Learn the meaning behind Food Bias

Before sharing my experience, I would like to clear the term, ‘Food Biases’ for my readers. Food Biases are saying ‘no’ to certain food items without any concrete reason. Furthermore, neglecting or accepting certain food groups without any proper argument or reason behind it is a food bias.

Well, from the past couple of decades, I have been doing it. As a matter of fact, you might be doing it knowingly or unknowingly. For example, I went to the supermarket with my husband to buy regular household items and other snacks to munch. So, I was scrolling my eyes through the shelves of biscuits, cakes, wafers and more. But, my eyes just stopped on a packet of biscuits because the outer packing claims to be ‘high in fibre’. And, without thinking twice, I just purchased the packet.

Likewise, little kids tend to avoid a new food item without any reason for it. They might not like the taste or maybe the visual appearance of it. But, it can be difficult to make them understand the benefits of that particular food item.

How You Can Steer Clear of Food Biases?

My daughter has never been a picky eater but I can understand the pain of the parents when their child neglects certain food groups. Because getting all the nutrition from a single set of food seems impossible.

Here are some of the ways which have helped me to steer clear from the Food Biases:

Get creative with your food presentation skills

Sometimes, kids tend to eat those food sets which are visually appealing. Making a plain sandwich might not work but adding big eyes with cucumber and tomato slices make it irresistible.

Tell them the importance of nutrients and vitamins for the growth of their body

Explaining to them why certain food groups are actually good for their mental and physical growth helps them to understand why they should be eating it. Like telling them that eating something will make them strong and tall like a tree may help them visualize what strong and tall means.

Don’t be impatient

Never force or stuff your child with certain food which they don’t like, especially if they are trying it for the first time. Offer the food item to them again after a few days, maybe in a different form. Also, there are higher chances that your child will try out the new food item under a positive social environment – like a friend’s tiffin in school. So, give them their own little time to experience it.

My Daughter’s Result with PediaSure

While trying to help my daughter Angel steer clear of food biases, I was also searching for a nutritional drink which can also act as a health supplement for her physical and mental wellness.

Then my Pediatrician recommended PediaSure to me. She explained that it has growth nutrients that support height, weight gain, immunity and brain development for your child.

I tried and tested the product and I have seen visible growth within a span of 90 days.

After trying it out for a longer duration, I am able to see the visible results, not just physically but mentally as well. She is more active than before and makes an extra effort to stand out from the crowd.

The Grow Right Charter by PediaSure has totally helped me to track Angel’s overall performance. The proper nutritional intake has never been neglected on a structured mealtime schedule.

I was delighted to discover about PediaSure. Due to the seasonal availability of fruits and vegetables, I might not be able to give her complete nutrients but with PediaSure, it has fulfilled the nutrient requirement for complete growth of my child.

Do try the above methods to avoid encouraging food biases in your child and tell me what your experience was!

#GrowRight #PediasureIndia

Health

Probiotics: A Healthy diet of Life

By Blogsikka October 30, 2018

Probiotics: A Healthy diet of Life

“A Healthy Body helps to lead a Healthy Life”. It is very essential to maintain a proper health. The best way to improve health is to eat healthy because what you eat is closely linked to your health. In many cases, illness and injuries occur due to the lack of care of your body. One of the best ways to have a healthy body is firstly to have the proper Digestive system. The digestive system is said to be the root cause of all illness. A Digestive system consists of good and bad Bacteria, a proper balance of good and bad bacteria contributes to the healthy Digestive system.

Research shows that there are more than 400 species of good and bad Bacteria in your gut. It is therefore very essential to maintain a good balance between these Bacteria for the overall health of the body. Most of these Bacteria’s resides in the intestine. The good and bad Bacteria supports in the digestion of food. A healthy working of intestine helps in filtering and eliminating harmful Bacteria and waste products.

