Ladies Finger Curry (Sambar) - Vegetarian Food

Dear Reader,

I have been asked to write some more articles on the vegetarian food. I am not a full time chef, but I can manage cooking pretty decently that you can eat and enjoy too. (and sure you will like it too).

I start with making a simple recipe, hardly takes 20 minutes to prepare using Ladies Finger (வெண்டி காய் – in tamil (pronounced as venti kaay. bhinti or Okra in Hindi) . I wrote about the benefits of Ladies Finger in my earlier blog.

The food we are going to prepare is ladies finger sambar (or curry). Hopefully, I will try to write about different sambar too in future.

Ingredients:
1 pack - Frozen ladies finger (if you can get the fresh one would be great)
1 cut onion (use the onion used in salad (the big ones not the small)lengthwise
2 chopped tomato
1 cup - Tamarind water taken from a lemon
Some mustard seeds
Urud dal and curry leaves
3\4 tsp sambar powder or
2 tsp chilli powder
2 sp corrainder powder
Salt to taste
2 tbsp oil

First, remove the head (the stem connects with the plant) from the Ladies Finger. Cut them into small pieces(say 2 cm to 3cm each on circular fashion). Heat the pan, Just add the Ladies Finger. This is very important – kind of secret, this removes the stickiness in the Ladies Finger. Just keep on roasting until you see there is no more water substance or stickiness in the vegetable.

2. Heat the pan. Add oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and onion.
2. Fry till they turn light brown.
3. Add the tomato and fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add tamarind water and Sambar powder and salt. Boil for 5 minutes.
4. Add cut ladies finger and cook till done.

That’s it.

Please try and let me comments.

Dark Chocolate benefits

Eating dark chocolate regularly may help lower levels of inflammation, which is strongly associated with heart and blood vessel disease, Italian researchers report.

"In an apparently healthy population, even a small reduction of a low-grade inflammation such as that associated in this study with regular consumption of dark chocolate might have clinically relevant benefits in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease," Dr. Romina di Giuseppe of Catholic University in Campobasso write in the current issue of The Journal of Nutrition.
The presence of inflammation was determined by measuring levels C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomarker for coronary artery disease, the researchers explain in their report. Di Giuseppe and her team hypothesized that people who eat more dark chocolate, which is rich in several types of antioxidants, might have lower CRP levels.

To investigate, they looked at 4,849 healthy men and women participating in the Moli-sani Project, an ongoing study of adults 35 and older living in southern Italy. They included 1,317 people who had eaten any chocolate at all in the past year, and 824 who consumed dark chocolate regularly. Most people who ate dark chocolate consumed 5.7 grams per day.
CRP levels averaged 1.32 mg/L in people who did not eat dark chocolate, compared to 1.10 mg/L in dark chocolate consumers. Individuals who ate dark chocolate had healthier diets overall than those who didn't; they were also younger and of higher social status, but less likely to exercise. But once the researchers adjusted for these and other relevant factors, the relationship between eating dark chocolate and lower CRP remained.

The range of CRP levels seen in the dark chocolate consuming group corresponds to a "mild" risk of cardiovascular disease, while CRP levels in the non-consumers would be associated with "moderate" risk, di Giuseppe and her colleagues note.

The benefits were seen when people ate up to one 20-gram serving of dark chocolate every 3 days, but eating more chocolate wasn't more beneficial; in fact, effects on CRP levels "tended to disappear" at higher consumption levels, the researchers found.

SOURCE: The Journal of Nutrition, September 23, 2008.

Pressure Points and its relatation with the organs....

Dear Readers,

Every one knows accu pressure points are very important in the body.
Applying a conditioned pressure at those points help in curing some of the problems related with internal organs of the body.

The above picture shows the accu-pressure points in the hand. Even a rubbing hands to gether will help in stimulating this pressure points.

Thanks you, Readers.
JS

Shiatsu Self Massage

Dear Readers,

Important picture to have at home and work. Explians about the different everyday problems and method to come over it by doing some simple, east self massage.
Enjoy ,Practice and see the improvement.

Thank you, Readers.
JS

Never Feel Sick Again

Dear Readers,

I found this important picture one must have. Need bigger image, click the image (one in new window if needed).

Thank you, Readers.
JS

How much water to drink...

Dear readers,

Water is an important structural component of skin cartilage, tissues and organs. For human beings, every part of the body is dependent on water. Our body comprises about 75% water: the brain has 85%, blood is 90%, muscles are 75%, kidney is 82% and bones are 22% water. The functions of our glands and organs will eventually deteriorate if they are not nourished with good, clean water.

