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March 15, 2019 Food, Lifestyle

Breakfast: Eat like a king

Adelle Davis, the woman who first pioneered the first ideas of nutrition said – Breakfast like a King; Lunch like a Prince and Dinner like a Pauper. Today after so many years, the entire world of health and nutrition have come to the common consensus that – breakfast is the most important meal of the day and we all should start this meal as a king. It is because, all through the day whatever comes our way, we will be at our royal best tackling all.

Eating a healthy and nutritious breakfast in the morning and one which includes proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and other nutrients is the most crucial needs of the overall health and functionality of our body. Wherein, proteins help build muscles and make them strong, carbohydrates provide the body with the fuel it needs to run throughout the day, vitamins and other nutrients like calcium helps develop stronger bones and improves our mental alertness.

Why is breakfast so important?

As the name suggests – breakfast means breaking fast after a long night without food. The gap between the two meals – dinner and breakfast, is the longest – more than almost 10 to 12 hours. Breakfast is the meal that you have for the first time after the day starts and you are having something to eat after a long period.

Breakfast kick starts the metabolism and helps burn calories throughout the day, which means that it helps losing weight also. It helps to stay focused and provides the body with the much-needed energy it needs to function optimally.

Healthy breakfast Muesli- Pixabay — Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Having a breakfast like a king can bring about a great change in our body and thereby our life. When you skip your breakfast and starve yourself, your body enters the defence mode and start conserving the energy and throws the body into slower metabolic process. This further affects the calorie burning process of the body causing weight gain.

Here are some importance of having a breakfast and having it like a king:

It helps improving our performance

The body gets energy deficient and dehydrated after a long night sleep. With a healthy breakfast, get to re-energize the body. After we have had breakfast, the body gets its essential nutrients. you could easily make out that your cognitive functions have improved like concentration, focus, speed and problem-solving skills.

Re-energises the body -breakfast — Image by Ryan McGuire from Pixabay

It prevents from gaining weight

Most of the time, people think that skipping their breakfasts can help them consume lesser calories. On the contrary, breakfast helps in consuming lesser calories by keeping you full throughout the day and preventing you from overeating during meals. The foods you eat during breakfast provides the body with essential nutrients that is stored in the body as energy and makes you feel productive during the day.

It makes you feel energized

It is quite simple – you eat you feel good and you do not eat and you would not feel so good, and this applies to breakfast also. Breakfast happens to be the first meal of the day, and you are having something to eat after almost 8 to 10 hours of gap. Our body need energy to function properly and this energy comes from the food that we eat. So, when we eat in the morning, it kick starts our body’s energy and makes us ready for the day to come.

Healthy breakfast recipe- Breakfast salad — **Healthy breakfast recipes**

It benefits the skin

We know that eggs, lean proteins, fruits and nuts are an intricate part of a healthy breakfast. All of these foods are enriched with the goodness of vitamin A and D and lutein – that helps maintain healthy and glowing skin.

Foods which strengthen our bones

When we see elderly people walking upright and even see them jogging in the nearby park, it leaves us guessing – what is it that makes them so much fitter and stronger at such an age? On the contrary we also see young people around us, unable to move properly or limp or find it difficult to make normal movements.

Well! The answer to it is efforts and good health, especially taking good care on our bones, right from the beginning – a healthy balanced diet which consists of foods that promote bone health right from our early age. Yes, it is true that as we age, bone health becomes a concern.

Bones are an important part of our body constitution and we should maintain and keep them healthy by feeding them with the right food and ensue their longevity. Poor health of our bones can cause certain conditions like osteoporosis and rickets and increase the risk of damage or break from injuries as we start aging. By eating a healthy and balanced diet we are able to provide all the nutrients required for healthy bones.

Foods that help maintain a healthy bone structure and strengthen our skeleton:

When it is about building and strengthening our bone structure there are two essential nutrients involved – calcium and vitamin D, wherein, calcium aids in support bone and teeth structure, vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium and bone growth. The process should start at an early age, so that as we age our bones does not become brittle and prone to breaking and damages.

Dark Leafy Greens and Veggies: It’s not any gimmick. Try to teach and make greens your favourite choice when it is about foods. They are just what the bones needs – the bone-building nutrients (Calcium, Magnesium and Vitamin K). Some good ones are spinach, dandelion, kale and Swiss chard.

by Marcel_Ekkel Look at all those green veggies!!!!! for good bones — Look at all those green veggies!!!!! by Marcel_Ekkel on Flikr

Nuts and Seeds: Bones are not just hard and solid structures, they are living and have cells too and fluids. The bone cells break and again builds up and that is how they heal after braking and also remain strong. The moment we think of bones, calcium is the first thing that comes to our mind. Our entire skeleton is made up of 50% calcium, but at the same time it is other minerals too that is important.

Manganese in one such mineral that resides on our bones and its good source is seeds – pumpkin, Brazil Nuts and other seeds.

Nuts and seeds for good bones — Image by ExplorerBob on Pixabay

Walnuts are enriched with alpha linoleic acid and omega-3 fatty acids and helps decrease chances of bone breakdown.

Yoghurt and other Dairy products: Has high contents of proteins and good gut bacteria, and thereby promoting good health. It is also enriched with high quantity of calcium. Best is to go for low-fat yoghurt which serves as a healthy snack and keeps you fuller. Greek yoghurt is enriched with the additional goodness of extra proteins.

Milk for good bones — Image by Kaz on Pixabay

Milk is a good source of calcium and vitamin D and helps to delay the loss of bone mass. It is also fortified. Choose non-fat milk for a better outcome.

Fatty Fish like Salmon and Tuna: Mainly known for its high contents of omega-3 fatty acids, certain species of salmon like to sockeye salmon is high in vitamin D also. Tuna is another good source of vitamin D and calcium. Make sure you add these two in your diet to fulfil your daily dose of the much needed vitamin and calcium.

