Blues

Why gluten may be a problem.

Why would someone want to restrict gluten in their diet? Although human beings have lived on the planet for about 100,000 years, wheat has only recently come to play such an important role in filling our bellies. Our ancestors spent most of their time hunting, fishing and gathering nuts, fruit, herbs, and roots. Unless your ancestors lived in Southwest Asia, wheat was not a part of their diet. In fact, Southwest Asian farmers brought wheat to the Mediterranean, Europe, and Africa less than five thousand years ago. Moreover, it was only within the last century that wheat with a super-high gluten content was human-engineered for improved commercial bread-baking. But our bodies have not adapted quickly enough to easily digest the gluten protein found in wheat. Wheat is, in fact, making many of us sick. Gluten intolerance or not, if you think about it, there might be a reason other than weight loss to explain why people feel so good when they start the Atkins and other low-carb diets: they are restricting their intake of wheat! We probably should not be eating all those wheat-based breads, muffins, pastas, cakes and snacks, or the processed foods that contain wheat (wheat is the second largest additive to processed food, after sugar). Our bodies cannot tolerate it.

What can eating gluten do to our bodies? Some individuals develop full-blown celiac disease from eating gluten; in fact, one in 100 people has celiac. Many will develop one or more of its many symptoms: stomach aches, intestinal maladies of all kinds, bloating, headaches, fatigue, learning problems, ADHD, ADD, depression, anxiety, seizures, joint pain, arthritis, osteoporosis, skin rashes, autoimmune diseases, thyroid disease, female infertility, recurrent fetal loss, short stature in children, and peripheral neuropathy (numbness). Almost 30 percent will have no apparent symptoms. A gluten-free diet is the only possible cure for those with celiac. For others, a gluten-free diet may help to reduce the severity of or even eliminate health-related problems. (For example, autism is emerging as a syndrome that may improve with a gluten-free diet).

http://www.foodphilosopher.com/assets/docs/classic.cfm

 Tests for gluten intolerance:

http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/c/celiac_disease/tests.htm

Egg replacer in baking

Egg replacer

15ml flax seeds (linseed)
115ml of water
Simmer for 5 mins and add to mixture

Recipe taken from Babara Cousins ‘Cooking Without’

(I can only guess that the Linseed needs to be toasted first, and then ground).

Raw Passion Bars

Raw Passion Bars
1cup almonds
1cup dried figs
1cup dried dates
1cup pumpkin seeds
soak separately in water for at least an hour
1cup of shredded coconut
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cocoa
4 drops vanilla essence

Drain the almonds and pumpkin seeds and grind them up in a blender then put aside. Put the dates in the blender with the water and cocoa and blend until smooth add the figs and blend some more then add all the other ingredients
and blend together. Form into small squares and roll in shredded coconut..
Decorate the top with two pumpkin seeds arranged to form a heart shape, chill in fridge for at least an hour before serving.
www.unicorn-grocery.co.uk

Almonds are associated with passion and fertility and their aroma is said to induce passion in women. Chocolate is one of the kings of aphrodisiacs, and has been used to stoke the flames of passion all over the world Casanova was a serious chocolate addict. Dates in Iran are used to help people whose sex life is withering. Figs are one of the sexiest fruits on the planet, a symbol of luscious fertility and one of the oldest edible plants. Pumpkin seeds are one of the richest sources of zinc very nourishing to the relevant organs. Vanilla, its aroma is believed to increase lust so dab some behind the ears while you bake!

Protecting your password.

When at a public terminal, such as cyber cafes, your password may be compromised. Here is a simple trick to prevent it.

Navigate to the login page desired;
Type in the userid;
for (each pwd character){
Give focus to anywhere but the pwd field;
Type some random characters;
Give focus to the pwd field;
Type the next character of the pwd}
Submit;
It involves typing random characters between successive
characters of the password, and changing focus to
and from the password field using the mouse. Instead
of the password snoopy2 the keylogger now gets:
hotmail.comspqmlainsdgsosdgfsodgfdpuouuyhdg2

http://cups.cs.cmu.edu/soups/2006/posters/herley-poster_abstract.pdf

Flaxseed Muesli

2 tsp ground flaxseed (freshly ground)!
fresh fruit like grated apple, sliced banana

Top all this with:

1 teaspoon honey
3 tsp raw milk
3 tsp flaxseed oil
100 grams of cottage cheese and yogurt, blended in equal quantities.

(I’d merely omit the flaxseed oil).

The cottage cheese it seems, is essential to make the oils in flaxseed water-soluble.

(Flaxseed is being praised by some natural health specialists, as a great source of natural Omega 3 oils, and other components, such as lignans).

DO Read more:

http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/urltrurl?lp=de_en&url=http://www.glaube-nur.de/ernae05.htm

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/queryd.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12270221

http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/cancer1/budwig.htm

http://educate-yourself.org/fc/dukestudyignorsbudwigwork15aug01.shtml

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/07/010712080024.htm

Useful extracts from Swami Ramdev’s disciple’s website, http://www.yogsandesh.org

Useful extracts from Swami Ramdev’s disciples’ website, http://www.yogsandesh.org
Flaxseed, (Linseed, Alsi):

(Allopathic qualities: Very high in Omega3 fatty acids, minerals. Eaten upto 50 grams per day.)

Ayurvedic qualties:

The seeds are sweet, with mild smell, oily, hot, pungent, heavy, purgative, strengthening, increasing the sexual desire, if taken in little quantity the seeds produce urine, reduce the swelling and in large quantity they reduce vata and cure leprosy, seminal problems, kapha, pitta and eyesight problem.

Vata related diseases:

Roast around 50 gm linseed in the pan and make powder, add 50 gm of sugar candy, 10 gm of chilly powder, beat it nicely with honey and prepare pills of around 3 .to 6 gm. Give the small pills to children and the big ones to the elders in the morning to get rid of kapha and vata related problems. Do not drink water till one hour after medication.

On carrots:

Carrot is most beneficial when it is eaten raw. Eat raw carrot everyday in the morning, this reduces overweight and strengthens the teeth and gums. It is a good idea to remain on carrot diet for three days. Replace lunch with carrot salad.

In case you are not satisfied with the diet, then take a hot glass of cow milk along with honey.

Do not take any thing else except carrot and milk with honey. You can drink water to quench your thirst. Carrot juice is more beneficial when compared to carrot. You can also take 50 to 200 gm of carrot juice twice daily. This diet is a sort of fasting and also supplies nutritional elements to the body. You can add glucose to make it tastier and healthier. Those who can not keep fast or can not live without eating grains and cereals, they can eat carrot vegetable without curry. It should be cooked with black pepper, cumin seeds, coriander and common salt. Use anardana instead of dry mango powder. This vegetable can be eaten raw without chapattis as well. You can take one or two chapattis and eat more vegetable.

Carrot vegetable is very tasty and can be eaten as it is. You can also make carrot raita like gourd or cucumber raita. Wash the carrot and grate it nicely, put it in beaten curd and add salt, black pepper and roasted cumin seeds. You can also add roasted cumin seeds in vegetable or raita. There is no need to boil the carrot to make raita or peel the skin. Separate the middle yellow portion and make sweet marmalade. Take a big carrot and cut it into slices, sometimes it is soaked in limewa-ter for eight hours and then soaked in sugar syrup. This marmalade is very delicious. You can garnish it with small cardamom, vansh lochan and silver covering. This gives great strength and enthusiasm.

Carrot halva

This sweet dish is extremely delicious and nutritious. However there is no need to add khoya as the shopkeepers do. Here we are giving the method to prepare halva in order to increase its medicinal qualities.

Wash the carrots and grate it. Now, pour cow milk in a large pan and put it on flame, add the grated carrot when the milk begins to boil and stir it with a big spoon. Add some sugar candy when the milk begins to thicken and stir again.

