Butter Tea

On a recent trip to Leh Ladakh our search for traditional Ladakhi cuisine led us to Alchi Kitchen near the Alchi Monastery. This was where we first tasted Gur Gur cha or butter tea - a drink no Ladakhi household is without. It has an acquired taste and you will be forgiven if you think of it as a soup rather than a tea…but it has many health benefits.

Butter tea or Gur Gur cha or Po cha is a traditional Tibetan tea made by churning yak butter, water, Pemagul black tea leaves and salt into a tasty, nutrient-dense beverage. The tea leaves are repeatedly boiled, sometimes for more than 10 hours until the decoction takes on a very dark color and is called chathang. This is then poured into a traditional tea churn called Chandong or is hand blended along with salt and yak butter. The health benefits of Butter tea are derived from its antioxidant content and the linoleic fatty acids in the yak butter.

Health benefits of Butter tea:

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) or Altitude Sickness often plagues travellers who seek to experience life in the clouds at altitudes above 8000 feet. Symptoms include dizziness, fatigue, loss of appetite, headaches, nausea and vomiting, breathlessness and increased pulse rate. Severe symptoms include chest tightness and constriction, confusion and delirium, decreased consciousness, cyanosis (blue tinged skin). Consuming a cup of butter tea every 3 hours on day 1 of your travel helps you acclimatize faster and prevents AMS.

This beverage helps increase energy levels because of the caffeine it contains, prevents dehydration, moisturizes the skin and prevents chapping of lips in Lehs harsh climate, warms the body, decreases nausea, enhances digestion, reduces hyperacidity, improves muscle strength and immunity, boosts cardiovascular health, improves memory and cognitive function, suppresses appetite and prevents fatigue and lethargy. Its high anti-oxidant content helps reduce the long term risk of dementia, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and the chance of developing osteoporosis. Drinking a cup or two a day can help reduce blood sugar fluctuations in diabetic patients.

Side effects:

Butter tea has a high salt, fat and caffeine content. So if you like the taste and are tempted to drink copious amounts please note that doing so will make you gain weight, increase your blood pressure and your cholesterol levels, give you headaches and acidity, make you more irritable and prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep. Pregnant women and lactating mothers should avoid butter tea.

Stay blessed with good health ….always!!!

Warm regards,

Charmaine D’Souza

Goji Berries

Grown in the temperate and sub-tropical regions of China, Mongolia and in the Himalayas, in Tibet, this small bright red colored berry is a superfood packed with nutrients and essential vitamins. The herbalists in China , Tibet and India have been using Goji berries for over 6000 years to correct bad eye sight and protect the liver.It is also used to improve sexual function and fertility. These little red berries boost immune function, improve circulation, promote longevity and strengthen the legs.

Being calorie dense, Goji berries can be incorporated into a weight loss programme or as a meal replacement. They contain more beta carotene than carrots. They also have more anti-oxidant power than any other food source. Add 1/4 th cup of dried goji berries to low-fat yoghurt and fruits of your choice and blend to form a smoothie that will keep you active and energetic all morning

Stay blessed with good health ….always!!!

Warm regards,

Charmaine D’Souza

  

Healthy foods for the monsoon

After the scorching summer heat, the monsoon showers are welcomed by all. They bring down the temperatures, ensure lush greenery everywhere and are a blessing for our farmers and for us 😊

The smell of the wet earth immediately after a heavy downpour conjures up images of a steaming hot cup of pudina chai and yum pakodas…baked, fried or airfried!!!

Eating the right foods this monsoon is very essential because the wrong foods can give you an upset stomach and keep you away from work or school or play. Here is a list of foods to eat during this season to ensure you stay healthy.

Lentils: Both moong dal and masoor dal are easy to digest. They provide sufficient amounts of protein and calcium and are also a good source of dietary fiber. Pressure cook and then temper these lentils with curry leaves, ajwain, jeera, garlic and juliennes of ginger. You can even cool the cooked lentils and puree them to convert them into a yummy soup!

Soups: Be wary of eating raw salads this season. Instead pressure cook your veggies, puree them, add fresh herbs and tuck into a delicious and heartwarming bowl of soup. To add a twist, grill the veggies esp bell peppers and then make the soup.

Herbal teas and herbal infusions: Bring a litre of water to boil. Add a couple of cloves, a few strands of kesar, 2 green elaichi, 10 mint leaves and 5 tulsi leaves. Steep for 10 minutes and pour into a flask (you can strain out the herbs and spices if you want to) Add a few slices of lemon…your immunity booster is ready! Drink this through the day.

