खाना खजाना ....

NUTRITION UPDATES

TO PREVENT STROKE DRINK TEA!
Prevent buildup of fatty deposits on artery walls with regular doses of tea. (actually, tea suppresses my appetite and keeps the pounds from invading.... Green tea is great for our immune system)!

INSOMNIA (CAN'T SLEEP?) HONEY!
Use honey as a tranquilizer and sedative.

ASTHMA? EAT ONIONS!!!!
Eating onions helps ease constriction of bronchial tubes. (when I was young, my mother would make onion packs to place on our chest, helped the respiratory ailments and actually made us breathe better).

ARTHRITIS? EAT FISH, TOO!!
Salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines actually prevent arthritis. (fish has omega oils, good for our immune system)

UPSET STOMACH? BANANAS - GINGER!!!!!
Bananas will settle an upset stomach.
Ginger will cure morning sickness and nausea.

BLADDER INFECTION? DRINK CRANBERRY JUICE!!!!
High-acid cranberry juice controls harmful bacteria.

BONE PROBLEMS? EAT PINEAPPLE!!!
Bone fractures and osteoporosis can be prevented by the manganese in pineapple.

PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME? EAT CORNFLAKES!! !!
Women can ward off the effects of PMS with cornflakes, which help reduce depression, anxiety and fatigue.

MEMORY PROBLEMS? EAT OYSTERS!
Oysters help improve your mental functioning by supplying much-needed zinc.

COLDS? EAT GARLIC!
Clear up that stuffy head with garlic. (remember, garlic lowers cholesterol, too.)

COUGHING? USE RED PEPPERS!!
A substance similar to that found in the cough syrups is found in hot red pepper. Use red (cayenne) pepper with caution-it can irritate your tummy.

BREAST CANCER? EAT Wheat, bran and cabbage
Helps to maintain estrogen at healthy levels.

LUNG CANCER? EAT DARK GREEN AND ORANGE AND VEGGIES!!!
A good antidote is beta carotene, a form of Vitamin A found in dark green and orange vegetables.

ULCERS? EAT CABBAGE ALSO!!!
Cabbage contains chemicals that help heal both gastric and duodenal ulcers.

DIARRHEA? EAT APPLES!
Grate an apple with its skin, let it turn brown and eat it to cure this condition. (Bananas are good for this ailment)

CLOGGED ARTERIES? EAT AVOCADO!
Mono unsaturated fat in avocados lowers cholesterol.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE? EAT CELERY AND OLIVE OIL!!!
Olive oil has been shown to lower blood pressure.
Celery contains a chemical that lowers pressure too.

BLOOD SUGAR IMBALANCE? EAT BROCCOLI AND PEANUTS!!!
The chromium in broccoli and peanuts helps regulate insulin and blood sugar.

HEADACHE? EAT FISH!
Eat plenty of fish -- fish oil helps prevent headaches.
So does ginger, which reduces inflammation and pain.

HAY FEVER? EAT YOGURT!
Eat lots of yogurt before pollen season.
Also-eat honey from your area (local region) daily.

Kiwi: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, Vitamin E &fiber. It's Vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

Apple: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low Vitamin C content, it has antioxidants &flavonoids which enhances the activity of Vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

Strawberry: Protective fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits &protects the body from cancer causing, blood vessels clogging free radicals. (Actually, any berry is good for you..they're high in anti-oxidants and they actually keep us young....... ..blueberries are the best and very versatile in the health field....... .they get rid of all the free-radicals that invade our bodies)

Orange : Sweetest medicine. Taking 2 - 4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessen the risk of colon cancer.

Watermelon: Coolest Thirst Quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are Vitamin C &Potassium. (watermelon also has natural substances [natural SPF sources] that keep our skin healthy, protecting our skin from those darn suv rays)

Guava &Papaya: Top awards for Vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high Vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber which helps prevent constipation.

Papaya is rich in carotene, this is good for your eyes. (also good for gas and indigestion)

Tomatoes are very good as a preventative measure for men, keeps those prostrate problems from invading their bodies.

* KNOW ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES *

* Apples*

• *Protects your heart*
• *prevents constipation*
• *Blocks diarrhea*
• *Improves lung capacity*
• *Cushions joints*

*Apricots*

• *Combats cancer*
• *Controls blood pressure*
• *Saves your eyesight*
• *Shields against Alzheimer's*
• *Slows aging process*

*Artichokes*

• *Aids digestion*
• *Lowers cholesterol*
• *Protects your heart*
• *Stabilizes blood sugar*

Research has shown that eating a few meatless meals per week can lower risk of heart disease and may even prolong life. Why?