Remove the halva from flame when it is ready. Add small cardamom, vansh lochan and saffron. This sweet dish is nutritious and gives a good figure. Around 25 gm of this halva can be taken every morning and an equal quantity in the afternoon as well. If 3 gm of honey in each serving is added it becomes more beneficial. Drink a glass of hot cow milk added with sugar candy over it. Chapatti or some light lunch can be taken along with this halva.

Carrot and Ginger

Combination of carrot and ginger is very beneficial. Ginger increases the digestive elements, therefore carrot is easily digestible grate  the  carrot, chop the ginger, add both the things and rinse in water. Serve it in a plate, sprinkle common salt, roasted cumin seeds powder and lemon juice.

This is very healthy and nutritious item, which provides strength and energy; it also improves the digestion process. It contains vitamin A and C. It is tasty and improves the appetite. It can be a regular item on the breakfast table or a good substitute for the afternoon snacks.

Breakfast should contain a ripe guava along with carrot – ginger salad. The afternoon snacks should also be taken in the same way. Take hot milk at bedtime if desired. You can also add radish in the salad, it is very tasty and nutritious.

Vegetable soup is a very healthy dish. To prepare it, boil guava, tomato, carrot, radish and ginger in equal quantities and sieve it. Add lemon juice and take only this soup for three, five or seven days. Do not take any other grain or cereal; you might not need any medicine at all.

Sesame seeds, (esp. black sesame seeds):

The scientists say that the white sesame has medium medicinal value. Red sesame is ordinary and black sesame is best. Sesame contains lot of fat. If a person eats 100 gm of sesame then he will get the required amount of calcium. 100 gm sesame contains 1.5 gm calcium, 5.5 gm phosphorous, and 10 gm iron. Sesame contains Vitamin B complex also. The substance called lecithin found in sesame is beneficial for the brain. Consumption of sesame improves the sexual capacity. It increases the sperm. According to Saint Charak, sesame oil is strengthening and beneficial for the skin.

Why breathing exercises may help….

Why breathing exercises may help….

You can live weeks without food, days without water, but barely minutes without breathing. Smoking is naturally linked to breathing. When you smoke taking leisurely draws, you feel relaxed. (You did! Can’t be denied!). When you take short, quick puffs, like when you are busy at work, you get work done at least 15% more efficiently than non-smokers. (You did, don’t deny that either!). But, in the end, there is an exhaustion akin to the use of a credit card. You gallavant the whole day shopping, and then at the end, there’s this bill to pay.

Maybe, these three simple exercises (in sequence), may help to some extent, if done on waking up. (And maybe, whenever there’s an urge to smoke).

Breathing excercise 1:

Procedure : Take deep breaths and then completely breathe out.
Duration : 2 mins atleast. 5 mins max.
(Basically, stomach-breathe in (the belly expands), completely, quickly, (not chest-breathe) and exhale at as slow a pace as you can from the nostrils. the exhalation should be natural, till complete exhalation. The last “drops” of breathe would be warm, since that clears the air stagnating at the top of the lungs.

Breathing excercise 2:

Procedure : Push air forcefully out. Stomach will itself go in.
Duration : Start with 30 times or 1 min. increase upto 5 mins min. upto 10 mins max.
Tips : heart and high BP patients, and weak people do it slowly.

Breathing excercise 3

Procedure : Hold your right nasal with thumb, breathe in from left. Now open right nasal and close left nasal with middle and ring finger and breathe out from right nasal. Now breathe in from right nasal. Now close right nasal and open left and breathe out and in from left nasal. and so on.
Duration : atleast 10 mins.
Tips: Do not hurry. Do it slowly. Rest whenever needed.

Videos of the three important breathing exercises.
Breathing exercise 1:
http://knowyoga.org/tiki-index.php?page=Bhastrika+Pranayam
Breathing exercise 2:
http://knowyoga.org/tiki-index.php?page=Kapal+Bhati+Pranayam
Breathing exercise 3:
http://knowyoga.org/tiki-index.php?page=Anulom+Vilom+Pranayam

Bengali Gastronomy

Another historically fascinating link on Indian diet!

“You begin with the cool tender gourd seasoned with the head of the fish, the spare bones have gone into your mungh dal which comes with the meaty neck-bone fried brown and crunchy; then follow a mild jhol with slices of the green pumpkin and dotted with seeds of the black cumin, and a pungent “bhate” or “paturi” steamed in a sealed jar or braised in a covering of banana-leaf, thickened with oil and mustard-paste. And finally, just for “cleaning your mouth”, comes the tail-end of the fish–the least appealing part but made most pleasant with sweetened lime-juice and the green chili.”

http://www.parabaas.com/BB/articles/gastronomy.html

Warning signs of diabetes

Warning signs of diabetes

The cardinal signs of diabetes are the three “P”s:
Polyuria (increased urination)
Polydipsia (increased thirst)
Polyphagia (increased hunger)

Why does this happen?
The kidneys try to get rid of the excess blood sugar by releasing it in the urine. As a result, diabetics with uncontrolled sugar levels experience frequent urination. This makes people drink more to replace the water lost in the urine, hence polydipsia. And even through the food they are eating is being broken down into sugar and circling the body, it can’t get into any of the cells, making them feel hungrier. But the extra food they eat doesn’t lead to weight gain because, for the most part, the energy it contains cannot be used.

Other common symptoms include:
Blurred vision
Frequent infections
Slow healing cuts or sores
Numbness or tingling in hands and feet
Feeling tired Dry itchy skin
Sexual dysfunction
Sudden weight loss

http://www.dietdetective.com/diabetes-management/red-alert-warning-signs-of-diabetes.html

Can you see the real me!

 Jason Clegg on creating a new identity:

“Recently, I encountered this phenomenon through an interesting personal growth decision. I stopped drinking alcohol around mid-July. I had developed a nightly habit of drinking several glasses of wine every evening before bed. When I adopted a new wake up early program, I wanted to make getting up easier by cutting out the night cap. The simple decision led to fantastic results. I had never really considered myself a “drinker.” That is, I didn’t attribute it to my identity. But others did. Now, anytime alcohol is in the equation and I’m not drinking people ask questions. This process was frustrating until I realized that I simply needed to update their versions of me – you know, give them the latest edition of “Jason Clegg software”.

In these instances I have encountered two typical reactions. One is “Hey, congratulations!” or something along those lines. Usually, this indicates that the other person is pleased that I am changing. The other common reaction is “What? Why are you doing that?” or even more negatively, “Oh, come on party pooper: just have one drink!” With this reaction, the other person experiences some form of jealousy or contempt. My changes somehow threaten their idea of me or even lead to fear of how the decision will compromise our relationship. Such as, “Hey, Jason’s not drinking anymore – now we can’t go out and have a good time…” or “You’re a vegetarian? How can we ever share a meal together or enjoy a traditional holiday feast?”

Your ability to accept these changes in your identity will make or break your success in adopting a new behavior or eliminating an old one. Much of this will depend upon how well you can create and assert your own identity without relying upon or fearing the reactions of others. But – in a very simple way – it will also depend upon how well you personally accept the “new you.”

In truth, your identity is not who you really are (the topic of Part 2). Such exercises in change and transformation really point out just how true this is. Your ego may desperately cling to some fixed sense of self through a personal development process. Just remind yourself that your identity is not fixed at all. The realization will be reassuring and encouraging as you move ever closer to the real you!”

http://jasonclegg.com/blog/2006/08/28/how-to-create-a-new-identity-%e2%80%93-part-1-letting-go-of-the-past/

Jason Clegg on how to quit any addiction.

 This is an amazing blog post. After reading t, I was able to virtually quit something within an instant. It did not require me to fight it, or control it. I just looked at the issue, an realised that I was in some sort of a “mode”. That there was no point in subsituting that “mode” with another, and just dropped it.

Let’s  see if  I can be equally successful with quitting smoking.

