Healthy food

World Health Day – Jivha Pariksha

“On the occasion of World Health Day, we must learn the importance of our health and work towards making it better. Happy World Health Day.” World Health Day is celebrated Every Year on 7 April.

This is an Initiative by WHO to spread awareness about the importance of Good Health, whether it be Physical or Mental. This Day is celebrated Every Year since 1950. Let us use this opportunity to make a promise to ourselves that we will put our health first in all circumstances. This can be started from Tongue or Jivha Pariksha as it’s a roadmap to your gut health.

Tongue - A Mirror of your gut health

Do you feel a bitter, metallic taste on your tongue?
Or
Have you experienced a white sticky coating on your tongue frequently?
These all observations related to the tongue are reflections of your metabolic health.
In Ayurveda, the appearance of the tongue is very important in the diagnosis of metabolic or gut health. The tongue is considered a reflection of gut health.

Ayurveda mentioned 8-fold diagnostic tools while taking a brief history for assessment of diseases. Jivha Pariksha is amongst them. Thorough observations of the tongue including its size, shape, color, and appearance are very important for knowing gut health.
According to Ayurveda, many diseases originate due to disturbances in gut health or metabolic health. The tongue always reflects these changes on its surface and its unique diagnostic tool.
A healthy tongue that is uniformly pink in color, neither too thick nor thin, and moist, without any coating reflects good gut health. It also shows differentiation according to individual-specific Prakruti. But slight variation in its appearance always shows underlying changes in metabolic health or gut health.

The following entities can be assessed by Tongue examination.

Agni / digestive fire – Coated white tongue always reflects poor gut health with low digestive fire. Poor appetite, constipation, and gases are associated complaints with this white coating. Coated tongue and recurrent mouth ulcers together explain poor digestion and constipation.

Samata / niramata – accumulated aam or dietary toxins produced by poor digestion get reflected on the tongue with a whitish/ yellowish coating. A foul smell is always associated with it. Poor appetite and lethargy are associated symptoms.
Vitiated dosha – discoloration or patches on the tongue are reflections of vitiated doshas. Black spots or patches are due to vitiated Vata, the reddish-brown color associated with mouth ulcers shows pitta vitiation.

Hence tongue examination is very important which gives a proper idea of gut health. By mere observation of the tongue, many times simple dietary changes can give the best results in today’s health complaints. Also, it is a way of assessment of risks or probable underlying health problems.
So, it is the easiest way to assess your gut health daily. So, keep your eyes on your tongue too for better health.

Happy World Health Day

Author:
Dr. Gayatri Kulkarni – Mulye (MD Ayurved),
Vaidya Tejaswini Bhale – Borse (Ayurveda Physician),
Shruti Kulkarni (Clinical Nutritionist)

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Save your Vision !!

The sensory organs are needed to create more liveliness in humans and other animals’ lives. They provide information about the surrounding environment to behave accordingly and may make an alert. During and after the pandemic, vision has been affected more than any other sensory organ.

All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS) studies and observes these changes. ‘Prevent Blindness’ is one of the organizations that declares March as Workplace Eye Wellness Month to provide Sight-Saving Resources to employees and their employers to improve Eye Wellness and Eye Health conditions at the Workplace.

During the pandemic, everyone adapted to the lockdown and shifted their daily routine of regular work and academics to online mode. This involved the use of laptops, desktops, and mobile phones, which increased screen time more than the pre-pandemic situation for all age groups.

These new norms give rise to stress and strain on the eyes leading to various eye issues like excess dryness, eye redness, and burning sensation of the eyes that may result in chronic eye disorders. 

To reduce the effect of more screen time on eyesight and also to prevent further damage, the Prevent Blindness organization has advised numerous ways to overcome this. They are Eye exercise, using eye safety gear, ergonomics, nutrition, nutritional supplements, etc.

How does visual perception occur?

