Uni5 Healthy Body

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Sakthi Dinner-2

Cracked Grains

To make cracked grains at home, put grains in a blender (mixer), pulse blend and stop when required size is reached. Do not fully powder the grain. Soaking the cracked grain is better than just using it as it is. All grains can be cracked to smaller size and used.

Cracked wheat, rice, and corn are available in the market too. The only advantage of making it at home (it takes only a few minutes) is that you can be sure of using whole grains.

Here is a sample menu

Cracked Wheat Upma (for a heavier dinner)

Put all the ingredients in the recipes below directly in the pressure cooker and stir once. Allow three whistles. After 5 to 10 minutes open and add chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Cracked wheat 1/4 cup
Garden peas 1/4 cup
Ginger chopped ¼ teaspoon
Cashew nuts 5
Green chili ½ or 1 (optional)
Curry leaves 10
Onions 1 small
Water 2 cups
Coconut oil 1 tablespoon
Lemon 1 or 2 tablespoon
Flavor mix 1 teaspoon

Quinoa Upma

Quinoa 1½ cup
Garden peas 1 cup
Ginger chopped ¼ teaspoon
Cashew nuts 10
Green chili ½ or 1 (optional)
Curry leaves 10
Onions 1 medium
Water 2 ½ cups
Vegetable oil 1 tablespoon
Lemon 1 or 2 tablespoon
Flavor mix 1 teaspoon

Puffed Rice

Ingredients:

Rice Puffed	3 Cups	Onion Chopped	1 No.
Tomato Chopped	2 Nos.	Dates	4 Nos.
Green Chili	1 No.	Cilantro/Coriander	4 Teaspoon
Salt	½ Teaspoon	Cucumber chopped	½ Cup
Water	½ Cup

Preparation:

Blend the dates, green chili and salt with water to form a thick syrup. Then mix all the ingredients and serve. No cooking required

Serve as a snack or as a light dinner.

Preparation time: 10 minutes.

Brown Rice dosai (pan cake)
Ingredients:

Brown Rice(long grain) – 2 cups
2. Black Urid dahl(don’t remove the outer covering) – 1 cup
3. Methi seeds (Fenugreek seeds) – 1 table spoon
4. Others dahls of your choice – in total – 1 cup –mix of toor, channa, moong, masoor, etc.
Blend well and leave it in a warm place or inside the oven(no need to turn it on). After fermenting, make dosas.

Ferment it really well and so good not only for digestion but for your whole system. This fermented pan cake is much better than unfermented one's because it gives less stress to the body. So good to prevent many dieseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Steaming is better than making as a pan cakes. The steamed one's are called as Idli's.

Variations:
1. I add half a cup of “chamai and cholam in tamil” and cut down on dahls a little. Check out the English names for it in grains section of sakthi pharmacy. When you add chamai and cholam, the dosas become very crispy and turn out as good paper roast.
2. You can also add ginger, green chilli, little black pepper corns, asafetida, etc. for extra flavor.

These dosas when fermented well are light for the body, healthy and tasty. It goes well with chutney and sambar.

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tion >> Mixes

Sakthi Dinner

Dinner should be light. The important thing to remember is to try and eat a heavy lunch. Only then is a light dinner possible. If you don’t eat a heavy lunch you will be hungry and tend to eat a heavy dinner. Our personal experience shows that eating whole grain for lunch reduces the need for heavy dinner. Light dinner helps to reduce weight and also promotes better health. Digestion is poor towards the end of the day and so eating a light dinner is healthy.

Here are a few recipes.

1. Soups with or without grain Make vegetable soups without any grains or fat. But if really needed then a small amount of cooked grain like whole rice, cracked wheat, quinoa, buckwheat, barley etc. can be added to the soup.

2. Steamed vegetables: Just steam small amounts of different vegetables and add salt and/or crushed black pepper and eat. This is filling and light food. Those who need to reduce weight should eat more of steamed vegetables. For dinner avoid starchy vegetables like potato, tapioca, etc.

