Healing Bytes

Are you looking for trying new variation of the milkshake and bored of having it with usual fruits like apple, banana, mango or strawberry? Or someone who is looking for ways to include carrots in your child’s diet without their knowledge? Or someone who wants to have a nourishing post workout snack or just want to try a new healthy recipe. Whatever be your need, give this Carrot Dates Milkshake a try which offers a harmonious blend of flavours and nutrition. Owing to the natural sweetness of fresh carrots and luscious black dates, the milkshake does not need any added sugar/ honey. Adding chopped almonds and soaked chia seeds gives the milkshake a great mouthfeel and enhances the nutrient profile at the same time. Whether enjoyed as a light breakfast option, a post workout snack, or a guilt-free evening drink, this milkshake promises to deliver a blend of health and taste, one sip at a time. What are you waiting for?! Give this recipe a try and indulge in the goodness of carrots a

Besan Cheela is a beloved dish in North Indian cuisine due to its simplicity and flavour. This savoury pancake is traditionally prepared from besan (gram flour), chopped onions and basic spices. What makes Besan Cheela truly special is its versatility. We have added our twist to this breakfast item by adding ragi flour to give a nutrition punch. Packed with protein, fiber, and essential nutrients like iron and calcium, it is a great choice for those who want to try including ragi flour. You can customize it with various chopped vegetables, fresh herbs, or stuffing with paneer to enhance its taste and nutrient profile. We have used chopped onions and grated carrots in this version as it was readily available and we were short on time.   Whether enjoyed with a dollop of plain curd or chutney, Ragi Besan Cheela is sure to satisfy your taste buds while providing a healthy start to the day. Whether served as a breakfast, a quick snack, or even a light dinner, it never fails to satisfy t

In the recent years, including adequate protein in the diet has been a major point of discussion. A research by ICMR- INDIAB states the significance of increasing protein intake up to 20% in daily diet to reverse or delay diabetes. Given the vital role of protein in maintenance of optimal health, it is no brainer that many companies are selling protein supplements to meet the daily needs. However, meeting protein requirements through diet is not a rocket science if we have a basic understanding of dietary protein sources and do a bit of planning. There are two major categories of dietary protein source, namely animal- based and plant- based protein. Animal based protein provide complete proteins, whereas plant based protein provide incomplete proteins (exceptions to this include soyabean and quinoa). Before you ask, let me tell you; complete protein has all nine essential amino acids required by body. Cereals are deficient in lysine, whereas pulses are deficient in methionine, hence

Hello everyone, This is one dish that amma used to prepare whenever she prepared kozhukattai (modak) and had leftover dough. Though I used to enjoy them, once I understood that it was primarily carbs and did not provide any other essential nutrients required, I avoided it and began making excuses to prevent her from making them. But, something inside me told there has to be a way to make it healthy yet tasty. Years passed and during Ganesh Chaturthi (2022), amma again told that she would be preparing ammini kozhukattais for dinner. I could not tell her no; at the same time, nutritionist in me had to come up with an idea to make it healthy ASAP. She also told that there was some leftover paruppu vadai batter and asked whether she could prepare vadais ( dal vadas or lentil fritters). And BOOM! I had a light bulb moment and thought why not give it a healthy twist by adding steamed and crumbled dal mixture. Based on the availability of veggies, I decided to add capsicum for colour and

In my interaction with clients during nutritional counseling, I have come across many people who use these terms interchangeably. Clients mention that they consume dry fruits; when asked to specify which ones are taken, they say almonds, pistachios. Some say, they eat nuts; upon probing, it turns out that they eat dates and raisins. You may be wondering what's the big fuss about it. Hear me out. It does make a lot of difference, especially when your nutritional needs are different. In reality, 'nuts' and 'dry fruits' belong to two different food groups. Dry fruits or dried fruits, as the name suggests, are dried fruits, hence tend to be high in natural sugars. Nuts, on the other hand, fall into the category of fats, nuts and oil seeds. Often, oil is derived from them, ex- almond oil. They have different nutrient profile and need to be taken in moderation and/ or avoided as per the individual's health condition.  For example, many dry fruits tend to be rich in ir

  I often wonder what’s the craze about cornflakes among people trying to lose weight desperately. Whenever I ask them the reason for taking cornflakes for breakfast, they sheepishly reply that the ads show that it will apparently help them shed the extra kilos. If I suggest them to switch the good old poha/ idli- dosa for breakfast, they are often surprised to say the least & even flabbergasted at times. Well, let’s burst the bubble, cornflakes offer you nothing more than simple sugars (read, high fructose corn syrup or HFCS) often fortified with vitamins and minerals to cover up the loss in nutrients that occur during the ultra-processing involved to turn humble maize to crunchy cornflakes. Here’s a bitter pill for you to swallow, there’s no single magic pill that helps us to shed those extra kilos or enter ……. (any health issue) rather it’s lifestyle change and mindful choices that help us achieve the goal. In case you bought a pack of plain cornflakes and do not wish to t