The eyes are wonderful and special sensory organs. Eyes can visualize all sorts of things – big or small, near or far, smooth or textured, colors and dimensions. The eyes have many parts – all of which must function to see properly, such as the retina, optic nerve, eye muscles, eyelids, and cornea.

Vision perception occurs through the retina and travels from the eye to the brain via the optic nerve. The brain combines these two images it receives to get a complete picture.

What are the visual complications among children?

Children are more vulnerable as they are in the developmental stage. Eye muscles are not that strong enough to adjust to the rapidly changing, harsh, and intense light from the screen. 

To further add to this, their meals are not balanced. Thus eye tissues are not properly nourished, and it may lead to numerous eye disorders like night blindness, lazy eye, ptosis, farsightedness, etc.

What are the visual complications among adults and old age?

In adulthood, compared to old age, adults have fewer complications. On the other hand, in old age, people have weakened their eye muscles, and cellular integrity, thereby naturally they may have poor eyesight.

Food habits and lifestyle plays an important role in adults as exposure to screen is more. Continuous gazing causes excessive dryness, which invites many other visual complications. Nearsightedness and farsightedness are major complications during early adulthood. 

As age advances due to muscular degeneration and the presence of other comorbidities like diabetes and hypertension, there is a higher chance of getting affected eyesight.         

Glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy are major visual complications with advancing age.

Unfortunately, eyesight cannot be improved naturally and there is no way to change a refractive error, such as myopia, hyperopia, or presbyopia. These types of visual conditions can be treated with glasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery.

However, there can be other reasons for diminished eyesight. Macular degeneration causes diminished eyesight but can respond favorably to nutritional changes. In that instance, there are foods that may improve eyesight without glasses.

How can one take care of nourishment for healthy eyesight?

Aging is irreversible and no one can escape it. But eating the right foods can protect your vision and keep you healthy. Research says that foods rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids help to keep eyes healthy.

But what does this nutrient-rich diet look like? Let’s break it down:

Vitamin C: Foods with lots of vitamin c are oranges, grapefruit, kiwifruit, strawberries, tomatoes, red and green peppers, and broccoli.

Vitamin E: Healthy sources of vitamin E include almonds, sunflower seeds, olive oil, and avocados.

Zinc: Legumes (beans and lentils), seeds, meat/seafood, dairy, and eggs are all good sources of zinc.

Lutein and zeaxanthin: Both of these nutrients are found naturally in the retina—the light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye. This is why boosting your diet with lutein and zeaxanthin is a win for your eye health. Lutein and zeaxanthin—often found. 

● Together with many foods like leafy green vegetables, kale, spinach, and swiss chard. Broccoli, asparagus, and colorful fruits like raspberries, papaya, peaches, and mangoes are also chock-full of eye-healthy carotenoids.

Vitamin A: egg yolk, fish, nuts, milk, and meat are sources of Retinol. Carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, green leafy vegetables, beetroot, apricot, mango, and peach are sources of carotenoids.

Antioxidant-rich foods: A diet rich in foods with antioxidants is helpful for healthy eyesight. Foods rich in vitamins A, C, and E, carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin, and selenium (pasta, bread, and grains) are packed with antioxidants.

Omega 3 and Omega 6-rich foods: These foods help in the lubrication of the eyes. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in oily fish (like salmon, trout, and sardines). Nuts and oils like walnuts and sunflower oil are great natural sources of omega-6 fatty acids.

Ayurveda perspective on eye health:

According to Ayurveda, the eye has domination of fire element and pitta dosha. Thus, eye disorders are mainly caused by the aggravation of pitta dosha.

Ancient texts in Ayurveda have mentioned various causes of eye disorders such as getting exposed to the heat of the Sun for a longer duration, physical, mental, and eye strain, excess grief, excess anger, excess weeping, excessive smoking, eye injury, constant viewing of minute objects, etc.

Ayurveda common remedies for eye health:

1. Massage of the eyes with a wet palm immediately after having food will protect vision from harmful effects.

2. One should neither induce natural urges forcefully nor suppress them (suppression of tears, vomiting, etc.) as it may lead to eye diseases.

