Dried plums (Prunes)

Prunes…what immediately comes to mind is images of old people eating them at bedtime to prevent constipation!!! So the name was changed to dried plum to encourage people of all ages to incorporate them in their daily diet and derive their antioxidant benefits. Research now shows that these dried plums have phytoestrogens that strengthen bones and help treat osteoporosis.

The health benefits of dried plums (prunes) and dried plum (prune) juice:

• Dried plums are an excellent source of energy. Since they are rich in fiber and fruit sugars- fructose and sorbitol, they do not cause a spike in blood sugars. In fact, their soluble fibre content helps stabilise blood sugar levels.
• Their high sugar content allows them to be dried without fermention…thereby preventing gas and acidity.
• Their high potassium content helps regularise blood pressure, heart rhythm, muscle contractions and nerve impulses. It also helps prevent cramps. 
• They are rich in two phytonutrients - neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acid which help prevent cellular damage.
• Dried plums and their juice help to prevent high blood pressure.
• They also help prevent atherosclerosis -the narrowing of arteries due to a build-up of plaque, leading to strokes and heart attacks.
• The mineral boron, found in plenty in dried plums, helps to build strong bones and prevent bone loss, to strengthen muscles and improve muscle coordination and also to improve mental agility.
• They are a good source of iron and vitamin C which is needed to convert this iron into a highly absorbable form. This combination prevents anemia.
• Their high fiber content helps in improving digestion, regularising bowel movement and preventing piles and haemorrhoids.
• The juice of dried plums is a good laxative. Simply boil 5 of them in a litre of water. When cool, blend well and drink this through the day. Works well with young children and older people too.
• This juice also helps prevent urinary incontinence and improves bladder function.
• They are a great snack food because they help you stay full for a longer period of time…preventing overeating and subsequent weight gain.

A Word of Caution:

If you are diabetic or have ulcerative colitis or IBS then please use dried plums judiciously.

Stay blessed with good health ….always!!!

Warm regards,

Charmaine D’Souza

 Mangoes… The New POWERFOOD

This “King of Fruits” is one of the most popular and nutritionally rich fruits in the world with unique taste, flavor, texture and health-promoting properties. There are over 1000 different varieties of mangoes.

Properties:

• They are an amazing source of vitamins A, C, E, and B-complex as well as health promoting flavonoids such as beta-carotene and alpha-carotene.
• They are a powerful anti-cancer food and are specifically known to help prevent lung, breast, colon, prostate, blood, and oral cancers.
• They are also highly beneficial in the prevention of strokes, heart disease, arthritis, cognitive disorders, respiratory diseases, and kidney disease.
• They are a good source of potassium, an important component of cell and body fluids which controls heart rate and blood pressure.
• The tartaric, malic and citric acid in mangoes help to alkalinize the whole body and flush out toxic acids. 
• They are packed with enzymes and are a prebiotic food, meaning they contain compounds that stimulate and feed the good bacteria in the intestines which greatly aids in digestion and assimilation. 
• They contain a significant amount of pyridoxine (B-6) which is vital for the synthesis of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. Pyridoxine is also essential in maintaining hormonal balance and proper immune function as well as for helping the body break down sugars, fats and proteins. 
• They contain copper which is required for red blood cell production.
• They help prevent insomnia and provide for a better night’s sleep.
• They help to decrease LDL (bad) cholesterol because of their fiber, pectin, and vitamin C content.
• Due to their high vitamin A content, they are also excellent for promoting good eyesight and helping to prevent night blindness and dry eyes. 
• They prevent anemia because of their iron content.
• They are wonderful for skin health and can be used to help clear clogged pores, eliminate pimples, and add a natural glow to the skin. 
• Since the fruit has a relatively low glycemic index, moderate consumption of approx 2 slices of mango by diabetics will not spike blood sugar levels.
• Interestingly, the mango peel is also rich in phytonutrients.

