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Showing posts with label Platter Chatter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Platter Chatter. Show all posts

Benefits of Miracle Olive and Other Oil - Elixir of life

How does olive oil benefit your health and well being- the miracle oil -  the Elixir of life

Poets have sung and doctors have raved about it. Chefs cannot do without it. In Indian cooking we haven't used it. It fights cancer and prevent heart diseases, increase the life expectancy. An amazing natural ingredient that contains numerous benefits for the skin. The ingredient is known as the miracle OLIVE OIL to the world.Make olive oil part of your daily cooking to bring wellness to your family's health.


  • Olive Pomace Oil can be used for Indian cuisine and frying.
  • 100% pure Olive oil for Italian and western cuisine. Its good for Body massage.
  • Extra Virgin Olive are used for Salad dressing and dips


Olive oil possesses several natural ingredients like Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Phenols, Squalene, Vitamin A which make it an ideal ingredient to apply to the skin.vitamin K to be effective in reducing the dark under eye circles.Vitamin E has been proven to possess the ability to penetrate skin layers reducing skin aging. Good in healing process.Phenols repair damage to cell membranes caused by exposure like pollution.Vitamin A helps the skin stay soft, smooth and firm, increasing the elasticity, and having numerous anti-aging benefits.



WHAT OILS YOU SHOULD USE:


Baking: Use a variety of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated oils and margarines made from canola, olive, sunflower, soyabean and peanut.

Spreading on bread:
Use a polyunsaturated or monounsaturated margarine spread.

Deep-frying: Cardiologist don't recommend it

Salad dressing: Use Olive,sunflower, canola, peanut, sesame or grapeseed oils

Shallow/pan/Stir-frying: A variety of oils listed above are suitable. Rice barn oil is called as Indian Olive oil. its a healthy oil with no transfat

Benefits of Olive oil

Try to avoid or minimize using oil high in saturated or trans fats including Palm oil, tallow, lard, coconut oil, butter, ghee, vanaspati. For a good health stick to grill and baking or steamed food rather than deep fried foods.



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Build natural immunity to fight viruses in your body

Influenza, H1N1, Swine flu is causing worry (latest Corona virus) and fear among many people. One can take some preventive steps to keep these virus at bay. There are some natural herbs which can surely boost your immunity system. Keep your body well nourished and build a strong immune system with colorful vegetables, fruits rich in vitamins especially vitamin C and consuming whole grain so that it can fight against the flu .Never underestimate simple prevention methods. Also one should not fear as fear itself will weaken ones immune system. If you feed your brains with negative thought it will attract negativity.
Children and elderly people need to be taken care as they have less immunity. So avoid going to crowded places. Remember SARS during 2003 which was also a respiratory syndrome, it came and vanished. People will develop immunity to this one too. All we have to do is take preventive measure and build a flu resisting immunity system. These days there is a big demand for masks. Wear a mask and help protect yourself and others too. Be safe.



Foods that Boost the Immune System are Citrus fruits,Garlic, Turmeric, Ginger, Yogurt, Spinach, Sunflower seed, Almonds, Green tea, Bell Pepper, Broccoli, Shell Fish, Shallots

Some SUPER FOODS are listed below, include them in your diets and see the difference yourself

  • Walnuts
  • Blueberries
  • Pumpkins
  • Avocado
  • Coconut oil 2 tsp
  • Kale
  • Pepper + Turmeric + Honey
  • wild Salmon
  • Cauliflower
  • Cocoa
  • Olive oil
  • Sweet potato
  • Quinoa
  • Spinach
  • Moringa
  • Chia seeds
  • Steel cut oats


Too much of something is good for nothing - the usuage of too many immunity boosters might turn out to be harmful to your body. So take them in right amount only and not overdo it.

Warning:
Natural immunity booster concoctions / supplements and such products are being taken in an overdrive. Medical experts have warned against taking these supplements in excess. Always reveal the details of supplements ( Natural or counter top ones) in case you are undergoing any treatment or surgery


So let’s build a natural immunity with the following concoction drinks and soups. Check out the Herbal tea and Moringa Soup, herbs which help fight viruses. A more effective alternative to boost immunity is EXERCISING or Intense Physical activity, which many people ignore the most. Excercise results in cellular damage and induces an immune response which floods sites of damage with immune cells.



