Walking is the Best Medicine

Walking  is the best exercise anyone can do regularly and maintain your health easily. It stretches your mind and soul, energizes you and wakes you up completely to let you relax and start the day in a fine note.

Not only maintaining your health, you will also be able to lose weight, eat well trim your waist as well.  There are many benefits in walking and it is easily accessible to all. It is a simple exercise, does not need any practice and it also is a low impact exercise.  A 30 minute brisk walking a day will give you a healthy day and life ahead.

Given below are some of the benefits you reap while you start walking briskly in the mornings regularly.
You can lose your bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase the good cholesterol (HDL).
This way of walking briskly can increase your heart rate. An  increased heart rate  will strengthen your heart muscles and lungs and the heart will be able to pump more blood to the rest of the body easily and efficiently.

Lower your Blood Pressure / Hypertension
Reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes and manage your weight easily. Regular walking  will improve the BMI ( Body Mass Index ) and the more movement you give to the muscles you will use up more glucose. This improves blood sugar levels.
Walking increases the blood flow in the body and so provides more oxygen to the brain. It improves your self esteem and lets you start the day in a fine note.

One thing you have to be sure is to wear proper clothing and accessories. You have to wear loose fitting and comfortable clothing. If it is dark outside, wear appropriate colours while walking on the roads. The motorists should be able to see you. Carry drinking water with you if you are planning to walk for a long time. You have to hydrate yourself.
First start walking slowly to warm yourself up, just walking at the same place slowly is enough. As you warm up, stretch your muscles  and then start walking properly. As you stop walking cool down by waling slowly for 5 minutes and then repeat your muscle stretches.
Always avoid busy roads for walking in the morning, you need fresh unpolluted air to relax the mind and the body.

What are Aerobics?

Aerobics is an exercise which is energetic and vigorous which lasts long enough. If done regularly this is enough to keep your heart  and lungs in good condition. Aerobics exercises burn calories very fast than other types of exercises. Aerobics is a type of physical exercise  that consists of stretching and strength training routines with the objective of improving all elements of fitness in a rhythmic  way so that you can improve muculsr strength, flexibility  as well as cardio vascular fitness.

 This aerobics exrecise is always performed to the background music with a large group of people together and is conducted by a trainer or an instructor.  You can also try that out alone in the privacy of your home.
Other forms of vigorous exercises like cycling, swimming and jogging are also associated regimens  with the same purpose.

The word "aero in the Aerobics"  means incorporating oxygen  as it is used by the body  during the prolonged aerobics exercises. Aerobics exercises are  very simple to start  and very easy to  follow. They are the type of exercises which will pressurize the the body to elevate the oxgen intake  and for that the exercise have to be continuous and rhythmic  to avoid the declines and spines in the oxygen consumption.The target muscles, all of them should be used, increasing the work which the heart and the lungs were always doing .

How to do proper meditation?

How to meditate and gain concentration?
Meditation is a  practice where in there is constant observation of the mind and the concentration. Meditation brings awareness, harmony and natural order into life and  helps you  to dig deep into your inner self, through which you can discover the wisdom and tranquility that lie within.
Meditation is a therapy which is done  with an internal and personal practice without any actual externals aids, except may be prayer beads or the tip of the candle flame to concentrate on.  The practices of yoga helps  one to control  the mind and the senses.

The basic points to be kept in mind meditating are:
You have to have a special place and time for meditation. It would be better if you try doing it daily.
Choose a time when your mind is  clear and not riddled with worries.
while starting to meditate just sit up straight with your back, neck and head in one line and face north or east.
You have to condition your mind so as to remain quiet for the duration of your meditation session.
Regulate your breathing, it would be better if you could start with 5 minutes of deep breathing. Then gradually you can slow it down.
Follow a rhythmic breathing pattern - inhale and exhale.
Initially your mind will wander  but it grows more restless if you force to concentrate and so leave it like that, do not force.
You can slowly bring it to rest on the focal point of your choice.
you have to hold your object of concentration at this focal point throughout your session and meditation happens when you reach a state of pure thought.
If this followed diligently you will soon be able to attain a super-conscious state. This is not just easy as it is given here. You will have to strive harder to get to perfection. Only if you try to do meditation daily,you will be able to get good benefits out of this.

You can try and follow these tips to get the Concentration
When you start, at the outset, it will be very hard to keep your attention focussed on one object, so it would be better to start off by limiting your field of concentration to a category of objects.