Mangoes are one of the world’s most versatile fruits and can be used in both sweet and savory recipes. Use mango in your smoothies, shakes, salads, raitas, salsa, chutneys, jams, preserves, marinades and vegetable dishes. Blend green mango pulp with water, jaggery and a pinch of soonth to prepare a delicious remedy for heat stroke. Spices also pair well with mango … experiment with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, chili, cardamom, pepper etc to boost the flavor and nutrition of the dish. Experiment with finding new ways to add mangos into your diet. Your body will love you for it…. And do not forget to send us a recipe 😉

If you are not sure whether the mangoes you have bought are organic…or whether they have been artificially ripened with calcium carbide, wash them thoroughly and leave them overnight in a bowl of water,

A word of caution: Restrict your intake of this fruit if you are on warfarin therapy. Since mangoes have high vitamin A content, it could result in potentiation of warfarin activity and increased bleeding risk.

Stay blessed with good health ….always!!!

Warm regards,

Charmaine D’Souza

Holi 2017

Holi ushers in Spring with all its glorious colours and rejuvenating splendour. Water balloons, bright colours (hopefully made from haldi, kumkum, neem and bilva  😊 ), yummy gujias, piping hot puran polis, refreshing thandai, delicious phirni, scrumptious dahi vadas and melodious songs are all the ingredients of a perfect Holi wish that comes your way today 😊

Traditional Holi delicacies vary from state to state, from region to region and from family to family. Today, as you celebrate Holi, the Hindu festival of colour, we bring you a few traditional snacks and drinks for you to make and enjoy with your family and friends.

Gujias - these sweet dumplings are made of maida or wholewheat flour and are filled with a mixture of khoya or freshly grated coconut, sesame seeds and dry fruits. They are popular in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The dumplings are either deep fried in pure ghee or baked in the oven. Once golden brown, they are dipped in a sugar or jaggery syrup which has been infused with rose petals. Gujias taste best when served warm. For a modern twist to this traditional dish, add some dark chocolate of carob chips to the filling, bake the gujias and serve with a smattering of strawberry butter instead of dipping them in syrup.

Puran poli - this popular  Maharasthrian delicacy is a kind of sweet, buttery roti or poli. The soft delicious inner stuffing or puran is made from pressure-cooked channa dal which is sweetened with jaggery and flavoured with cardamom, saffron and grated nutmeg. The piping-hot puran polis are served with a dollop of pure ghee and a glass of warm milk.

Thandai - this Holi staple is a creamy milk drink generally sweetened with sugar or honey, enriched with khuskhus paste and finely grated, blanched almonds and flavoured with cardamom, kesar, saunf and rose petals. On Holi, thandai is traditionally served with bhaang (a derivative of marijuana). Thandai can be used to make thandai phirni, thandai rasmalai, thandai pannacotta ….etc etc etc

Phirni - this popular and deliciously aromatic North Indian dessert is made with ground rice and milk during festivals like Diwali and Holi. Unlike kheer in which whole rice is used, in phirni, broken or semi ground rice is cooked in sweetened milk. Nuts and cardamom are added later. Phirni tastes delicious when served cold but there are many who love it when it is served warm. Add some thandai masala to give the dish a “Holi” twist and sweeten it with pureed dates instead of sugar 😊

Dahi vada - this famous Indian chaat is prepared by soaking vadas or fritters made from chickpea flour in a thick dahi base. The hot, deep-fried vadas are first soaked in water. The water is then squeezed off. They are then transferred to a thick dahi base. For best results, the vadas are soaked for at least a couple of hours before serving. To add more flavor, they can be topped with chopped coriander or mint leaves, green chutney, red chili powder, crushed black pepper, chaat masala, cumin, shredded coconut, green chilis, or boondi.

Stay safe...SAVE WATER...have a joyous holi and a spring full of beautiful warm colours 😊

Stay blessed with good health ….always!!!

Warm regards,

Charmaine D’Souza

Family Day 20th Feb 2017

If you're like most parents, you spend a great deal of time worrying about your children's health and general well-being. …and like most Indian parents you also worry about their future – education, jobs, careers, marriage, their children …the list is endless
 You prepare nutritious meals, remind them about frequent hand washing, pack healthy school snacks, plan play dates, encourage sporting activities, organise field trips and holidays and also find ways to balance study time and family time while letting them enjoy a few hours of facetime 😉As good parents, you need to be just as proactive about recommended health screenings. Take these steps to help your family enjoy a long and healthy life.

Family Preventive Health Care Schedule

- Keep Immunizations Up-to-Date:-
Your children’s immune systems will strengthen as they grow. Protect them along the way with      recommended immunizations. If you’re unsure when these should be scheduled, check with your  child’s paediatrician. He will give you an overview of recommended immunizations for children  from birth through ten years and will also explain where your child should be at each stage of  growth. Most paediatricians also have a list of vaccine-preventable diseases that explains how they  spread and possible complications. 

