What are the health benefits of pulses

Whenever I think about pulses, the first thought that comes to my mind is that piping hot pulses (dal) served with rotis or rice. The boiled dal, tempered with Indian spices is a very comforting food and makes the Indian meal plate so interesting and colorful. In a way, until the dal is served after rice or roti, it also kick-starts gobbling. Sabzis or curries will follow next after the dal is served. Once a friend from the UK said you cannot imagine an Indian meal without a bowlful of pulses or dal (as we Indians call it). Such is the importance of dal in Indian cuisines.

For Indians, pulses or dal is also a very important source of protein. The reason is, as per a study, more than 30% of the Indian population is vegetarian. There is a small number of people who are turning vegan, for them as well pulses will be one of the most important sources of protein.

Before we discuss what the health benefits of pulses are, we will look at what the commonly available option of them in India. While there are many descriptions of pulses but we go with the one commonly accepted. As has been defined by The United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), as nothing but edible seeds from the leguminous family. The most commonly grown and consumed ones are legumes, peas, and lentils. Indians have a whole variety of pulses in different recipes – from making dals (lentil soups), to khichdi to sweets and savories.

The most commonly consumed pulses in India are – Arhar (toor) dal, Bengal (chana) dal, Mung, Masur, Chole (Kabuli Chana), Matar (dried peas), Rajma (kidney beans), Lobia (Black beans). In that, there are varieties like, whole grains, split variety, polished and unpolished ones. While they are easily available across India, but for organic buying, there are some trusted sites like Biomart.

Coming back to the health benefits of pulses – it serves as a great source of protein where meant or dairy products are not easily available or affordable. Due to the presence of higher protein content, doctors often suggest kids and grown up to increase the quantity of dals intake as compared to rice or roti.

For many of its benefits, Khichdi (different dal mixed with rice and light spices and sometimes vegetables) or Pongal (Dal and rice mixed) is part of a commonly eaten diet plan in India.

Pulses, according to various studies, have higher fibre content. So, if you to shed some kilos, add more of items made with pulses.

The colorful dal that you add to your plate, has high crucial mineral content like potassium. Pulses are advisable for pregnant women and infants as they have more folate (a Vitamin B component) content. This element builds new cells in the body. The colorful lentils, beans have low sodium content. And there’s more, consuming a soulful dal will not add too much fat to your body.

Yet another benefit of dal is it is gluten-free food and cholesterol free. So make sure you are adding more to pulses to your diet when you have drawn up the diet plan for the year.

Pulses are also advisable for the diabetic patient as they have lower glycemic count. The possibility of a spike in blood sugar level in blood is lesser when a person consumes pulses.

What are the health benefits of honey

Honey finds its mention in many ancient Indian texts for its usefulness and medicinal properties. Not just in India, but also other ancient civilizations have recorded history to show that honey has been in use for more than 5000 years old. This syrupy golden liquid sweetener surely has been sweetening people’s sweet tooth for ages.

Many of us have grown up having pure honey for its several health benefits. Today, the natural sweetener is used in desserts, baking, health drinks, and many more. If you are trying to cut down the flab, it is advised to drink a warm glass of water infused with lemon juice and honey – the first thing after you wake up. Dieticians prescribe that sugar should be replaced with honey. So you might be wondering what the benefits of honey are. Is it just a fad, should one actually switch to honey.

Natural Sweetener – Honey, unlike sugar, is procured from nature. The liquid is produced when honeybees collect nectar from flowers and collect them in their honeycomb. So, when you are switching to healthy food, including organic honey to your diet, they are without any artificial sweeteners or colors.

Pack of Nutrients – Yes, you read it right, a tablespoon of honey can contain several nutrients. Honey, when consumed directly or as an additive, can instantly pump your mood. All thanks to the high sugar contained in the liquid drops. Though it is high in calorie count, don’t feel guilty while adding to your diet as there are no traces of cholesterol found. The sweetener contains some very important minerals and vitamins. Potassium, iron, and zinc are some of the micronutrients available in the magical potion.

