Monica's Archives

Whenever you feel like having salty, cheesy popcorns, try this cauliflower popcorn. You can snack on this with your hands, warm or at room temperature. The herbs add loads of flavor and the yeast tricks your taste buds as if you are having Parmesan cheese. Ingredients:        (makes one cup) Cauliflower                      - 1 (cut into bite sized pieces) Extra virgin olive oil       - 2 tablespoons Nutritional yeast            - 2 tablespoons Fresh Oregano                - ½ teaspoon (chopped) Fresh Thyme                   - ½ teaspoon (chopped) Garlic powder          ...

It is not unusual to get hungry between meals. Snacking doesn’t have to be an unhealthy habit. Snacking is often mindless, autopilot eating. When we feel hungry, we munch on mostly unhealthy snacks which are mostly easily available, and after eating regret of eating high calories and unhealthy snacks which can result in weight gain. Often, snacks are not eaten because you are hungry, but because you are bored or are simply used to munching while you engage in certain activities. The key is planning ahead to make sure you have some healthy foods available. A better way to snack is to optimize the timing of healthy snacks between your meals. Intentional small snacks help you regulate your blood sugar throughout the day. Here are some healthy snack options which may help you in guilt free munching: Ø   1 cup strawberries Ø   1 hardboiled egg Ø   A handful of almonds (10-15 ) Ø   ¼ cup of dried cranberries Ø   2-3 carrots’ sticks with 1 tablespoon of...

The next time you eat a piece of chocolate, you may not have to feel so guilty about it. Despite its bad reputation for causing weight gain, a number of health benefits are associated with it. Chocolates are widely categorized into 3 types – white, milk and dark chocolates. Before knowing which one is healthier, let us know how are chocolates made? Chocolate is made from cacao beans from the Theobroma cacao tree. The contents of the bean provide the basis for chocolate products. There are 2 terms “cacao” and “cocoa”, which are confused when to be used. Use of “cacao” is for the pods, beans and ground-up contents of the beans, while “cocoa” is used for the powder left pressing the fat out of the ground beans. Makers of raw (unroasted) or less processed cacao bean products often use the word cacao rather than cocoa, which may imply they’re more natural products. Once cacao beans are harvested, they go through several processing steps like fermentation, drying, roasting, crushing an...

“You Can Win” is a motivational book written by Shiv Khera. This book was recommended to me by my father, who is a management consultant. I am glad I read the book as it has changed me quite a lot. I have started looking at everything in a positive way, which helped me personally and also in my profession. The book is divided in 8 chapters which focuses on building a positive attitude, winning strategies, motivating yourself and others every day, building positive self-esteem and image, building a pleasing personality, forming positive habits and character, setting and achieving your goals and doing the right thing for the right reason. The book provides a great learning experience for those who want to achieve success and positivity in their life. Main attractions are short stories from our everyday life which can empower anyone. I got involved in them as if it all happened with me and helped me to understand more clearly the situations we face in our life. The auth...

A serum is a skin care product that you apply to your skin after cleansing and before moisturizing. Serums help give your skin a fresher, younger and healthier appearance. Face serums are light weight moisturizers that penetrate deeper to deliver active ingredients into your skin. It is mostly recommended for mature skin or skin having dark spots or dull skin. Here, I would like to give a simple DIY to make face serum easily. Do give it a try and give your experiences. I am using this serum for the last one year and can see the glow on my face. Things required:    (makes around 50 gms) Aloevera gel                                                    - 3 spoons Badam oil/extra virgin coconut oil   ...

Mushrooms are edible fungus that can provide several important nutrients. The many kinds of mushroom have varying compositions and nutritional profiles. Today, let us talk about oyster mushrooms which have numerous benefits especially being low in calories and high in fiber. Here is a quick look at why oyster mushrooms are so good for us. Oyster mushrooms are: Ø   Low in calories Ø   Fat free Ø   Cholesterol-free Ø   Gluten-free Ø   Very low in sodium They are high in: Ø   Protein and fiber Ø   Iron, zinc, potassium, phosphorus and selenium Ø   Vitamins B1, B3, B5 and B12 Ø   Vitamin C & vitamin D Medicinal properties: Ø   Cholesterol lowering Ø   Anti-oxidant Ø   Anti cancer At times, it becomes difficult to get fresh mushrooms, so I got a very nice product - mushroom powder. It can be used as per your requirement. It can be used in your soups, curries, rice, pasta, noodles etc. It gives...

Eat healt hy and consume right proteins – Hair health has to do with what’s under the scalp, since it eventually reflects on what’s above! The ‘live’ part of the hair is housed in the follicle, and just like the other organs, derives nutrition from food and the bloodstream. So if you find yourself nutrient-deficient, you’ll find your hair instantly looking lackluster, dull and thin. Protein is the building block of healthy hair, since it holds each strand together! Hair itself is made up of a protein called keratin, tends to be stripped off it with everyday styling, pollution and stress. Increase the protein levels in your diet by consuming a diet rich in dairy – cottage cheese, other unprocessed cheeses, ghee, yogurt – as well as eggs, poultry, legumes, lentils, green beans and limited amounts of soy. Eat and drink healthy. Keep yourself hydrated. The hair shaft comprises of one quarter of water, so drink atleast 8 glasses of water in a day. Eat a healthy diet of raw fruits a...