Avocado jam roll

ingredients:

smashed avocado - 1/2 cup
whole wheat flour - 1 cup
salt - 1/4 tsp
oil - few drops
smashed garlic - 2 pods

Mix all ingredients together to make a soft non sticky dough.
Make the dough in to 4 equal balls. Flatten them to make chappathis / burrito.
Cook it in the medium hot tawa for 2 min each side until completely done.
Keep it on a plate and spread your kids favourite jam and roll. This yummy dish
is wholesome for anytime meal which fits the snack box also.

Titbit: no need to add water / milk while mixing the dough.
Few spoons of above doesn't matter if the dough breaks apart or dry.

Deciphering a Label

The nutrition label pasted on any product is an important source of information contained in that product. Such a label should be carefully read, scrutinised and understood clearly so as to gain the full benefit.The key to knowing whether the foods you're buying are as nutritious as they seem is being able to read the nutrition labels. Some tips from the experts can help you navigate the information on a food package:

• Be mindful of portion size: People always miss the serving size, the packaging can make a food or drink look like a single serving, when it's actually two or more.

• Look for foods that are trans fat-free: Trans fat is harmful for your heart, While you're at it, though, also scan the label for partially hydrogenated oils, another ingredient you should avoid.

• Don't be seduced by misleading words: Organic doesn't necessarily mean a food is low in calories, and "fat-free" can be a mask for loads of added sugars to hide behind, Instead of assuming these marketing catch-phrases indicate a healthy food, check out the label and be mindful of the order in which the ingredients are itemized. If an unhealthy one like sugar is at or near the beginning of the list, steer clear of the food.

Drink baking soda water

Drinking baking soda, or bicarbonate powder, dissolved in water is a folk remedy that has been used for many generations to alleviate the symptoms of indigestion, heartburn, infections and arthritis, among other problems. Baking soda is an alkaline compound that reduces acidity in the body. The typical American diet is highly acidic, which allows many diseases and conditions to develop and flourish. Baking soda, taken in moderate amounts and at appropriate times, promotes healthy biochemistry.

Acidic Diets

The typical American diet has changed greatly over the last century. In earlier eras, Americans consumed much more fresh vegetables, fruits, dairy products, while only eating moderate amounts of animal-based protein, which contributed to a healthy alkaline environment within the body. In recent decades, the American diet has become based on "fast foods," refined and processed prepared foods, carbohydrates, sugary drinks and excessive amounts of high-fat meats. Modern diets produce much more acidity within the body, which compromises immunity and causes a variety of symptoms.

 

 

Acidity Crisis

Human blood must be alkaline to effectively transport nutrients and waste products, and to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide with other tissues. Specifically, the blood must measure close to 7.35 on the pH scale, which is a logarithmic measurement of hydrogen ions and acidity. An acidic diet puts the body into a crisis because it threatens to lower the pH measurement of the blood. According to "Biochemical, Physiological and Molecular Aspects of Human Nutrition," the body reacts by liberating calcium and magnesium from the skeleton and depositing it into the bloodstream and other tissues, which has an alkalizing affect. However, mineral loss weakens and disfigures bones and leads to osteoporosis, osteomalacia and arthritis. Excessive minerals in the bloodstream contribute to atherosclerosis, or hardened arteries. Further, acidity reduces immunity and promotes the growth and proliferation of pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses and parasites.

Benefits of Baking Soda

Drinking baking soda dissolved in water is a quick and affordable method of neutralizing the effects of an acidic diet or meal. Baking soda readily dissolves in water and is absorbed quickly in the intestines. It can be helpful for acid reflex, indigestion or an upset stomach. The carbonation that occurs when baking soda is mixed with water can promote burping, which can relieve excess gas and bloating. According to "Human Biochemistry and Disease," the alkalinity that occurs with drinking baking soda can dissolve the painful uric acid crystals of gout and relieve the inflammation of arthritis.

Recommendations

Baking soda dissolved in water is best taken between meals. If taken with food, it will reduce the effectiveness of the stomach's acid and compromise digestion. One or two teaspoons of baking soda in an eight ounce glass of purified water twice daily is a common recommendation for people wanting to increase the alkalinity of their body. Of course, dietary changes are helpful too, but the baking soda is often easier for people to start with. A complementary addition to the baking soda beverage is a wedge of lemon or lime, which are strongly alkalizing fruits that also add some flavor. Because baking soda does contain some impurities, some people prefer pure bicarbonate powder, which has the same alkalizing affect.

 

Baby corn

You might think because of its size that baby corn is grown from miniature corn plants, but it's actually just regular corn that has been picked before its matured. Most of the baby corn found in the United States is in a can and imported from Asia. While corn is considered a starchy vegetable because of its carb content, baby corn has a nutritional makeup closer to a non-starchy vegetable. Plus, it's a good source of essential nutrients that keep you healthy.

Low-Calorie Corn

Baby corn is a low-calorie vegetable with 25 calories per 1/2-cup serving. By comparison, a 1/2-cup serving of regular corn kernels, which is considered a starchy vegetable, has 80 calories. The baby corn has a similar calorie content to other non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and green beans. As a low-calorie food, baby corn can fill you up without costing you too many calories, making it a good choice for those trying to lose or maintain a healthy weight.

LOW-CARB, HIGH-FIBER CORN

Just like the calories, baby corn also has a lower carb count than regular corn, but is still a good source of fiber. A 1/2-cup serving of baby corn contains just 4 grams of carbs, versus 15 grams in 1/2-cup of regular corn kernels, and 2 grams of fiber. Getting more fiber in your diet offers a number of health benefits, including a lower risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Fiber in foods such as baby corn also help keep you feeling full and have been associated with lower body weights.