Here’s a gist of the post:

JC: Who is in control, you or the cigarette?
Friend: Me, obviously.
JC: Why are you giving the cigarette so much power?
Friend: I suppose I am. But it is powerful. This is an addictive substance.
JC: It will only have the power you give it.

Of course, this was much easier for me to say at the time, having quit the addiction myself with success. But the difference between us in that moment illustrated my point: he was giving the cigarette power. I was not.

Many people give cigarettes power every day:

“Cigarettes are more addictive than heroin.”
“Quitting smoking is nearly impossible.”
“But I love cigarettes.”
“I’m young. Smoking is just a part of being young.”
“I just can’t resist. I think about smoking all day.”

Here are some ways to turn cigarettes Off and your desire to quite On:

“I want to be a non-smoker.”
“I want to be healthy and happy.”
“I want to enjoy my life without cigarettes.”
“I want to live a life free of addiction.”
“I want to have positive daily habits.”

Think about it: How did you start smoking cigarettes in the first place? Just like quitting, this was a gradual process in which you developed a new identity as a smoker and let go of your old identity as a non-smoker.

Once you make the decision to quit, you will need to begin letting go of this “old you” and start working on the new you. For me, the most critical part of this change was social. Many of the people I shared time with as a smoker were also smokers. Most of our social activities centered around smoking – hanging out at cafes, drinking at bars, etc.

Steps 1 will go a long way towards manifesting the trappings of a new identity, but it helps to see this change as a discrete part of the overall process. Make use of affirmations to speed this step towards your goal:

“I am finding a new identity as a non-smoker.”
“I am spending more time with non-smokers.”
“I am letting go of my old habits as a smoker.”

http://jasonclegg.com/blog/2006/10/03/how-to-quit-smoking-or-any-addiction/

Sacman on quitting smoking

All the poor beginners, and I am one of them.
Wed, Nov 1 2006 10:58 am
sacman

But I’m in my 4th month now, and the horrific trauma of quitting cigarettes
has become merely an annoying buzz. That’s a fragmentary sentence.

In any event, there is NOTHING I, or anybody else, can tell you rank
beginners that will take away the pain. I can’t even say “You just have to
deal with it,” because there is no “dealing” with it. It’s like losing an
arm. It’s the worst, most hideous thing a person could go through WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION of death by lung cancer or emphysema. But I doubt it.
It is even possible that it is not worthwhile to quit.

My mom and my wife are the two greatest women I’ve ever known – and my mom died in 2003 at the age of 57 (not smoking related). Quitting smoking was MUCH MUCH MUCH more difficult than losing my mother. Lots of you are probably thinking I’m being hyperbolic , or that I had a shitty relationship with my mom – I’m not and I didn’t. The hell that was quitting is one of two things that are keeping me from returning to smoking – I would do nearly anything to avoid going through that misery again. I’ve been scolded on
this NG before for saying stuff like “Lung cancer can’t be worse than quitting – quitting is impossibly hard.” Well – perhaps. I haven’t gone through lung cancer, and I hope I never will. But I *have* lost my beloved mother – and losing my smokes was worse. Sorry, but it was. This will not change with time.

Having written that, I have GONE through the hard part of quitting smoking;
I’m not GOING through it right now. I’m done with the hard part. So to the newbies, I have to tell you, the only way I was able to succeed was sheer stubbornness. I’m a real bastard that way.

This one time, my parents made me take violin lessons. I was totally opposed to it (I still despise music, and I’m in my 30s). So what I did was this: I snapped the bow across my knee and said “I don’t care what you do to me. You can beat me, you can take away my computer, you can take away the TV – what you can NOT do is make me play the violin ever again.” And they didn’t.

And then this other time, my parents mad me “try” skiing. If there’s anything I despise more than the noise that is music, it’s physical exercise. Hate it, hate it, hate it. So I did the same god damned thing with my ski pole. I snapped that fucker across my knee and told my parents that I’d do the same thing to every pole that was put in my hand – that
quite soon, this could become an expensive day for them. Yeah, a spoiled brat I may have been, but I totally didn’t have to ski ever again.

Then this other time my parents wanted me to be religious. Man, I can’t stand religion. It’s worse than voilin plus skiing. It’s worse than voilin TIMES skiing. It’s worse than voilin raised to the skiing power. And so anyway, this one time, my parents made me go to church. Guess what happened? Well – I won’t tell you, but I *will* tell you I never had to go to church again.

Stubbornness is sometimes the only way to get what you want. The main difference between when I’ve been stubborn in the past and when I’ve been stubborn with quitting smoking, is that in the past, it’s been kind of like me vs. something external. Quitting smoking – that’s purely me vs. me. Pardon me – I believe my Freud is showing.

So anyhow, you totally have to be stubborn. For most people all over the place. You can even still buy them in Safeway. So – you have to be stubborn, and you have to trust that things will get better, because for the first few weeks, things will not seem like they’re getting better. But they will.

Listen – I’m willing to be a quasi-anonymous partner for anybody who needs some one-on-one support. E-mail me at ———– at hotmail dot com and I’ll send you my phone #. I sure wish I had somebody to lean on a few months ago when I first quit.

Okay, so see you guys later.

Child obesity

Child obesity is a serious paediatric hazard. An exact rate is difficult to determine but in a class of 60, at least 30 are obese. The problem is that either parents aren’t aware about child obesity or are unwilling to accept it. Obesity starts by the age of four and once triggered, it cannot be controlled as the appetite has increased. In the long term, this can lead to heart attacks, diabetes, hypertension and a never-ending list of ailments.

Today, children lead sedentary lives and even parents don’t have the time to play with children. Outings now are more about going to malls, not beaches. Food habits include pizzas and burgers. If parents are obese, so will be the child.” — Dr Snehalata Deshmukh. Paediatric Surgeon

Sedentary lifestyle and improper food habits

There are many reasons for obesity. The most obvious being eating too much, having wrong kind of food and sedentary lifestyle. Think of your child’s body as a jug. If you put more water in it than you take out, then the water would collect in the jug and spill out. Similarly, they put on weight if the amount of energy in the foods and drinks consumed is more than the amount needed for their growth and physical activity. Research has concluded the following reasons for obesity:

• Infant birth weight: Weight of your child at birth is a factor associated with childhood obesity, which may also have a role to play in chronic diseases later in adulthood.
• Hereditary: Surprisingly, one of the common reasons of obesity is the gene that we inherit from our parents and close relatives. Genetic factors also include behavioural predispositions that affect our children’s food intake and interest in exercise.
• Sedentary Lifestyle: Because of computer games, gizmos and other indoor activities, children are spending lesser time playing sports. They burn less calories and thus tend to gain weight. Along with sedentary lifestyle, there is also academic pressure that our children face every day. There is homework, tuitions, exams, grades etc to worry about and these pressures often result in less physical activity.
• Eating habits: Excess snacking on junk food and chomping in between meals can lead to weight gain. 
• Underlying diseases: Hyperthyroidism, oedema, cushings syndrome can lead to obesity. Medical help is necessary to identify them.
• Media: Famous media personalities endorse aerated drinks, fried foods like chips that give nothing but empty calories. Children take these personalities as their role models and ape them.
• Advertising gimmicks: Free gifts given with chips, chocolate et al encourage kids as well as parents to buy foods that they don’t require.
• Home environment: This works in two ways. Grandparents dote on their grandchildren and fill their tummies with ghee and sugar-rich food. On the other hand, if both the parents are working, mothers prefer to buy ready-to-eat snacks rather than cook at home. These snacks are rich in sodium, sugar and fat, leading to accumulation of body fat. — Preetika Ghura. Nutritionist

Read more:

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1061037

Is your child pleasently plump or obese?

Agreed, a plump kid looks cute. But the problem begins when parents refuse to accept that their child is no more just chubby. Experts discuss the adverse effects and growing trend of child obesity.