The average adult loses about 2.5 litres water daily through perspiration, breathing and elimination. Symptoms of the body's deterioration begins to appear when the body loses 5% of its total water volume. In a healthy adult, this is seen as fatigue and general discomfort, whereas for an infant, it can be dehydrating. In an elderly person, a 5% water loss causes the body chemistry to become abnormal, especially if the percentage of electrolytes is overbalanced with sodium.One can usually see symptoms of aging, such as wrinkles, lethargy and even disorientation. Continuous water loss over time will speed up aging as well as increase risks of diseases.

If your body is not sufficiently hydrated, the cells will draw water from your bloodstream, which will make your heart work harder. At the same time, the kidneys cannot purify blood effectively. When this happens, some of the kidney's workload is passed on to the liver and other organs, which may cause them to be severely stressed. Additionally, you may develop a number of minor health conditions such as constipation, dry and itchy skin, acne, nosebleeds, urinary tract infection, coughs, sneezing, sinus pressure, and headaches.
So, how much water is enough for you? The minimum amount of water you need depends on your body weight. A more accurate calculation, is to drink an ounce of water for every two pounds of body weight.

Here is the calculation for your minimum water need per day
Note down your weight in Kg. Multiply that with the magic number 33. you will get the water needed to drink per day in milliliter.

For example, if your weight is 65, 65 * 33 = 2145 ml. That is, 2.15 liters of water you should take in a day.

Are you drinking enough water?

Thank you , Readers.
JS

Ladies Finger – Magic!!!

Ladies Finger, Bhindi or Okra –
benefits to body + sow

Here’s something new …
A guy has been suffering from constipation for the past 20 years and recently from acid reflux.
He didn’t realize that the treatment could be so simple – Ladies Finger! He started eating Ladies Finger within the last 2 months and since then he never taken medication again. All he did was consume 6 pieces of Ladies Finger everyday.
He’s now regular and his blood sugar has dropped from 135 to 98, with his cholesterol and acid reflux also under control.
Here are some facts on Ladies Finger from the research of Ms. Sylviae (nutricion), University of Illinois. “Ladies Finger is a powerhouse of valuable nutrients, nearly half of which soluble fiber in the form of gums and pectin’s. Soluble fiber helps to lower serum cholesterol, reducing the risk of heartr disease. The other half is insoluble fiber which helps to keep the intestinal tract healthy, decreasing the risk of some forms of cancer, especially colo-rectal cancer. Ladies Finger is rich source of many nutrients, including fiber, vitamin B6 and folic acid. She got the following numbers from the University of Illinois Extension Ladies Finger Page


Please check there for some more details. Ladies Finger Nutrition (half-cup cooked Ladies Finger) calories = 25




Dietary Fiber = 2 grams
Protein = 1.5 grams
Carbohydrates = 5.8 grams
Vitamin A = 460 IU
Vitamin C = 13 mg
Folic Acid = 36.5 micrograms
Calcium = 50 mg
Iron Filtered = 0.4 mg
Potassium = 256 mg
Magnesium = 46 mg

These numbers should be used as a guideline only, and if you are on a medically-restricted diet please consult your physician and/or dietician. Ms. Sylviae(nutritionist) has very kindly provided the following thoughtprovoking comments on the many benefits of this versatile vegetable. They are well worth reading.

• The superior fiber found in Ladies Finger helps to stabilize blood sugar as it curbs the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract.
• Many alternative health practitioners believe all disease begins in the colon. The Ladies Finger fiber, absorbing water and ensuring bulk in stools, helps prevent constipation. Fiber is general is helpful for this but Ladies Finger is one of the best, along with ground flax seed and psyllium. Unlike harsh wheat bran, which can irritate or injure the intestinal tract, Ladies Finger’s mucilage soothes, and Ladies Finger facilitates elimination more comfortably by its slippery characteristic many people abhor. In other words, the incredibly valuable vegetable not only binds excess cholesterol and toxins (in bile acids) which cause numerous health problems, if not evacuated, but also assures their easy passage from the body. The veggie is completely non-toxic, non habit forming (except for many who greatly enjoy eating it), has no adverse side effects, is full of nutrients, and is economically within reach of most.
• Further contributing to the health of the intestinal tract, Ladies Finger fiber (as well as flax and psyllium) has no equal among fibers for feeding the good bacteria (probiotics).
• To retain most of Ladies Finger’s nutrient and self-digesting enzymes!, it should be cooked as little as possible, e.g. with low heat or lightly steam. Some eat it row.
• Ladies Finger’s mucilage not only binds cholesterol but bile acid carrying toxins dumped into it by the filtering liver. But it doesn’t stop there

Thank you, Readers,

JS

p.s: contribution by friend.