Abhyanga Oil Massage, one of the Ayurvedic Therapies for Rejuvenation

About Abhyanga Oil Massage of the Ayurvedic Therapy
Abhyanga is the ayurvedic oil massage  and is an integral part  of the Ayurveda rejuvenation treatment. The daily routine of  a full body massage with warm oil acts as a powerful recharger for the mind and the body. It is nourishing and pacifies vata and kapha, relieves fatigue,provides stamina, and perfect sleep  enhances the natural beauty  and the complexion of your skin, nourishes all parts of your body and so promotes longevity with health.

The benefits of doing and Abhyanga  as a daily ritual are 
You will get an increased blood circulation to your nerve endings as well as better sleep at night.
Will be toning your muscles  and so get into a good shape, will help you get rid of cellulite
Calming of your nerves as well as lubrication of the joints
Increased mental alertness and concentration
Improved elimination of the excreta and regularise moving  your bowels and through that clearing all the impurities while detoxifying your body
Softer and smoother skin, will help to remove wrinkles and beautifies your skin and the increased levels of stamina.

The best time to do Abhyanga or oil massage? 
The massage is best done in the morning just after bath  or shower. You can use ayurvedic medicine oil, herbal oil or for that matter warmed sesame oil or coconut oil.
To cure the oil, bringit to boiling point over fire and then remove, cool and store the oil.

Pecan Nuts - Health and Nutrition facts

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A Homekeeper's guide

How to read labels on ready made food packets

While surfing the net, sometime back, I came across this article. This might be useful to others who do not know about  this

Reading food lablels in the ready made packets
Important Terms And Their Meanings For Food Labels
'Low fat'- Equal to or less than 3 grams of total fat (with respect to a reference quantity)
'Fat-free'- With a reduction of 0.5 grams of total fat (with respect to a reference quantity)
'Reduced sugar'- About 25% less sugar with respect to reference food
'Sugar-free'- provides less than 0.5 grams per serving
'No added sugar'- Neither sugar nor are substitutes present
'Low-cholesterol'- Equal to or less than 20 mg of cholesterol (with respect to a reference quantity)
'Cholesterol-free'- Less than 2 mg of cholesterol (with respect to a reference quantity)
'Calorie-free'- A reduced amount of 5 calories per serving
'High fiber'- Equal to or greater than 5 gm per serving

Thanks to diet health club.
To know more about these visit Diet Health Club

The shelf life of the product is indicated by the expiry or ‘best before’ date.

Apricot Strawberry Salad

Ingredients needed for the Apricot Strawberry salad
 1 cup Apricots  with stones  removed and cut into pieces
1 cup straw berries cut into pieces
1 tbsp honey
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Few mint leaves chopped

How to prepare the Apricot Strawbery salad
Mix in the fruit pieces and honey together, tossed gently.
Keep it aside for 10 minutes  and then mix in orange and lime juice.
Refrigerate if you are not going to serve it immediately.
Before serving sprinkle the chopped mint and mix well.

Point to note while serving the salad
If you are refrigerating the salad  and using it later, remove the mixed salad from the fridge half an hour before serving
 Then add the chopped mint leaves . Serve in a beautiful serving dish.

Babycorns and its Health Benefits

About Baby corn

Babycorn is a small cereal of wonder , tastes heavenly as well as comes with loads os nutrition. Baby corns are wholesome and are a versatile food which can blend with various spices, herbs and nuts.  Baby corn comes out delicious and tasty in any dish you try from any cuisine.This can also be used as a dressing for the salads, which then becomes a delicacy.Baby corns are a gold mine of nutrients and has the power to give you more than enough resistance aginst dideases and infections  as well as rejuvenating the body of the toxins.
Attributes of Baby corn
Baby corns are tender  and young fruits of  the maize plants which are plucked well before the harvest time before the fertilization of the corns.
Baby corns can be consumed either as  afresh vegetable or as frozen in cans as preserved. They are canned in a solution of 3% brine, 2% sugar and 0.3%citric acid.
The baby corns are about 10 cms long, 1 - 1.5 cms thick and about 7-8 grams in weight. the colour of the baby corns will be between creamish to light yellow and has a regulr row arrangement.
The ears of babycorn are used in pickles, and salads, which with their crunchy taste   makes the dish tasty, delicious, mouth watering as well as wholesome. This vegetable is eaten all over the world for the taste and nutrition it provides.