There are various causes of imbalance of good and bad Bacteria like Lack of sleep, Emotional stress, poor diet, and bad eating habits and overuse of antibiotics etc. When there is an imbalance of good and bad Bacteria, i.e. when the population of bad Bacteria exceeds the good Bacteria in the gut, it leads to several health problems like infections in the urinary system, Diarrhoea, skin infections, Allergies, Fatigue, etc. Knowing the consequences of the growth of bad Bacteria in your gut it’s very essential to increase the number of good Bacteria in your gut. Probiotics are the one which helps to solve this problem.

Probiotics in the simple term are a type of ‘Good Bacteria’ or can say are the live micro-organisms found in some foods and supplements. Probiotics help in maintaining a healthy balance of Bacteria in the gut. Even if you are living a healthy lifestyle and having healthy food like vegetables, fruits, carbohydrates or proteins still you cannot obtain the Probiotics from these foods. Basically, there are few food items which are the natural source of Probiotics. You can get Probiotics naturally from cheese, Yogurt, tempeh, miso, and kimchi. There are also Probiotics supplements available in the market if taken in right dosage helps in the optimal health of your gut.Probiotics are basically live Bacteria and yeasts that are good for your digestive system. Whenever we normally think of Bacteria, we consider them as something that causes diseases or other health problems. But this is not true. As mentioned above, our body is full of good and bad Bacteria and the Probiotics are called ‘good’ or ‘helpful’ bacteria because they help keep your gut healthy.

Probiotics contain following micro-organisms in it:

Saccharomyces-

This is a type of micro-organism found in yeast which helps to treat acne problems and Diarrhoea. It also helps in reducing the side effects caused due to gastric ulcer treatments.

Streptococcus-

This micro-organism produces the enzyme lactase, which helps in the prevention of bowel inflammation and lactose intolerance.

Lactobacillus-

These type of micro-organisms are found in the urinary, digestive and genital system. They are also found in fermented food like yogurt and helps prevent skin disorders, respiratory infections, and urinary tract infections.

Bifidobacteria-

This type is found in a healthy colon and appears in the intestinal tract of babies within the days of birth. They prevent dental cavities and bad cholesterol.

There are several benefits of Probiotics:

Preventing and treating skin infections, Urinary tract infections.
Helps in treating Skin conditions like eczema.
Helps in treating Allergies and Asthma.
Lactose intolerance.
Helps in treating stomach and respiratory infections especially in children.

After knowing several benefits of Probiotics, the first question arises in mind is How do Probiotics work…? Researchers are still trying to find as how does Probiotics exactly to work..? It is said that when you lose good Bacteria in your body after taking antibiotics or due to any other reason, Probiotics helps to lower the number of bad bacteria in your gut by replacing them with the good Bacteria. They also help in maintaining the good balance between good and bad Bacteria in your gut.

Some suggest for Prebiotics to maintain the healthy digestive system. Although Prebiotics if selectively utilized helps to increase healthy Bacteria in your gut but still there is a major difference between Probiotics and Prebiotics. Just like Probiotics, Prebiotics isn’t a food but they are found in various foods. Prebiotics are classified as non-digestible food ingredients that can be utilized by Probiotics. They aid digestion and increases the production of valuable vitamins. The major source or Prebiotics is dietary fiber which naturally occurs in fruits and vegetables. We can say about Prebiotics as the fuel that feeds Probiotics successful restoration of good Bacteria.Dupont range of Probiotics popularly known as HOWARU can add documented health benefits to dairy products, frozen desserts, beverages etc. HOWARU range are scientifically proven for the smooth functioning of the digestive system and improves the body’s immune system. Dupont’s Probiotic dietary supplements enhance in maintaining the digestive system and immune system of the all age group consumers.

After knowing what exactly Probiotics is..? how it helps for the healthy functioning of the body…? I can understand why our elders always used to insist to have either a bowl full of curd or buttermilk while having lunch. The amount of Probiotics present in a bowl of curd or a glass of buttermilk helps to increase the number of good Bacteria in your gut. But in many cases, the small amount of curd or buttermilk or other dairy products are not enough to eradicate the number of bad Bacteria in your body, in such cases you can opt for Probiotic supplements available in the market. Approximately we need 40bns/perday of Probiotics cfu/ml.