The 2005 USDA Food Guide Pyramid favors plant-based proteins (like legumes and nuts), and even recommends fewer servings of meat than before. Research has shown that eating a few meatless meals per week can lower risk of heart disease and may even prolong life. Why? Well, vegetarian meals are usually rich in complex carbohydrates, vegetables, and fiber, while low in cholesterol and saturated fat.

The majority of people aren’t vegetarian. But you probably eat like a vegetarian now and again without even thinking about it—your morning toast or oatmeal, a garden salad, pasta, or vegetable stir-frys—even cheese pizza.

Whether you’d like to increase the number of vegetarian meals you eat, or you need to adapt a meat recipe for a vegetarian guest, you can turn your favorite recipes into a vegetarian meal with a few simple changes. Here are a few recipe tips to get you started:

In casseroles, stews, soups, and chili, substitute cooked legumes (like beans and lentils) for the meat. Try kidney beans in chili or stew, red lentils in spaghetti sauce or stuffed cabbage rolls, or refried beans in burritos, tacos, and enchiladas.

In stir-fry dishes, use firm tofu, tempeh, cooked beans, nuts, and sesame seeds in place of meat, poultry, or seafood. Firm tofu and tempeh can even be cubed and skewered as kebobs for grilling. Try scrambled tofu for breakfast. Marinated tofu, sliced thin, makes a delicious sandwich.

Prepare pasta sauces, pizza toppings, soups, stews, and other mixed dishes as you always do. However skip the meat and add more chopped vegetables. If you eat dairy products, sprinkle cheese on top for more protein and calcium.

Meat "analogs" are soya protein products that mimic different types of meat. Try vegetarian patties, bacon, and sausages at breakfast, pepperoni on pizza, burgers, "chicken" nuggets and patties—even barbecue ribs! Textured soy protein is often sold in a granular form. This works perfect in casseroles, soups, stews, lasagna, chili, enchiladas, and other mixed dishes.

Vegans take vegetarianism to the next level. They omit all animal products—including eggs, milk, and dairy products. Vegan dishes can make a healthy addition to your diet as well. Here’s how to adapt:

Eggs have many functions in a recipe. They can be used to thicken a recipe, bind ingredients together, coat breaded food items, or produce a baked product with a light tender texture. Without eggs, the quality of the food product often changes. Experiment with one of the following substitutions, but know that the results may differ.

• 1 mashed banana in breads, muffins, or pancakes
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch or arrowroot to thicken a product
• 1/4 cup silken tofu (blend tofu with the liquid ingredients until smooth, then add it to the dry ingredients)
• Vegan egg replacement products

Try tofu, soymilk, soy cheese, and soy yogurt in recipes that call for dairy products. Crumbled tofu can take the place of ricotta cheese in lasagna. To make buttermilk, mix 1 cup soy milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Use soymilk when making puddings and mashed potatoes. Enjoy a thick, creamy fruit smoothie for breakfast or a snack. You can also blend the fruit with soft tofu, soymilk or juice.

When cooking for a vegan, read labels carefully. Not all soy-based products are devoid of milk derivatives (like casein, whey, etc). Some companies save you time by printing the word "Vegan" at the very beginning or end of the ingredients list. The same goes for vegetarians. Don’t assume the can of vegetable soup is vegetarian—many dishes like this have beef, chicken, or fish-based broths.

Adapting Your Recipes

GOLDEN VEGGIES

Why: Just one serving of fiber-filled, deep-yellow-orange vegetables supplies five times the beta carotene you need daily to lower your cancer risk, defend against colds and other infections, and protect your skin from sun damage. The potassium in these veggies also keeps your heartbeat in sync and your blood pressure down.

How Much: Aim for two half-cup servings a day, the equivalent of one sweet potato, 12 canned apricot halves or a cup of butternut squash or carrots.

How: Try this sweet potato quickie from Somer's The Food & Mood Cookbook:

Sweet Potatoes
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut sweet potatoes into 1-inch thick slices and toss with olive oil, Cajun seasoning and freshly ground pepper.
3. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly brown and cooked through, but still slightly crunchy.



