Superfood Amala For Overall Women Health & Wellbeing

According to Ayurveda, a woman’s health is directly related to her menstrual cycles. Regular menstrual cycle is not just meant for conception and pregnancy.

This process aids in detoxification of our bodily toxins and is highly regarded in Ayurveda for every woman to feel grounded, feminine, and most importantly, to get connected with her inner self during this time. Unfortunately for most women and especially in the western world, menstruation is considered to be a hindrance in day-to-day activities.

Amla also know as Amalia in Sanskrit is a popular fruit widely available in India and extensively used in Ayurveda for thousands and thousands of years. The literal translation of Amla is ‘sour’ but the deeper meaning and translation of Amalaki in Sanskrit is ‘immortality’! because of it’s powerful healing attributes.

How I Use Amla?

I personally use Amalaki powder on a daily basis during the summer season to pacify my pitta dosha and also use it regularly during my monthly cycles.

During our monthly cycle, it’s very important according to Ayurveda to keep the Apana Vata (the downward flow) in balance. This sub-dosha pretty much controls the menstrual flow and is located in the lower abdomen.

Amla or Amalaki is an excellent Ayurvedic herb to balance this Apana Vata which results in healthy and regular menstrual cycle. It strengthens the uterus and improves the reproductive health.

Another added bonus of including Amla in our daily diet is – it contains all the five of the six rasas (tastes) of Ayurveda except the salty taste. This aids in optimal digestion and metabolism resulting in Ojas! (balanced life energy). Optimal digestion results in optimal ojas which in turn builds strong immunity and strength.

Balanced life energy (Ojas) supports female health by making the skin lustrous, eyes glowing, mental equilibrium ( no mood swings), glowing complexion with an overall charismatic and warm personality

Why Should Women Consume Amla?

-Promotes strength and immunity against diseases

-One of the highest sources of Vitamin C and other important minerals (enhances glow and luster)

-Regulates Urinary Tract by being a natural diuretic

-Boosts cellular re-generation

-Aids in menstrual cramps

-Alleviates feeling of sadness

-Promotes regular bowel movement

-Eases constipation

-Tridoshic – balances body and mind

-Encourages weight loss and reduces bloating (by optimal digestion and elimination)

-Deeply detoxifies the tissues in the body

There are many ways to having this Amla powder in your daily diet. You can simply mix it with warm/hot water and drink it. You can also try one of my most popular smoothie using Amla, it’s called Blissful Nari Smoothie.

I will end my post with Sage Charaka’s saying “Amalaki is the best among rejuvenative herbs”.

Cooking Tips To Make Life Easier

It is found that these days when people plan to lose weight or shed extra kilos from their body, they search for healthy cooking tips. They search for milk shakes or fruit juice recipes. They also search for any other diet cooking tips which can be easily prepared.

There are few basic diet cooking tips which one can learn quite easily to prepare in the kitchen. It is observed that with the ever-increasing work pressure it has almost become a necessity to learn few great healthy cooking tips.

Here are mentioned a handful of nutritious cooking tips that will not only save your money but also your time.

• Boiled Eggs- While you are boiling eggs, add salt and vinegar to it. This will retain the nutrients and also won't let the shell crack.


• Bacon- You must make sure that you run cold water over bacon so that it doesn't shrink before frying.


• Salads – Always remember that when you are making salads, cut your lettuce into wedges instead of tearing them up just to save little time.


• Unripe fruits and vegetables - Put your ripening fruit and vegetables in a brown paper bag and place it inside a dark cupboard or box for a few days.


• Pancakes – They are liked by almost everybody. To make them browner in a short span of time, add a little amount of sugar to them.


• Sauces - To prepare any sauce quickly, make use of condensed cream soups such as cream of chicken, mushroom, and tomato. These will surely help in preparing fast and easy sauces.


• Tenderization- You can make use of vinegar as a meat tenderizer. Just add a tablespoon of vinegar while you are boiling meat for stews.


• Frozen vegetables – Wash your frozen vegetables with warm water so that they don't stick together.