3. Pouring warm water over the body bestows strength, but the same overhead makes for the loss of strength of hairs and eyes.

4. It is good to apply Anjana (Collyrium) for eye health.

5. One should regularly consume Ghee, Barley, Wheat, Shastika shali (old rice), Saidhava Lavana, Draksha (black raisins), Dadima (pomegranate), use of Shatavari (Asparagus officinalis), Green Gram.  

6. Padabhyanga (oil massage of the foot), use of footwear, and application of medicated Lepa (paste) to the Pada (foot) are useful to protect vision.

Yoga for eyes:

There are many yoga postures and eye exercises to keep your eyes healthy and improve your vision. They are Trataka, Bhastrika pranayam, Kapalbhati pranayam, Bahya pranayam, Anulom-Vilom Paranayam and Shavasan. These poses should be done under expert advice.

Thus we can conclude –

The eye is the jewel of the body and it’s important to take care of eye health as Your eyes show off the strength of your soul.


Author –

Vaidya Shilpa Venkatesh Jamdarkhana

(Certified Ayurveda Wellness Coach)

Atreya Innovations Pvt. Ltd.


Archana Amol Patil

(Nutrition Wellness Coach)

Atreya Innovations Pvt. Ltd.

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The Food story of Holi

Like all festivals in India, Holi too has its traditional recipes, which are prepared on this occasion as part of the celebration. Indeed, the delicacies prepared on this special occasion add to the delight and excitement as they blend Maharashtrian, Punjabi, Rajasthani, Gujaratis, and many other cuisines.

Here are some Guilt Free Recipes to help you eat your heart out and enjoy the festival with great happiness!

  1. Guilt Free Puran Poli
    Calories: 200 per serving size
    Benefits: less acidity, light to digest, tasty cereal-based roti
    Best time to consume is at Lunch.

Puran Poli in Maharashtra is the most savoured sweet stuffed roti or paratha which is the heart of most traditional functions. Mostly made by chana dal, it is the most relished dish. But with changing time and calorie needs there is a great discomfort in relishing this traditional “Desi delicacy”. It is said that in this transition season digestive fire weakens so go for moong dal instead of chana dal. So here is a quick and lip-smacking fix to the traditional Puran Poli.

Puran Poli

Moong dal Puran Poli (Guilt free)
Ingredients
For the stuffing:

  • Moong dal (Yellow): 1 cup Moong Dal
  • 2 cup Water
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar or organic Jaggery powder
  • 1 tsp Cardamom-nutmeg, powdered.
  • 1 pinch saffron

For the Covering:

  • 1 cup Wheat flour
  • ½ cup rice flour + semolina(fine)
  • Pinch of salt, turmeric
  • ½ cup milk + water
  • ½ tablespoon oil

Recipe:
Dough- Take a large plate add the flour, semolina in the plate, add salt, turmeric. Start adding the milk plus water milk slowly to the flour mix to turn to soft pliable dough. Let it rest for 1-2 hours.
Stuffing: In a heavy bottom cooker, take 2-3 cups of water, wash the moong dal and add to it, give 2-3 whistles. Once the whistles are done and the cooker is cooled. Open the cooker and add the sugar/jaggery as per your liking and start the flame, on a low flame keep cooking the mixture until the cooked dal solidifies, keep stirring continuously. To test the Puran, take a small mixture in a spoon, let it cool and try to make a small ball of the same, if it solidifies it is done. Now remove from flame and add to a traditional sieve and try to sieve the Puran to give a soft, fine paste or stuffing.

Puran poli:
Now take the Puran divide in 10-12 medium sized balls. Take the dough and divide it in the same way. On a wooden base or marble base (Polpat-latane) put a lot of rice and wheat flour mix. Take the dough, take the puran ball and cover the dough closely to the puran ball. Make a stuffed ball just like a stuffed paratha. Apply a little more flour mix and place the dough and puran ball on the flat base and start rolling into a round shape with slow and steady movement of your latane (rolling pin). Heat a flat based pan (roti tawa) on a medium flame. When the tawa is hot enough, place the stuffed roti or poli on the tawa. Gently keep moving the Puran poli from one side to another as it gets a roasted texture and flavor. Serve warm with a cup of saffron and cardamom infused milk or home-made ghee.