Dense with Antioxidants – Honey is a great source of many essential antioxidants, like flavonoids. A tried and tested fitness mantra that everybody swears by is a glass of warm water with a squeeze of lemon and few drops of honey, first thing in the morning. It is known to cut the fat trapped in one’s body. If you are like me, have a sweet tooth, now on, add honey to the desert. You will feel less guilty for consuming a sweetener.

Natural Way to Treat Cough – A dose of warm water and honey can cure itchy throat. Traditional practices also prescribe concoction of ginger and honey with warm water to treat cough. No wonder it is used extensively in cough gel toffees.

Magical Potion for Beauty Care – A number of studies have confirmed that the liquid can be used generously on the skin, hair to treat any kind of rashes, moisten the skin or treat itchy scalp. Higher water content, anti-bacterial, and antiseptic properties make it a much sought after additive to any beauty care product.  So from this season start using it to treat dry skin, dandruff, or even chapped lips. The gold liquid is extensively used in face masks for that extra shine.

Wound Curing – Always store a jar of honey in your refrigerator. It comes handy to treat cuts and injuries, thanks to its anti-bacterial properties. For the same reason, applying it over an ulcer can also soothe soreness. Ancient Indian and Egyptian tradition has emphasized the use of honey to heal wounds.

Alternate to Sugar – Not just for those who are trying to get into shape, physicians and nutrition experts also recommend a portion of honey to type 2 diabetic patients. Studies show that use of honey as sweetener generates lesser blood sugar than compared to sugar.

While the benefits of honey are many, it may also be noted that while selecting a bottle of honey, one should be careful in selecting. When you are shopping for your pantry, try to buy organic honey. Also look for certification, use of artificial chemicals, or use of synthetic sweeteners. Honey is known for long shelf life, so avoid buying honey which has preservatives added to it.

What are Benefits of Superfoods?

When you go shopping for groceries and vegetables, what are the must haves? Do you include berries, green leafy vegetables (broccoli, spinach & others), almonds and other nuts and seeds? These and many more add up to comprise a list of essential superfoods. While they are a must-haves, you must also know what superfoods are, before you add these items to your cart.

What are Superfoods?

Food items which are loaded with very high nutritional content are called “superfood”. Food items will contain high anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, micronutrients. Relatively, they contain fewer calories.

The fact that some food items are rich in vitamins, minerals, micronutrients – these are must-haves in diet, for any age group people. As they have lesser calories, so anyone who’s on diet can keep munching without bothering much about gaining body weight.

Benefits of Superfoods?

Several studies have found out that due to high antioxidant content and flavonoids, superfoods if taken in the right portion, can reduce the risk of cancer and heart diseases, lower cholesterol, strengthen metabolism. Some of these special foods are known to build up immunity and cure inflammation. When they can aide the body organs to function in the right manner, they can also indirectly help in building a beautiful, glowing supple skin and gorgeous hair.

High content fibrous superfood can help in weight reduction. Superfoods, rich in antioxidants, can lower risk of cancer.

It is believed that superfoods that we consume should be unprocessed and natural.

Biomart.in, among others, sells 100 percent organic and natural superfoods. Products sold online do not have any artificial flavors and synthetic preservatives. Superfoods sold online are all certified by USDA for maintaining basic standards and hygiene.

It is however cautioned that while we eat superfoods, it should be in moderate quantity, daily requirements sufficient to meet. Consuming them in excess might impact one’s health adversely.

List of some popular superfoods are –

Oat – This item has high fiber content, helps in reducing bad cholesterol, aids in digestion thereby improving metabolism.

Almonds – This nut is one of the richest source of Vitamin E. Vitamin E is a good source for keeping one’s skin beautiful, reduces rash and delays aging. Micronutrient available in almonds aid in improving metabolism.

Berries – Berries are loaded with vitamin C and less carbohydrate. They fight cold and cough and also improves body’s disease-fighting mechanism.

Quinoa – Quinoa dense with high iron, protein and fiber content. This is gluten-free. In addition, to it, it has many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Flaxseeds – Loads of fiber, antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids are present in Flaxseeds. Intake of this superfood is known to reduce the risk of cancer.