3. Fruit mix: Different varieties of fruits can be eaten for dinner. If needed, fresh fruit juices or smoothies can also be dinner.

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Sakthi's Drinks Recipes

Instead of tea or coffee one can use herbal drink as a healthy alterative. Here are a few recipes that will cater to the needs of the habitual craving mind.

MANGO LASSI

(Scientific study on Lassi)

INGREDIENTS

                                                     Mango - 2
                                                        Curd - half cup
                                                       Sugar - as necessary
                                  Cardamom powder - 1/4 tea spoon

HOW TO PREPARE

Smash mango in along with smashed yogurt (Curd) and sugar into it.Mix well. Add cardamom powder. Serve cooled.

Nannari Sherbet

Sarsarparilla or Nannari is a medicinal root. It is also extremely tasty to drink. Boil few roots of it and mix with brown sugar syrup and stored in room temperature for many weeks or in fridge, in a concentrated form. Anytime you want to drink this refreshing drink dilute with water and drink.

This is good for children instead of giving them soda or carbonated drinks. You can take this to your work place also. Honey is also good instead of brown sugar syrup. Do not use corn syrups. Please Click here to read about the medicinal benefits of this herb.

AGUA DE AMAICA – Mexican Healthy Drink -

HIBISCUS FLOWER WATER

Preparation:

Soak the dried flower petals of Hibiscus in water (5 grams in 500 ml water) for few hours and then boil well for 10 to 15 minutes. Sieve and add palm sugar and store it and use when needed.

The Mexican beverages known as Aguas Frescas are an inspiring complement to Mexico's cuisine. Super healthy and oh-so-simple to make, this drink only require three essential ingredients: fruit, water and brown-sugar.

Dried hibiscus flowers, known in Mexico as Jamaica (pronounced hah-MIKE-ah) are used to make this refreshing, delicious drink. It’s a mild, natural diuretic and in Mexico it is often used to combat high blood pressure.

In Ayurveda this is also praised for its health promoting benefits. It has high contents of vitamin C and anthocyanins and so a powerful anti-oxidant a protector of all body organs especially the heart. This flower extract has been scientifically been tested to lower cholesterol and triglycerides.

Instead of drinking artificially colored soft drinks that might harm your body, enjoy this sweet drink giving an anti-oxidant boost to your body.

Orange Peel Tea

Ingredients:

Tea powder	2 Teaspoon	Water	1 Cup
Raw Sugar	2 Teaspoon	Milk	1 Cup
Orange peel	2 Inch slice

Preparation:

Add all the ingredients to water and boil well. Sieve and drink the tea hot.

It is very good for health and keeps us fresh and energetic.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Coriander powder ginger Tea

Ingredients:

Coriander Powder	½ Teaspoon	Water	1 Cup
Ginger Grated		Raw Sugar or Honey	2 Teaspoon

Preparation:

Add all the ingredients to water and boil well. Sieve and drink the tea hot.

It is very good for health and keeps us fresh and energetic. Palm sugar is the best.

One of the most popular herbal-tea in South India is the Ginger-Coriander tea (Sukku-malli-kaappi). Coriander seeds , dried ginger (sukku is lime-treated ginger which has superior medicinal value than just dried ginger) and palm-sugar rich in vitamins and minerals combination is an excellent drink for health to aid digestion and a tonic for kidneys. This organically grown coriander and ginger have high medicinal value and you can enjoy this tea for cold weather.

Ginger is one the best known anti-inflammatory drug known to man. It is commonly used to treat motion sickness, vertigo, asthma, backache, bronchitis, congestion, diarrhea, flu, headache, poor circulation, stomach ache, suppressed menstruation and, swellings.

Coriander is soothing to the kidneys. Coriander seeds contribute phthalides and polyacetylenes, phytochemcials, all cancer protectors. They possess blood-thinning properties, along with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds. In Germany, it's approved for the treatment of dyspeptic complaints, mild gastrointestinal upsets, flatulence, and to help stimulate the appetite.
It is interesting to know that every morning this sukku-malli kaapi prepared in Dhanwanthri shrine is the bed coffee given to the lord of Sriranganathar temple in Trichy and then given as prasad to the devotees. This ritual was initiated by the ancient masters who knew the medicinal benefit of this herbal Tea.

