Super Foods To Swear By Daily

Super foods are packed with antioxidants and have amazing health benefits for our bodies without adding additional calories to our diet. They are responsible for warding off diseases as they have some crucial nutrients which are not easily found in other food stuffs. These power- packed superfoods are ideal to be a daily diet staple for all households.

Here is a list of some important superfoods that can easily be incorporated in our daily diet and are also not very difficult to find.

Beans & Pulses

Beans and Pulses are easily available, cheap and easy to cook which makes them edible on a daily basis too. They are a great source of fibre which removes cholesterol by soaking it up before it can stick up on the arterial wall.  They are also rich in iron, a mineral which transports oxygen from our lungs to the cells in the body.

Nuts

Nuts like almonds, cashew, raisins, walnuts and others form a very crucial part of our diet and their intake should be a part of the daily diet as they together are abundant in vitamins and minerals, fulfilling a major need of our body.

Oats

Oats are an excellent source of energy for the body which makes it an ideal breakfast. They are packed with fibers which reduce the risk of heart diseases. They also contain  cancer fighting phytochemicals.  Oats contain biotin, Vitamin E, folic acid and amino acids which make it an ideal superfood.

Yogurt

Yogurt is a superfood as they contain riboflavin, an antioxidant. Daily intake of yogurt provides riboflavin to the body which fights free radicals that could put one against the increased risk of cancer, heart ailments and other chronic conditions. It also provides significant amounts of iodine, zinc, vitamins, potassium and phosphorous.

Tea/ Green Tea

Several studies have stated that regularly drinking tea or green tea reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes and additionally make the gums and teeth stronger. Tea is found with abundant antioxidants called flavonoids when it is freshly brewed.

Tomatoes

A great household food ingredient, tomatoes are packed with major carotenoids like carotene, lutein and lycopene which help fight cancers and reduce the risk of coronary heart diseases. They are abundant in Vitamin E, C & potassium.

Reference:- https://organicshop.in/organic-insights/super-foods-swear-daily/

Organic food stuffs for an elaborate meal on Bhai Dhooj

Have you thought of your cuisine on the occasion of Bhai Dooj?  What treat are you planning for your lovely brother? Fried poori, gulab jamun, kheer, laddu, whatever it may be, we are sure it would be something special.

Bhai Dhooj, the festival that celebrates the affectionate bond between sisters and brothers is never complete without the delicacies prepared by you, wherein you instil all your love and blessings for your kin.

But the food items prepared with so much affection are detrimental to your brother’s health. Is this because they are fried and high in calories?  Not only this, the fundamental ingredients used in preparing the dishes are not organic. They are cultivated using, well, let’s not repeat it. You know it already.

But we were wondering why not give you an idea on organic options to make Bhai Dhooj cuisine a healthy delight for your brother.

Sweets

The celebration starts by offering sweets to your brother after performing the ritual. Common sweets used are besan ladoo,  gulabjamun and barfi. The basic ingredients used in these confectioneries are flour, be it wheat flour or gram flour, ghee, sugar and milk.

You just need to make a small change of replacing these ingredients with organic ones. Use organic flour, ghee, organic sweeteners like jaggery and maple syrup, condensed milk and organic dry fruits for your recipes. It will be worth doing so as you gain essential nutrients like iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and vitamin C found in organic food.

Main Course Meal

Vegetables, chappatis, poori, paranthas and raita comprise an elaborate meal for this day. We know it’s difficult to take out time for such a luxurious meal but you won’t stop going to any extent to show your affection for your sibling. And choosing organic food is one way of achieving that purpose.

Loaded with the goodness of antioxidants and destitute of harmful organophosphorus compounds, organic vegetables ensure strong immunity and a happy heart. They are also superior in taste than their non- organic counterparts. Beans and pulses are no different when it comes to conventional cultivate.

Every time you choose organic, you not only ensure your family’s health but also lend a helping hand in agricultural management that promotes soil health and fertility; fosters species diversity, helps encounter climate change and prevents damage to the valuable water resources.