Turmeric – Turmeric has anti-inflammation properties. You can consume them directly or add to your food.

Cinnamon – These barks are known to have high antioxidant content, which aids in improving blood circulation and weight reduction.

Brown Rice – This unprocessed rice is loaded with nutrition and is known to cure heart disease, weight reduction, and fight diabetes.

So next time when you shop, you know what you need to add to your shopping cart and should be there in your pantry.

Is organic food healthier than regular foods?

In the past two decades, food production and food habit have undergone a lot of changes worldwide. If food produced with pesticides and chemically treated was consumed in the past, now more and more people are switching, food produced without any artificial flavors or treated with synthetic chemicals. More and more consumers are saying to no to genetically modified (GM) food.

Also, there is a visible change in diet, a large number of consumers are opting for organic food. The switch could be due to embracing a healthy lifestyle, going close to nature or to counter lifestyle diseases.

This trend is very much visible in India as well. More and more consumers are filling their plates with organic, and naturally grown rice, pulses, and cereals.

Earlier one could only find organic food in health and medicine stores. Now it’s not just brick and mortar stores selling organic products but many online companies like Bigbasket, Biomart.in, are selling online organic food. These are natural and 100 percent certified by health agencies, including USDA. The selling of organic food is now almost reached a peak in India. Trends suggest that organic food is likely to grow at 25 percent in the next three years.

With such a trend towards organic food, has led to a debate – Are organic food healthier than regular food?

To many of us, an extra gloss coat on apple, or carrots, might have been more appealing. Or shiny dals (lentils) might look healthier. Likewise, there are polished sugar, grains in the market, which might be attractive to the buyer. But what we often do not realize is that such food has been treated with synthetic chemicals and artificial agents to add that extra –shiny coat.

Organic products follow a specific type of production and process. Organic food is free from pesticides, which makes organic food healthier, as artificial chemicals have not been used to keep pests away. Neither are the products treated with chemicals for longer preservation. The seeds are not genetically modified (GMO).

Organic food, when grown in the right way, is said to improve soil and water quality, reduce undersoil pollution level and help livestock grown in a natural way.

According to some research, organically grown food have higher nutritional value than conventionally grown food. So organic food might add some extra nutrition to your plate when consumed.

However, it may be noted that just by consuming organically labeled food, it might not lead to weight loss. A healthy diet has to be complemented with healthy and regular exercise.

It is also advisable, when you are buying organic food to check certain essential facts – like if has it been certified or not? The nutritional content chart and compare it with conventional food. If the organic food grower has used some, biodegradable pesticide?

Also, there is less awareness about the benefits of organic food in India. Efforts should be made to make people aware of how it is grown and explain why organic food is slightly expensive than conventional food. But for long term goodness, one should switch to organic staples.

Online Grocery Shopping – a whole new way of shopping

Once our parents and grandparents used to go to the nearest Kirana (mom and pop grocery) store to get their daily supplies of food and small household articles. Some enterprising store owners would deliver purchased items at your doorstep with the help of an errand person whenever required.

Following liberalization of the Indian economy, rise in income levels of consumers and increasing availability of internet at affordable rate, Indian consumers have quickly embraced online shopping. E-retailing seems to be a popular choice for the millennials as well.

Online grocery, especially non-perishable items, occupies a major share in the e-tailing market.

some portals have been selling groceries for quite some time now, organic food sellers have also come up with sites selling organic food exclusively.

Biomart.in is one of the most visible names to join the list of e-grocers. However, the website sells only organic food and healthcare products. In grocery section – a buyer can browse through a range of spices to flours to pulses and many more and then pick items of their choice. All products are sourced from different brands and are moderately priced.

The site has some unique options like Amaranth, Shorgum and Buckwheat flour. One can also buy coconut sugar and wheat bran from this site.

For groceries, Biomart is the perfect e-marketplace for sellers to exhibit their unique products and buyers can get a wide range of options to fill their carts.