Luxurious lifestyle is fattening

The usual suspects here are television, technology, change in lifestyle, junk foods etc. But look closely and you’ll find that they have evolved from smaller factors.

Cartoon channels meant that the couch in front of TV became the play area for children. Malls and supermarkets stand guilty too. They display succulent, foreign-made chocolate in the lower racks, within easy reach of children. Harassed parents face two options — buy them or face tantrums.

Schools in the last 10 years have undergone a sea change. Some have elevators for students, AC classrooms, small or no playgrounds and study load eating into a students’ free time. Schools are trying hard to maintain international standards that in turn affect children adversely. The canteens have food that your science teachers talks against. In all, schools are catering to wrong demands.

“But the fat refuses to go. My son can cook very well, unlike his sister who can’t tell vinegar from water. Unlike his sister, he can tell when I go easy on oil, cheese or butter. His sandwiches border on outrageous like that of Dagwood. He nibbles on cheese cubes and insists I pick up different types from the market. He drains cola bottles kept in the fridge for unannounced guests.

The ice cream in the freezer seems untouched until you lift it. He prises open a non-suspecting corner only to finish it without getting caught. The event goes unreported until I take it out for guests only to find it gone. He eats parathas without counting and insists on fried things for breakfast. If I refuse he simply goes into the kitchen and whips up some sinful concoction.

While I don’t mind him in the kitchen, I do get bothered when he eats indiscriminately. He then proceeds to sit with a laden plate in front of the television.

Each time I scold him, he’s all jokes and promises. But these promises are forgotten soon enough. It is not like there is less to eat in the house, but his constant demand for fatty foods trouble me.”

Read more.

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1061036

MonkeyGTD

Another killer TiddlyWiki application that runs entirely in your browser!

http://monkeygtd.tiddlyspot.com/

Bake your own energy bars?

This is something!!

I was reading recently about the Omega3 fatty acid content of flax seeds ( a vegetarian source), and that it preferably should be taken with yogurt.

And then I stumble upon this link thru lifehacker.com!

http://www.matisseandjacks.com/healthy-snack-recipes.php

The wet ingredients are pretty much available. The dry ingredients are easy to emulate!

The ready-mix!

http://matisseandjacks.com/

One day, I must try this out.

All Omega 3 fatty acid thingys here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/Story/0,,1924088,00.html

http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/cancer1/budwig.htm

http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/flaxseed.htm

Green leafy vegetables discovered again.

Silly people. How many times must the same thing be discovered over and over again?

Dr Bircher Benner discovered this eons back. The institute should have at least acknowledged his discovery.

Check my earlier post on Dr Bircher Benner:

http://kaktose.wordpress.com/2006/08/31/the-revolu…

“Eating vegetables, not fruit, helps slow down the rate of cognitive change in older adults, according to a study published in the October 24, 2006, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

In determining whether there was an association between vegetables, fruit and cognitive decline, researchers from Rush University Medical Center studied 3,718 residents in Chicago, Illinois, who were age 65 and older. Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire and received at least two cognitive tests over a six-year period.

“Compared to people who consumed less than one serving of vegetables a day, people who ate at least 2.8 servings of vegetables a day saw their rate of cognitive change slow by roughly 40 percent,” said study author Martha Clare Morris, ScD, associate professor at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. “This decrease is equivalent to about 5 years of younger age.”

Of the different types of vegetables consumed by participants, green leafy vegetables had the strongest association to slowing the rate of cognitive decline. The study also found the older the person, the greater the slowdown in the rate of cognitive decline if that person consumed more than two servings of vegetables a day. Surprisingly, the study found fruit consumption was not associated with cognitive change.”

From: Rush University Medical Centre: “Its how medicine should be”.

Bleh! Its how medicine was.

http://www.rush.edu/rumc/page-1134772424562.html

The entire collection of Mozart, legal MP3

http://www.mozart-weltweit.de/mozart00.htm

Legal free classical music MP3 downloads.

Over 3200 MP3’s

http://www.classiccat.net/

Cooking with feminists

The Colbert Report – 10/10/06: Interview with gloria steinam jane fonda and he also cooks an apple pie with them.

http://colbertondemand.com/videos/The_Colbert_Repo…

(video)

Indian units of measure

4 sikis =1 tola
5 sikis = 1 kancha
4 kancha = 1 chatak
4 chataks = 1 powah
4 powahs=1 seer
5 seers = 1 pasari
8 pasaris = 1 maund
40 seers = 1 maund  5 chataks = 1 kunka
2 kunkas = 1 kunchi
2 kunchis = 1 rek
2 reks = 1 pali
2 palis = 1 done
2 dones = 1 kati
8 katis = 1 arhi
20 arhis = 1 bish
16 bishes = 1 kahan
16 palis = 1 maund
8 dones = 1 maund
20 dones = 1 sali  4 dhans = 1 rati
6 ratis = 1 anna
8 ratis = 1 masha
12 mashas = 1 tola or bhari
16 annas = 1 tola  60 anupal = 1 vipal
60 vipal= 1 pal
60 pal = 1 dundo
60 dundo = 1 deen
7 deen = 1 hafta
30 deen = 1 mahina
12 mahina = 1 baras  4 chataks = 1 powah
4 powahs = 1 seer
40 seers = 1 maund

Bengal Lineal Measure  Bengal Grain Measure  Bengal Physician’s Weight  Bengal Cloth Measure  Bombay Bazaar Measure
3 jaubs = 1 angali
4 angalis = 1 musti
3 mustis = bitasti
2 bitastis = 1 hat
2 hats = 1 gaz
2 gazes = 1 dhanu
2000 dhanu = 1 kosh
4 koshes = 1 yojan  5 chataks = 1 koonkee
4 koonkees = 1 raik
32 raiks = 1 maund  4 dhans = 1 rati
10 ratis = 1 masha
12 mashas = 1 tola  3 angulis = 1 girah
8 girahs = 1 hath
2 haths = 1 gaz  36 tanks = 1 tipari
2 tiparis = 1 seer
4 seers = 1 payli
16 paylis = 1 phara
8 pharas = 1 kandi
25 pharas = 1 muda

Gmail Mobile in India

Google has reportedly announced the availability of Gmail Mobile in India, providing Gmail users in the country quick and easy access to their Gmail accounts from their mobile devices.

The company says that Gmail users, whether waiting at the airport, or packing-in some last minute shopping, will no longer have to worry about missing out on important email.

In order to access Gmail Mobile, users need simply visit http://m.gmail.com through the Web browser on their mobile phone, and sign-in to their Gmail account as they would on the Web.

And, since every mobile device is different, Gmail Mobile automatically optimizes the interface based on the phone. Users can also view attached photos and documents from their phone, and reply-by-call to people whose phone numbers are stored in their Gmail account.

Besides, Gmail messages are automatically synchronized, regardless of whether Gmail is accessed from Gmail Mobile or the Web. Gmail Mobile is currently available for free for mobile phone users in India.

According to reports, the service works with most Web-enabled mobile phones, but users should check with their carriers on their data service plan to determine if there are any additional charges for Web access.

Taste it man, taste it!!

If you thought using an artificial sweetener like aspartame or Splenda as an insecticide was a bit far-fetched, consider this study about eliminating malaria using a sugar solution spiked with the deadly Spinosad.

Scientists used a combined solution of sucrose and Spinosad (an oral insecticide) to virtually eliminate the entire mosquito population in an oasis located in southern Israel. The few insects left after the initial spraying were new adults whose growth was controlled by the sucrose/insecticide mix.

Although this article doesn’t explore the possibility, obviously, one could use Splenda to address the deadly problem of malaria, responsible for the deaths of an estimated 2 million people every year.

The major conventional approach for malaria is to kill mosquitoes with DDT. In many ways, however, Splenda is similar to DDT as it is a chlorinated hydrocarbon. Also, many do not realize Splenda was discovered by accident when researchers were working with compounds that were insecticides. One of the Indian researchers misunderstood his instructions and thought he heard taste the chemical, when it was test the chemical.