The flour that goes in making chappatis and paranthas can provide supplements like vitamin B, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc only if it’s organic. The conventional cooking oil needs to be replaced with an organic counterpart obtained by natural metabolic process from plants and animals. It strengthens your digestive system without compromising on taste.

After all, it’s your duty to take care of your brother’s digestive system by not making him feel bloated after a meal. Bloating is a common problem on Bhai Dhooj –ask your brother!

Be it plain yoghurt or raita, it always takes care of your teeth and bones by providing you calcium and phosphorus. You are also gifted with a healthy heart, digestion and immune system. Fruits like cucumber, pomegranate, apple or pineapple can be added to supplement the curd with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals present in organic fruits. Non-organic products are loaded with organophosphorus compounds that are detrimental to brain health.

And last but not the least, the spices and condiments you use in your recipes, salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin powder etc. should also be derived from organic farms to complete your organic meal.

Small changes can make big differences. Just think about taking this small step of an organic meal this Bhai Dhooj and see the vibrant smile on your brother’s face.

Reference:- http://organicinsights.in/organic-food-stuffs-elaborate-meal-bhai-dhooj/

Give your husband an organic treat this Karwa Chauth

Karwa Chauth, the festival most near to a woman’s heart is celebrated with full vigour across Northern India. Food items, vibrant clothes, beauty products and puja thalis constitute the significant part of this day. Starting with Sargi comprising of vermicelli cooked with milk, matthis, paranthas, fruits and sweets are the usual items on the menu. Nowadays, couples also indulge in restaurant treats to celebrate this bond of love.

As it is said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, every lady tries to prepare the best recipe to express her love and gratitude for her husband. Sabzi, poori, parantha, rice and halwa/kheer constitute the main meal of the day. But all these food items are loaded with high calories if prepared in a traditional way.

We provide you with alternatives to make your meal tasty and also ensure health.

Sabzi

Instead of going for high caloric foodstuff like potato, paneer etc. opt for beans like rajma, chole and dal makhani. Apart from being a rich source of proteins they also give you an advantage of consuming lesser calories. You gain strong immunity, low cholesterol and better control over blood pressure by consuming these beans.

On the top of it, choosing an organic variety of these pulses will save you from harmful effects of pesticides, synthetic fertilisers and contaminants associated with the non-organic variety. Cooking with organic spices and condiments will add more flavour, taste and energy to whatever you make.

Poori/Parantha

Why are you disturbing the workout regime of your hubby? These food items are packed with saturated fats and toxins present in cooking oil, making you prone to heart disease and cancer.  Higher consumption of fried foods is associated with increased amount of visceral fat in your body, thus hampering your daily workout.

Better go for Tandoori Chapatis prepared from organic wheat flour. That’s a double treat with all the essential nutrients of wheat like vitamin B, vitamin E, iron, zinc and potassium minus, of course, pesticides and synthetic fertilisers.

Rice

Instead of the traditional jeera rice, try making a veggie pulao this season. You can use carrot, capsicum, beans, beetroot or any vegetable of your choice. Being loaded with the goodness of vegetables like vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, dietary fibre and potassium, it’s also easy to cook in a pressure cooker. But remember to purchase the organic variety of rice which is free from toxic and carcinogenic effects of Arsenic found in non-organic cultivate.

All the more, you can use organic cashews to garnish your serving, add flavour and texture to it. This pulao can be served with plain yoghurt or fruit raita. Yoghurt boosts your digestion by promoting the growth of healthy bacteria in the intestines. Adding fruit charges it with vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Halwa/Kheer

No meal is complete without a dessert. You have been using refined sugar till now to prepare them but this carries the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood.

You can, instead, try making a laddu or halwa using jaggery? Organic jaggery tastes different!