Herbal Tea

Ingredients

  • 7-8 tulsi (basil) leaves
  • 2 cup Water
  • 1 inch piece of ginger (grated and crushed)
  • 1 inch stick of cinnamon
  • 3-4 cloves
  • ¼ tsp fennel seed
  • 1/4 tsp anise seed
  • ¼ tsp pepper ground

Method:

Boil till the water reduces to 1 cup. Sieve this and to this add 1 tsp of honey (or molasses/jaggery). Have it twice a day

You can also try this simple domestic therapy.

  • 30 leaves of Tulsi (Basil)
  • 30 leaves of Bela/bilva (Ball tree, Bengal Quince, Golden Apple)
  • 10 nos. of Black Pepper (Kali Mirch/Miri)
  • 4 liters of Water
Boil for half an hour. You can have it throughout the day till you attain normal temperature
  • Do surya namaskaar and pranayamas like anuloma viloma, and bhramari, Avoid Kapaalbhati and Bhastrika if suffering from cold.
  • Do meditation or om chanting in the open, facing the sun early morning
  • Gargle twice a day with warm salt water. A simple gargling is said to prevent proliferation.
  • You can use Eucalyptus oil drops on handkerchiefs and mask as one preventive measure
  • Avoid less sugar, less refined food.
  • Reduce garlic and onion intake
  • Consume more food with omega 3
  • Consume vitamin rich vegetables and fruits
  • Drink lots of warm liquid, if possible drink tender coconut water .Coconut water is the very stuff of Nature, biologically pure, full of Natural Sugars, Salts, and Vitamins to ward off fatigue... and is the next wave of energy drinks, very natural.
Another wonderful plant is Moringa Oleifera called the Miracle Tree. Its also called the Drumstick tree, moringakkai, shigru or Malunggay.A tree rich in nutrient enrich anemic blood as it contains iron, rebuild weak bone as it has calcium and even enable a malnourished mother to nurse her starving baby, it can treat diabetes and control high blood pressure
  • Moringa has 7 times the vitamins found in oranges and strengthens our immune system and help fight against cold and flu
  • Moringa has 4 times the calcium found in milk which builds strong bones and teeth. It helps prevent osteoporosis.
  • Moringa has 4 times Vitamin A found in carrots which is good for eyes, skin and heart
  • Moringa has 3 times the potassium found in bananas which is good for brain and nerves
  • Moringa has .75 times the iron found in spinach and good for hemoglobin

Moringa/Murungakai chicken soup

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Murungakai leaves, rinsed
  • 1 cup shredded white corn (you can powder it to fine texture)
  • 1 cup chicken breast diced
  • 1 piece minced/crushed garlic
  • 1 small piece minced/crushed onion/Shallot (2-3piece)
  • 1 piece minced/crushed ginger
  • 1 tsp oil
  • salt and pepper for seasoning

Preparation

Saute the mince garlic, onion and ginger in oil To this add the chicken breast till half cook. Now Add the powdered corn to it and then pour water Let it boil till the corn is cook. Now when the texture will be a bit thick,season it with salt and pepper. To this add the Moringa/Murungakai leaves Cook in low flame for about 5-10 minutes then turn off.

Moringa with mashed potato

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Moringa leaves rinses and blanched in boiling water
  • 2 cups potatoes boiled and mashed
  • 1/4 cup butter preferably melted
  • 1/4 cup fresh milk heated
  • salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste

Preparation

Rinse, blanche the moringa leaves in boiling water. Squeeze the excess water away. Now mince it. Mix all the remaining ingredients together. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Most of the Indian curry’s have spices included in them and many of us are grown drinking herbal, Ginger and Masala spiced tea. So we might have built a good immune system by now :). Note that Tamiflu which is a preventive medicine for bird flu is synthesized from shikimic acid which is a sourced from anise seed which is effective against cold, influenza, cough, sinus, bronchitis, digestion problem and good for your eyes too. The commonly found tulsi has anti-viral and anti bacterial properties. Go through the benefits of tulsi here Also you can read about the Symptoms, Precaution and treatment here.