And, as they say, the rest is history…

International Journal for Parasitology, Vol. 36, Nos. 10-11, September 2006: 1077-1080

Science Blog September 25, 2006

The (Lakeland, Fla.) Ledger September 22, 2006

Garlic blasts worst antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Crush garlic 20 minutes before eating it…
This creates more beneficial chemical compounds

CHICAGO (UPI) – Microbiology researchers said Wednesday the active ingredient in garlic combats two of the nastiest antibiotic resistant microbes faced by doctors and patients.
The ingredient, a substance know as allicin, has been found effective in killing off methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus — a microbe that has been especially troubling in skin and soft tissue wounds — and in inhibiting growth of vancomycin-resistant enterococci, an intestinal bacteria that causes considerable illness and deaths in hospital settings.
“Allicin simply blows enormous holes through MRSA,’ said Ronald Cutler, senior lecturer in microbiology at the University of East London, England. He has formulated allicin into skin products such as creams and soaps and has achieved success in destroying the microbes in laboratory tests.
He said he also tested the cream on healthy volunteers — including himself — and “we have found absolutely no adverse reactions.”
Cutler, and his commercial venture Allicin International Ltd., are beginning human testing with the allicin cream on patients with stubborn skin infections caused by MRSA.
“What happens in a test tube may not occur when it is used in humans,” cautioned Dr. Jaya Prakash, chairperson of the department of pathology, microbiology and public health at National University of Health Sciences, Lombard, Ill.
Prakash is experimenting with allicin in thwarting VRE.
“We have shown that we can inhibit the growth of these bacteria with allicin. Some of the isolates are more stubborn than others,” she said, but at 150 micrograms of allicin the bacteria cannot proliferate.
She said humans can ingest about 25 grams a day of garlic without ill effects, and that much garlic contains about 15 milligrams of allicin — about 100 times more than what she used to control VRE.
Methicillin and vancomycin both are powerful antibiotics that for many years were considered among the last medical defenses against vicious microbes such as S. aureus. In recent years, however, both S. aureus and enterococci have developed mutations that allow the bugs to escape the killing power of these antibiotics. Both organisms are multi-drug resistant.
The studies were presented at the annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, a meeting sponsored by the American Society of Microbiology in Chicago.
In Prakash’s study, allicin was tested against two normal strains of Enterococci fecalis and 24 vancomycin-resistant strains of E. fecalis. The allicin concentrations stopped growth of the microbes within four hours.
Cutler said concentrations of allicin at levels of 32 parts per million in a liquid or cream formulation were sufficient to inhibit MRSA. The cream he tested on himself contained 500 parts per million of allicin.
Prakash said that before calling the substance “Allicin Wonderdrug” a lot of clinical testing still must be accomplished.

Why email is addictive (and what to do about it):

 The author should have also touched on the issue of increasing the reward factors by increasing the risk factor using emails and other communication modes such as chat etc.

Anyone addicited to anything, emails, porn, cigarettes, whatever, may also explore the possibilities of reinforcing that addiction, by increasing the risk associated with it. For some example, an employee watching porn at work when he is not supposed to, or downloading MP3 songs. The increase in the risk factor apparantly accentuates the reward. “I got the number”!! sort of thing. Or, “She said she loves me!!” sort of thing. All part of the “Games People Play” in life. Eliminate the rewards and life becomes a little dry. Accentuate it, and it may damage your employment, physical and mental health. If you intentionally try to balance it, you run the risk of going on either side of the VU meter.

The only solution to any addiction, is to eliminate it. With a surgical knife. (The guy, remember, is speaking of people who may check their mails every 30 seconds, akin to a chain smoker).

http://www.mindhacks.com/blog/2006/09/why_email_is_addicti.html

Why cars catch fire

Found this interesting post in some forum. I thought it would be useful to share it with others.

“Top of the mind this week has to be television shots of cars burning on flyovers in Delhi. The truth will be out, eventually, but meanwhile, why do automobiles catch fire? Well, the simple reason is that you have large amounts of fuel, electricity and other combustible material in close proximity. But the biggest reason for fires—as our instructor in Merchant Navy would never tire of telling us—is the satisfied fools behind the wheel.
Consider. You buy a brand new car. You then cover the (fire-proof) seats with foam-padded seat covers. After that, you invest in plastic or rubber floor mats, on top of the (fire-retardant) carpet. You then take it to a back-street mechanic to install (grey-market) electrical accessories. And finally, you neglect basic precautions while taking (often adulterated) petrol or diesel into the fuel tank.
Of course, things get worse if the car is a Honda City, the only front-engined car in the world today with a petrol tank right under your front seat. About 50 litres of petrol, sloshing away a few inches away from your wallet. The problem is not the location of the tank. Frankly, if it is not under the front seat then it will be under the rear seat. The problem is that while the fuel line and fuel tank design of modern cars is simply a brilliant masterpiece of cutting-edge technology, the fact is that these pre-suppose a very high level of maintenance and care, as well as caution while filling and absolutely no over-filling.
This is where I have a problem with the long fuel line that ends up causing a venturii effect while filling petrol, which in turn forms a vacuum, which then generates fumes, which have to be “trapped” in a charcoal filter otherwise the cabin of your car will smell. Over-filling, or trying to push in more fuel into modern-generation pressurised filling tanks, will not just damage the charcoal filter, but also release petrol as well as fumes into the cabin of the car. And then all it needs is an accidental push of the inbuilt lighter, or a spark from a loose wire somewhere, or even an electrical arc from anywhere.
To then try to blame central locking is like trying to blame tobacco farming for causing lung cancer. Please take some of these simple precautions right away. Throw away those “foam padded” seat covers and “nylon” foot pads right away, and invest in fire-retardant fabrics. And most of all, please do not try to force extra fuel into the tank, that causes the biggest risk of fire.”

Times change. People don’t

His Holiness, The Pope:

The emperor must have known that surah 2, 256 reads: “There is no compulsion in religion”. According to the experts, this is one of the suras of the early period, when Mohammed was still powerless and under threat. But naturally the emperor also knew the instructions, developed later and recorded in the Qur’an, concerning holy war. Without descending to details, such as the difference in treatment accorded to those who have the “Book” and the “infidels”, he addresses his interlocutor with a startling brusqueness on the central question about the relationship between religion and violence in general, saying: “Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached”.

 

Friedrich Nietzsche:

The Jews–a people “born for slavery,” as Tacitus and the whole ancient world say of them; “the chosen people among the nations,” as they themselves say and believe–the Jews performed the miracle of the inversion of valuations, by means of which life on earth obtained a new and dangerous charm for a couple of millenniums. Their prophets fused into one the expressions “rich,” “godless,” “wicked,” “violent,” “sensual,” and for the first time coined the word “world” as a term of reproach. In this inversion of valuations (in which is also included the use of the word “poor” as synonymous with “saint” and “friend”) the significance of the Jewish people is to be found; it is with THEM that the SLAVE-INSURRECTION IN MORALS commences.

Body Mass Index for Asian Populations.

The risk of developing chronic ill-health appears to increase amongst many Asian populations at lower levels of body weight, than in Caucasian populations.

A BMI of 18.5 to 25 is traditionally classified as normal, 25 to 30 as overweight and is associated with increased risk of developing weight-related disorders, and above 30 is classified as obese and at high risk of developing weight-related illness.

In recent years, experts, have observed that weight-related disorders are more common in some Asians ethnic groups at BMI levels above 23. An expert group of the WHO has therefore recommended a lower BMI scale for Asians:

18.5-23 for increasing but relatively low risk of developing weight- related ill-health;

23-27.5 for increased risk;

and 27.5 or more signals high risk.

http://www.afic.org/WMWS/am_i_overweight.shtml

What is BMI?

BMI is your weight in Kg divided by the squared of your height in metres.