• Corn – Always place your corn directly into boiling water, and don't add salt to it. If by chance you overcook it, the corn will lose its natural taste.


• Cheese – It is advised that always freeze the cheese before grating it. This will make the cheese shred much thinner and easier.


• Spaghetti sauce - Just add a little bicarbonate soda to lower the acidic taste of the tomatoes in your spaghetti sauce.


• Salted Peanuts – Wrap the salted peanuts in a damp cloth to get rid of the salt. This process will help enhance your health.

As you would have noticed, there are numerous tips for making healthy food. The above mentioned points are just few tips. With a little bit of creativity and imagination, you can come up with plenty of tips which can be quite useful for your family's health. The tips which you make use of should be in accordance with your cooking needs.

So, if it is your first day in the kitchen and you have no idea where to start, follow the above mentioned tips for guaranteed success. It is often observed that a haphazard way of cooking can only delay meals and you will be stuck in the kitchen for a long time. It's very important that you prepare quicker and easy-to-prepare meals that will be not only healthy but will also successfully please your family’s taste buds.

Sicilian Spaghetti

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti


• 4 tablespoons olive oil


• 3 cloves garlic, crushed


• 1 (2 ounce) can anchovy fillets, chopped


• 1 cup fine bread crumbs


• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley


• ground black pepper to taste


• 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  

  Directions

  
  
  
  
  1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
  
  
  2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and add garlic and anchovies to cook for about 2 minutes; stir constantly.
  
  
  3. Stir in breadcrumbs and turn off heat. Add parsley and black ground pepper; mix together.
  
  
  4. Toss anchovy sauce with hot pasta and sprinkle with cheese; serve.

Cheeseburger Soft Tacos

Ingredients

• 4 (6 inch) Mission® Fajita Flour Tortillas


• 1 pound lean ground sirloin


• salt to taste


• pepper to taste


• 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese


• 1 red tomato, cut into 1/4-inch slices


• 2 leaves green leaf lettuce, small leaves


• 1 large red onion, 1/4-inch slices pulled into rings


• 12 dill pickle slices

Directions

1. Separate ground beef into 4 equal parts (4 ounces each); form each part into 4 thin half moon shape patties. Try to shape each patty to fill half of a tortilla.


2. Heat a 10-inch non-stick skillet (or use a square, deep-walled non-stick electric skillet) over medium high heat.


3. Season each hamburger patty with salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes a side or to your desired temperature.


4. Near the end of desired cooking time, evenly sprinkle each patty with 1/4 cup of Cheddar cheese and allow the cheese to melt. Remove cheeseburgers and reserve hot.


5. Warm tortillas in a microwave for 10 seconds.


6. For 1 serving: Place a hot cheeseburger on one half of a warmed tortilla and top with 1 tomato slice,1 lettuce leaf, onion rings and 3 pickle slices. Fold the tortilla in half and serve.


7. Repeat the build for the remaining 3 servings

Yet Another Hamburger Goulash Recipe

"Goulash" comes from the Hungarian word that means "cattlemen" or "herdsmen." In Slovakia it means "mishmash." Either meaning gives people an accurate description of what this meal is comprised of.

This is a recipe is yet another variation on goulash. If one were to search the term "beef goulash recipes" on the Internet, literally dozens of different recipes will come up. This recipe is not necessarily the best one out there, but it is quite good for many reasons.

First of all, it is a meal in and of itself - maybe add a slice of French bread or garlic bread on the side if one chooses to go that route. However, this meal is already high in carbohydrates, so a low carb side dish may be in order.

Second, this meal takes little time to prepare, as it can be ready in less than half an hour. This is a great meal to prepare on a weeknight when time is a bit of a crunch after work, school or soccer practice.

Finally, this meal is a money saver. It is inexpensive to make, allowing money-conscious cooks a great way to feed their families for the tough economic times we live in today.