-Stay on Track With Mammograms:- 
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is the perfect time to remind all women that the chance of breast cancer survival is high if it’s found and treated early. Talk to your doctor about how often you should schedule a mammogram and make it a priority to keep your appointment….especially if there is a strong family history of the disease. Be sure to check with your gynaecologist and learn more about what can be done to prevent this disease.

-Get Screened for Heart Disease:-
Apart for doing tests for cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL,LDL and VLDL also test for homocysteine, apolipoproteins and other cardiac markers .

-Get Screened for Diabetes:-
Another global epidemic, the number of people who are diagnosed with diabetes each year just keeps increasing. Test your fasting and post meal blood sugar levels as well as your serum insulin levels. Your HbA1C test will indicate your average sugar readings for the past 2 to 3 months while your fructasamine levels will indicate average reading for the past 2 to 3 weeks.

-Get screened for Prostate Cancer:-
Encourage older male family members to test their PSA and visit the physician/urologist if there is an increased frequency of urination, urinary incontinence and changes in the prostate gland.

-Get screened for Learning Disabilities:-
Children are often labelled lazy and slow when in actuality they may have a very high IQ and may be struggling with a learning disability like dyslexia or dysgraphia or dyscalculia. Screenings for LD are now a norm when young children bring home falling grades and a general disinterest in studies. Finding a good school with remedial teachers who hone their skills and help them overcome LD, will go a long way in encouraging children to perform to the best of their ability.

-Maintain Proper Oral Hygiene:-
 Protect your family’s health by teaching and enforcing good oral hygiene techniques. Brush and floss twice daily to remove plaque, which contains bacteria that can harden into tartar. Because it’s close to impossible to totally prevent tartar from forming, schedule visits to a trusted dentist for each of your family members every four to six months. If you experience mouth pain, don’t ignore it. It indicates that there may be an infection that could worsen if it goes untreated.

-Maintain Proper Eye Health:- 
Regular visits to the ophthalmologist will ensure visual acuity in children and also detect high eye pressure (glaucoma) and cataracts in older family members. Eye strain and eye fatigue can be reduced by ensuring regular breaks from the computer or mobile phone screen.

-Schedule Wellness Checkups-
Regularly scheduled physician checkups can help your family identify and manage potential health problems. They also give you an opportunity to ask your doctor about issues that might be bothering you or your loved ones. These visits can help to reveal potential problems that might otherwise go undetected, such as irregular blood pressure, hypothyroidism, endometrial cysts, PCOD, kidney disease etc.

-Schedule Mental Health Screenings:-
This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you or a family member are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition.Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, are real, common and treatable. And recovery is possible.If you're unsure which test to take, here are some guidelines:-

• The Depression Test is for individuals who are feeling overwhelming sadness.
• The Anxiety Test will help if you feel that worry and fear affect your day to day life.
• The Bipolar Test is for individuals who have mood swings - or unusual or extreme shifts in    mood and energy.
• The PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) Test is for those who are bothered by a traumatic  life event.
• The Alcohol or Substance Use Test will help determine if your use of alcohol or drugs is an area to address.
• The Youth Test is for young people (age 11-17) who are concerned that their emotions, attention, or behaviours might be signs of a problem.
• The Parent Test is for parents of young people to determine if their child’s emotions, attention, or behaviours might be signs of a problem.
• The Psychosis Test is for young people (age 12-35) who feel like their brain is playing tricks on them (seeing, hearing or believing things that don't seem real or quite right) 

Making healthy food choices can be simple. Here are some healthy eating tips:-

• Enjoy your food, but stop when you are full.
• Watch out for large portion sizes. Use a smaller plate when eating at home and plan to take some         of your food home when eating out.
• Make sure that half your plate is filled with salads and vegetables. Ensure that you eat the raw     food before cooked food.
• Switch to fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk.
• Switch to whole grains like 100% whole wheat bread, brown rice, corn, jowar, bajra or whole wheat rotis, and whole grain cereals.
• Drink plain or infused water like mint and star anise water instead of sugary sweet fruit drinks.
• Buy and eat less sugary, salty and fatty foods like cakes, cookies, ice cream, candy, chips and fatty meats.
• Don’t give up – it can take many tries to like new foods and new methods of cooking and to change to healthier habits. So do not be afraid to invest in that slow cooker of air fryer!!
• Enjoy family meals together – with the TV off and laptops, ipads, mobile phones etc away from the dining table.
• Involve the whole family with menu planning, food shopping and cooking meals...they will surprise you with a healthy meal some day.

