Difference between jaggery and sugar and why should we replace sugar with jaggery.

Difference between jaggery and sugar and why should we replace sugar with jaggery.

JAGGERY
It is far complex than sugar, as it is made up of longer chains of sucrose.
It is digested slower than sugar and releases energy slowly
It is rather a tastemaker and colour maker
It contains iron, cacium, potassium, phoshorus
Jaggery helps in calcium absorption
Jaggery is ecofriendly
Jaggery aids in digestion, as jaggery breaks and becomes alkaline in the digestive system.

SUGAR
It is simplest available forms of sucrose
It is instantly absorbed in blood and releases a burst of energy
It is just a sweetner
It is source of empty calories
Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium
Sugar industry pollutes air, water and soil.
Sugar becomes acidic.

so gohead n replace ur sugar..............

Gudi Padwa - Puran poli - Healthy??? Or Unhealthy???

Gudi Padwa - Puran poli - Healthy??? Or Unhealthy???

Gudi Padwa is around the corner, this festive season is incomplete without puran poli right. Puran poli is a classic Maharashtrian delicacy. It is a pan-griddled sweet bread stuffed with split yellow gram(channa dal) or red gram (toovar/arhar dal). 

It has various regional names like paruppu poli in Tamil, Holige or obbattu in Kannada, ubbati in Konkani. The taste also varies from region to region. It is sweet and is circular like a parantha. It is a festive dessert. The stuffing is called puran and the parantha-like bread is called as poli.


But..hold on if you think puran poli is bad think again every food has its merit and demerits, the key is to maintain moderation. 

Puran poli is supposed to be a high cal food, right... it is upto you to make it healthy, use whole wheat flour instead of maida, use ghee sparingly.

Lets look at its merit

Puran poli made with whole wheat flour is rich in complex carbs, fibre, gives B complex vitamins, certain minerals. Dals as we all know gives give good amount of protein, what you all will be surprised to know is that this combination of cereal ie wheat flour and protein from dals will provide you with good quality protein, which can be compared to egg which is considered as high biological value with almost 100% bioavailability i.e of excellent quality.This combination provides all the required amino acids which are building blocks of protein.

Futher it has lot of jaggery which contains iron, cacium, potassium, phosphorus, it is releases energy slowly, as it is digested slower than sugar. Further Jaggery also aids in digestion, as jaggery breaks and becomes alkaline in the digestive system.

Addition of Green cardamom powder , saffron, nutmeg powder, mace (javantri) powder which have essential volatile oils,boosts digestion and are antispasmodic, carminative, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial.

  

Go ahead and enjoy this festive delicacy…but keep it as festive delicacy and do not gorge on it, it is to be enjoyed only during festival season.

            ENJOY GUDI PADWA WITH PURAN POLI

Makar sankranti & Happy Lohri

Makar sankranti & Happy Lohri

Makar Sakranti is also known as KHICHADI (Indian dish made from rice and lentils) Sakranti because on this day the injunction to eat Khichadi , is generally observed by people. Seasonal crops become available. Ghee, and spices are used for making tasty nourishing Khichadi. Winter loosens its grip on shiver producing cold, admitting springtime that brings with it the chance for all round health improvement.

Also called- Til Sakranti
In addition to Khichadi, great importance is attached to the use of TIL (Sesame seeds) during Makar Sakranti. Therefore, this Sakranti is also called TIL Sankranti. People make Laddoos (round balls) from Til. Til oil is used for massaging.

It is said that Til emanates from Vishnu’s body and that the above described usage wash away all kinds of sins. Sakranti period is held to be very auspicious and any good deeds during this time will produce merits. Gifts of clothing, blankets etc., on this day are productive of merits in both this life and in the next life...

Meethe gur mein mil gaye til,
Udi patang aur khil gaye dil,
Har pal sukh aur har din shaanti,
Aap sab ke liye laaye 
Makar Sankranti & Happy Lohri

Jaggery or Gud

Jaggery or Gud

Jaggery is prepared from sugarcane molasses; it’s the unrefined brown sugar. Better known as the medicinal sugar. It’s available in many forms like blocks, liquid, powder or small random pieces.

Lets first see what is the difference between  jaggery and sugar, and why should we replace sugar with jaggery.

JAGGERY	SUGAR
It is far complex than sugar, as it is made up of longer chains of sucrose.	It is simplest available forms of sucrose
It is digested slower than sugar and releases energy slowly	It is instantly absorbed in blood and releases a burst of energy
It is rather a tastemaker and colour maker	It is just a sweetner
It contains iron, cacium, potassium, phoshorus	It is source of empty calories
Jaggery helps in calcium absorption	Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium
Jaggery  is ecofriendly	Sugar industry pollutes air, water and soil.
Jaggery aids in digestion, as jaggery breaks and becomes alkaline in the digestive system.	Sugar becomes acidic.

Following are the benefits of jaggery
Energy Food: Carbohydrate being the main nutrient supplied by jaggery, foods  high in carbohydrates  fuels  our body  to  produce  sustainable  energy  through  oxidation. Jaggery has  more complex form of carbohydrate than plain sugar. So, it is digested and absorbed gradually and releases energy gradually. This provides with warmth and energy for a longer period, without harming the internal organs. This could be a good food supplement for fitness lovers. However it provides roughly around the same amount of energy and carbohydrate as sugar. So excess intake of jaggery is not advocated.