Preparation time: 5 minutes.

Soy milk smoothie.

Ingredients:

Soy Milk	1 Cup	Water	1 Cup
Blue Berries	1 Cup	Sugar	To Taste

Mix them in a blender and drink.

Variations: Use different fruits and mixed fruits for excellent taste and combinations. Apples, grapes, raspberries, mulberries, pears, oranges, kiwi, bananas, apricots can also be used.

PLAIN FRUIT JUICE
Apple one Kiwi one

Water one cup Honey or raw sugar one tablespoonful

Dates A few

Mix them in a blender and drink.

Making fruit juices with banana, apricot, blueberries are also good.

KUDAVAN SAMBHAARAM

INGREDIENTS

Bacopa monnieri ( 'kudavan' in Malayalam ) leaves - a handful
Hog - weed leaves - a handful
Phyllanthus niruni ( 'keezharnelli' in Malayalam )          - a handful
   Curd - 2 table spoon
Water - 1 1/2 cup

HOW TO PREPARE

Smash the first four ingredients in the mixer together with water, filter and take.
Note : This drink is good for the health of kidney and liver, helps for the working of internal organs.
Drinking this is also helpful for acidity. This is extremely good for boosting memory in children. Use this once a week for children aged 3 to 18. (Thanks to Maneesh T M )

Carrot Ginger Drink

INGREDIENTS

                       Scraped carrot - 2 cup
                   Ginger, sliced tiny - 1 table spoon
                                    Honey - 1 table spoon
                                    Water - 1/2 cup

HOW TO PREPARE

Smash the ginger and carrot together with water, add honey and use.
Note : This is a juice with better taste and function.
This can be used as a break fast for those who takes diet control.

WATERMELON - SAGO RICE DRINK

INGREDIENTS

                          Watermelon pulp - 2 cup
                                          Water - 4 cup
                                     Sago rice - half cup
                               Coconut milk - 2/3 cup
                                          Sugar - as fit

HOW TO PREPARE

Wash the sago rice clearly and cook it in 4 cups of water. Keep aside. Mix coconut milk and sugar together. Mix the cooked sago rice in this and keep it on stove. Stir continuously for some minutes. Then remove it from stove and keep to cool. When it gets cooled, add watermelon pulp. Add enough coconut milk according to hardness you liked. Drink is ready.
You can use condensed milk instead of sugar. If you prefer condensed milk, use the second milk from coconut.

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Sakthi Snack

If you do not like to eat the dry fruits as it is, you can fool your mind by altering their form. This altered form will appeal the mind.

Here are some healthy alternative recipes, which uses unrefined brown sugar or honey or dates.

1. Dry fruit cake: Cut the dry fruits into small pieces and add heated or melted brown sugar or palm jaggery. Mix well and cut into cubes or mold them into balls. They are delicious if ghee or melted butter is added.

2. Sesame treat: Take two or three handful of black Sesame seeds and put in a blender. Add few palm jaggery to it and blend it to fine powder for two minutes without water. You dont need to fry the sesame. Just the Black Organic Sesame seeds can be used as it is.

This is the fastest sweet snack you can ever make. With palm jaggery this is also one of the delicious snack you can ever eat. Sugar cane jaggery can also be used but the taste is different.

Good to eat if you crave for sweets or when children come from school. It is the fastest way to make a delicious sweet.

Health benefits: Extremely good for the body. It increases bodyweight in a healthy way. Good for growing children. Rich in calcium and many anti-oxidants especially Vitamin E. There are many research showing that sesame seeds keep the body's anti-oxidant state high. The black sesame is more nutritious than the white or brown ones. They are also fiber rich. It helps to slow ageing. It is good for skin and hair. Ayurveda praises about this recipe that clears women's reproductive problems. It tones the uterus too.