The FDA regulates Probiotics as food items and not like medications. But still, in some cases, the consumer might have mild side effects such as gastric problem, upset stomach, diarrhea for the first couple of days after taking supplements. So, it is always suggested to first consult your doctor and then opt for the Probiotics supplements.

FOOD

Hyderabadi Mirch Ka Salan

By Blogsikka January 4, 2018

HYDERABADI MIRCH KA SALAN

Hyderabadi Mirch Ka Salan is basically a delicacy or a dish served in all the parts of Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh as a side dish with Hyderabadi Biryani. It is mainly prepared using peanuts, sesame seeds, coconut and tamarind pulp. Once when I got the opportunity to visit Hyderabad, I tried the Hyderabadi Mirch Ka Salan there for the first time and find it delicious. So I tried it home and below is the Recipe for the Mirch ka Salan.

INGREDIENTS:

For Masala:
¼ cup desiccated coconut
2 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
¼ cup roasted peanuts
1 medium-sized sliced onion
1/2 inch ginger
2-3 garlic cloves
½ tsp red chilli powder, garam masala powder and turmeric powder

For Curry (Salan):
12-15 green chillies should be medium spicy
1 tbsp tamarind pulp
1.5 to 2 cups of water
½ tsp cumin seeds, mustard seeds and kalonji
8-10 curry leaves
Salt to taste
½ tsp jaggery(optional)
4-5 tbsp oil
For Garnishing:
Coriander Leaves

METHOD:

For making Masala Paste-
Take a pan and keep it on a flame. Firstly put sliced onion and allow it to roast till it becomes light brown then add desiccated coconut and roast it too. Later add peanuts and sesame seeds, after a minute or two. Remove it from flame and allow to cool for few minutes. Then take this mixture in a grinder and add garlic, ginger and spice powder (mentioned in Masala ingredients) before making the paste. Then make a fine paste by adding little water.

For preparing Curry-
Firstly remove the chilly seeds(can also keep it intact depending on the spiciness). Rinse it and wipe it thoroughly. Slit the chillies vertically without cutting it completely. Roast the chillies till light brown by keeping oil in a pan and then drain them on a tissue.

Further in the same pan add some more oil then add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and kalonji one by one. Add curry leaves and fry it for a minute. Then add the grinded masala paste. Allow it to cook for another 5-7 minutes till the oil starts separating from the paste. Then add tamarind pulp, jaggery and salt and mix them well and then add 2 cups of water and continue to boil for more 10-15 minutes on slow flame.

Further add the fried chillies, cover it and allow it to cook on slow flame for another 5-6 minutes and then off the flame. Lightly spiced, Creamy and slightly tangy Hyderabadi Mirch Ka Salan is ready. Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve it with Hyderabadi veg biryani or even plain cooked rice. One can also have Mirch ka salan with chapatis or rotis.

TIP:
If the chillies are too hot remove the seeds from the chillies to lower the hotness. The gravy thickens as it cooks so you can add more water to lower the thickness or to make the consistency of the Curry proper. You can add curd or tomato paste instead of tamarind pulp to get the sourness. To make the Hyderabadi Mirch Ka Salan tastier use a generous amount of oil and spices.

LIFESTYLE

Wonderchef Cook with Pride – For The Women who Cooks from Heart

By Blogsikka July 18, 2017

Every woman is a Wonderchef in her own way if given the best quality food materials and amazing Kitchenware, she can conquer the world. There is a saying that food tastes better when it is well presented, and to prove this who can be the better person than chef Sanjeev Kapoor himself.