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Food colours and nutrition

The two fundamental aspects of the lush colour in foods are balance and variety, which seduce our palate with taste, appeal and nutrition. Did you know that the colours found in various foods represent 25,000 chemicals that are beneficial? There is a strong link between the vibrancy of a food's colour and its health-promoting benefits. So the next time you visit your local bazaar, go wild picking a range of hues and make a rainbow each time out of your selections.
Buy foods in vivid shades of green, orange, yellow, purple and red, for not only are they visually enticing, they are also packed with nutritional properties. Even foods that have lighter colours -- garlic, onions, leeks, cabbage, celery etc -- have plenty of nutritious properties. So, what's in the colour?
A piece of trivia to note -- the compounds that give fruit and vegetables their bright appearance are also responsible for giving them their unique health-promoting properties. They are bio-active compounds occurring naturally in foods that provide more than just nutrition. Some studies have shown that these plant-based chemicals, or phytonutrients help prevent one or more chronic, debilitating and often deadly diseases by boosting immunity or ridding the body of damaging free radicals. It's easy to add colour to your diet. Toss up fruits vegetables raw, steamed, grilled or baked -- make your plate a canvas and paint each meal with life-giving colours. The trick is to include as many plant-based foods in your daily diet as possible, always including their colorful skins which often have the richest sources of protective phytonutrients, with the paler flesh. Try to avoid peeling foods like apples, peaches and eggplants because peeling removes their most concentrated source of beneficial nutrients. Make sure to wash the food items well before consuming. You can also derive the nutritional content of fruit and vegetables from their colours: add colour to your diet - fruits and vegetable nutition
  • Green: Contains fibre, calcium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and beta-carotene. These nutrients serve to lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels and aid digestion.
  • Some examples of green fruit and veggies include green apples, grapes, broccoli, spinach and cabbage.
  • Red: Contains lycopene, beta-carotene and anthocyanins. These lower the risk of heart-disease and cancer.
  • Some examples of red fruit and veggies include strawberries, watermelon, pomegranate, tomatoes, red radishes and beetroots.
  • Yellow and orange: Contain carotenoids, Vitamin C and potassium. They help keep your bones healthy, promote eye health and are good for your skin.
  • Some examples of yellow/orange fruit and veggies include apricots, oranges, mangoes, carrots and pumpkins.
  • Blue and purple: Contain Vitamin C, fibre and flavonoids. They fight inflammation, protect the urinary tract and are good for the brain.
  • Some examples of blue/purple fruit and veggies include blackberries, blueberries, purple grapes, eggplant and purple cabbage.
Balancing Tips:
  • Get at least 6 servings of fruit and vegetables daily.
  • 1 serving of fruit or veg = 1 extra-small banana, 1 small orange, 1 small apple, 1 small guava and 1/2 a cup of cooked vegetable.
  • Freshly-prepared fruit juice (not more than 4 oz and no sugar added). One glass of tomato juice, for instance, supplies 50 percent of the recommended lycopene.
  • Add fruits to your breakfast cereal, salads, yoghurts and desserts
  • Drink fruit milkshakes and smoothies.
  • Find your treasure, maximise benefits and be nutrition-rich!
Kanchan Saggi is a dietician working with NutritionVista.com -- visit their website for more health-related features.

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Life's Perspective

Yesterday, as i was focussing some objects for a photograph in the macro mode of the camera, i learnt that the camera and our life both represent the same view, towards an object. As i was focussing something that was too close, the objects in the distance gets blurred and as we focus the distant object, the object close by gets blurred. Doesn't the same perspective apply for our life. When we focus on the nearby little goals of life, the bigger goals gets distracted, blurred and we get lost in the circle of smaller goals of life. In the same way when we focus on a distant bigger, main goal, all the smaller goals are by passed, they seem nothing in front of the main distant bigger goal of life we really dream of achieving. Now its in our hands, how we handle it. But sometimes, time too plays a bigger role. At times not everything works according to what we plan. Still we could focus on the bigger picture of life . Apply the macro mode to your life too.

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Take life with a Pinch of Salt


“Let yourself be open and life will be easier. A spoon of salt in a glass of water makes the water undrinkable. A spoon of salt in a lake is almost unnoticed.”-Buddha.

Leave your ego at the front door when you go into workplace or when you meet somebody. Just be open don't built a closed space around you, so that you become the undrinkable water in a closed glass. Just take life with a pinch of salt, its not necessary for us to agree with each and everything others say, learn to say NO at the correct moments, else life wouldn't be easy living. A pinch of salt makes all the difference, if added in excess or if its too little, surely does makes a lot of change to the dish. The same applies to our life, don't get too involved with other people's life neither do not ignore your own life too much, maitain a balance in every outlook.Not more, not less, always remember the common salt perspective towards your life. With a right outlook, right attitude and postiveness, absorb all goodness of life into you and that makes you a better person similar to a tasty dish, where the right amount of salt is absorbed by all the ingredients giving out a great dish.

