Benefits of Eating Ber (Jujube) - Nutritional Value and Hidden Secrets of Ber

Team HealthCult

Ber or Bor also known as Jujube in English is a nutrition powerhouse. Ber or Jujube fruit is low in calories but rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. 

They are particularly rich in vitamin C, an important vitamin with antioxidant and immune-boosting properties.They are rich in antioxidants like flavonoids, polysaccharides, and triterpenic acids, that reverse damage caused by excess free radicals in the body.

50% of the carbs in the fruit come from fiber, which is known for its beneficial digestive effects.

Ber helps with : 

  1. Sound sleep
  2. Improved digestion
  3. Has anti-inflammatory properties
  4. Helps with glowing skin
  5. Is a natural blood purifier and helps to reduce stress and anxiety
  6. Improves bone strength
  7. Improves scalp health and fights dandruffs

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Best Utensils For Cooking Food and Healthy Life | Best Metal for Eating, Drinking Water and Cooking

Surbhi Bansal

According to Ayurveda, each metal has a health benefit. Know which is the best metal to store/drink water, cook, eat and store food. Know which metals you should stop using. Know the health benefits of each metal, as per Ayurveda.

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Easy To Grow Medicinal Plants At Home | Houseplants Perfect For a Small Space Garden or Pots

Team HealthCult
Here are some medicinal plants that you can grow at home. These plants are good for health, have amazing benefits and can be easily grown and maintained at home, both in a garden and at pots. 
  1. Ajwain
  2. Giloy
  3. Sadabahar
  4. Harsinghar
  5. Tulsi
  6. Bay Leaves
  7. Coriander
  8. Curry Leaves
  9. Methi/Fenugreek

Here are some more -

 

 

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The Complete Festive Guide- What to Eat During Festivals, Exercising Guide and Detox Tips

Team HealthCult

Festival is that time of the year to bond with people and relish the quality time spent with them. 

We are sharing some expert tips shared by renowned nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar. These tips hold true for all festive occasions - Diwali, Dusherra, Eid, Christmas, Guru Purab and all other awesome festivals 

Food is central to all the festivals as it brings people together and any celebration is incomplete without them. So, do not hold yourself back from enjoying this beautiful time. Go for traditional food and meals as they are not only scientifically healthy but they go a long way in preserving tradition and culture. 

So here are the tips-

1. Do not skip meals : 

On most occasions when people have to go out for dinners or parties, they skip a meal or do fasting so that they can eat whatever they want later. Skipping a meal makes you feel bloated and you overeat later which means you would consume more calories than usual and also feel uncomfortable.

2. Choosing what to eat when you go out during festivals or parties

Have only 2 starter dishes, and 3 items from a single cuisine for your main meal. For desserts, avoid dishes that are available on regular days like ice-creams, chocolates etc. Instead that go for traditional sweets prepared only during the festive season.

3. How to choose the sweets/ desserts

Do not hold yourself back from relishing desserts, just be smart about what you put on your plate. Have homemade and traditional sweets. It is better if you can make traditional sweets at home or get it from the local sellers as these sweets are healthier and nutritious.

4. Fried foods - to eat or not?

Not all foods that are deep-fried are unhealthy. It all depends on how much you eat it and how it has been prepared. Rujuta advises you not to fear relishing deep-fried food during occasion. She suggests avoiding processed oil and opting for the traditional oil used by your grandparents for preparing the same dish. "You can eat deep-fried foods guilt-free. Just don't reuse the oil. Only homemade ghee can be reused," she added. The nutritionist strictly asked to avoid air fried and microwaved foods as they can increase sugar-craving and make you feel acidic later.

5. How to choose the beverage

Alcohol in any form is bad for health However if you are still having alcohol do not take alcohol on an empty stomach. Eat well before drinking to avoid bloating and other digestive issues. If you are opting for an alcoholic drink mix it with water, ginger and mint leaves. Have a glass of water before and after each drink. In case of a non-alcoholic drink, have coconut water or lime soda. Avoid cocktails and mocktails at all costs as they are high in calories. Have a glass of water before and after each drink

6. Eat at home before stepping out

One of the best ways to eat in limitation when going out for dinner is to have something light before stepping out. Eating something healthy and nutritious before a big meal prevents bloating issues. Rujuta Diwekar recommends having a banana if you are going to someone’s home for a sit-down dinner and a bowl of curd-rice/khichdi if you are going to a restaurant

7. After coming back home or post-party at night

To make sure that you do not feel bloated, gassy and uneasy after coming from the dinner party you need to follow some simple post-celebration habits. Have a glass of warm water on coming back to soothe your throat and stomach. Rub ghee on your feet before sleeping.