Here are a few ideas to help add physical activity to the day of your entire family

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator or take a brisk 10-minute walk during your lunch break and after dinner.
• Give your maids a weekly off and get the entire family to wash, mop, dust, polish, scrub and clean the house on a Sunday…your home will be spotless and your family will appreciate the staff even more 
• Pick fun activities that you can do regularly…go for a swim together, go camping or drive to the nearest national park and trail-walk or hike.
• Make play time more active by playing cricket or volleyball or football or by skipping ropes.
• Spend time each week being active:-

               - Adults should do 2.5 hours or more of moderate activity each week.
               -Children should do 60 minutes of moderate activity each day.

• Keep it interesting by trying new and different activities – take a dance or yoga class, go swimming, or join a local softball team or walking group.
• Spend less time on the computer, watching TV, and playing video games.

Follow these practices to contribute to your family’s good health while boosting your family’s mind, body and spirit.

Stay blessed with good health ….always!!!

Happy Family Day !!!

Warm regards,

Charmaine D’Souza

 Valentine's day 2017 

This Valentine's day start following the 30 minute rule...no matter how busy you are, how many chores you have yet to complete...find 30 minutes each day just for yourself. Read a book or a magazine or a poem or the Good Health Always with Charmaine FB page 😉 , take a walk or swim or run, listen to your favourite song, watch your favourite serial on television, meditate, take a power nap, relax, recharge, rejuvenate 😊

You are most definitely not being selfish...you just need some time each day to focus on your health, vitality and general well-being. This will ensure that you are able to take care of your loved ones in a much better way and you will love what you do for them 😊

The way to a loved ones heart is inevitably through food...there is no sight on Earth that is more appealing than the sight of a person lovingly preparing a meal for their family/friends/loved ones...so go ahead and plan a healthy heart-friendly meal not just on the 14th of Feb...but everyday 😊

Stay blessed with good health always 💗

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Warm regards,

Charmaine D’Souza

Quinoa Seeds

This miracle grain of the Andes, in its wholegrain form, may be effective in preventing and treating artherosclerosis, breast cancer , diabetes and insulin resistance. It is close to one of the most complete foods in nature because it contains amino acids, enzymes, vitamins and minerals, fibre, antioxidants like quercetin and phytonutrients. The quercetin content in quinoa is even higher than that found in cranberries. Quinoa is the super food of today.

Quinoa is popular with vegetarians, vegans, diabetics, cardiac patients, athletes, people who are lactose intolerant or those who have celiac disease and are gluten intolerant. Since it is gluten-free it is easy to digest..making for optimal absorption of its nutrients . It acts as a prebiotic that feeds the microflora (good bacteria) in our intestines. Quinoa is rich in calcium and is highly recommended for vegans and lactose-intolerant people.

Quinoa can be used in a wide variety of food preparations. In order to enhance its nutritional value, sprout it by soaking it in water for 3 to 4 hours. The grains are coated with bitter tasting saponins which make them unpalatable. Be sure to rinse the sprouted quinoa in water a couple of times to get rid of these saponins. You will now be able to taste the nutty flavour of the grain. It is available in 3 colours...red, white and black. I find the tricolour quinoa the tastiest...though the white quinoa can easily replace semolina in most recipes.

Stay blessed with good health ….always!!!

Warm regards,

Charmaine D’Souza

World Cancer Day, 4th Feb 2017

“We can. I can” ….do something to raise awareness

Taking place under the tagline ‘We can. I can.’, World Cancer Day 2016-2018 will explore how everyone – as a collective or as individuals – can do their part to reduce the global burden of cancer.

Just as cancer affects everyone in different ways, all people have the power to take various actions to reduce the impact that cancer has on individuals, families and communities.

World Cancer Day is a chance to reflect on what you can do, make a pledge and take action. Whatever you choose to do ‘We can. I can.’ make a difference to the fight against cancer.

Stay blessed with good health .…always !!!

Warm regards,

Charmaine D’Souza