The Man Behind Wonderful Wonderchef

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor has been always my inspiration and to all women who love to cook in the kitchen. My mum, my aunts have learnt cooking from Sanjeev Kapoor to impress their family members. Sanjeev Kapoor not only teaches us how to make good food, but also have made available the best utensils cookware and appliances to make food quickly and with the same quality. Sanjeev Kapoor along with co-founder and MD Mr Ravi Saxena from the company call Wonderchef, which is the most trusted brand of quality kitchen appliances. Wonderchef have variety of products like pressure cookers, vacuum flask, Bakeware, tools and accessories for all healthy conscious customers. Each and every product has been uniquely customised and design to satisfy customer. Wonderchef have 5000 retail outlet and their products are also available at their website and other E-Commerce site and also available thru TV ads. Wonderchef stands for top quality, reliability and serves as a benchmark in the kitchen industry. It has 5 major categories.

Wonderchef Has 5 Major Categories.

1) Cookware Designed For Every kitchen :

Die cast cookware
Pressed and forged cookware
Pressure cooker
Special product like tandoori grill

2) Electrical Appliances

Blender, Jjuicer, Chopper, Mixer
Grill, tandoor, Toaster, Barbeque
Special Appliances
Ketan Coffee Maker

3) Bottle and Flask

4) Bakeware

5) Tool & Accessories

Wondershare has around 350 + product available on www.wonderchef.in also available on Amazon and Flipkart.

Among them all, the best product which I like are cold press juicer, air fryer, automatic bread maker to bake beds at home. Last but not the least the best-selling product from Wonderchef which caters to nutrition and Wellness, Wonderchef Nutri blend the master Stroke in healthy blending and grinding.

I have been using this Nutri blend from a year now, and I can bet that my kitchen has the best product which I named as my magic Nutri-blend. I would recommend every woman and housewife to have Nutri blend compulsorily because I believe that kitchen is incomplete without this product. Now they have upgraded as 20 sec wonder. This name is apt for this product as It makes grinding in less than 20 seconds, this is only possible because of super sharp blade rotating at 22000 RPM which break down the food into digestible elements extracting healthy Micronutrient from your fruits and vegetable into the mixture.

Now with NutriBlend you will get recipe book as well— Look Good! Feel Good

Nutriblend have Unbreakable PC jars and comes in 5 beautiful colours, red white black purple and champagne. the most important part of this product at your home is that it has an autograph by MasterChef Sanjeev Kapoor.

This Nutriblend comes with warranty and services which are the best after Sales Service.

This newly upgraded version of Nutri blend Has three jars, one for grinding 1 for blending and the third one for heavy quantity of milk shake and lassi. As I said that the jar is unbreakable and they had designed in such a manner that you can make stand your jar inverted.

The Specification of Nutri blend

Item Weight: 2.2 Kg.
Voltage – 230V~50Hz.
Jar capacity – 300ml(Short Jar) & 500ml(Long Jar).
Loading Capacity – 80ml(Short Jar) & 250ml(Long Jar).
Motor — The 400W super fast motor blends & grinds in seconds.

With my personal experience, I can I sure that you can grind all Garam Masalas from turmeric to prepare to cinnamon in any quantities. the cleaning of jar and lid is very easy as all are detachable and wide enough to clean from inside.
To conclude I would say I use Nutri blend every day to stay healthy and fit and when I have a kitchen full of Wonderchef product, I feel glad and proud that yes I own Wonderchef products in my kitchen. it inspired me to cook with pride for my family and Wonderchef products make my kitchen very colourful. Wonderchef cookware and appliances are a real pleasure to use since they have plenty of colours and design to suit your kitchen.
Lastly, The need for modern women’s kitchen ends at Wonderchef.

Selfie at Wonderchef — Selfie with Fellow Bloggers at Wonderchef

FOOD

Recipe To Prepare Cafe Cutlet

By snehalata May 25, 2017

Cafe Cutlet

Cafe Cutlet a dish rich in good quality protein, dietary fiber, omega 3 fatty acids, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, copper, carotene, vitamin c, b vitamins and low in fat.