8. How to avoid acidity, bloating and constipation during festivals and post celebrations

  • Start your day with gulkand water
  • A 15-min nap mid-morning (post breakfast)
  • Finish your lunch with 1/2 banana
  • Lie in suptabadhakonasana for 2-5 mins in evening
  • Have rice pej or kanji with ghee for dinner

9. What to Gift During Diwali:

- For family and friends, home made sweets or namkeen in reusable dabba (steel or glass)

- For staff, cashews and raisins

Avoid excess of packaging

10. How to Exercise During Diwali -
- key is to not over-exercise
- follow your regular routine if the days are not very hectic
- reduce exercise intensity by 30-50% if days are hectic

11. How to Detox post festivals : You shouldn't fall for detox programs, drinks or spas. As it can-
- damage the liver, our organ which naturally detoxes the body. It can change the body composition, you lose muscle and bone density
- Just follow your usual routine

12. The final word on how to enjoy Diwali delicacies-
- Look (at all available options)
- Pick (the most appealing delicacy)
- Chew (slowly, aaraam se)
- Relish (take a break before going for next helping)

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Foods for Fasting, Vrat Ka Khana, Upwas Recipes/ What all we can eat during fasting- Fasting Meals

Team HealthCult

 According to Ayurveda, fasting rekindles the digestive fire. An increase in the digestive fire burns the toxins in the body. When the toxins are flushed out of the body, it loses dullness and lethargy. As a result, all the cells of the body are rejuvenated. Fasting, therefore, is an effective therapy to cleanse our body. When the body is cleansed, the mind becomes calmer and more peaceful because of the deep connection between the body and mind.

The essence of fasting is also to include more diversity in your meals, which we normally miss out on.

Here is a list of meals for a healthy meals for fasting/vrat/upwas:

  1. Roasted Makhana and Peanuts
  2. Sabudana Khichdi or Tikki
  3. Raw Banana Tikki or Raw Banana Flour Chilla/Parantha
  4. Samak Tikki or Samak Khichdi/ Vari rice upma
  5. Samak Kheer/Halwa
  6. Makhana Kheer
  7. Grilled Paneer or Panner-Aloo Tikki
  8. Puri/Parantha/Dosa made out of kuttu or rajgira
  9. Amaranth Chilla
  10. Mid-meals like soaked and pealed dry fruits, Shrikhand. Fruits like Banana, Apple, Custard Apple, Singhada, Grapes, Papaya
  11. Beverages like Curd, Thandai, Buttermilk, Shikanji, Coconut Water 
  12. Grilled sweet-potato or sweet potato ki sabzi
  13. Arbi ki Sabzi or Makhana Sabzi
  14. Kuttu pakoda or Kuttu Parantha
  15. Sweets like coconut laddo, sandesh, kalakand

Here are some useful tips for fasting, especially when you are doing fasting for more than 1 day :

1. Please do not equate fasting with weight-loss.Treat fasting as an opportunity to calm and detox your body. All the good results will eventually follow

2. Stick to a routine. Start your day early by 6:30 am -7 am and sleep by 10 pm - 11pm.The initial days of fasting could lead to lethargy and headache, but this could be due to release of toxins as a process of detoxification. In case any condition worsens or stays for longer than normal, it is recommended to discontinue fasting 

3. Make sure to include yoga, meditation and light exercises as a part of routine

4. Do not sleep for more than 30 minutes in afternoon

5. Do not starve. Make sure to include smaller meals. The purpose of fasting is to include diversity in diet and not to make it starve or binge at one time

6. Maker sure to keep yourself hydrated

7. Avoid any negative media and content. Fasting is not only a detox of body, it is also an opportunity to detox mind and soul. You may want to take a call to avoid a prolonged or unnecessary exposure to media, specifically the one that is useless/negative

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How To Boost Digestion Naturally

Team HealthCult

Here are some best ways to improve your digestion naturally. 

1. Eat mindfully, 2. Include natural probiotics and prebiotics, 3. Reduce stress, 4. Avoid late night eating, 5.Regular exercises, 6. Chew food, 7. Stay hydrated, 8. Add healthy fats to diet, 9. Eat fiber-rich natural foods in a balanced way, 10. Eat more real and less processed food

 

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Akshaya Tritiya or Akha Teej : Rituals, significance and stories associated

Team HealthCult

Akshaya Tritiya also known as 'Akha Teej' is one of the most auspicious days celebrated by Hindus and Jains across the country. As per the Hindu calendar, Akshaya Tritiya is observed on Shukla Paksha Tritiya (third day) during the bright half of the Vaishakha lunar month. According to the Gregorian calendar, the day falls in the months of April-May.

On this day, Lakshminarayana form of Lord Vishnu is worshiped along with Goddess Lakshmi.

The Akshaya Trithya day resonates with prosperity and growth. This festival is celebrated to reinforce the message of good karma, hardwork, good deeds, good value and helping others.

As per Hindu mythology, Sat Yug and Treta Yug began on Akshaya Tritiya day. Interestingly, the day also marks the birth anniversary of Lord Parashuram, the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

It is believed that on this day Maharishi Veda Vyasa started narrating Mahabharata to Lord Ganesha.

On this day Mother Ganga was incarnated on the earth (Dhara).

In Jainism, it commemorates the first Tirthankara's (Rishabhdev) ending his one-year asceticism by consuming sugarcane juice poured into his cupped hands.

Goddess Annapurna was also born on this day,

Kubera had got the treasure on this day,

On this day Lord presented the 'Akshaya Patra' to the Pandavas while on their exile. Akshya Patra was a special blessed pot that could serve endless meals each day.  So it is a common expression in India to say, ‘This is an akshaya patra‘, which means it always keeps giving.

On day of Akshya Trithiya, Lord Krishna blessed his friend Sudama with good fortune.

The annual Rath Yatra in Puri Jagannath begins on this day. 

As per ancient Hindu belief, one should adopt a Saatvik diet on this day. Many devotees observe a day-long fast on the significant day of Akshaya Tritiya. Hindus prefer keeping important events such as weddings, new business ventures, and construction work on this day. People purchase gold on this day. It is believed that buying gold on Akshaya Tritiya brings prosperity and more wealth in the coming future.

 source : Indiatoday

 

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