Herbs and spices: In order to boost your immunity and also to enhance digestion, incorporate garlic, ginger, peppercorns, green elaichi, haldi, jeera, tulsi and mint into your regular meals. They have anti-inflammatory properties, keep the flu, colds and coughs at bay and also help in digestion.

Gourds: Up your calcium, magnesium and manganese intake during the rainy season with gourds like bottle gourd or white pumpkin ( doodhi or lauki), red pumpkin ( bhopla), pointed gourd (parwal), snake gourd, bitter gourd (karela), ash gourd (petha), apple gourd ( tinda), ridge gourd ( turia) and zucchini.

Millets: Nachni, jowar and bajra are rich in calcium and iron so add these grains to your rotis, theplas, breads etc to strengthen your immune system and to keep infections away.

Stay blessed with good health ….always!!!

Warm regards,

Charmaine D’Souza

Ramadan Kareem

The holy month of Ramadan has just started. According to Islamic belief, it commemorates the first revelation of the holy Koran to Prophet Muhammad.

Muslims fast during this month...from sunrise to sunset... so as to equalize everyone before themselves and before God. The Iftar meal is a celebration every evening...with family, friends and neighbours.

The pre-sunrise (sahour) and post sunset (iftar) meals comprise of dates, nuts, dried fruits, fresh fruits, sherbet, salad veggies, halal meats, haleem, assorted kebabs, different types of breads and a wide array of sweets.

Fasting can be good for health provide excess food...esp fried, is not consumed during iftar and sahour. The human body has certain regulatory mechanisms that get activated during periods of fasting. If you are fasting during this month and maintain a balanced diet you will continue to stay active and healthy. Health problems arise during this month only if food is consumed in excess thereby making the diet unbalanced...or if sleep is not sufficient. This could lead to dips in blood sugar levels and dips in blood pressure during the day...and the reverse happening once the fast is broken each night.

Some simple guidelines to stay healthy during this holy month of Ramadan:

• Eat a light sahour (pre sunrise) meal comprising of freah fruits, milk, oats, cereal, bread etc
• Eat sufficient amounts of carbohydrate and fiber-rich foods which provide vitamin B and keep you full.
• Eat adequate amounts of raw veggies and fresh fruits to provide the vitamins and minerals needed by your body.
• Drink water to hydrate your body from sunset till sunrise... avoid aerated beverages and caffeine which dehydrate the body.
• Avoid fried foods and spicy foods...you do not want a spike in your cholesterol levels post fasting...nor do you want to suffer from hyperacidity through the day.

Do some light form of exercise like stretching or walking.

As-Salaam-Alekum... " May peace be upon you"

Stay blessed with good health ….always!!!

Warm regards,

Charmaine D’Souza

Triphala

Triphala is a traditional Ayurvedic herbal formulation consisting of three fruits native to the Indian subcontinent: Amalaki, Bibhitaki and Haritaki.

Benefits of Triphala:-
- Assists natural internal cleansing
- Gently maintains bowel regularity
- Nourishes and rejuvenates the tissues
- Supports healthy digestion and absorption
- Acts as a natural antioxidant

2 tbsp triphala juice is the recommended dosage...you may dilute it in water and have a shot of this daily.

Stay blessed with good health ….always!!!

Warm regards,

Charmaine D’Souza

World Hypertension Day, 17th May 2017

Why does the doctor check your BP each time you visit him? Why is low BP or high BP such a big ndeal?

BP is a measure of the force of blood pushing against blood vessel walls. The heart pumps blood into the arteries, which carry blood throughout the body. High BP or hypertension is dangerous...a 'silent killer'.. because it makes the heart work harder to pump blood to the body and contributes to hardening of arteries, or atherosclerosis and to the development of heart failure.

Symptoms:

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Shortness of breath
• Blurred vision

Causes of high BP:

• Obesity
• Smoking
• Lack of physical activity
• Too much salt in the diet
• Too much alcohol consumption
• Stress
• Old age
• Family history of high BP
• Chronic kidney disease
• Adrenal and thyroid issues

Remedies:

• Eat foods rich in potassium like bananas, watermelon, celery , parsley, mint and coriander.
• Eat seeds like pumpkin seeds, melon seeds, cucumber seeds and flax seeds...... unsalted !
• Avoid salty foods and snacks including processed meats like bacon salami and ham, packaged   soups, wafers, sauces and pickles.
• Relax, exercise, meditate...do whatever it takes to get your stress levels down.

" One way to get high blood pressure is to go mountain climbing over molehills " - Earl Wilson.

Stay blessed with good health ….always!!!

Warm regards,

Charmaine D’Souza

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