Nutrition in babycorns
Baby Corns are comparable to other vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, tomato, lady's fingersm spinach, french beans and brinjals.
They have 86- 100 grams of Phosphrous
is a low caloried vegetable
is low in Cholesterol
rich in fiber content
Free from the residual effect of the pesticides
is an organic food since the edible portion is covered by many layers and so protected from pesticides

Health benefits of baby corns
Corn is a rich source of many essential nutrients and fibre. A meal rich in corn can go a long way in protecting yourself against many diseases and ailments.
Baby Corns have complex carbohydrate which provides a steady stream of energy through out the day
It is a good source of soluble fibre and cooked Sweet corn is said to have anti oxidant which is supposed to prevent cancers and Heart diseases.

Hand Sanitizers in India

Hand sanitizers is a supplement or can also be an alternative at times,  to hand washing with soap and water, and  are available in gel, foam and liquid solutions. Hand sanitizers based on alcohol are more effective at killing bacteria than soap and water. They will also not dry out the skin very much and safer to use.

It is also said that hand sanitizers using ethanol work better against the common cold and other ordinary infections than washing hands with soap and water. In a study by the researchers  it is said that' a formula containing organic acids and ethanol resulted in residual activity that significantly reduced virus recovery from the hands and rhinovirus infection for up to 4 hours after application'.
These findings have been mentioned in the Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

In India at present there are two giants in the Hand Sanitizers market, Dettol and Lifebuoy. Since this is an aternative to soap and water  for maintaining hygiene  this has become a necessary in the view of too many infections. These products are available in gel, Spray and liquid and foam forms  they can be used directly on to the hand  and leave it just like that. This need not be washed away by water like soaps.

Godrej was the first to introduce this product in the Indian market, followed by Himalaya, Paras  in the year 2003 itself. Godrej's brand protekt is being exported and Pure hands by Himalaya is a herbal sanitizer.
This  product hand sanitizers are getting popular because of the consumer awareness forums  and the fear about hand hygiene coupled with the convenience. This product can be used anywhere and at anytime and this point makes it a very useful product for those  who are worried about maintaining the hygiene  and keep germ free.

Dried Apricots and their Health Benefits

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A Chennai Homemaker 

Health Benefits of Tender Coconuts / Karikku / Ilaneer

Coconuts are the fruits of the coconut trees which are found in surplus in the state of Kerala and elsewhere in India.  Their botanical name is Cocos nucifera and is the largest seed known to the humankind. Tender coconuts are nothing but the immature , unripe  coconut fruits  which have clear  liquid  with or without little flesh easily removable with a teaspoon, inside them.  the tender fleshy parts of the coconut are very sweet and fulfilling and it is also said that the tender coconuts are a complete food.

Tender coconuts are considered to be the blessings of nature for the people of the tropical countries, who uses the water for refreshing themselves, during the sweltering heat of the summer. This fluid stays hygenic inside the coconut shell  and should not be stored in any other container. It might get spoiled. Coconut water is said to help digestion, clears urinary path to ease te passing of urine and is also said to increase semen. Coconut water is a confirmed Diuretic. This can be effectively used in the treament for stones
of Kidney and the Urethra.

Other Benefits of tender coconuts
Glucose and Fructose are the two main ingredients of tender coconut water as well as potassium, sodium, phosphorus, Calcium, copper, sulphur, iron and chlorides.
Coconut water is excellant for dehydration problems.
This fluid can be used in treating the intestinal problems of the children as well as the adults.
It helps with the digestion and can be used for heartburns while pregnancy.
The fluid does a complete cure of some of the skin problems which come mainly due to heat like prickly heat and rashes which appear during summer days.  This reduces body temperature as well and cools .  This is an extra ordinary intravenous liquid by itself and can be given internally to revive patients.
This fluid can be used effectively in the mineral poisoning

So, please do drink tender coconut  or karikku or Ilaneer as it is called in malayalam and tamil respectively, particularly during the summer season. Whenever you go out have a tender coconut  opened for you instead of the aerated soft drinks you usually opt for. have the tender coconut water for once and you will become an addict for life.

Recipes with Tender coconuts
Karikku Appam

Benefits of Cabbage and Cabbage Juice

Cabbage contain phytonutrients, works to protect the body from free radicals that can damage the cell membranes. Phytonutrients also signal our genes to increase its production of enzymes involved in detoxification.
Cabbage is believed to  lower the incidence of cancer, especially in the lung, stomach and colon prostate. Cabbage is a muscle builder, blood cleanser and eye strengthener - an all in one health giver.

