powder to be added to a healthy glass of milk. In simple words, these “so called health drinks” mainly consists of- grain, sugar, processed junk, preservatives, salt, artificial vitamins & minerals which are difficult for kids digestive system to absorb, even the proteins it contains is low quality crap.

Malt extract is made from grain and has the same effect as refined sugar. Main carbohydrates in malt syrup is Maltose that has very high glycemic index even higher than table sugar which will likely not have a gentle effect on your child’s blood sugar levels. It also results to cavities and tooth decay.

Why look for expensive milk powders which are full of synthetic vitamins, minerals, flavors, hidden sugars etc when this simple nutritious easy to prepare drink can solve the purpose. It is also inexpensive and much better nutrition wise. It is never about the quantity of nutrients. It is always about the quality. Dates milk has also been glorified in Ayurveda for centuries. It helps to balance Vata and Pita doshas.

There is no food that is as nutritionally dense as real food. If your kid is a picky eater, train them to eat real food. Don’t let those stupid ads play on your mind and heart. Make sensible choices.

Recipe: serves 1

Ingredients

  • Milk: 1 cup
  • Sticky Dates: 1 or 2 (depends how sweet your child likes it)
  • Almonds: 5 to 6
  • Walnut: 1/2
  • Mixed seeds: 1/2 tsp
  • Cacao powder: 1 tsp

Instructions 

  1. Simply soak sticky dates for 5-6 hours or overnight. It will reduce the heat and will also make dates easy to digest. 
  2. Soak almonds, walnut and mixed seeds overnight.
  3. Add milk in a blender. Chop dates and nuts. Add dates, nuts, seeds and cacao powder to milk.
  1. Blend everything on high speed. Sieve if your child is fussy about small bits coming in the mouth and serve warm or cold.

Variations 

  • If your child is lactose intolerant, then you can make this drink with coconut milk or any other plant based milk of your choice. This can even be made with water
  • You can use nuts of your choice. If you don’t want to use seeds, that’s totally fine too.
  • There are days, I like to add peanut butter along with spice powder to it.
  • You can add more flavor to this drink like pure vanilla extract, all spice powder or cinnamon powder.

I hope your child enjoys this drink as much as my child does. Do let me know in the comments section if you enjoyed reading this and want more such recipes. Stay Healthy! 🙂

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Highly Effective Homemade Cough Syrup- A Quick Natural Solution

When it comes to flu, I try to resort to home remedies as much as i can. I don’t like over the counter medication like suppressants, expectorants or decongestants to treat my cough unless it is keeping me up all night and a doctor suggests it. 

I have seen so many people who have bad cough and stuffy nose heading straight to a drug store to pick up OTC medication for relief. The labels of these OTC cough and cold medicines are often overseen or ignored; as a result, people don’t know what these bottles contain and what their ingredients can do.

Decongestants provide symptomatic relief from congestion because they cause narrowing of blood vessels in the nasal passages and sinuses. This can help to reduce inflammation and stuffy nose but what people overlook is that other blood vessels throughout the body are not immune from the narrowing effect. It can lead to high blood pressure and elevated heart rate. People who already have high BP should always take such medication under doctor’s supervision and never self medicate.

There are growing concerns about safety and doubts about the efficacy around the use of OTC cough medicines. In fact, most studies have found no evidence that over-the-counter medicines actually suppress or stop coughing. In many cases, they’ve performed no better than a placebo.

Most viral infections anyway don’t need any medical attention. It’s best to resort to home remedies. The more medicines you take, the lower will be your immunity.

This homemade cough syrup remedy was passed on to me by grandmother. I made it for the first time some 7 years back when I had dry cough that just didn’t go away. It had been more than 15 days, the cough didn’t seem to get any better. I tried everything from saline water gargles, hydration, steam, even tried mucolytic drugs prescribed by the doctor. But nothing gave me much relief.

It was then this syrup came to my rescue and worked like a charm. Within 3 days I noticed a huge relief in my cough. The best part is I can give this to my little one without any fear of side effects.

Ingredients used and their benefits 

1) Holy Basil or Tulsi Leaves: Tulsi, the ancient herb, has positive actions on the respiratory system. Tulsi or holy basil helps to effectively liquefy the phlegm. Boiled Tulsi water helps to provide a soothing effect to people suffering from sore throat. Due to its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, Tulsi has been used as part of home remedies for cough and common cold for centuries. Its juice is also effective in bringing down fever.

2) Ginger: Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that can help ease a cough. It can reduce inflammation in your respiratory tract and may even help to suppress the cough reflex.

3) Turmeric: Turmeric is a nutritional powerhouse and is said to contain a nutrient called curcumin, which has significant anti-inflammatory properties. It can relieve congestion and reduce coughing.

4) Black pepper: Due to the expectorant properties present in black pepper, it extends relieve from sinus, cough and nasal infection. It’s anti-viral which can break down mucus and phlegm deposition in the respiratory tract. 