SOME PROTEIN AND FAT FREE

A 1/2-cup serving of baby corn contains 2 grams of protein and 0 grams of fat. Both protein and fat are essential nutrients, but if you eat a variety of foods you should be able to more than adequately meet your needs. It is recommended that you get 10 to 35 percent of your calories from protein and 20 to 35 percent of your calories from fat. Protein is needed to make new cells, and fat acts as a source of energy.

WATCH THE SODIUM

As a canned food, baby corn is a source of sodium. A 1/2-cup serving of baby corn contains 280 milligrams of sodium. If you're concerned about the sodium content, you may be able to find fresh baby corn at your local farmer's market. Too much sodium in the diet raises blood pressure and may cause fluid retention. Ideally, your daily intake of sodium should be less than 2,300 milligrams a day.

VITAMINS AND MINERALS

Baby corn is nutrient-rich, and a 1/2-cup serving meets 4 percent of the daily value for vitamin A and iron, and 2 percent of the daily value for vitamin C. As essential nutrients for your immune system, both vitamins A and C help your body fight off infection . Your body needs iron to transport oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body .

Button Mushrooms

This valuable info adapted from fresh mushrooms,

Scientists at City of Hope were some of the first to find a potential link between mushrooms and a decreased likelihood of tumor growth and development in cells and animals. City of Hope researchers now plan to apply this research to human clinical trials. 

For thousands of years, Eastern cultures have revered mushrooms’ health benefits.¹ Mushrooms have long been celebrated as a source of powerful nutrients, but they can also help Americans meet the dietary recommendations set forth in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines and Institute of Medicine’s Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D.

Often grouped with vegetables, mushrooms provide many of the nutritional attributes of produce, as well as attributes more commonly found in meat, beans or grains. Mushrooms are low in calories, fat-free, cholesterol-free and very low in sodium, yet they provide important nutrients, including selenium, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin D and more.
The focus on the nutritional value of brightly colored fruits and vegetables has unintentionally left mushrooms in the dark.

 Mushrooms provide a number of nutrients:

• Mushrooms are a good source of B vitamins, including riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid, which help to provide energy by breaking down proteins, fats and carbohydrates². B vitamins also play an important role in the nervous system.
  • Pantothenic acid helps with the production of hormones and also plays an important role in the nervous system².
  • Riboflavin helps maintain healthy red blood cells².
  • Niacin promotes healthy skin and makes sure the digestive and nervous systems function properly².
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• Mushrooms are also a source of important minerals:
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• Selenium is a mineral that works as an antioxidant to protect body cells from damage that might lead to heart disease, some cancers and other diseases of aging². It also has been found to be important for the immune system and fertility in men³. Many foods of animal origin and grains are good sources of selenium, but mushrooms are among the richest sources of selenium in the produce aisle and provide 8-22 mcg per serving⁴. This is good news for vegetarians, whose sources of selenium are limited.
• Ergothioneine is a naturally occurring antioxidant that also may help protect the body’s cells. Mushrooms provide 2.8-4.9 mg of ergothioneine per serving of white, portabella or crimini mushrooms⁵.
• Copper helps make red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body. Copper also helps keep bones and nerves healthy².
• Potassium is an important mineral many people do not get enough of. It aids in the maintenance of normal fluid and mineral balance, which helps control blood pressure. It also plays a role in making sure nerves and muscles, including the heart, function properly². Mushrooms have 98-376 mg of potassium per 84 gram serving, which is 3-11 percent of the Daily Value⁴.

• Beta-glucans, found in numerous mushroom species, have shown marked immunity-stimulating effects, contribute to resistance against allergies and may also participate in physiological processes related to the metabolism of fats and sugars in the human body. The beta-glucans contained in oyster, shiitake and split gill mushrooms are considered to be the most effective⁶.

Antioxidants and Immunitiy

• Mushrooms are the leading source of the essential antioxidant selenium in the produce aisle. Antioxidants, like selenium, protect body cells from damage that might lead to chronic diseases. They help to strengthen the immune system, as well². In addition, mushrooms provide ergothioneine, a naturally occurring antioxidant that may help protect the body’s cells.

  Weight management:
  Mushrooms are hearty and filling. Preliminary research suggests increasing intake of low-energy-density foods (meaning few calories given the volume of food), specifically mushrooms, in place of high-energy-density foods, like lean ground beef, can be an effective method for reducing daily energy and fat intake while still feeling full and satiated after the meal.
  Umami and Sodium

  Umami is the fifth basic taste after sweet, salty, bitter and sour. Derived from the Japanese word umai, meaning “delicious,” umami (pronounced oo-MAH-mee) is described as a savory, brothy, rich or meaty taste sensation. It’s a satisfying sense of deep, complete flavor, balancing savory flavors and full-bodied taste with distinctive qualities of aroma and mouthfeel.⁸ The more umami present in food, the more flavorful it will be. All mushrooms are a rich source of umami and the darker the mushroom the more umami it contains.

  Another interesting characteristic about umami is that it counterbalances saltiness and allows for less salt to be used in a meal, without compromising flavor. “Tasting Success with Cutting Salt,” a collaborative report from the department of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health and the Culinary Institute of America, suggests cooking with umami-rich ingredients, like mushrooms, instead of salt to reduce the overall sodium in a dish.
  Vitamin D

  When building your plate to maximize vitamin D, consider mushrooms – they’re the only source of vitamin D in the produce aisle and one of the few non-fortified food sources. In fact, the IOM recognizes them as the exception to the rule that plant foods don’t naturally contain vitamin D.

  
  

  Go to mushroom info.com for further clarifications and details.