The juice of fresh raw cabbage has been proven to heal stomach ulcer. Cabbage is rich in iron and sulphur.
Juice of fresh cabbage is effective in treating fungus infection on the skin, due to it sulphur content.
 It is said that Cabbage can lower serum cholesterol.

Cabbage contains Sulphoraphane, a substance that can increase the production of antioxidant and detoxification enzymes. Sulforaphane works by stimulating the production of glutathione, the body's most important internally produced antioxidant which plays a role in liver detoxification.

Red Cabbage has more phytonutrients than the green cabbage. The vitamin C content of red cabbage is 6-8 times higher than that of the green cabbage. Red cabbage contain anthocyanin (red pigment/color) is an antioxidant that can help protect brain cells, thus can help prevent Alzheimer's disease.
Cabbage is a popular vegetable and is assumed that every one knows the benefits of cabbage for your health. It has many more roles for your health. It acts as medicine.
It has the capacity to cure cancer and this is the known fact. There is a big history behind this vegetable if you look back to those Roman and Greeks; they used to drink white fresh cabbage to relive sore or infection eyes. They used to drink to prevent intoxication.
The truth about the cabbage is that it has got multiple roles to heal your body. You can visit these lines to know what are the benefits that human body draws from the cabbage.
The foremost fact is, we use it for vegetables, salad, etc. Besides that, they are good sources of anti- inflammatory vegetable.
Cabbage acts as to disinfect colon since it contains lactic acid. It also reduces your headache. People suffering from cancer should increase the intake of cabbage as it has got anti-cancer properties to heal. This is good for your skin as well. You can eat cabbage as a cooked vegetable or in the form of salad and you can take it in the form of juice.
You can drink cabbage juice 25-50 ml everyday to treat headache, asthma, bronchitis and other digestion problems. You can also dab white cabbage juice on your mouth to cure ulcer and they say it heals faster.
How to prepare and preserve Cabbage Juice
Ingredients needed for preparing cabbage juice
Cabbage - red or green
clean water
Blender
plastic wrap to cover the vessel
airtight containers to store them in the refrigerator
Wash and chop enough of the cabbage to fill the blender. Add some of the distilled water, to approximately the 2/3 mark on the blender. Blend on high speed for one minute, or until completely blended.
Repeat the process with two more batches. Pour into bowls, cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for three days.
After three days the cultured cabbage juice will be ready to drink. Strain it first to separate the liquid and the pulp; throw the pulp away and put the liquid in the refrigerator.
When the first batch starts to get low, repeat the process. This time, however, put 1/2 of a cup from the original batch into the new batch. This speeds the culturing process, and this batch will be ready to drink in only one day

Nutritional Value of the Bittergourds / Karelas

Bittergourds are tropical vegetables found mainly in the countries nearer to the equator like India, Indonesia, Philipines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and China.

The vegetables are green and white in colour , are about 10 - 20" long, teapering at the end. They have a bitter taste but very healthy. The bitterfruits are cooked and eaten as a vegetable in these places but bittergourds are also used as a folk medicine.
There are researches going on even now about bittergourds as the vegetable is supposed to contain an insulin like compound which is highly beneficial in lowering blood and urine sugar levels. Eating the vegetable liberally is highly recommended for the Diabetics and that too , drinking the juice of 4-5 fruits early in the morning in empty stomach is said to give a better result.
These vegetables are rich in essentialvitamins and minerals A, B1, B2 with C and iron. Bittergourd consumption regularly improves the general resistence to diseases / infection. It is said to be good for hypertension, neuritisand eye complication etc. These are used in the treatment of boils, scabies, itching,like fungal diseases.
If fresh juice is taken mixed with the lime juice it is said to improve the skin problems.
The roots and the leaves of bittergourds are also helpful in folk medicines for respiratory diseases like bronchitis, Asthma etc as well as the treatment of alcoholism.
Bitter gourd is said to help in improving the blood circulation which in turn helps you in your slimming efforts. The essential vitamins and minerals present in Karels / bitter gourd helps in treating defective metabolism of carbohydrates. This is another main reason for the slimmers to start taking Karelas daily.
The bitterness can be reduced to an extent by soaking the cut vegetables either in salted water or butter milk. After sometime you can squeeze out the water with the bitterness and then cook it in any way you like. So make it a point to add bittergourds in your cooking and diet so that you need not have to drink the raw juice.

