Know What you Eat with Ingredients Handbook

“Go for meditation and try your hands at healthy food” said my niece when I told her about my stressful routine. I guess everybody has this routine which is an add on to the already full plate of issues.

Taking her advice, I started with it. She showed me an app named Ingredients Handbook (Available on both Appstore and Playstore). I suggest you guys must check it out. It is all about ingredients and their values. I realized that cooking is a way to channelize my energy. Looking at the hot steam of rice is more meditating to me than a proper meditation. It is the perfect way to use that extra energy in cooking rather than acting weird with your family. Cooking doesn’t mean that you have to use all the spices and cook something great, it’s about knowing the value of each ingredient you use. Simple dishes are a therapy for you.  You should go for something healthy like herbs, oil and roots, which are plenty in this app.  I’ll let you all know the ones I have used.

The ingredients in the app have been effectively categorized for the ease of the user. Lemon balm is one such herb which I use regularly. Chop the leaves and add them to the salad. These leaves help in reducing the stress level. Then comes Basil which is a sacred plant in India. Pasta seasoning with basil will give it a strong and a different flavor. Rich in antioxidants, basil prevents a lot of diseases. What if your someone helps you boost your blood pressure? Well, parsley can be of help. Rich in a lot of vitamins parsley can be used in tea or green sauce with nachos. 

In addition to this, Nutrient Chart checks the nutritional values of all Ingredients. Sitting on the chair at work place for long hours can result in digestion issues like heartburn or upset stomach which will result in irritation. So don’t pour out your irritation on others and go for peppermint based mocktails. Getting up early, leaving for work and then driving back home - when do you work out? Actually you don’t, even I don’t get time on weekdays. Muscle pain is inevitable under such circumstances. Rosemary can relieve you with that. You can either add it to marinated chicken or olive oil. 

This is not all, check the benefits, excessive hazards, deficiency hazards and much more relating to 1000 such ingredients. Traveling comes with pollution. Pollution enhances acne. Thyme oil can help you reduce this. You can stuff your turkey with thyme leaves and enjoy health. Losing appetite is one of the reasons why people take stress. Have something, that might calm you down. Fennel seed soup can help you in getting hold of your appetite. Must have seen “Olaf” (the snowman type character in the movie “Frozen”) playing with dandelion seeds while dreaming of summers. You wouldn’t have imagined how useful those dandelions could be. Go for sauteed dandelion greens which will result in a cleansed system and improved digestion. Beat the boredom and explore your knowledge with QUIZ. 

There is much more to learn about the food you eat. Try this Ingredients Handbook app and say yes to a “Healthy Life”. It really works!

Smoothies for Weight Loss

1. Kale smoothie - Hope you liked my blog Crispy Kale Chips. So lemme start with the kale smoothie treat as well, coz I simply love it. Kale is known as the queen of greens. It helps in lowering cholesterol level and of course reducing weight. It makes a great smoothie too, lets see how. 

Ingredients:-

½ pear,

½ lemon,

1 cup kale,

¼ avocado,

½ cucumber,

½ inch ginger,

handful of cilantro,

½ cup coconut water,

1 scoop protein powder,

1 cup pure drinking water.

Method - Blend all ingredients for the refreshing smoothie.

2. Spirulina Smoothie - Cut down your fat with this unique smoothie. Spirulina is an algae, but can be consumed by animals and human beings, infact it’s very beneficial. It is rich in protein and boosts up immune system, regulates cholesterol and controls blood pressure.

Ingredients:-

½ banana,

¼ avocado,

½ cup blueberries,

½ cup almond milk,

1 teaspoon spirulina,

1 cup pure drinking water,

1 scoop vanilla protein powder.

Method - Blend all ingredients and enjoy this unique smoothie.

3. Belly Soother - As the name indicates, if you really wanna have a flat and sexy belly, go for this heavenly drink. Tummy can be treated by healthy dose of probiotics that is found in tangy kefir.

Ingredients:-

1 cup papaya,

1 tablespoon raw honey,

2 tablespoon lime juice,

1 cup coconut kefir or coconut milk.

Method - Blend all ingredients and enjoy the coconuty drink.

4. Strawberry Goji Smoothie - Beat the scorching summer with this smoothie. Natural goji berries is not only advantageous in reducing weight but have overall health benefits also. Goji berries is also used in making herbal tea, wine and medicines. It promotes longevity.

 Ingredients:-

1 frozen banana,

3 tablespoon Goji berries,

1 cup of coconut kefir water,

¼ cup frozen strawberries blueberries.

Method - Blend all ingredients together, relieve yourself from summer and also reduce weith with this tasty and healthy drink.

5. Fat Flush Smoothie - If you desire to have a flat belly, this ultra-cleansing smoothies is must for breakfast. Bit spicy due to garlic but it’s an absolute tangy treat. The results will keep asking you for more and more of it.

Ingredients:-

1 radish,

2 garlic cloves,

3 medium carrots,

1 medium red beet,

large handful of parsley.

Method - Blend all ingredients. Stained if desired. Have a pulpy treat for better results. Enjoy!

How to lose weight..

“You require going from FAT to FIT,” said the doctor. One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” said Virginia Woolf. Two contradictory statements. How to lose weight?? Just have a look at what i tried. 

 

The Essentials:-

• Avoid caffeine, refined sugar, alcohol and processed food. They increase fat. Avoid CRAP

Instead of caffeine, one can go for green tea or spiced green tea. You can also try Good Green Tea Smoothie. This green smoothie is packed with grapes, spinach, green tea and avocado. Replacing sugar with honey enhances taste and reduces the fat contained in sugar.

• Intake of Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, increase metabolism and therefore helps in losing weight. Omega-3 fatty acids has beneficial effects in rheumatoid arthritis and asthmatics. It also lowers blood pressure.

Variant recipes rich in Omega-3 fatty acids:-

1. Grilled Salmon & Zucchini with Red Pepper Sauce - Jazz up simple grilled salmon and summer vegetables with a zesty sauce. It's nutritious and toothsome.

2. Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Spread - Grind red pepper, toast cubes, walnuts, oil, pomegranate juice or molasses, cumin, and red-pepper flakes in a food processor until the mixture is a rough paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy with multi grain flour tortillas.

How to lose weight with five food swaps!!

Croissants: A croissant is a buttery flaky viennoiserie pastry with crescent shape. Croissants are full of fat, sugar and do not contain pure milk. Sacrificing your sweet tooth for a while to cut down fat is genuine. You can have multigrain cookies instead.

Whole wheat bread: Whole wheat bread sandwiches with low fat cheese and lot of greens make a superb breakfast and is very filling. Whole wheat bread is low in saturated fat, and very low in cholesterol.

Spelt biscuits: Spelt is wonderfully nutritious and ancient grain with a deep nut like flavor. Spelt biscuits for both health nuts and non healthy eaters. The nutty whole grain flavor is simply divine. It’s the best tea time snack.

Unsweetened organic almond milk: With no added syrups or sweeteners, this delicate nutty drink comes from premium quality almonds alone. One can't think of a more delicious way to boost your nutrition. So quench your thirst with calcium and vitamin enriched unsweetened organic almond milk. Enjoy hot or cold. How to lose weight is not a matter to worry anymore.

Some tips otherwise:-

• Breakfast must be consumed within one hour of waking up.
• Including fruits salads and juice in breakfast is always recommended.
• Tummy toning moves for a real flat tummy.
• Breathing squat
• Walking, not rigorous.

With no strict diet plans or rigorous exercise, i could fit in my old jeans in just 3 months. What a brand and grand New Year start!!!