BeFit - Health & Nutrition

 Healthy Main Course Recipes YAM ‘FISH’ CURRY Ingredients ½ kg yam, peeled, steamed, and cut into thin squares 1 tsp turmeric salt to taste ¼ cup grated fresh coconut 3 pieces of kokum few curry leaves for garnish   Masala 1 tsp methi seeds 1 cup onion, sliced 2 tbsp ginger, minced 1 tsp garlic, minced 4 to 5 Kashmiri chili 1 tsp mustard seeds 5-6 curry leaves   Method Roast these masala ingredients. Blend the roasted masala and fresh coconut together. Add the steamed yam into a vessel, add turmeric, salt, masala paste, and kokum, add enough water and let it boil. Switch off the gas. Add curry leaves as garnish and serve. Serves 2- 4

Healthy Soups   MILLET NOODLES SOUP WITH GREENS AND MISO Ingredients 4 cloves grated garlic 1 small onion chopped fine 4 cups vegetable stock 1 pack of gluten-free noodles 1 head of bok choy shredded 6-7 leaves of kale or swiss chard shredded ¼ cup spring onion greens chopped ½ cup finely diced red pepper ¼ cup tofu finely cubed (optional) 1 tbsp brown rice miso salt to taste   Method Sauté the garlic and onions to brown. Add the soup stock and boil the noodles for 3 minutes. Add the greens and boil till wilted. Add the red pepper and tofu and switch off the heat. Mix the miso in the bowl with a little warm water and add it to the soup once it has slightly cooled so as not to destroy the probiotics in miso.   Serves 2-3

  Side Salads MEDITERRANEAN EGGPLANT SALAD WITH YOGURT DRESSING Ingredients 4 cucumbers 2-3 long thin eggplant salt, red chili powder, dry mango powder as per taste Lebanese seasoning (optional) a handful of pumpkin seeds a handful of broken cashews black sesame seeds for sprinkling Yogurt Dressing ½ cup peanut rice milk curd 2 tsp crushed garlic Rock salt to taste Lemon juice to taste A few sprigs of freshly chopped mint leaves (optional) Method Slice eggplant, add salt, red chili powder, raw mango powder, and Lebanese powder, and roast evenly on an iron skillet on both sides till lightly roasted. Mix curd, garlic, salt, mint leaves, and lemon juice in a bowl. Cut cucumbers using a spiralizer or julienne peeler. In a serving bowl, place cucumber juliennes, prepared eggplant slices, pour yogurt dressing, and sprinkle pumpkin seeds and black sesame seeds.   Variation : You can grate cucumber instead of making juliennes. Serves 4 TZATZIKI This is a garlicky Greek salad that is c...

 Healthy Breakfast Recipes CHILLA OR PUDLA OR PESARATTU Ingredients 1 cup whole moong (or other lentil or bean), soaked   overnight ½ - ¼ tsp ginger chili paste salt to taste Method Grind soaked moong or other lentils to a fine paste. Add ginger chili paste and salt to taste. Make as dosa as there is no need for fermentation.   Variations Mix grated vegetables in the batter Make dhoklas with the same batter. Stuf the chillas with cooked or grated   vegetables like peas, french beans, carrots, beetroot, broccoli, potatoes, or corn.   Serves 2-3

 Dairy Alternatives for Vegan PEANUT RICE MILK CURD  Peanuts lend creaminess to the milk but have a strong flavor, which can be reduced by mixing in rice. Rice also helps to thicken the milk and curds.   Ingredients 1 cup raw peanuts soaked for 8 to 12 hours ½ cup brown rice four 4 cups water (800 ml. water) 5 – 6 chili tops / non-dairy curd starter   Method Put peanuts in a blender and blend till you get a smooth paste adding a little water at a time. Make   rice milk by mixing rice flour with water. Stir the  peanut milk and boil slowly on low heat. Once it starts to thicken, start adding the rice milk slowly while  stirring to prevent clumping. L et the milk fully boil and thicken. Cool to body temperature. Set the curd using the chili top as a starter the first time you make it by dipping them in the peanuts mixture and keeping some as a starter for the next batch. The starter can also be stored in the freezer. Note 1: If you want a thick-set curd ...

Push-ups work the upper body, including the chest, shoulders, biceps, and triceps, as well as a core and glute Indoor exercises are irresistibly handy as they provide a holistic workout experience right in the comfort of your home. Also, there are various options for people to consider while working out at home. One such is the push-up, an excellent exercise that works the upper body, including the chest, shoulders, biceps, and triceps, as well as the core and glute, said Rhea Singh Anand, co-founder, of Flexner. Stressing that the bodyweight exercise is essential in every training regimen, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned athlete, she listed down some variations of push-ups for the advanced level. *Your upper body should be in a flying position. Remember to land firmly in the same position for another count. Make sure you perform it in the appropriate position to avoid injury. This push-up method helps strengthen the tricep, chest, and shoulder muscles. Steps to do it *Lower ...

Nutritionist shares why women over 40 gain weight, and what they can do to stay fit To know how to keep fit after forty, read these recommendations by nutritionist Anjali Mukherjee Age may just be a number, but it cannot be denied that the body experiences many changes as one becomes older. As such, turning 40 can affect people’s lives in more ways than one, especially for women. While regular exercise remains the key, it becomes equally important to make certain dietary tweaks as well. Nutritionist Anjali Mukherjee took to Instagram to share how women can stay fit after turning 40. “Everything changes after forty. Your metabolism slows down. Your sugar cravings  increase. You begin feeling less energetic,” she said. – The BMR (Basal Metabolic rate) drops by six percent per decade of life. – Menopausal women develop subclinical hypothyroidism which makes it more difficult for them to lose weight post-forty. One of the main reasons why women over 40 gain weight is that their metabol...