Learn to cook Bittergourds at home. For recipes see here

Mushrooms, the good and the bad

Mushrooms can be found edible as well as in poisonous varieties. Many of the wild grown mushrooms are poisonous and can prove fatal for humans. Before assuming any wild grown mushroom to be edible, they should be identified first.
Mushrooms are consumed by humans for their nurtitional benefits and medicinal values, some people are allergic to mushrooms.
Care should be taken in cleaning, washing  and preserving, as an improperly stored mushroom can give you food poisoning.

Health Benefits of Mushrooms
1. Since mushrooms have 80-90% of water they have less calorie value. They are also known for low on sodium, carbohydrates, fat and high on fiber content. This fact has made mushrooms the favourite of those who want to lose weight.

2. Mushrooms are a wonderful source of potassium, much more than a banana, infact. Potassium is one mineral which is needed to control hypertension as it is said to lower blood pressure and diminish the risk of stroke.
3. Copper which is present in mushrooms is said to have cardio protective properties and a single serving is said to provide about 20-40% of one's daily requirements.
4. Mushrooms are a excellant source of selenium which help fight against cancer. Selenium is an anti oxidant which works with Vitamin E to pritect the cells from damage by free radicals.
5. Since the mushrooms are rich in fiber, protein and Vitamin B, they help maintain a healthy metabolism and has been found that the extract helps stop migraine headaches.

The Mushroom extract has been found to be beneficial for people suffering from mental illnesses, like obsessive-compulsive disorder.  Oyster mushrooms are said to be useful in strengthening of veins and relaxation of the tendons.
So careful using of mushrooms can help you get the daily quota of nutrients, particularly for the vegertarians who keep away from meat and meat products

For Recipes with Mushrooms see here

Strawberries and their Health Benifits

Strawberries are known for their deliciousness  and for their red coloured sweetness. You can find that there are more than 600 varieties of strawberries that differ in flavor, size and texture, You can usually identify a strawberry by the red coloured flesh with yellow seeds piercing its surface, and the small, crown like green leafy cap.
The most common scientific names for strawberry are Fragaria virginiana and Fragaria chilioensis. Not many know that these strawberries are full of nutrition too.

Nutritional Benefits of Strawberries
Strawberries contain a lot of nutrients with Vitamin C coming first in the list. They also have phyto nutrients and anti oxidants to fight free radicals. Free radicals are nothing but the elements that damage the cells and are belived to cause cancer in our body.
Strawberies provides very good source of Vitamin K , manganese, folic acid, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, copper, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids.
They are the most versatile of the fruits but can perish easily as well. As soon as you buy fresh strawberries you have to use them. Frozen strawberries do not have that much of nutrients as fresh ones have.

How to choose and handle the strawberries
While choosing strawberries you have to look for plump, firm and free of mould. They should have a deep red colour. When you choose the berries be sure to pick the reddest ones because they do not ripe after they are plucked. Medium sized ones seems to have the best of taste and flavour.
You have to store them properly after washing and cleaning the berries. If any one of them hacve a sign of mould in them please do discard them. Or else it will contaminate the remaining berries and spoil them all. Fresh ones will stay in the refrigerator for a few days.

How to use Strawberries
The peak of strawberries season is from April through July when they are the most delicious and most abundant. You can  eat it just like that , it is that delicious and a very popular one too.
You can also add fresh strawberries to your salads, smoothies also This  is a great way to get the five servings of fruit, that is said to be needed for a healthy immune system.

How to Preserve Strawberries
You can freeze strawberries for upto one year if you are careful. You have to gently wash them and pat them dry. You can either remove the cap and stem or leave them intact, as you wish. Then you have to arrange them in a single layer on a flat plate and place them in the freezer. As and when they are frozen, transfer the berries to a heavy plastic bag / Zip lock bag and return them to the freezer where they will keep for a long tiome. You can add a little lime juice to help to preserve the color of the strawberries. You can store strawberries  whole, cut or crushed, they will retain a higher level of their vitamin C content if they are  left whole in the refrigerator.

How to recognize a Brain Stroke in an Individual.

Today I received an E mail telling me about the signs through which one can recognize Stroke. If a stroke patient can be recognized and treated with in three hours of the first stroke , he / she can be cured completely. Otherwise he / she may lose their life or get to a vegetable state.

How to recognize a stroke patient
The symptoms of s Brain Stroke are difficult to recognize if you do not know what to look for.
The first three letters STR of the word stroke will give you the hint you need.
S - Ask the person about whom you are in doubt to smile, which will be crooked and not normal
T - Ask him any simple question like how are you, see how he talks, it will not be coherent
R - Ask him to raise both the hands, which he will not be able to easily.