2. Healthy Katachi Amti
Calories per katori: 100 calories
Benefits: Less acidity, warm appetiser
Best time to consume: Lunch.

Katachi Amti

Amti is traditional Maharashtrian liquid-based Dal most cooked and relished with Rice and Puran Poli on the day of Holi. Simple yet tasty it is most relished.
Moong dal based puran and its Katachi amti
Ingredients:

  • Moong dal puran (as per above recipe of Puran in Puran poli)
  • Water: 2-3 cups to make liquid consistency

Home-made garam masala: Dry roasted cumin seeds, coriander seeds, 2 cloves, 1 small stock dalchini, 2 black cardamom, shahajeera seeds, 2-3 pods black pepper, fenugreek seeds. Roast them well on a non-stick and then grind them into a fine powder.

  • Kokum: 2-3, radish/drumstick (optional)
  • Fresh coconut: 2 tablespoons,
  • Hing: ½ tsp, turmeric: ½ tsp, red chilli powder: ½ tsp, sesame seeds ½ tsp
  • Fresh coriander: 2 tablespoons.

In a heavy bottom vessel. Take the remaining puran water and 1 leftover ball of puran and add water to the mixture. Put in the heavy bottom vessel and start to boil. To this add boiled drumstick or raw radish cubes, salt and kokum. In a non-stick small pan, add oil to this, add mustard and cumin seeds, let splutter, to this add turmeric, red chilli powder, home-made garam masala, sesame seeds, fresh coconut and fresh coriander. Add this tadka to the boil dal mix and let it simmer on a slow flame. Your delicious Katachi amti (Dal) is ready to serve with the Puran poli with ghee and Rice with ghee.

3. Solkadhi or Kokum saar
Calories per katori: 50 calories
Benefits: Pittashamak, cooling appetiser
Best time to consume: Lunch/Dinner/Snack time.

Solkadhi or Kokum saar are the most relished and appetising liquid-based beverages. It is the most cooling and light to digest drink. Most relished with warm pakodas, bhajiyas and snack items.
Ingredients:

  • Kokum: 10 in numbers
  • Coconut water: 1 glass
  • Coconut milk: 2 tablespoon
  • For tadka: ghee, cumin seeds, hing, ginger, garlic, fresh coriander or mint leaves, salt: black salt to taste

In a heavy bottom vessel boil 3-4 cups of water and bring it to a bubble. Switch off the gas and add the kokum pellets to the boiling water. Cover and keep aside for some time.

Solkadhi or Kokum saar

Once a light pink color starts to develop, take the mix and sieve it and remove the kokum while straining the liquid. To this cool liquid add either Coconut water or coconut milk according to your wish. In a non-stick vessel, make tadka using ghee, cumin seeds, hing, ginger and garlic. On cooling add this tadka to the Kokum mix and add salt to taste. Decorate with freshly chopped coriander and mint leaves. Serve at room temperature. Your refreshing coolant to enjoy your snacks at the Holi Party is ready.

4. Refreshing Thandai
Calories per small glass: 100 calories
Benefits: Refreshing, energising, appetising cooling drink, heavy to digest
Best time to consume: At snacks time only 1 small glass is best advised.