Caution: Not to eat too much in pregnancy and not at all during menstruation because it increases menstrual flow. But for women who has delayed menstruation and has difficulty in conceiving , (getting pregnant), this is an excellent medicine.

As part of Pancha Bhoota healing to our knowledge no one has said that eating Black sesame seeds with jaggery did not correct their menstrual pattern.

2. Sakthi Puri:

Grind 1/4 cup yogurt, one green chilli (for spicy hotness), salt, four dates, few almonds. Mix this to puffed rice or any puffed grains or rice or any grain flakes along with chopped coriander leaves, cucumbers and grated carrots. Easy to make and delicious.

For vegan variation add coconuts instead of yogurt.

3. Oat bran-flax seed gun-powder

Take two handful of oat bran and one handful of flax seeds and put in a blender. Add few palm jaggery or succanut or brown sugar to it and blend it to fine powder for two minutes without water. .

This is another fastest healthy sweet snack you can make. Good to eat if you crave for sweets or when children come from school. It is the fastest way to make a delicious sweet. This has to be eaten as soon as it is made, because keeping it will cause rancidity of flax seeds.

Health benefits: Extremely good for health. The oat bran is rich in iron and B complex vitamins. The flax seeds are rich in omega 3 fats and good for heart and prevent inflammation. Those who have constipation can get relived if they eaten in the evening. Make sure you drink warm water to digest it well and also to have good bowel movements.

Please Click here to read about the medicinal benefits of flax seed.

4. Mung dal powder with butter or ghee. Fry yellow mung dal (the green mung is high in fiber) in ghee or butter. Then powder it in a blender, with brown sugar. Add molten ghee or butter on the powder and immediately shape them into small balls. This is good to cool the body.

5. Rice bran ball: Take rice bran or any other bran and slightly fry it in ghee or butter or also can be dry fried. Add brown sugar to it and powder it and shape into small balls. Excellent for anyone especially children and for nervous weakness, because this is rich in vitamin B vitamins.

Tasty buckwheat Biscuits - cookies

Whole buck wheat flour - 1 1/2 cups
1/2 cup brown sugar
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 teaspoon
butter - 5 to 6 tbsps
Milk - 1/2 cup

           Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 baking sheets.
          Combine the whole buck wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add in the butter, and make sure its mixed in well. Best done in a food processor or electric mixer.Add in 1/3 cup of the milk and mix well. Add enough milk so that the ingredients form a dough that just holds together.
         Divide the dough into 3 or 4 portions and roll out one portion at a time to about 1/4 inch thick. Then cut out round sections about 3 inch wide.
         Transfer the cut rounds to the baking sheets, and poke some holes into the rounds. Bake the biscuits for about 10 to 12 minutes until they're golden bro

Traditional Indian mango uses as recipes.

Seedai pretreatment for less oil absorption

Vegan recipes

Some vegan bakery recipes

kerala ottada-banana leaf

http://www.kothiyavunu.com/2009/09/ela-ada.html

http://seenasfoodbasket.com/ela-ada-recipe

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Sakthi Snack

Eating snacks at tea time or at any time is unavoidable. The difficulty is in exercising one choice over the snacks. In our experience we found that dry fruits and nuts are the best alternatives because they are tasty and sweet. Those who crave for sweets can eat sweet dry fruits like dates, figs etc and those who crave for salty or crunchy can eat nuts and seeds. Another advantage is that they are handy to carry, does not get spoiled and are available anytime.

These dry fruits/nut snacks are equally helpful for children. Instead of giving them too much of candies and chocolate train them from the early age in giving them dry fruits and nuts. These are rich in nutrients and do not steal our body store of nutrients like other refined snacks.

Eating these healthy snacks are also a good means of creating awareness in eating and mind control. You will witness that the mind does not allow to eat these snacks but crave for potato chips and other salty snacks and high sugary sweets. Eating these alternative healthy snacks exercises the control of intellect over the mind.

Dry-Apricots Dates Prunes