BMI = Kg/m*m

Here is a java applet to calculate your BMI and view it on a chart.

The revolution in nutrition – part 2

The dietary principles of Bircher muesli.

Muesli was a popular breakfast dish in Switzerland. What Dr Benner did was to re-introduce this old custom. The original muesli was nothing more than a “light fruit porridge”. The Swiss would prepare Muelsi using the fruits available in the season such as apples, pears, berries and combine the same with either cracked wheat (known as “lapsi” in India), or oats. Of course, the milk used was unpasteurized and fresh from the udder, so to speak.

Due to the advent of bad nutrition in Europe, mainly on account of the practices of the Aristocracy and on the discovery of yeast-raised white bread, the eating of fruit was mainly confined as a sweet dish, to be eaten after meals.

Dr Benner brought back the practice of eating fruit at breakfast, quite in line with the scientific dietary principles known to India for the last 5,000 years.

Henry Ford was a fan of Muesli while in England it was simply called “Swiss Breakfast”.

Muesli, I think, can be considered to be the “perfect” breakfast, which can be eaten the whole year round, and by all ages.

But there is a very important difference between the original fruit porridge, and the crap that you get ready-made in the markets today.

Muesli is primarily a fruit dish!!

Muesli is not a milk and cereal dish! In fact, Dr Benner recommended that no more than a level tablespoon of cereal should be added to one grated apple or its equivalent fruit, per person! The dish has to be light and fruity. Of course, one could top off the dish with an assortment of dry fruits such as chopped dates, almonds (which have been pre-soaked overnight, else they are indigestible, honey, and a little sugar if you want it.

Almond puree is an excellent substitute for anyone who cannot tolerate milk, and I would even recommend the topping-up of a little cow’s milk cream that is skimmed off the milk.

The truth of the fact is that the Bircher Muesli is to be considered more of a prescription rather than a recipe, but that only goes to strengthen the claim “Let the food be your medicine.”

You can experiment with this recipe, by even substituting milk with yogurt (in which case you cannot use bananas!).

You could also eat Bircher Muesli at the beginning of each meal, which would not only be in line with the first maxim, “Raw food first”, but would fill you up a little and therefore you would eat less of whatever regular food you eat.

And its probably the best breakfast you can give to growing children!

The Basic Recipe:

Make sure that raw cereals are pre-soaked overnight, and cooked, unless they are the quick-cooking variety.

Apple Muesli

Ingredients:

Per person:

1 level tablespoon rolled oats or cracked wheat (lapsi)

(The recommendation is to add raw, 3 hour-pre-soaked cereals, but I think cooked cracked wheat would work very well, thank you).

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk. (Or use fresh milk and sugar).

1 large apple (or 2 – 3 small ones).

Garnish with chopped dry fruit. (I prefer dates and almonds).

Substitute sugar with honey, if you wish.

Don’t be silly and count or ask for the calorific content.

Alternatively, for the milk intolerant and for slimmers:

3 tablespoons yogurt. (curd).

1 teaspoon lemon juice instead of 1 tablespoon.

The revolution in nutrition – part 1.

Dr. M.O. Bircher-Benner (1867-1939), along with Dr. Waerland, was one of the great pioneers in the West on the science of dietics. It was the discovery of Penicillin, and its potential to kill bacteria, that brought to a premature end to the great dietary revolution in the West. “All disease is caused by infection, ergo, bacteria is the cause of all diseases.” We know now, exactly how untrue that is.

There has never been a more important time in history, to revive the truth, and highlight the scientific principles of diet, through an exploration of the evolution of dietics in the West, the effect of excessive eating of animal flesh, and the great dietic revolution in the late part of the 19th Century.

Both, Dr Bircher-Benner, as well as Dr. Waerland stumbled upon the root causes of disease, and therefore its cure. By disease, I would encompass not only those which are visibly manifest by symptoms, but also those which lie latent, and grow to a point where ultimately, they overflow not unlike a vessel of boiling milk, to spread the deranged forces all through the body and give rise to visible symptoms, what we call as “disease”.

Dr Bircher Benner stumbled upon his discovery, when one day, a lady suffering from a gastric disorder visited him, but no treatment proved to be effective and her condition grew worse day-by-day.

On the suggestion of one of his friends,Dr. Bircher Benner decided to treat he with a diet of raw vegetables and fruit.

It is no surprise today, that the woman recovered. Dr Bircher Benner concluded that “It was the deterioration of foodstuffs, generally taking place during cooking and other processing, that was at the root of many evils.”

For a civilization, so used to the excessive consumption of meat and white flour products, it’s no surprise that these famous Western dieticians and nutritionists were able to bring about “miraculous cures”.

The fundamental principles that they discovered, are valid even today, in this age of vitamin supplements, gym exercises and unbelievably stupid dietary fads, such as the Atkins diet.

It cannot be over-emphasized, that the dietary change requires consumption of “organically grown” foods. which is not to say, that applying these simple scientific principles will give you ALL the benefits!

You will feel:

More energetic.

Achieve optimum weight.

Live longer.

Feel better.

Generally be more attractive to the opposite sex, on account of glowing skin and bright eyes.

Never need to use perfumes to mask the foul pheromone odour that exudes on the consumption of non-vegetarian food. (that’s why the West has such a huge industry of perfumery!)

In addition, the changes in diet proposed would enable you to:

Give up addictions such as drinking and smoking.

Clarify the mind to a supra-natural state.

Naturally attract the opposite sex, without making an effort about it.

Dr Benner discovered this great dietic discovery:

“For regeneration of vitality in the healthy, it is enough if half of the daily intake should consist of raw foods.”

In addition, Dr Bircher Benner discovered, that raw foods eaten at the beginning of the meal, established anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions in the intestinal tract and promoted the growth of beneficial bacterial coli and drive out the pathogenic ones.

Hence the Bircher-Benner maxim:

Begin each meal with raw food. Raw food before, not after, the cooked food.”

The third maxim, was based on the fact that it was important to maintain a favorable acid-alkaline balance in the body:

“Whenever and however possible; No day without green leaves.”

Part 2: Bircher muesli.

Soundclick

Just discovered this fabulous site.

http://soundclick.com. so let me sing it out for ya!

(sung to the Blues)

Well,this site has a low-fi listening feed.

Yeah, that’s what I said, a low-fi listening feed.

you know those guys,

with dial-up connections,

Well, they can hear everythiiiiiiing.

Why 7th of September 2006 is so important.

 

I shall be moving from “beta” to version 0.3 ALL irrelevant content,  comments and blog links shall be deleted.

With kind regards,

Kaktose

The diet of Konkan Brahmin families.

Sometimes, you feel like a Motherless child. Sometimes, web sites vanish, or simply die. You are left with the “cache page”, which google provides so generously. I am not sure for how long, would the “cache” be cached. 2038? Like a Google cookie? Anyway, sometimes, important pages should be re-blogged for the good of mankind and for the good of dissemination of knowledge.

So, I have re-blogged this page of dixitfamily.com, which give a concise and very scientific history of diet in Western-Central India.

Click on the Google cache page to read more.

Coconut Curd Chutney

Coconut curd chutney – Southern Delights Pawathy Akhileswaran

1/2 coconut
5 green chillies
1″ piece ginger
Salt
1 small cup curds

Grind, with a little water.

Tadka:

1/2 tsp mustard
2 red chillies, broken
1 tbspn ghee

Handi Biryani

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups long grain rice
2 potatoes quartered boiled
2 capsicums cut into strips
2 onions chopped into strips
2 onions quartered
2 tomatoes chopped
1 cup slices mixed vegetables (frenchbeans, carrots, cauliflower, etc.)
1 tsp. ginger grated
1 tsp. garlic grated
1 cup curd
2 bay leaves
2 cloves
1″ cinnamon stick
2 cardamoms
4-5 whole black peppers
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp. garam masala
salt to taste
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
2-3 pinches asafoetida
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. coriander chopped
10-15 cashews
10-12 almonds sliced to flakes (optional)
4-5 tbsp. ghee

Method

Wash and soak rice in salted water for 30 minutes.