Ingredients to prepare Cafe Cutlet

1/3rd teacup mini soy chunks (soaked and ground)
2 tablespoons chana dal (soaked and ground)
1 Boiled potato
3/4th teacup lotus stem (soaked and ground)
1 small capsicum (finely chopped)
1 teacup carrot (grated)
1/2 inch ginger (grated)
1/3rd teacup whole wheat bread crumbs
Red chili powder to taste
Coriander powder to taste
1 teaspoon flaxseed powder
Salt to taste
Oil for shallow frying

Method

1. Mix ground lotus stem, Potato, Chana dal, and Soy well.
2. Add grated carrots, chopped capsicum, grated ginger, breadcrumbs, flaxseed powder to this mixture.
3. Add the spices as per taste and mix well.
4. Make equal size cutlets and roll in bread crumbs.
5. Cook it on tawa/pan with minimum oil.
6. Serves 4

Tadaa! Here You Go, Your Yummy Cafe Cutlet is Ready To Make You Go Woww!

FOOD

JW Marriott and Thailand tourism host ‘Thailand Fest’

By Blogsikka March 22, 2017

Warm Welcome

The brand JW Marriott sparks a light in our hearts just by the sound of it. Visiting and dining at such spectacular place is an experience of a lifetime. Located in the centre of Mumbai, as we approach we can’t help but notice the elegance of the hotel.

The entrance is grand and massive, we felt like queens while entering inside. The gate attendants were polite and classy, maintaining the standard of the brand. The entire view of the property makes us realise how huge is the total area of the property. The Italian style reception is mind-blowing and the people working there are top-notch.

The ambience is one of the key elements that melts our hearts and makes us fall in love with the entire environment. It certainly shows that the maintenance of the place is done perfectly and the staff are leaving no place for error for their work.

We visited JW Marriott for the ‘Thailand Fest’

The Thailand fest was done in collaboration with Thailand Tourism. Chef Rungtiwa was the head chef at the fest, she presented us with beautiful Thai dishes.

Chef Jolly Good was present too, he is the head chef at JW Marriott, Sahar and also appeared in the TV show ‘Masterchef‘.

As we approach the buffet the food looks mesmerising. It’s all surprisingly picture perfect and shows the effort that has been put in the minute details.

Amazing Phad Thai Salad

They have more options than one can possibly consume and they all are delicious. In our visit, we tasted the ‘Phad Thai Salad’ which is mainly made up of papaya, and it was awesome.

The quality of food is unquestionably amazing.

The entire experience of dining at JW Marriott, Sahar is overwhelming, and one must live it to believe it. I would personally recommend this hotel to friends and family.

FOOD

International Women’s Day 2017 Celebrations at Mini Punjab, Thane.

By Blogsikka March 16, 2017

International Women’s Day 2017 Celebrations at Mini Punjab

Firstly I would like to say thank you to the judges, organizers and the sponsors of this competition ‘Mini Punjab Masaledaar‘. Such a brilliant event would not happen without the time, dedication and support of everyone involved.

I must say it is an honor to speak here as the winner of ‘#8thHeaven’ contest on International Women’s Day at Mini Punjab Masaledaar. It is lovely to be back for the event this year and to see that the competition is yet again well supported by the women, both here and beyond.

It is a great opportunity for women to showcase a select portion of their talents and discover what others are creating. The efforts taken by ‘Mini Punjab Masaledaar’ to host such an incredible event are far more than just noteworthy. The atmosphere at the hotel is fabulous and the staff is co-operative and pleasant. It is also an inclusive opportunity, inviting the whole community to enter work for consideration.

I believe this is an important step to take. Talent is everywhere, manifesting itself in various different forms. As the winner of the contest, I was rewarded with a dinner for 8 women at ‘Mini Punjab Masaledaar’, the food was delicious and Masaledaar as the name rightly suggests, also the entire ambiance of the hotel was mesmerizing.

Delicious Masaledar

Jaw Dropping Dishes

Me and the fellow women enjoyed the dinner, we clicked selfies holding the lovely placards which increased the beauty of the photographs. We woman had a great time at ‘Mini Punjab Masaledaar’ and thank them for the opportunity to do so.

#8thHeaven Contest Winners — International Women’s Day 2017

Picture courtesy – Mini Punjab Masaledaar.