5) Caraway seeds or Ajwain: Ajwain is a powerful spice that provides relief from coughing as well as clear mucus from your nose, both of which make breathing easier. It may also help to widen the bronchial tubes, which can help those with asthma.

6) Banafsha or Dried Sweet Violet Flower: Banafsha is one of the main hero ingredients in this recipe. It is medicinal plant which has a long proven history in treating whooping cough. It is highly effective in treating asthma, fever and also bodyache. It is also used as an ingredient in many herbal medicines. It expectorates phlegm from the chest and relieves chest pain and pneumonia.

7) Mulethi or Liquorice Root: Mulethi or Liquorice also known as “Sweetwood” is a traditional medicinal herb. It is widely used in Ayurvedic practice to treat respiratory and digestive disorders. It is said to contain anti-viral, anti-inflammatory & anti-bacterial properties, which maintains mucosal health. It is also an immunity booster because of its powerful antioxidants. 

8) Cloves: Clove is rich in essential oils which have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Its anti-inflammatory properties can accelerate healing process. Many people opt for clove oil to clear blocked nasal passages too. It also has a cooling effect on nasal cavity and throat. Cloves show expectorant property that helps to discharge secretions and mucous in the respiratory tract.

9) Star anise: Star anise has been traditionally used in Chinese medicines for centuries to treat respiratory and digestive disorders. Studies indicate star anise may have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-cancer, antispasmodic, and sedative properties. Be careful when it comes to star anise. Use Chinese star anise and not JAPANESE. Japanese star anise is believed to be highly toxic.

Recipe: makes 80 ml

Ingredients

  • 10 to 12 Tulsi leaves
  • 1″ ginger
  • 1″ fresh turmeric or organic turmeric powder
  • 10 to 12 Black peppercorns 
  • 1 tsp Caraway Seeds
  • 1 tbsp Banafsha
  • 1″ Mulethi
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 Star anise
  • 2 tbsps Jaggery powder
  • Water: 300 ml

Instructions

  1. Crush tulsi and ginger together. Coarsely crush peppercorn and cloves.
  2. In roughly 300 ml of water, add all the ingredients except jaggery.
  3. Let it all simmer till it reduces to almost 1/4th. Add jaggery and mix well till it melts. 
  4. Cover it and let it rest till it cools and then sieve it.
  5. Transfer it to a clean glass bottle.

Notes

  • It is safe for children. You can give this to kids above 1 year. One tsp for kids, twice in a day followed by warm water.
  • For adults about 10 ml twice a day followed by warm water
  • If not Jaggery, you can also add raw honey to it. Honey should be added when the concoction is completely cool. Honey should never be added to hot liquids as per Ayurveda. If you would like to know more about it, check out this link- Honey Rules! Why you should never cook honey. Do not give honey to children below 1 year.
  • This syrup will last you 2 days when kept at room temperature. But I prefer making it fresh everyday.
  • Drinking enough water is important with this syrup because some of the spices and herbs used are warm in nature.

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Honey Rules! Why you should never cook honey?

“The fruit of bees is desired by all, and is equally sweet to kings and beggars and it is not only pleasing but profitable and healthful; it sweetens their mouths, cures their wounds, and conveys remedies to inward ulcers.” 
– Saint Ambrose

The above quote pretty much sums up the importance of honey in our lifestyle. It’s one of the many nature’s gift to mankind. It is a natural and a healthy substance that has been harvested by humans for over thousands of years to heal and provide natural source of energy. Across the globe our ancestors were well aware of its benefits. In India, honey is an important part of Siddha and Ayurveda – the ancient, traditional systems of medicine. In ancient Egypt, it was used in managing skin and eye diseases, and also as a natural bandage applied on wounds and burns.

In this post we will look at various health benefits of consuming honey regularly, how according to Ayurveda honey should be consumed and the kind of honey you should buy to derive maximum benefit from it.

Health Benefits of Honey

Honey is anti-microbial and antiseptic: Several clinical studies have demonstrated that application of honey to severely infected wounds rapidly clears infection from the wound and improves tissue healing. It has a synergistic effect when applied with antibiotics. Tissue repair is enhanced by the low pH of honey. The pH of honey is between 3.2 and 4.5. This acidity is low enough to inhibit the growth of most microorganisms.

It is anti-inflammatory: Suffering from pain and inflammation? Include honey in your lifestyle. It has the power to lower inflammation. Honey contains antioxidants like Vitamin C, flavonoids, and polyphenols which are highly anti-inflammatory. It helps repair damaged intestinal linings, and stimulates the growth of new tissues.

It is an energy food: Out of many vital uses of honey, one of the most important use is that, it is a brilliant energy booster. Honey contains 85% of sugar molecules, glucose and fructose. The remaining 15% is water, pollen and trace nutrients. Unlike white sugar which is 100% sugar with a GI of 65, honey has a GI of 30-50. This means honey will provide energy over a long period of time.

