Tasty Recipes of Jowar Flour, Tur Dal, and Moong Dal

The health benefits of Jowar flour, Tur dal, and Moong dal are many. Jowar is also known as white millet. It has a low-fat content and is a rich source of protein and carbohydrate. Also, Jowar flour is gluten free as well as cholesterol free which makes it an ideal food for diabetic patients and those with celiac disease or patients with gluten sensitivity.

Dals are commonly used all over the world. Tur dal which is also known as Pigeon pea is the most common type of dal. It is rich in folic acid. It is an excellent source of plant proteins and nutrients. Tur dal is also low in fat content and is a rich source of dietary fibre. In addition to this, it contains complex carbohydrates which have more nutritional value and are more beneficial than simple carbohydrates.

Moong dal is the healthiest among all dals. The tiny legumes are packed with vitamins, minerals, proteins and carbohydrates. It has low Glycemic Index (GI) and hence a perfect choice for diabetic patients.

Recipes to Incorporate Jowar Flour, Tur Dal and Moong Dal in Daily Diet:

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Jowar Flour – A Guide to Its Uses and Health Benefits

Jowar is known to humankind since ancient ages. It belongs to millet family. Jowar is the Indian name for the millet Sorghum. The grains were a staple diet of farmers in many parts of India. However, with the passage of time and with the introduction of other grains, Jowar lost its prime position on the dining table. But modern research and its time-tested health benefits are restoring its past glory.

These white millets can be consumed by preparing various delicious recipes. Jowar grains can be boiled and stews or soups can be prepared. The white grains can be ground into fine powder and can be used as flour for making bhakris or bread. Jowar flour is used to make sumptuous omelette and dosa which are easy to digest by both the children and elderly alike.

Health Benefits of Jowar flour:

The nutritive value of Jowar is high. It is a rich source of vitamins and minerals. These gluten-free millets are loaded with high amounts of fibre. Fibre helps keep the stomach full and aids in maintaining the proper functioning of the digestive tract. A fibre rich diet lowers the risk of obesity, stroke, etc. Continue reading “Jowar Flour – A Guide to Its Uses and Health Benefits”

Cinnamon and Diabetes – Is There Any Benefit?

Research has indicated that cinnamon – the common aromatic spice – can help regulate blood glucose levels in persons who suffer diabetes. According to a 2003 study of cinnamon and diabetes that involved type 2 diabetics, ingesting as little as one gram (roughly one-half teaspoon) of cinnamon per day may lower one’s blood glucose levels by 18%; and perhaps as much as 29%. Cinnamon contains chemical substances (polyphenols) believed to enhance one’s sensitivity to insulin. As such, cinnamon may be beneficial for both type 2 diabetics and prediabetics with impaired insulin sensitivity. This link between cinnamon and diabetes stirred widespread interest.

Another small study of cinnamon and diabetes was performed in 2006. Postmenopausal type 2 diabetic women took 1.5g of cinnamon daily for six weeks. No improvement in blood glucose levels was observed; contradicting the first study. The authors stated that the different outcomes may be attributed to several factors; including that the types of anti-diabetic prescription medications the women were taking were different from the first study’s subjects, and that the women’s food intake during the study was controlled and standardized. Continue reading “Cinnamon and Diabetes – Is There Any Benefit?”

How Eating MORE Chocolate Is Something You Should Be Doing

If you were to ask past girlfriends if given the chance would they have traded me in for some chocolate? Well I don’t want to know the answer to that question…

Chocolate, and peoples love of chocolate, go back thousands and thousands of years. The Aztecs some 4-5000 years ago were grinding up cocoa beans and combining them with other ingredients to make drinks and porridges. Even the name of ‘cocoa’ comes from the ancient Nahuatl language meaning “bitter water”

Clearly the use of chocolate has evolved into the modern era but a standard drink of hot chocolate shares similar traits with those early beverages.

And just like Miley Cyrus there are good and bad versions of the same thing.. Continue reading “How Eating MORE Chocolate Is Something You Should Be Doing”

Foods that Promote Inflammation

“The more severe the pain or illness, the more severe will be the necessary changes. These may involve breaking bad habits, or acquiring some new and better ones.” -Peter McWilliams

You are not helpless in your fight against inflammation! Your diet plays a major role in activating or suppressing a protein called cytokines that causes inflammation. I can’t stress this enough. For that and other reasons that will be discussed shortly, I would like you to start thinking in terms of: “Is what I’m swallowing making me healthier or sicker?” There is little if any neutral ground. It is as if everything that you swallow is sending a signal to your immune system to either cause more inflammation or less.

The following are groups of foods that you should avoid because they send a signal to your body to produce more inflammatory cytokines. They are also toxic to your body in multiple ways, polluting the internal terrain of the body and promoting inflammation.

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Type 2 Diabetes – Does A Keto Diet Help Lower Blood Sugar Levels?