So do not hesitate in using the natural sweeteners like jaggery, dates or raw honey in your recipes. They are far better than sugar in taste and destitute of its harmful effects. They will provide you with essential nutrients like iron, zinc, magnesium, calcium and potassium without compromising on taste.

So, give your husband an organic and healthy treat this Karwa Chauth, and celebrate the bond of love in its true essence.

Reference:- http://organicinsights.in/give-husband-organic-treat-karwa-chauth/

What about having an organic kitchen?

Do you know what is missing in your favourite kitchen? The shelves have all the ingredients – flour, spices, rice, onions, garlic, cooking oil, pulses, fruits and veggies.

What is missing is the purity of these ingredients that is taking a toll on your health. You might have bought them from your reliable grocery store but you can’t keep manufacturers away from making adulteration or toxic metals and pesticides being part of these ingredients.

Purity and health can only be ensured by an organic variety of all ingredients. Let us understand the differences and benefits of organic variety of all kitchen ingredients one by one.

Flour

Organic flour is one that is obtained from organic wheat. Organic wheat is free from all irradiation, synthetic fertilisers and pesticides and not genetically modified. The flour obtained from such wheat gives lighter dough than conventional flour and is loaded with valuable nutrients like vitamin B, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc.

Spices

Do you know what you are consuming when using spices for cooking? Turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, pepper and salt are all loaded with sawdust, lead oxide, talc, mineral oil and artificial colours.

Some of these adulterants are poisonous while others can lead to liver disease, heart disease, joint pains and even cancer.

Buying an organic variety gives you freedom from these harmful effects, enhances the flavour of your dishes and administers the complete health benefits of the spices. For example, turmeric is known to help in joint inflammation, maintaining cardiovascular health and a strong digestive system. These would be missing with non-organic spices. And that could be one reason why the turmeric that you are storing now isn’t exactly the way grandma’s have been telling do work.

Rice

The organic variety of rice is free from the toxic effects of arsenic. Arsenic is one of the components of pesticides used in the cultivation of conventional rice. Arsenic is a highly toxic metal and can lead to lung, skin or bladder cancer.

Garlic

Garlic grown in conventional farms will bring synthetic pesticides and fertilisers along.  This is not so with garlic cultivated on organic farms and also imparts complete health benefits of garlic like protection from cold, digestive problems, diabetes and hypertension.

Onions

Although onions bring tears to everyone’s eye but they also aid in relieving respiratory problems, chest pain, cough and cold. These benefits are ensured only in an organic breed.

Fruits and vegetables

Organic species of fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants and devoid of harmful pesticides like organophosphorus compounds. These compounds have been implicated in causing developmental disorders like autism in children. Fruits and vegetables cultivated in organic farms have a better taste and ensure a healthy heart and immune system.

Pulses

Don’t be misled by the shiny pulses at your grocery store. All the pulses are adulterated with sand, marble chips, stones, filth, khesari dal and coal tar that have a proven danger of causing paralysis and cancer. On the other hand, the organic pulses are not shiny but are free from adulterants and pesticides giving you complete nutrition.

When you don’t know these differences, you may well be, and unknowingly so, serving traces of toxins on the plate? To know the difference in what you have been eating and what you will, trying an organic kitchen for a month isn’t that bad idea at all. You have nothing to lose, you have health to gain.

Reference:- http://organicinsights.in/what-about-having-an-organic-kitchen/

Sikkim: India’s First Organic State Has Some Invaluable Lessons In Store For Us

Little steps in the right direction can go a long way in bringing about a revolutionary change as was evident in the case of India’s first 100% organic state. Sikkim, the landlocked Himalayan state has braved odds to fulfill the vision of its previous Chief Minister Pawan Chamling who wanted the state to be India’s first organic state.

In 2003, the conventional methods of farming using chemical fertilizers posed a serious threat to both the environment and health of the people of the state. Taking the cue from the situation, which could be a potential danger for people later, then Chief Minister Pawan Chamling announced his vision to make the state an organic state free from use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and GMO crops.