Improve your core strength with these ‘must-try’ plank variations; check them out "Try these plank variations and fire up the core. They’re super effective," fitness trainer Namrata Purohit said Weak core strength can lead to poor posture, back pain, slumped shoulders, and overall weakness and fatigue. As such, it is essential to build core strength, for which, you must incorporate planks in your workout regimen.  Apart from helping your core to develop, they also improve body alignment as well as flexibility and metabolism, according to Pranit Shilimkar, health and fitness entrepreneur, digital content creator, and founder of Fitnesstalks. If you are bored of performing regular planks, try some of its interesting variations as suggested by fitness trainer Namrata Purohit, who trains celebrities like Janhvi Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan, and Pooja Hegde among others. “Try these plank variations and fire up the core. They’re super effective,” she said. But, before you get to performin...

Extreme Fat Burning During Your Exercise There are certain forms of exercise that can help you burn significantly more fat during your workouts. They're not really hacking per se, but rather simple tweaks and additions that can increase your  fat-burning  results. Again, they aren't really for everyone, as most people these days exercise whenever possible due to the hectic nature of our lifestyles these days. Some people may also want to improve their overall performance instead of burning fat. That said, if losing weight is really your goal, you can join us as we go through these tips. Do morning exercises on an empty stomach This is probably one of the best keys to burning those extra fats you've been carrying. Exercising on an empty stomach in the morning is a sure way to speed up your fat-burning furnace. Morning exercises can help you burn up to 300 percent more body fat compared to when you exercise at any other time of the day. The logic here is pretty simple and s...

Tips for Successful Meditation It is nice to live in the moment without worrying about past mistakes and possible future difficulties. The reality is that it is quite difficult to just live in the moment as you wish. We can't just isolate the fact that to live a promising life today, some sacrifices must be made. Oftentimes, these sacrifices go a long way toward amplifying our anxiety, stress, and worries. What is meditation?      Successful Meditation is an effective way to reduce anxiety, stress, and worry. You can neutralize stress-producing mental activities without sacrificing efficiency and alertness. Successful Meditation can help you feel happier, relieve chronic pain, combat stress, promote health, sleep better, and achieve needed serenity. These are the simple but powerful tips: Always follow the correct posture      You can meditate cross-legged on the floor or sitting in a chair, just make sure your back is straight. Keeping your back strai...

In order to have a good and perfectly healthy body, it was essential for everyone to exercise and follow it as a routine every day to maintain a good figure and therefore promote their overall health. Exercising was the most essential part because our daily lifestyle was so busy, so you usually forget to pay attention to what you drink or eat. Buying home gym equipment was easier because it will help in price comparison and more options. There was an extensive list of home exercise equipment such as treadmills, bikes, dumbbells, punching bags, upright, ellipticals, etc. Buying fitness equipment for the home has become an inescapable statement in today's generation. But you don't have to worry about all these problems, especially when there are websites next to you.   Confused about the choice of physical equipment! Choosing from a maze of fitness equipment is not as difficult as it sounds. You should be clear about your fitness goals before you think about buying equipment. To ...

Healthy Smoothie Recipes ALMOND MILK THANDAI Ingredients  ½ cup whole almonds, soaked in water overnight  2 cups of fresh water  2-3 seedless dates  Thandai masala - ¼ tsp each of elachi, cinnamon, fennel, black  pepper  Method  After the almonds have soaked overnight, drain and discard the soaking water. In a blender, blend the soaked almonds along with the spices to form a smooth paste adding a little water if needed. Add the dates and blend again and finally add the rest of the freshwater.  Strain the mixture to remove any almond  particles that may be left (optional). Add  more water if needed to get the desired  consistency.  Once prepared, the milk should be  refrigerated. It can be kept for up to 24  hours.  Serves 4 glasses BASIC GREEN SMOOTHIE   Green smoothies are a great energizing way to start the morning on an empty stomach and incorporate the goodness of greens with the sweetness of the fruit. ...

Why do you need to exercise for 40 minutes every day! Do you exercise? If yes, for how long? Merely spreading the yoga mat for 10 minutes or picking up a skipping rope for 15 minutes every day may not give you the desired health and fitness results.      The importance of physical fitness and an active lifestyle cannot be stressed enough. Doctors and experts have always maintained that whether it comes to weight loss or overall health, exercising every day should be a part of the routine so as to achieve goals.      Do you exercise? If yes, for how long? Merely spreading the yoga mat for 10 minutes or picking up a skipping rope for 15 minutes every day may not give you the desired health and fitness results.      According to nutritionist Nmami Agarwal, a minimum of 40 minutes of physical activity is essential every day. She explains it in an Instagram video, stating that in the first 20 minutes, the body is “just warming up”. “It is only aft...

Expert shares one of the ‘smartest, non-taxing ways of decreasing food intake and creating a deficit’ Exercise is an essential component of any wellness plan, but it is not the only one. Your diet plays an equally important role. Having a wholesome, balanced meal can make a lot of difference to one's overall health. However, the key lies in creating a calorie deficit. A calorie deficit occurs when you eat or drink fewer calories than you burn. On the contrary, consuming more calories  than you burn indicates a calorie surplus — a major reason for weight gain. As such, when the number of calories you consume matches the number of calories you burn, your weight will remain stable. Nutritionist Nancy Dehra, who shares tips and tricks to successfully create a calorie deficit,   recently posted some easy diet tweaks to ensure portion control, which she said is “one of the smartest and non-taxing ways of decreasing food intake and creating a deficit.” How to achieve portion control?...

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