There is another easy step. Just ask him to put out his tongue. The tongue will be crooked or the tongue will just pull towards one side or the other. If he is not able to do it normally then the person might be heading for a Brain stroke.

Call the medical team and tell them what you found there. You just have to call the emergency services as soon as possible.You might have just ended up saving the person from danger.

Please those who go through this post, pass this on to your friends also. Let us try and recognize the disease and help out.

Flax Seeds and the Nutrition Benefits

About Flax seeds
Flax seeds are known as Linum usitatissimum  and are known to be nutritive power packed within. Flax seeds come in either reddish brown or golden yellow in colour slightly larger than sesame seeds with a little hard smooth and shiny shell.  Colour doesn't make a big difference to the nutritious composition, you can pick up any one of the colours.

Nutrition in Flax seeds
Flax seeds are known for being the best known source for omega 3 fatty acids and are rich in EFA  that is the Essential fatty acids which we need fort he body to function normally. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), omega 3 fatty acids which are found in  Flax seeds, are said to be very helpful in the treatment of various ailments.

How to Buy Flax Seeds
You can buy flax seeds in the shell form as it has more of shelf life when stored in an airtight container. Flax seed oil is highly prone to rancidity as the sunlight  and air can break down the Essential fatty acids present in them.  So always go for flax seed oil in dark coloured bottles and you can also try dark coated soft gel flax seed capsules.

Pomegranates - golden seeds of health

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Fenugreek Leaves and Seeds - a good thing in life

Fenugreek / Methi / Uluva / Venthayam are many names for the same thing Fenugreek leaves and seeds. These are actually God's gift or say Nature's gift to man.  Fenu greek is rich in minerals  and vitamins like  Potassium, Calcium, Iron,Vitamin C and Vitamin K and are known to contain lots of fibre needed for the man.

They are known to be very good for health, particularly for the people who are suffering from Diabetes, anaemia and others. The leaves are known to contain less calories, only 49 caloroies for about 100 grams of the fenugreek leaves. They have many other health benefits too. like clearing phlegm, alleviating the burning sensation in the palms of hands and soles of the foot etc.

You can use these leaves in cooking . There are many recipessimple basiuc ones like adding to cooking dal, kneading atta, just add to vegetables when you are frying them etc.  You can make Methi Raita, Methi saag, Venthayakeerai Poriyal and Venthaya Keerai Koottu  are Tamil Nadu dishes and many more.

You have to ensure that you clean the leaves well of dirt in the leaves. The leaves should be fresh and not wilted. The best time to buy methi leaves would be either in the morning or in the evening when new fresh ones come in the market. Just check out the timings these greens come to the shops in your area and get them at that time. The leaves should not be discoloured and that is the main point.  Dried leaves also have health benefits. They are known as Kasoori Methi and is available in the shops and supermarkets.

Diet for the Diabetics -II

Being a diabetic is very difficult. The medicines or the insulin you take will not halp you if you do not follow your diet strictly. Diabeties makes you disciplined in life. You have to avoid sugar, high fat and cholesterol foods and high caloried foods should be avoided.

Vegetarian diet will be the best one to follow ifyou are a diabetic and that too, the South Indian vegetarian diet will be the best.
The south indian vegetarian diet has less oil comparatively. Idlis are steamed and cooked and consisits of Rice and Black gram Dal or the Urad dal, as it is called in hindi. It invariably contains fenugreek seeds also which is soaked and ground along with the black gram dhal. Fenugreek seeds are said to be very useful for the diabetic since it is said to control the glycaemic index.

Idlis, Dosas, Pongal, Uppuma, Idiappam are some of the dishes used for breakfast in south india. All these can be had by the Diabetics without any problems. Idiyappam is usually had with vegetable kuruma, which is a variety of mixed vegetable curry. Likewise Uppuma can also be made into vegetable uppuma by adding chopped vegetables while making ordinary uppuma and served with sambar and chutney  while Pongal is a mix of rice and green gram dhal,  like Kitchadis found in the northern parts of India.

With a little perseverence on their part and a little help from the others, a little patience and the correct positive attitude will help a Diabetic to achieve a correct diet. It is not very easy but being disciplined in life will help you achieve it.

Exercise, nutrition and the right amount of calories will make the patient feel that they have control over the disease and not viceversa. The vegetarian diet will always help you to achieve. I do not say that you should not touch meat. You can , may be once a week or so, take lean meat and fish curried. Avoid mutton and Beef altogether.  Be positive, nothing is impossible.