Helps in Digestion: Honey has a mild laxative properties which helps in giving relief from constipation. It is also a mild probiotic which is excellent for your gut. Regular consumption can help reduce bloating and gas problems.

Combat skin and scalp infections: Thanks to its anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties, honey can give you relief from dandruff, eczema, and psoriasis rashes. It can strike down candida overgrowth that most people today struggle with. It can curb  infections like ringworms, athlete foot, itchy scalp and seborrheic dermatitis.

Why you should never cook it?

Honey is liquid gold but its effectiveness nullifies once you heat it, cook with it or add it to hot liquids. According to Ayurveda, honey when heated above 40 degree Celsius becomes toxic. Overtime it contributes to ill health. The reason behind this is when honey is cooked, it becomes like a glue and sticks to your digestive tract producing toxins and clogging body channels. In Ayurveda, this is called Ama, which is nothing but undigested matter that can’t be flushed out of your body because it is stuck to your digestive tract like a glue. This is considered as one of the most difficult forms to detoxify. Charaka, the ancient sage of Ayurveda wrote over 500 years ago that, “nothing is so troublesome as Ama caused by improper intake of honey.”

Even modern science confirms that, heating honey can damage its properties, deteriorates the quality by damaging all beneficial enzymes responsible for its numerous health benefits.

How you should consume honey?

  • The best way to consume honey is as it is in its raw form. You can add honey to slightly warm to room temperature liquids but never to hot liquids. If you are used to having honey water in the morning, make sure the water is not hot.
  • Do not bake or cook with honey. Find different alternatives to sweeten your dishes which are not harmful when cooked like maple syrup or jaggery.
  • Honey should not be consumed when you are working in a hot environment. Honey has qualities of being ‘hot’ in nature. It is best avoided on a hot summer day.
  • It should never be combined with hot, spicy foods and fermented beverages like whiskey, rum.
  • Avoid honey baked goods, snacks or cereals

Caution: Do not give honey to kids below 1 year of age. It can lead to botulism.

How to identify good quality honey?

All the benefits of honey go to waste if the honey you bought is substandard or is highly processed. Do not buy heated or pasteurised honey. Honey contains live enzymes and antioxidants which become completely dead once honey is heated during processing leaving you with nothing but sugar.

Do not fall for organic ones too. It’s is the biggest scam of food industries. Most of the commercial honey available in the market are nothing but fructose or corn syrups which can create a havoc with your blood sugar if consumed daily. Look for artisanal honey with terms like raw, unprocessed, unfiltered or unheated on the label. Raw honey is never heated above hive temperature and is strained but not filtered. They bear quite a price difference to commercial honey but investment in health and quality products will take you a long way.

Hope this article helped you. Let me know in the comments if you want to know how you can incorporate honey in your lifestyle. Enjoy good health! 🙂

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Refreshing Bael Sharbat / Wood Apple Summer Drink

Once upon a time, I couldn’t stand the taste of bael fruit. It was my grandfather’s favorite summer fruit, and he made it a tradition for every child to enjoy bael sharbat during the scorching heat. Those days, bael fruits arrived fresh from our village. Fast forward to urban life, and now I find myself craving these regional delights. I make it a point to visit the local market and grab some bael fruit to whip up the sharbat at least once or twice every summer. Funny how our tastes change with time, isn’t it?

It is very easy to make and it is also very amazing in taste!

Ingredients:

1 ripe bael fruit
Lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
Black salt, to taste
Cold water
Ice cubes
Sugar, to taste
Mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

Begin by cracking open the ripe bael fruit and scooping out the pulp. Discard the seeds and any hard parts.
In a bowl, add the bael pulp and cover it with water. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes to soften.
After soaking, strain the pulp through a fine mesh strainer to separate the juice from the fibers.
Add more water to the strained juice according to your desired consistency.

Mix in sugar, lemon juice, and black salt to taste. Adjust the sweetness and tanginess according to your preference.
Stir well until the sugar and salt are fully dissolved.


Fill serving glasses with ice cubes. Pour the prepared bael sharbat over the ice in each glass. Garnish with fresh mint leaves if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy the refreshing and flavorful bael sharbat!

You can make your own bael sharbat at home or you can buy from numerous brands available online as well as offline. In case you are looking for a homemade, preservative free and authentic experience, without getting into hassle of making your own, you can always explore Masala Monk’s Bael Sharbat, which ships all over India.

Bael Sharbat isn’t just a refreshing summer drink; it’s a testament to the timeless wisdom of our ancestors. Unlike sodas and colas that can harm your health, this homemade concoction offers both flavor and nutrition in every sip. By embracing these age-old recipes and prioritizing homemade drinks, we not only honor our culinary heritage but also nourish our bodies with the goodness of nature. Here’s to savoring the simple joys and flavors of life, one glass of Bael Sharbat at a time!