Thandai

Ingredients:

  • Cow Milk: 500ml
  • Water: 1 cup
  • Almonds: 6-10 soaked
  • Poppy seeds: ¼ tsp
  • Manukas: 5 soaked.
  • Subja seeds: 1 tsp soaked.
  • Rose petals (organic eatable rose petal): from 1 Rose.
  • Rose water: 1 tsp
  • Saffron: 4-5 strands
  • Cardamom and nutmeg powder: 2 tablespoons
  • Sugar: 2 tablespoons

Soak overnight almonds, poppy seeds, and manukas in a glass vessel. In a grinder take all the soaked ingredients and grind into a fine paste. Bring milk to boil in a pan and add the saffron strands. Mix well. Add sugar and simmer till the sugar melts. Grind the 3-4 rose petals to a fine powder. To give it a nice yellow tint, add the saffron strands and the water in which it was soaked, this will accentuate the taste and aroma of this drink. Add the grinded paste to the milk along with some cardamom-nutmeg powder. Mix well and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the flame and keep it at a normal room temperature. Then refrigerate it for 2 to 3 hours. Garnish it with some crushed rose petals, saffron strands and soaked sabja seeds. Serve chilled with some delicious snacks like cucumber or palak bhaji
We at Nadi Tarangini believe that natural foods are the key to maintaining good health and we always try to suggest the use of the best natural ingredients in a wholesome and natural way!!! So “Stay Desi, Eat Healthy”.

Happy Holi!! Stay safe and play safe!

Author: Mrs. Shruti Prashant Kulkarni
Research & Product Domain Expert (Atreya Innovations Pvt Ltd)
Chief Nutrition Counsellor (Germany)
Credits- Vaidya. Tejaswini Sameer Bhale
Nadi Pariksha domain expertise

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It’s Time to Detox: Rekindling the “Self-Love mode”!!!

Hello…. How was your Valentine’s Day celebration yesterday? We are sure you are on the top of the world, feeling loved & pampered in several different ways. So, did you celebrate your Valentine’s Day with your Loved ones in a homely environment? Or did you hang out with your loved ones or friends enjoying late night dinners with a high-spirited mood? For some as the day approached the anxiety levels must have been aggravated before and after the celebrations causing lack of sleep. And the new trend of “Wine & Dine” with new spirits may now add on to the already elevated anxiety levels. Thinking about what to do next, don’t worry, keep reading along and we will give you the best Detox solution to keep the Self Love back on track!!

Celebrations are meant to spread happiness. Valentine’s Day should be celebrated to spread love and affection. However nowadays feelings are not important but the way you celebrate them becomes more valuable. Consumption of deep fried, confectioneries, desserts, non-veg food are calorie dense, heavy to digest and lack nourishment may cause some impact on your metabolism the next day.

Major consequence posts any happy celebrations is slowing down of the metabolism reflecting into indigestion, bloating, hyperacidity and abdominal pain the next day.

According to Ayurveda, lack of sleep, late night heavy food (guru aahar) consumption leads to aggravation of Vata, and it affects the normal function of Pitta. Vitiation of pitta increases toxins (Samata) in the body. This may lead to weight gain. Aggravated Vata may lead to elevated anxiety levels, nervousness and feeling of depression.

To overcome this situation, one needs to calm and detoxify not only the body but also the mind.
To detoxify the body, one should prefer easily digestible food (laghu aahar), along with some soothing and warm beverages and some relaxation activities. This will not only soothe your senses but also help you rekindle the beautiful moments you shared with your loved ones the previous day.

 

Options

Early morning

Sip in warm water with an herb of your choice

Breakfast

A light warm home-made breakfast, complemented with a fruit of your choice or a prune detox juice option.

Lunch

Soft, cooked dish or a steamed (non-fermented) option, complemented with (mint leaves infused water)

Dinner

A warm clear soup or with scrumptious Indian rice with dal combo khichdi full of veggies with humble serving of clarified butter (ghee) 

Relax

A warm bath with your favorite music & soothing aroma candles is a great closure for the day.

One should prefer such easily digestible food and a detoxifying diet for the next 2 days which is low in calories and soothing for G.I tract making your senses calm and re-kindling.

These recommendations will help you rejuvenate yourself through a detoxifying regimen. Energize and get back to your normal daily routine & cherish the moment of loving yourself first to start loving others….so shall we put On the Self Love mode!!

Author-
Archana Amol Patil.
Vaidya Shillpa Venkatesh Jamdarkhana.