Ingredients For Hamburger Goulash

• 1½ pounds of ground beef


• one medium yellow onion, diced


• 2½ cups of elbow macaroni


• 1 - 28 ounce can of stewed tomatoes (do not drain)


• 1 - 14½ ounce can of diced tomatoes (do not drain)


• one 14½ ounce can of tomato sauce


• salt, pepper, garlic powder


• Worcestershire sauce to taste

Instructions

1. Put macaroni into a pot of boiling water - let boil until macaroni is tender and then drain in a colander.


2. While macaroni is cooking, cook the ground beef and diced onion in a large skillet until onion is tender and hamburger is no longer pink (garlic powder to season). Drain the mixture.


3. Put the meat and the remaining ingredients into the pot that held the macaroni. Heat the mixture until it is just to boiling.


4. Remove pot from heat and add the macaroni. Stir all of the ingredients together until all is mixed together well. Add salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce to taste. Serve and enjoy!

Tips for Hamburger Goulash

• To make spicy, add a small can of green chili peppers to the mix when adding the tomatoes.


• Potatoes can be used instead of macaroni. This will make the goulash in more traditional Hungarian variety.


• Another Hungarian variation would be to add paprika along with the other spices and/or ground lamb instead of hamburger.


• A large green or red bell pepper can also enhance the flavor. Cook the pepper with the meat and onion mixture.


• A favorite cheese can be added as a topping.


• In Step #3, mixing in a can of beans (black, pinto, or another favorite) will add to the flavor.


• For a vegetarian dish, use beans instead of hamburger. In Step #2 above, omit the hamburger and saute the onions in butter, margarine or oil. Proceed to step #3.

As mentioned earlier, this isn't the only goulash recipe out there and may not be the best one available. But people cannot go wrong with this recipe if time is an issue or if money is tight. Enjoy!

Healthy Eating Habits

With skimpy swimsuits and trips to the beach in mind, toning various body parts and dropping a few pounds in time for summer has become a priority for many. Coupled with regular cardiovascular exercise, healthy eating habits can severely impact one�s weight as well as one�s overall body image.

When it comes to shaping up and slimming down, several factors impact a person�s body and general healthiness. Different diets and eating routines work for different people. The following �dos� should put a positive spin on helping those who wish to revamp their eating habits in the hopes of transforming their bodies for the better.

DO eat well-balanced meals throughout the day, kick starting your metabolism with breakfast as often as possible.

DO eat several helpings of salad, fruits and vegetables throughout the day. Recommended amount is five servings of fruit and vegetables each day.

DO drink lots of water. Strive for at least eight glasses a day, but drink as much as you are able. Your body will eventually crave the water, which often makes you less hungry for snacks throughout the day while also flushing toxins from your body.

DO avoid eating simply because you are bored. Popping candy, cookies and other sweets into your mouth merely to pass the time is not conducive to modifying and maintaining a healthy body image.

DO sit down; enjoy your food and CHEW! Avoid scarfing down your lunch in the car as you drive. Rushing meals and trying to get too many other things done while eating may prevent the food from digesting properly. Take the time to enjoy a leisurely meal without constantly trying to do something else.

DO reduce your intake of sugars and fats if you find yourself eating junk food all day.

DO avoid grocery shopping on an empty stomach. Almost inevitably, those shopping with hunger pangs pushing them along may be apt to throw a few more goodies in the cart than if shopping after a meal.

DO eat when you are hungry. Try to substitute healthier snacks, like vegetable sticks, for salty or sweet snacks like chips and cookies.

DO eat foods that are high in fiber. This will help to keep the snacking urges from breaking through as often.

DO be realistic about your body image goals. Do not expect overnight results. Work to achieve your goals but do treat yourself every once in a while!

DO stop eating when you are full. Many people try to force themselves to clean their plates completely in order to be �polite� or to �get their money�s worth�.

DO exercise at least twice a week, whether by jogging, walking or doing a cardio workout. Combining healthier eating habits with cardiovascular exercise is a surefire way to lead a healthier life.

To improve your body image and the way you feel about yourself, monitor your snacking and do your best to follow a disciplined eating routine. Eat balanced meals, exercise and maintain a positive outlook and you�ll be well on your way to a healthier body, mind and soul.