Heat ghee in a heavy saucepan.

Fry onionstrips till crisp, brown, drain, keep aside.

Fry cashews till light brown, drain, keep aside.

Fry capsicums till tender, drain, keep aside.

Meanwhile, heat 6 cups water in a large vessel.

Add bay leaves, peppers, cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms, salt.

When it comes to boil, drain and add rice.

Bring to boil, cook for 8-9 minutes, till rice is just but not fully done.

Drain in a large colander, spread in a big plate, cool.

Grind quartered onions, ginger, garlic to a paste.

In hot ghee, add paste stirfry for 2-3 minutes.

Add all powdered masalas, tomatoes, mixed vegetables, stir, cook till fat separates.

Beat curd, add, stir till the boil resumes, cook 2-3 minutes.

Add potatoes, stir, keep aside.

To fill handi:

Grease an oven proof handi well on the inside.

Place in half of rice, spread at the bottom.

Top with half vegetables layer, spread over rice.

Mix together fried onions, capsicums, cashews, sliced almonds, coriander.

Sprinkle half over vegetable layer.

Sprinkle half lemon juice all over.

Repeat rice to lemon juice layer by layer.

Either cover with fitting lid, seal edges with chapati dough, or Seal top with a tightly packed foil sheet.

Make a small slit for excess steam to escape.

Bake in a preheated oven at 130oC for 15-20 minutes.

Break seal at the table to get the most out of the aroma.

Notes:

A handi is a round potlike vessel, with a neck narrower than the base. It may be made of metal or in earthenware. It must be heatproof though. If not available use a deep heavy saucepan.

For a stronger flavoured biryani, mix in some powdered mace, nutmeg into rice before transferring to handi.

Prepare handi few hours ahead, and bake just before serving, to organise your time better.

Making time: 1 hour
Makes: 8 servings
Shelflife: Best fresh and piping hot

Don’t skip breakfast!

Don’t Skip Breakfast!
An Ayurvedic Perspective

http://www.boloji.com/ayurveda/av007.htm

According to Ayurveda, fasting is not recommended because it irritates pitta, vata, and kapha dosha. Skipping breakfast particularly irritates sadhaka pitta, a subdosha of pitta. Sadhaka pitta is responsible for maintaining an even temper and when in balance, brings joy and contentment. An imbalanced sadhaka pitta can result in irritability and unsettled emotions.

Many people are too busy in the morning to eat breakfast or just do not feel hungry. If you’ve been used to skipping breakfast, start with a little something each morning and work your way back to a healthy breakfast. A good way to break the habit of skipping breakfast is to make and drink fresh fruit or vegetable juices. Rehydrating the body with fresh, natural, and nourishing fluids will help you get a head start on a busy day. Try a juiced blend of fresh carrot, cilantro and zucchini, or fresh sweet grape, apple, or pear juice. Pick ripe sweet fruit. Orange juice is not recommended on an empty stomach because it is too acidic. Whichever fruit or vegetables you choose, fresh juice is always the best because it has Prana or life giving energies. Also, the juice should ideally be at room temperature or slightly cool, never ice-cold.

Ayurveda says that fruit in the morning is like gold. This is the best time of day to get the maximum nourishment from fruit. Cooked apples, eaten first thing in the morning, help to create “Ojas,” the final and most refined by-product of digestion. Ojas contributes to enhanced vitality, strength, immunity, and overall well-being. Sweet juicy fruits are excellent cleansers — they help to eliminate impurities from the body. According to Ayurveda, it is recommended that fruits be eaten first thing in the morning, 30 minutes before other breakfast items such as hot cereal.

Other suggestions for breakfast include dried figs and raisins, soaked the night before or simmered with a little water for 30 minutes. Or try one of the following healthy combinations: dates with a small dab of ghee replacing the pit, Chapati flat bread with raw honey and warm milk, or oatmeal with raisins and chopped almonds. Almond powder mixed with warm milk is another excellent way to start the day.

Recipe for Stewed Apples and Pears

1 organic apple
1 organic pear
1 Tbsp. organic raisins
1 clove
1/4 cup water

Peel and chop fruit into small pieces. Place fruit in a small pot and add about 1/4 cup water. Add raisins and clove. Bring to boil and then back to low heat. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the fruit is of a tender consistency. Eat warm.

Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra
October 21, 2001

Fried Green Beans

FRIED GREEN BEANS WITH COCONUT
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Vegetables Indian
Ethnic Vegetarian
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
4 tb Butter
1 t Black Mustard Seeds
1/2 c Onion-finely chopped
1 t Fresh Ginger Root
-scraped and finely chopped
1 t Salt
1/2 ts Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 lb Fresh Green Beans
-trimmed and cut crosswise
-into paper thin rounds
1/4 ts Ground Red Pepper
1/4 c Unsweetened Coconut
2 tb Fresh Coriander-chopped
2 tb Lemon Juice
In a 10-inch heavy skillet or 12-inch wok, heat the
butter over moderate heat until a drop of cold water
flicked into it splutters instantly. Add the mustard
seeds and fry for 30 seconds. Thoroughly stir in the
onions, ginger, salt and pepper, and drop in the green
beans. Stirring constantly, add the red pepper and fry
for 5 minutes longer. Add the coconut and coriander,
reduce the heat to low, and cover the pan. Stirring
occasionally, cook for 10 minutes more, or until the
beans are tender. Sprinkle with lemon juice, taste for
seasoning, and serve at once.
Foods of the World: The Cooking of India
Time-Life Books
uploaded by Diane Lazarus

Dal Chutney

Dal Chutney

Note: All ingredient quantities are ap prox.

Ingredients

Channa Dal- 1 cup
Urad Dal -1/2 cup
Dry Grated Coconut- 1 cup
Dry Red Chillies- 8-10
Fenugreek Seeds- 1/2 tsp
Tamarind 10grams
Jaggery -according to your taste
Asafoetida -1/4tsp
Vegetable Oil 1tsp
Salt according to taste

Method

Soak tamarind in 2 cups of water
Heat oil and add asafeotida, fenugreek seeds , fry the seeds till they are brown.
Add channa dal , urad dal and red chillies in the same pan and roast them till they are golden brown.
After emptying the pan, roast dry coconut till golden brown color.
Keep this aside till it cools down.
Squeeze tamarind properly till you get a uniform juice.
Add jaggery and early roasted dals in the tamarind juice and allow it to soak for 2-3 hours for easy grinding.
Add salt according to taste.
Grind it into a rough paste.
Serve it with Idlis, White Rice, Dosas.
For seasoning , heat oil in a pan , add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter and add curry leaves to the heated oil.
Pour the seasoning over the chutney before serving.

Dhai Curry Punjabi style

Dahi curry Punjabi style – Jyotsna

Dahi 2-3/4 cup
Besan 3 dabbi

Mix dahi for i sec in a mixee

Add besan, haldi,salt, red chilly (deghi mirch), add some water, again mix.
Heat a little ghee. Add hing pinch, methidana, 1tsp., coarse crushed (in hand), akha dhania,, 1/2 tsp jeera.
Then, add chopped fine, 1 onion, 1 lasoon, and some ginger.
Add besan mix to all this.
And add some more water.Boil and simmer, 4 to 5 times, for 1/2 hour.
Keep stirring, so that the curd should not froth.
Add pakora for 10 minutes before removing curry.

Pakora:

Cut onions long.green chilly, ajwain, salt, deghi mirch.
Mix in besan, with wwater, to a consistancy, that the pakora can be added to the oil with a small tablespoon. (10 ml).

