Monday, November 29, 2010

Raisins

                                                   Raisins are nothing but dried grapes.They are sweet in taste. The raisins are best known for their anti-oxidant property. They are known to contain a rare and less required but essential mineral boron. This is  useful for maintaining the bone strength in old age (to prevent osteoporosis).The consumption of 3 or more serving so f raisins prevents the old age vision problems .


                                              They are dried under the sun or in an oven. They can be stored easily and for a long time. But it is best to consume them within 6months after purchase. Raisins are one of the dried fruits used in several food preparations. The raisins can also be carried to places where ever you go. This is the speciality of all dried fruits.They do not get spoiled at any weather conditions. For better storage raisins should be stored in refrigerator in an air tight bag or container.


                                                     They are used in several food preparations. They are used in the preparation of kheer(payasam) and some sweet preparations.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Sesame Seeds and thier nutritional importance.

                             



Sesame seed is an important condiment  which should be included in our daily diet. They are rich in vitamin -B1(thiamine) and vitamin -E and contains several minerals like iron ,manganese, magnesium ,copper and  calcium.They contain phytosterols which lower bad cholesterol levels.It is also good fo colon.
These seeds have the highest antioxidant property then any other oil seeds. They also have some anti cancerous properties.There are two types of sesame seeds.
           They are;
           White sesame seeds .
            Black sesame seeds.

                                 The white sesame seeds are used in several food preparations in asian countries.     These seeds are  widely used in many countries around the globe. These seeds are used by ancient women to protect their beauty and to look younger. . A preparation made with jaggery and sesame seed powder(or just sesame seed ) is given to the girls during the start of their menstrual period.This is known to provide strength to the young girls.It is also known that consumption of this one laddu for a day makes ones menstrual cycle regular. It also prevents unwanted pregnancy if consumed everyday.It is also helpful during the menopause stage.The Zinc present int hese seeds prevents the bone damage.So overall it  is helpful for both men and women during their andropause and menopause stages.

                                  The oil obtained by grinding these seeds is used in several ayurvedic massage treatments to treat several pains (diseases).This oil is used in oil pulling .

                                   The black sesame seeds are not used used much in any food preparations.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Oats - Their Importance

                                                                           Oats  is a cereal crop  .It is mainly used as a cattle feed(especially for  horses, cat,  etc).They provide carbohydrates , proteins and fiber. They are very source of protein and fibre.

Half cup of oats contain only 80kcals.

Oats  are a very good source   of Selenium, Zinc and Vitamin -A (Thiamine)
 Oats contain both soluble and insoluble fiber in it. The soluble fiber has a gummy nature which helps in the seperation of cholesterol from blood.Since oats is a protein and fiber rich food they provide strength to the body. oats are known to reduce bad cholesterol so it automatically reduces the risk of heart diseases.

Due to the presence of fiber the digestion  process takes place slowly.Due to this the blood sugar level is maintained and thus helps in the prevention of diabetes.


Oats digest slowly and thus prevents the sudden increase in blood glucose level.

People who want to reduce their weight( obesity) generally prefer oats.They create the feeling of fullness to the stomach .

 They are also prevents  dysmenorrhea(heavy bleeding accompanied by severe stomach ache during the menstrual cycle), osteoporosis and several urinary tract infections.


                                                                   They are used in porridge's , rolled as rotis (flour), added in dosa preparation ,oatmeal preparation and is also used in beers.
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Sunday, November 14, 2010

Citrus Fruit - Amla

                                          Among the citrus fruits Amla is one the fruit with high vitamin-c percentage. Amla also called the Indian gooseberry.It tastes sour, bitter and astringent .It has a lots of medicinal values. It has both antiviral and antibacterial values. It is also used in  inks, hair oils and shampoos especially for greying the hair and nourishing the scalp.

                                       It is good for persons suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis.It is an antioxidant and it has a  high density of tannins and  poly phenols which prevent premature greying of hair.It is used as a mordant for fixing dyes in fabrics.


                                       It is consumed as raw and many sweet and spicy preparations are made .Sherbets and pickles  are prepared and stored  and used through out the year.It is known to improve the resistance power and digestion .Amla is used in several ayurvedic medicines due to its high medicinal values.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Importance of Ragi


Like rice, ragi is also a cereal crop but it is a small seeded variety. Ragi is a millet (like sorghum ,bajra etc). It is a very nutritious and healthy food. Especially it is a very healthy food for infants. It contains more calcium which is required for the bone growth in infants.

Ragi malt preparation for infants :  Ragi should first be washed and soaked in water for a night . Then dry them so that sprouts come out and now grind them into fine flour and store it in a air tight container.Everyday take 2 spoons of this fine powder add required water and cook it.Add jaggery to it and feed the baby with this . Many children love the sweet taste so they eat it happily and moreover jaggery is rich in iron so it is tasty as well as healthy for them.


According to the tastes of the baby just add salt some times ( not jaggery since they may get bored of it ) .
Studies show that 100gm of ragi provides ;
370kcals of energy
88gm of carbohydrates.
7.6gm of protein.
1.5gm of fat.


Ragi preparation For Adult: First  the ingredients required in this preparation are :
Coconut milk
Ragi powder
Sugar
Add water to the Ragi powder and place it on the stove. After it gets cooked add the coconut milk to it and add required amount of sugar .Later you can consume this preparation either hot or cool .Its according to your tastes.
The reason why i gave the recipe with coconut milk is that coconut milk is very nutritious.
Ragi is also consumed  by adding buttermilk and salt  to the ragi powder.People who dont like sweets can have ragi in this way.

The above preparation was made using coconut milk. If you dont have the coconut milk you can prepare this using normal milk.It tastes like payasam(kheer) and is even very much nutritious than normal kheer.



Ragi can also be consumed in several other ways like preparing ragi rounds(ragi undalu) and adding ragi flour in chapati flour and in many other dosa batters.

You can even prepare ragi laddu using either jaggery or sugar and ghee.This will be a very healthy food for snacks .