Cleansing Agent Jaggery effectively cleans the respiratory tracts, lungs, food pipe, stomach and intestines. It pulls out dust and unwanted particles from the body. It also helps in giving relief from constipation, perhaps due to presence of fiber in it.Jaggery has strong antioxidant properties and protects our body cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Apart from this, the presence of mineral potassium  helps to assists kidneys to remove waste by the process of excretion.

Digestive Agent: This may sound strange but it is true and it has sufficient scientific explanation behind this. In India, it is recommended to take a few grams of jaggery after a heavy meal of after eating meat. This facilitates digesting. What happens is that jaggery activates the digestive enzymes this speeds up digestion.

Jaggery helps in bile disorder - According to ayurveda, jaggery helps in treating bile disorders thus is useful in treating jaundice. It  strengthens the liver.

Jaggery helps in maintaining acid balance - Jaggery is high in Potassium and low in Sodium helps to maintain blood pressure and reduces water retention.. This also helps in maintaining balance in your body. Infact, jaggery, when taken along with dry ginger is a known cure for acidity and gas.

Jaggery is eco-friendly - According to World Wildlife Fund (WWF), sugar industry pollutes air, water and soil. While jaggery is produced by cooking sugarcane juice in an iron vessel, sugar undergoes various treatments, purification, crystallisation which not only wastes several gallons water, but also pollutes natural water source, where the wastewater is dumped! Jaggery is healthier and greener.

Jaggery helps to treat Cramps: due to the presence of magnesium and potassium. Muscle cramps result due to low level of potassium in the blood, a condition called as hypokalemia, also due to magnesium deficiency symptoms of cramps in leg as well as fatigue are normally visible.

Keeps bone healthy – due to the presence of magnesium, which is directly related to the bone density. Inadequacy of this mineral could be a cause of osteoporosis. Magnesium helps in regulation of calcium levels in the body along with vitamin D, copper, zinc etc.

May help to prevent Stroke: due to the presence of Potassium, which plays an important role in keeping the working of brain in normal state. It is of great importance in preventing the occurrence of stroke in human brain.

Prevents Asthma - Chronic asthma patients may be able to normalize their breathing with help of jaggery due to magnesium present in it  that aids in relaxing bronchial muscles and normalize breathing. Even wheezing and breathlessness can be relieved through.

Increases haemoglobin - Jaggery is rich in iron and thus is highly recommended for anaemic people, helps in increasing haemoglobin., most of the iron in it comes through processing in iron vessels.

Culinary Uses

- In Maharashtra most vegetables curries and dals contain jaggery, also a pinch of jaggery is sometimes added to sambar, rasam and other gravies.

 
-Jaggery is specially used during Makar Sankranti for making sweetmeat called tilgul. 

-It is regularly consumed as a sweetener and is a part of many sweet delicacies such as gur ka chawal (rice with gur) which is a traditional Rajasthani dish.
- Jaggery is also added to lentil soups to add sweetness to balance the spicy, salty and sour components, particularly in Gujarati cuisine
- Many sweet dishes are made by mixing jaggery with milk and coconut or with nuts like cashew.

- can be added to porridges esp in weaning food, can replace sugar in milk with jaggery for young children’s and adults.

-can be used as a preservative.

-can be added to lemon water, tea.

-Minimize your sugar intake and replace with jaggery when you prepeare sweet dishes at home.

So r u still thinking …..go Go ahead make a start replace white poison,sugar with jaggery.

HEALTHY POINTERS FOR DIWALI

HEALTHY POINTERS FOR DIWALI

Sweets and Festivals go hand in hand. And when it comes to Indian festivals, especially the grand Diwali, sweets are many, along with all kinds of rich dishes.

When you eat that Diwali sweet, do you find yourself thinking: “If I walk for 20 mins, I’ll undo the calories” – and that never happens does it? Because that would mean 20 mins more than your usual workout for each piece you eat.

Here are some tips on adopting healthy ways of eating this Diwali.

Moderation is the mantra to enjoy festive food. Eat fatty foods, sweets and other fried snacks in little amounts.

If you are making sweets yourself, use low fat ingredients- like low fat milk and other dairy products.

 Use natural sweeteners like honey, jiggery, dried figs and dates to make sweets and avoid using refined sugar or artificial sweeteners. They taste just as good.

One can make healthier sweets like kheer, puran poli (sweet rotis with a filling of tuvar dal and jaggery), fruit-salad, fruit pies, custard and shrikhand at home.

A simple date halwa

Take a tablespoon of ghee  add in half kg of dates. Then,  stir it continuously till the dates get softer. Once it reaches a thick paste-like consistency,  add a handful of grated almonds on top, spread it in a dish and cut it into pieces. A healthy, home-made date halwa is ready.”

Squeeze the syrup out of mithai before eating.

Eat sweets in the earlier half of the day rather than at night.

Opt for dark chocolates with higher cocoa content

Before eating snacks, remember to drink water to bring in the feeling of fullness.

 Instead of loading your plate to the brim with sweets, just take a few, may be one or two, items and eat them slowly and gradually.

Even if you indulge, balance it out. For instance, if you eat dessert, then compensate by not having sweetened fruit juice or aerated drinks with your meals.

Be careful of how much food you 'taste' while preparing festival goodies. Often, while cooking we tend to eat more than normal without realising.

Enjoy the company of the people around you, as much as you enjoy your meal. While eating, take small bites and relish your food. Most importantly, eat without guilt!!!!!

WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY N HEALTHY DIWALI