YOGURT
Why: Low- or no-fat plain yogurt is a terrific source of B vitamins, protein, calcium and --if it has active cultures--the healthy bacteria known as probiotics, which crowd out disease-causing germs.

How Much: Four or more cups a week, if this is your main dairy source.

How: Cut back on sugar and calories by choosing plain yogurt and adding fruit, especially berries, and some granola. Or be more inventive:

Mix a dash of vanilla and chopped mint into yogurt and dollop on fruit
Use yogurt instead of sour cream for dips, sauces and salad dressings
Top baked potatoes with yogurt and chives
Thicken sauces and make soups "creamy" with yogurt
The payback part? As one of the Harvard researchers would likely tell you, eating a diverse diet that is low in calories and high in nutrients can make your RealAge as much as 4 years younger.



BERRIES

Why: Ounce for ounce, berries have more protective plant antioxidants than almost any other food. "These compounds not only lower your disease risks, they help prevent memory loss," says Somer.

How Much: Aim for a cup of berries--any berries, fresh or frozen--at least three times a week (berry researchers say eat a cup daily). Since berries are high in fill-you-up fiber, they may also help curb weight gain.

How:

Toss them in salads
Snack on them one by one, like healthy potato chips
Add them to yogurt, cereal, and smoothies
Stir them into anything you bake


LEAFY GREENS

Why: It's almost impossible to meet your nutritional needs without eating dark leafy greens, from spinach and romaine to collard greens and chard. They're huge sources of fiber; vitamins C and K; folic acid (a B vitamin that guards the heart and memory and fights birth defects); lutein, a vision protector; and four essential minerals: calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium.

How Much: Two servings a day, and the darker, the better.

How:

Add arugula to your sandwich
Layer chard into lasagna
Fold spinach into omelets
Add any green to stir-fries, pasta dishes and soup


WHOLE GRAINS

Why: They have up to 96 percent more fiber, magnesium, zinc, chromium and vitamins E and B6 than refined grains. This nutritional powerhouse helps prevent the same health problems that refined grains help cause: heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and even obesity.

How Much: Ideally, all of the six daily grain servings you need should be whole, unrefined grains, but aim for at least three.

How:

Start your day with oatmeal or whole-grain cold cereal
Use 100% whole-wheat bread for toast and sandwiches
Switch to whole-wheat couscous and pasta
Opt for brown rice (instant is fine), whole-grain pretzels, even whole-wheat tortillas


NUTS

Why: They're excellent sources of protein, magnesium, B vitamins and E--trusty fighters in the war against heart disease and cancer. Yes, nuts are high in fat calories, but their fat is the heart-healthy kind. Replace junky snacks with them and you won't gain an ounce.

How Much: Up to five small fistfuls a week (roughly 1/4 cup or about 15-20 almonds, cashews, walnuts or pecans).

How:

Sprinkle plain or toasted nuts on salads instead of croutons
Mix them into cooked cous cous and brown rice
Stir them into cereal and yogurt
Use them to garnish a stir-fry just before serving.


Food is good - recipes for cozy romatic dinners

Gajar ka Halwa

Serves 4
½ kg carrot - washed nicely and grated into long shreds
1 cup milk, ¼ cup sugar, 2-3 tbsp desi ghee
5-6 badam (almonds) - shredded, 10-12 kishmish (raisins)
seeds of 3-4 chhoti illaichi (green cardamom) - powdered
100 gms khoya - grated

1. Boil 1 cup milk in a clean kadhai.
2. Add grated carrots and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, till milk dries.
3. Add badam and kishmish. Stir for 1 minute.
4. Add sugar. Cook till the mixture turns dry again.
5. Add ghee and stir fry for 10 minutes on low flame.
6. Add grated khoya. Mix well. Serve hot.