Fettucine with Pesto Indienne Sauce

FETTUCINE WITH PESTO INDIENNE SAUCE (TARLA DALAL, UPPERCRUST JAN-MAR 2000)

Ingredients:

½ packet white fettucine
½ packet green fettucine
3 tbs oil
Salt

For Pesto Indenne Sauce:
½ tsp paprika or chilli flakes
1 tbsp chilgoza (pine nuts)
1 portion pesto indenne paste
½ cup cream
1 tbsp butter
Salt

For Pesto indenne paste:
1 cup basil leaves
¼ cup pine nuts
4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup coriander, chopped
1medium onion
1tsp ginger chopped
1 medium green chilli
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt

Ground all above ingredients together to a smooth aste

For the garnish:
Grated cheese
Basil leaves
Cherry tomatoes

PROCEDURE:

For the fettucine, put a lot of water in a pan, add salt and 1 teaspoon of oil and bring to a boil. Add the white and green fettucine aand cook till done. Drain and keep aside.

After some time, add 2 teaspoons of oil to the cooked fettucine and mix well.

For the Pesto Indenne Sauce:
Heat the butter in a saucepan on a low flame. Add the paprike, the pine nuts and fry for some time. Add the pesto indenne paste, the cream, 1 cup water and salt and heat till the sauce is a little thick. Keep aside. Do not boil the sauce as it will curdle.

How to proceed:
Place the fettucine in a serving bowl. Pour the sauce over it. Garnish with grated cheese, basil, and cherry tomatoes. Serve hot.

Kofta Noor Jahani

Kofta Noor Jahani
Recipe By : http://www.getsurfed.co.uk/restaurants/special.htm
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
2 Boiled Potatoes
100 Grams Paneer
2 Tbsp Cauliflower Florets
2 Tbsp Cornflour
1 Tsp Finely Chopped Green Chillies
Salt — To Taste
3 Tbsp Oil
1 C Boiled Onion Paste
1 C Boiled Carrots
1/4 C Soaked Raisins
1 Tbsp Ginger Paste
1 Tbsp Garlic Paste
1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 Tsp Garam Masala
3/4 C Cashewnut Paste
Oil — For Deep-Frying
Cream — Optional
Chopped Coriander — For Garnish
Grate the boiled potatoes, grate the paneer and add to the boiled potatoes,
mix in the finely chopped green chillies salt and the corn flour. Mix
really well and make into small round balls. Grate the carrots and mix the
raisins into them. Make an indent into the potato balls and stuff a little
of the carrot and raisin mix into it. Reform the potato ball in your hand
making sure that you leave no holes! Deep fry all the balls until golden
brown. Leave aside.
Gravy:
Take a tablespoon of oil in a heavy based pan, add the boiled onion paste
cook until the onions are a little pink. Add the ginger and garlic paste to
the oinions and saute for a while. Add the tumeric and chilli powder and
cook for a while until the masala has mixed well into the paste. Now add
the cashewnut paste to this and cook. Keep stirring so that it doesn’t
stick to the bottom of the pan. Add about a 1/2 cup of water and cook on
very low heat for about 10 mins. Add salt taste and mix well. Add the fried
koftas to the gravy. Finish with fresh cream drizzled over the top
(optional) and add a little chopped corinder to garnish. Serve hot with
naan or rice.
This dish was supposedly created for the beautiful queen Noor Jahan. I am
not sure if this is true or not but it does taste very nice!

Kachumber (Parsi Onion Salad)

KACHUMBAR (Parsee onion salad)

Serves 4-6

2 med onions finely sliced
tamarind pulp size of walnut
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons grated palm sugar or substitute
2 firm ripe tomatoes diced
1 tablespoon fine shreds fresh ginger
3 fresh red or green chillies sliced
salt to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves

Zeera Aloo

Zeera Aloo – New Potatoes with Cumin – India
Recipe By : Madhur Jaffrey’s Quick & Easy Indian Cooking
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Madhur Jaffrey’s Quick Madhur Jaffrey
India
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
2 lbs new potatoes, cleaned, cooked until tender –
then peel
salt
2 1/2 tbsps vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp chili powder
3 tbsps coriander leaves — chopped
Put oil in large frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put
in cumin seeds. Let seeds sizzle for a few seconds. Now put in potatoes.
Turn heat down to medium. Brown potatoes lightly on all sides. Turn heat
to low and ad 3/4 teaspoon salt and ground cumin, garam masala and chili
powder. Cook, stirring for a minute. Add coriander leaves and mix before
serving.

Kicked up Buttermilk Drink

Kicked up Buttermilk Drink (south Indian) #114328

For those of you, who drink buttermilk with salt, this version gives it a zip. If you have never drank buttermilk, try this recipe using whatever is left-over in the carton. It is so cooling and light. This is a South Indian drink that is offered to guests on hot summer days. Making this drink is based on your personal preferences for the various ingredients and you can tinker with the quantities of the spices.
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup water
1 piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (small piece)
3 sprigs cilantro, stems removed
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (optional) or 1 pinch cumin powder (optional)
1 dash pepper
salt, to taste
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Perfect Minestrone Soup

Perfect minestrone soup

green beans – cut into 2″ pieces, zucchini – 1, cut into 1″ slices , spinach leaves – 1/2 cup , black-eye beans – 1 can, rinsed and drained , stewed whole tomatoes – 1 can , parsley – 1/3 cup chopped , olive oil – 1 tbsp , carrots – diced , onions – 1, chopped , celery – 1 stalk, finely chopped , garlic – 2 cloves, finely chopped , crushed red pepper flakes – 1/3 tsp , salt – to taste

Fry onions, celery, carrots and garlic in olive oil until the onions are transluscent. add the pepper flakes and a pinch of salt and fry for 15 secs. Add the green beans and the black-eyed peas, more salt and plenty of water. When green beans are cooked, add zucchini, spinach and mashed tomatoes. After 1 min, add the parsley and warm it through. Serve very hot and garnish with grated parmasan cheese.

Steamed Rice

Steamed Rice

Ingredients
1 cup long grain rice
3-4 cups water
Preparation
Wash and drain the rice Cook in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain.
Put the rice in a steaming tier and cook for 30 minutes. (If no steaming tier is available, use a nylon or hair sieve in a wooden ban.)

Sindhi Daal

Sindhi daal

(fresh greens – spinach, dill and fenugreek cooked with daals)

2 bunches palak (spinach)
½ bunch methi (fenugreek leaves), or 5 tbsp. dried methi
¼ bunch soova (dill)
¼ kg. dudhi (marrow)
1 carrot
2 tomatoes
1 onion
4 green chillies
½ inch ginger
8 cloves garlic
salt
1 ½ cup tuvar dal
½ cup chana dal
3 tbsp. ghee
2 tsp. jeera.

Chop greens and vegetables fine
Cook daals
Before the daals cook completely, add chopped veggies, tomatoes and onions, ginger and salt. Cook till daals are done (another 10 minutes or so)
Blend coarsely in a blender
Heat pure ghee in a small pan. Add cumin seeds. After a few seconds, add garlic.
When garlic turns light brown pour flavoured ghee over dal
Serve with hot basmati rice

Sabat Aloo

Sabat Aloo (Whole Small Potatoes with Jacket)

Ingredients -Very small potatoes – 250 gms,Garlic – 6-8 cloves ,Ginger – 1 Samll piece,2″ long Red chillies – 1/2 tsp, Dry masala: Cuminseed and Coriander – 1 tsp each lightly roasted and powdered,Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp,Mustard oil – 3 tbsp Green coriander chopped,Red and green chillies – 6

Method -Wash the potatoes, prick with fork and dip in salted water Crush ginger and garlic together. Smoke oil in krahi. Add ground ginger garlic paste, salt and turmeric. Add potatoes. Toss and turn. Add cuminseed and coriander powder. Cover, let it cook with steam. Sprinkle water as and when required. Cut red and green chillies into two and add to the potatoes before they are ready. cover and cook. Add chopped coriander leaves. Serve it hot.