Credits –
Vaidya. Tejaswini Sameer Bhale
Mrs. Shruti Prashant Kulkarni

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Keeping your salad healthy!!

When you hear the word “salad”, you may think of a boring bowl of cucumber, raw carrots and tomatoes to go with. But do you know you can pep-up your daily salad bowl into something so much more fun & colors, and its not at all time & pocket consuming! With a few simple hacks & additions, you can create that magic bowl of salad & be the star chef of the party today!!

A salad should always be a small, wholesome bowl of goodness, but should never be a meal replacement. Also it should not have too many flavors added which will kill or mask the natural flavors of greens and herbs added to it! Come let’s see some very easy combos which will not only look yummy but taste as healthy as it should be!!!

Adding punch of fruits

Slice up fresh seasonal, locally available fruit in the bowl – choose a rainbow of colours! Pairing sweet fruits like pear, apple or pomegranate with a dash of lime juice, rock salt, fresh herbs like mint, lemon zest give you a great punch at lunch times. Mixing dried fruits like black raisins, apricots, sultanas will enhance & balance the tanginess to make that super salad bowl.

Clubbing with wholesome Grains

Warm or cold cooked whole grains add bulk and satisfaction to a salad. Try boiled dalia, plain puffs (rajgira/makana/popped rice) or red rice to give that Mediterranean effect to your salad. Whole wheat boiled pasta is another inexpensive way to add bulk & texture to any basic salad. Team up with fresh mint, fresh dill, cucumber, lemon juice, spring onions & back salt to make the best companion with warm soups at evenings.

Load with best portion of Proteins

Recently there has been a wave of adding proteins to all meals. Using protein rich foods in salads is just another healthy and safe way to add good bulk & texture to your daily food. Use of cottage cheese (panner), boiled egg, tofu, tuna & salmon, boneless chicken can make the salad bowls weigh & look healthier. Toss in some chickpeas, kidney, black beans with cucumber, tomatoes, salt, lemon juice, cumin powder, black salt to make a wholesome bhel. Unsalted nuts, like peanuts, almonds and walnuts, give your salad extra crunch and a dose of healthy fat. All these protein foods will keep you feeling fuller longer.

All time pack of goodness: Veggies

Raw vegetables like cucumbers, radish, tomatoes, onion with lemon juice, pepper & rock salt are the all time favourite siders. A twist with boiled broccoli, cauliflower, peas, carrots in olive oil with pinch of pepper, salt add great crunch and color to the palate. Stir-fry veggies like beets greens, spring onion, spinach and radish greens with garlic & turmeric add terrific flavor and crunch to the plate. Boiled pumpkin, bottle gourd with curds compliments any spicy curry or gravy.

Add flavours with easy fix Dressings

With lemon juice or oil or vinegar or curds or butter and spices in your pantry, you are minutes away from a simple, healthy homemade dressing. Flavor it with tasty ingredients like chopped mint, dill, fresh coriander, a squeeze of citrus juice and diced veggies with lots of flavour, like onions & garlic. Even a mild tadka or vaghar using ghee, cumin seeds, hing, coriander leaves gives the normal raita a crisp, fresh flavor full of goodness & taste.
So just go ahead and attempt to try this quick-fix, home-made delicious salad recipes to keep your body & salad plate both healthy. Don’t let that bowl of raw, cut & unflavoured salad bowl ruin your Goal of staying & being healthy. Think out of the box & load your salads to keep them healthy!!!
Stay tuned to our PulSay programme and get personalized, diet charts & customized menu options from our team of experts. Go-ahead make your health & salad bowl both healthy.

Author:
Mrs. Shruti Prashant Kulkarni
B.Sc. (Foods & Nutrition), M.Sc. (Public Health)
Clinical Nutritionist, Diabetes Educator & Counsellor, Ph.D. scholar
Research & Product Domain Expert (Atreya Innovations Pvt Ltd)
Chief Nutrition Counsellor (Germany)

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