Paneer Tikka

The universal Indian delight, now made more delicious!
Serves 4
300 gm paneer- cut into 2" squares
1 large capsicum - cut into 1" pieces or rings
1 onion - cut into 4 pieces
1 tomato - cut into 8 pieces

MARINADE
1 cup dahi - hang in a muslin cloth for 20 minutes
3 tbsp thick malai or thick cream
a few drops of orange colour or a pinch of haldi (turmeric)
1½ tbsp oil, 1 tbsp cornflour
½ tsp amchoor, ½ tsp black salt
½ tsp red chilli powder, ¾ tsp salt
1 tbsp tandoori or chicken masala 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1. Mix all ingredients of the marinade in a bowl. Add paneer. Mix well.
2. Grease wire or grill rack with oil very nicely. Arrange paneer on the greased win, rack. After all the paneer pieces are done, put capsicum, onions and tomato together in the left over marinade and mix well to coat the vegetables. Place vegetables also on rack.
3. Set your microwave oven at 200°C using the oven i convection) mode and press start to preheat.
4. Put the tikkas in the hot oven.
5. Re-set the preheated oven again at 200°C for 20 minutes. Cook the tikkas for 15 minutes.
6. Spoon some melted butter on the tikkas and cook further for 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Do not cook the tikkas in the oven for too long, they turn hard Sprinkle chat masala and lemon juice. Serve hot.

Sarson Da Saag

Serves 6
1 bundle (1 kg) sarson (green mustard)
250 gm spinach or baathoo
2 shalgam (turnips) - peeled and chopped, optional
3-4 flakes garlic - finely chopped, optional
2" piece ginger - finely chopped
1 green chilli - chopped
3/4 tsp salt, or to taste
2 tbsp makki ka atta (maize flour)
1½ tsp powdered gur (jaggery)
tadka/tempering
3 tbsp desi ghee
2 green chillies - finely chopped
1" piece ginger - finely chopped
½ tsp red chilli powder

1. Wash and clean mustard leaves. First remove the leaves and then peel the stems, starting from the lower end and chop them finely. (Peel stems the way you string green beans). The addition of stems to the saag makes it tastier but it is important to peel the stems from the lower ends. The upper tender portion may just be chopped. Chop the spinach or baathoo leaves and mix with sarson.
2. Put chopped greens with ½ cup water in a pan.
3. Chop garlic, ginger and green chilli very finely and add to the saag, add shalgam if you wish. Add salt and put it on fire and let it start heating.
4. The saag will start going down. Cover and let it cook on medium fire for 15-20 minutes. Remove from fire, cool.
5. Grind to a rough paste. Do not grind too much.
6. Add makki ka atta to the saag and cook for 15 minutes on low heat.
7. At serving time, heat pure ghee. Reduce heat and add ginger and green chillies. Cook till ginger changes colour. Remove from fire and add red chilli powder. Add ghee to the hot saag and mix lightly. Serve hot.
8. Serve with fresh home made butter and makki-di-roti.

Makki Di Roti

Makes 6-7
2 cups makki da atta (maize flour)
hot water - to knead
ghee for frying

1. Sieve the flour. Knead gently with hot water to a soft dough. Do not knead the dough too much in advance.
2. Tear an old polythene bag into two halves. Keep one piece on the chakla (rolling platform). Put one ball of the kneaded dough on the polythene. Cover with the other piece, such that there is a plastic cover above and beneath the ball.
3. Roll carefully to a slightly thick roti.
4. Cook the roti on both sides on a tawa. Add some ghee and fry both sides on low flame.

Here's good-food news: The more you munch on healthy eats, the less you need to worry about Friday night's fat burger and fries. Who says? Harvard. Its medical school has found that women who routinely nibble nutritiously slash their risk of dying from the usual culprits, including heart disease and cancer.

To up your odds of living a long and healthy life--despite occasional blow-outs at TGIF--make sure you regularly include these 7 nutritional powerhouses in your diet. "They're the cream of the healthy-foods crop," says Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of Age-Proof Your Body.





ya pata hai .................................naraz kyon hote ho !!!

coming up................................... for all you not so veggie guys

no red meat guys only white, kya karoon thodasa selfish jo hoon
don't want to be alone, ya i need some friends around too yaar .. :))



SALMON
Why: Sure salmon is a prime source of omega-3s, the healthy fats that fend off heart disease and maybe more, but are you aware that a mere 3 ounces of the fish serves up 170% of your daily vitamin B12 and more than 80% of your D

How Much: Aim for two servings a week (and if one's tuna, that's okay).

How:

Broil, bake or poach it with dill
Toss it into pasta dishes and salads
If you're vegetarian or just not a fish-eater, get the key omega-3 fat called DHA in:

Silk Plus Omega-3 DHA Soymilk
Horizon Organic Milk Plus DHA
Oh Mama Nutrition Bars
Gold Circle Farm Eggs