The power of salt is told remarkably in this folk tale:

Well, there was once a very rich gentleman, and he had three daughters, and he thought he'd see how fond they were of him. So he says to the first, "How much do you love me. my dear ?"
"Why," says she, ''as I love my life."
"That's good," says he.
So he says to the second, "How much do you love me, my dear ?"
"Why," says she, "better nor all the world."
"That's good," says he.
So he says to the third, "How much do you love me, my dear ?"
"Why, I love you as any dish that requires salt in it."
Well, but he was angry. "You don't love me at all," says he and remained angry with her.
So one day, the youngest daughter prepared dinner but without salt in any dish, when the father began to eat the food, it was so tasteless that he couldn't eat it. He tried first one dish and then another, but all were tasteless, and then he burst out crying. "What is the matter?" asked the daughter to the father.
I asked you how much you loved me. And you said, as much as any dish that requires salt in it.' And I was angry with you, for I thought you didn't love me. And now I see who loves me best of all.

Now, thats the power of salt, without it, any garnish or flavour you add, still it wouldn't taste good, thats why Homer many centuries back, called it 'Divine'.

Salt - A must for food to taste good, In modern times salt is so common that restaurants give way for free. Salt if added too much to the food or too little in the food makes a lot of difference to the food, making it tasteless. For centuries both cooks and physicians have realized that salt is not only an essential component to good health but makes food more palatable, bringing out the essential flavor of a dish like no other item on earth.

Salt has become an inexpensive and readily available commodity that most of us take for granted. But in older times salt was heavily taxed and wars were fought over it, it was as important as gold. Did you know, Salary derives from the Latin word salarium, a payment made in salt? In ancient times the barter system was prevalent .Salt was the oldest preservative, which was very rare in those times. It was so rare that it was used as pay in olden times. A few spoons of salt for a days work. The Roman word salarium linked employment, salt and soldiers and in Roman times, wages were often paid in salt. It also gave rise to certain expressions like "being worth one's salt." In ancient Greece, slaves were traded for salt- hence the expression 'not worth his salt'.

Our very lives depend on it, yet we call it common salt.

Salt helps maintain the normal volume of blood in the body and also helps keep the correct balance of water in and around the cells and tissues. It is also necessary for the formation and proper function of nerve fibers, which carry impulses to and from the brain, and plays an important part in the digestion of food and is essential in making the heart beat correctly. Even the simplest processes in our body need salt or its inherent elements in ionized form. The simple act of drinking a glass of water requires millions of instruction that come as impulses. In the beginning there is the thought. This thought is nothing but an electro magnetic frequency. The salt is responsible for enabling this frequency to transmit commands to the muscles and organs.

Life is not possible without salt. But our consumption of salt is killing us. Why is that? Because our regular table salt no longer has anything in common with the original crystal salt. Salt nowadays is mainly sodium chloride and not salt. Natural crystal salt consists not only of two, but also of all natural elements. These are identical to the elements of which our bodies have been built and originally found existing in the “primal ocean” from where all life originated. Interesting enough, our blood is a sole, containing the same salty solution as that of the primal sea, that is, a fluid consisting of water and salt. It also has the same ratio of concentration as existed in the days when life left the primal sea. This sole flows through more than 56,000 miles of waterways and blood vessels throughout our organism with the forces of gravity and levity and regulates and balances the functions of our body.

Tears are salty and so is blood. Salt bathes a body’s tissues. A solution of salt water substituted for blood lost will keep a human or animal alive for hours.

The late French scientist Dr. Alexis Carrel kept a chicken heart alive for over 37 years by having the pulsating heart in a solution of sea salt. Dr. Carrel voluntarily ended the experiment after a third of a century, having proven that living cells can have physical immortality. Amazing, eh?

The saltiest seas are in the Middle East where the hot sun beats down evaporating the water and making it saltier and saltier. The Red Sea is so salty you cannot sink- the salt keeps you floating!

Harsh salt laws were one of the chief causes of the bloody French Revolution.

Mahatma Gandhi’s 'Salt March' brought about the freedom of India from British Colonial rule and the salt tax.



For More Details:
http://www.chewonthis.org.uk/fat_salt_sugar/salt_facts.htm#sells_drinks
http://www.top-indian-recipes.com/salt-facts.htm
http://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph/wp/salthyper.htm



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