Is a ketogenic diet safe for people who have received a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes? The food recommended for people with high blood sugar encourages weight loss: a ketogenic diet has high amounts of fat and is low in carbs, so it is mystifying how such a high-fat diet is an option for alleviating high blood sugar.

The ketogenic diet underlines a low intake of carbohydrates and increased consumption of fat and protein. The body then breaks down fat by a process called “ketosis,” and produces a source of fuel called ketones. Usually, the diet improves blood sugar levels while decreasing the body’s need for insulin. The diet initially was developed for epilepsy treatment, but the kinds of food and the eating pattern it highlights, are being studied for the benefit of those with Type 2 diabetes.

The ketogenic diet contains foods such as… Continue reading “Type 2 Diabetes – Does A Keto Diet Help Lower Blood Sugar Levels?”

Gluten Free Diet Should Be Considered For Everyone With Neurological And Psychiatric Symptoms

Brain dysfunction may be the only or the main sign of gluten related disease. Dr. Mario Hadjivassiliou recently reported at the International Celiac Symposium that his neurology clinic has followed over 300 patients with gluten sensitivity presenting with various symptoms. In his clinic the most common gluten related neurological disorder is ataxia, a condition of impaired balance, present in almost half. However peripheral neuropathy, myopathy, headaches, and seizures are also neurological manifestations of gluten related brain disorders.

Gluten ataxia, the most common cause of previously unexplained ataxia, is associated with gut disease in only about a third. Usually there is an absence of the specific antibodies in the blood diagnostic for celiac disease but elevated gliadin antibodies. Brain tissue examined after brain biopsies or an autopsy has been found to contain deposits of gliadin and/or tissue transglutaminase in the absence of antibodies in the blood.

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What Vegans Should Know About B12

Symptoms of B12 Deficiency

Clinical deficiency can cause anemia or nervous system damage. Most vegans consume enough B12 to avoid clinical deficiency. Two subgroups of vegans are at particular risk of B12 deficiency: long-term vegans who avoid common fortified foods (such as raw food vegans or macrobiotic vegans) and breastfed infants of vegan mothers whose own intake of B12 is low.

In adults typical deficiency symptoms include loss of energy, tingling, numbness, reduced sensitivity to pain or pressure, blurred vision, abnormal gait, sore tongue, poor memory, confusion, hallucinations and personality changes. Often these symptoms develop gradually over several months to a year before being recognized as being due to B12 deficiency and they are usually reversible on administration of B12. There is however no entirely consistent and reliable set of symptoms and there are cases of permanent damage in adults from B12 deficiency. If you suspect a problem then get a skilled diagnosis from a medical practitioner as each of these symptoms can also be caused by problems other than B12 deficiency. Continue reading “What Vegans Should Know About B12”

Information on Gluten-Free Cake Recipes: What You Should Know About the Gluten Free Diet

Remember the time when you first discovered you have celiac disease? Remember how you scrambled at the food types that are good as well as bad for you? Looking for gluten free cake recipes can be frustrating. It is no laughing matter that such cake recipes were practically non-existent a few years ago. Even now, just take a look the ingredients on the grocery shelves. It is still hard to look for some gluten-free products, much more if you are looking for ingredients for your gluten-free cake recipes. Admit it, gluten-free cake mixes are hard to find. So it is better to have your own gluten-free cake recipe on hand, right?

Not that you are looking for the best gluten free cake, a simple chocolate cake would do without the pain.

Let’s begin with some Gluten Diet 101 Continue reading “Information on Gluten-Free Cake Recipes: What You Should Know About the Gluten Free Diet”

Feeling Bloated After Eating That Bagel? Read This!

Are you one of the millions of people who love bagels for breakfast or bread with dinner? Let’s face it bread is one of the staples in the food chain that has sustained hungry eaters for centuries.

Why then is there so much talk about the adverse affects of consuming gluten? Bread is supposed to be good for you, right? This may be true for most people but not for others who experience symptoms such as bloating and diarrhea. Some of my patients even complain of fatigue, weight loss, and perhaps muscle and joint pain. When I delve further into their eating habits to determine the cause of their problem, nine times out of ten I find their symptoms tied to gluten sensitivity.

What is gluten sensitivity and how do you know if you have it? If you are asking yourself this question, you are not alone. Let me explain.

“Gluten” is a family of proteins found in wheat along with oats, rye, and barley. Gluten sensitivity is caused by an immune reaction to the gluten. A simple blood test can determine whether you have specific antibodies to gluten. An inherited form of gluten sensitivity is called Celiac Disease and can affect 1 out of 133 people. Celiac Disease is often diagnosed by a biopsy of the small intestine that may reveal physical damage. Other forms of gluten sensitivity or allergy can develop as people grow older. Continue reading “Feeling Bloated After Eating That Bagel? Read This!”