This change was an all encompassing one which also aimed at bringing about a mindset change amongst people as they were the ones who were to take ahead the reins of the movement. The government made stringent laws to enforce that the movement is carried forward without its progress being stalled at any stage. It provided organic seeds and organic manure to the farmers apart from knowledge of how to use them. It provided advanced training to its farmers to carry forward the mission.

In this long drawn out process, Sikkim faced some insurmountable challenges which fell on its knees before their spirit. The state initially cut subsidies on pesticides and gradually banned their use all together.  The farmers fought against plant diseases with pesticides made from locally available plant materials which helped them fight against Rhizome rot disease which played havoc for the state’s cash crop ginger. This use of organic pesticides also helped them revive the traditional Mandarin oranges grown in the state which faced a challenge to survive.

During this time Sikkim also witnessed mushrooming of seed processing units, bio- fertilizer production units, soil testing labs, automated green- houses, cold- storages and food processing units too which helped them set an infrastructure in place.

Sikkim is also marketing its organic produce through organic retail stores which it plans to set up in all state after its pilot launch in Delhi where it markets organic pulses, ginger, cardamom, turmeric and few fruits. The demand for the organic food products from Sikkim is on the rise and has helped the farmers also earn an extra 20% to their share.

Sikkim Organic Mission carried forward the baton of change for other states in the country to follow. Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram are working towards becoming organic and bringing about an organic change in the lifestyle of the people. Sikkim has been the front runner in showing the way for organic and sustainable living as the living of future.

Reference:- http://organicinsights.in/sikkim-indias-first-organic-state-invaluable-lessons-store-us/

Foods That Should Be the Core of Your Diet During Pregnancy

A whole new phase of your life also brings in a whole new range of challenges for you where you have to consciously take into account all that you eat, forming a very crucial part of this phase. A rich and healthy diet is extremely vital during pregnancy.

The importance of a good diet during pregnancy has been an important component as per a number of studies done on the matter. It found that women with poor diets before pregnancy are more likely to give birth prematurely than women who have healthy diets.

Following are some of the foods that are essential for both mother and her baby during pregnancy.

1. Milk & Dairy Products

Milk and other dairy products are an essential component of the diet for a pregnant woman. It takes care of Calcium, phosphorous, protein and Vitamin B-12 needs of the body. These nutrients are essential for the baby’s development of teeth, bones, muscles and heart.

2. Nuts

A range of essential nuts like almonds, raisins, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, pistachios among a combination of others. They supply a variety of nutrients like Vitamin E and minerals like copper, magnesium, selenium, zinc, calcium, potassium and manganese which are essential for a baby’s development and the pregnant woman.

3. Lentils and Beans

A range of lentils and beans like black beans, kidney beans, soy beans are essentials of the diet since they are rich in proteins and fibers and are a good source of calcium, iron, zinc and folate.

4. Poultry, Fish & Lean meats

Pregnant women require more iron than other women. Poultry, fish, eggs and lamp are some of the best sources of iron. Eggs are rich in proteins, omega-3 which is important for the baby’s development of retina, memory functions and brains. Fish contains proteins, omega-3, Vitamin-D and minerals.

5. Fruits & Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibers and provide major nutrients like Vitamin A,B,C& K, potassium folic acid, beta carotene and zinc. The vegetables to be included should be green leafy vegetables, carrots, capsicum, beetroot, and Indian gooseberry among others.

6. Whole Grains

They make up for a balanced diet among pregnant women. They are highly fibrous, provide vital nutrients like Vitamin B & E, carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

7. Water

The importance of water can never be neglected as it is a base for healthy toxin- free body. It aids digestion, blood circulations and becomes a carrier of transporting essential minerals and vitamins to the blood cells which reach the baby through the placenta.

Eating a healthy diet in moderation will help the pregnant woman maintain a balance in diet and keep her active and the baby healthy.

Reference:- http://organicinsights.in/foods-core-diet-pregnancy/