Beans: Especially black, white, kidney and pinto beans provides with a good dosage of vitamin D and some amount of calcium. Also people who eat beans in appropriate quantities in their diet, have lower risks of heart diseases, obesity and even cancers. Enjoy them the way you like.

Bone health has been a universal health concern for all ages. If its care and maintenance are started at a younger age, you will be one of those who people will admire when you jog around in the nearby park at an older age. Diet and supplements are the best way to keep feeding the bones with the right nutrients.

Ashu Gupta is the founder of Ashu Gupta’s Diet Clinic and an acclaimed dietician and nutritionist. Her desires to see people around her life, a life full of good health and happiness made her pursue a career in food, health and nutrition. She staunchly believes that healthy living is not about just eating plain and tasteless foods and following strict guidelines with a lot of restrictions, but it is about enjoying life to the fullest with certain lifestyle modifications and enjoying all the good foods.

January 21, 2019 Food, Recipes

Very Berry Delicious!

It is the time of the year when the berries are available in the market-the most notable being strawberries.

The following are some delicious recipes using berries. Do try them out in your spare time.

Devil’s love bite cocktail

Ingredients

½ cup strawberry puree;

½ peg white rum,

Sugar syrup to taste;

2 tbsp. lemon juice

Preparation:

Blend fresh strawberries and strain the juice.
Shake along with the remaining ingredients in Boston shaker.
Garnish with fresh cut strawberries and salt on the glass rim.

Baked berry cheesecake

Ingredients:

75 gms butter melted plus extra for greasing;

175 gms digestive biscuits;

175 gms seasonal berries plus extra for decorating;

450 gms cream cheese;

150 gms caster sugar;

1 tsp. vanilla extract;

4 eggs lightly beaten;

Icing sugar to dust

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Butter the sides and base of a 24cm cake tin. Place the biscuits into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles rough breadcrumbs.
Alternatively, place them into a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin. Mix the crushed biscuits with the melted butter and press down into the base of the tin.
Spread the berries over the base and allow for chilling in the fridge for an hour.
Beat the cream, cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and the eggs together in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.
Pour over the top of the berries and then bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until pale golden and only wobbles slightly when you gently shake the tin.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for about 10-15 minutes.
Then run a knife around the edge to loosen it and carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin.
Sprinkle over a few blueberries/strawberries, then dust with icing sugar Best eaten at room temperature.

Raspberry Macaroons

Ingredients

100 gms almond powder

180 gms icing sugar,

100 gms egg whites,

¼ tsp cream of tartar,

35 gms castor sugar,

A few drops of pink gel paste food color.

Preparation:

Baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Place the almond powder and confectioners’ sugar in a food processor and process until finely ground (about 1 to 2 minutes).
Sift the mixture to remove any lumps. In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar gradually add the superfine sugar, and continue to beat, on high speed, until the meringue holds in glossy and stiff peaks.
Once the almond structure is completely folded into the meringue, fill a pastry bag with the batter.
Pipe rounds of batter onto the parchment paper. Let the macaroons sit at room temperature for about 30-60 minutes.
Meanwhile preheat your oven to 150 degrees c. Bake macaroons for about 16-20 minutes. Remove from oven and place the baking sheet on a wire rack. Let the macaroons cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet. Place the macaroons on a wire rack to cool completely.

Raspberry filling– In a bowl beat or whisk, the cream cheese with the mascarpone cheese until nice and smooth with no lumps. Stir in 3-4 tbsp. of raspberry jam until well combined. Place in a small piping bag.

To assemble macaroons– Start with two cookies of about the same size. Pipe a round of raspberry filling onto the flat bottom side of one cookie. Take the second cookie and place it (top side up) on top of the filling to sandwich together.

Enjoy!

You may also like Banish the Blues with Blueberries

Rainbow sangria

Ingredients

White wine,

Black grapes,

Chopped strawberries,

Pineapple,

Orange and green apples.

Preparation– Stack black grapes at the bottom of the tall glass. Add ice cubes over the grapes. Stack the entire remaining fruits one above the other. Pour white wine and garnish with strawberry.

Start this year with modern cocktails, strawberries

Recipe courtesy- Siva Kumar, Pastry Chef at Ibis and Novotel Bengaluru and Executive Chef, Gopal Jha, Grand Mercure, Bangalore

January 14, 2019 Food, Round the world, Travel

Best places to visit in Budapest

If you are planning a trip to Budapest or are currently in Europe, don’t miss these best places to visit in Budapest

Buda Castle, Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion, Budapest

The Buda Castle, Matthias Church and Fishermans bastion are very popular attractions on the Buda hill. You can walk across the towards the end of the chain bridge and there is a funicular which takes you directly to the castle hill. Be sure to see all these places and there are a number of important museums out there like Hungarian History Museum, National gallery etc..

Szechnyi , Gllert or Rudas Baths

Baths are must-see and unique to Budapest. You have to spend about 3000 forints to enter baths.

The Hungarian Parliament

Hungarian Parliament building IC:
Godot13
Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 4.0

The Hungarian Parliament is a majestic aesthetically crafted building and the front of the parliament is really beautiful. You can’t miss the guided tour inside the parliament and it is a must-see.

Heroes Square (Hosok Ter)

Hősök tere (meaning “Heroes’ Square” in Hungarian) is one of the major squares of Budapest, Hungary, rich with historic and political connotations. It lies at the end of Andrássy Avenue (with which it comprises part of an extensive World Heritage site), next to City Park.

IC:
Alex Proimos from Sydney, Australia

Heroes Square is the place where Andrassy street ends and it is not far from Deak Ferenc square. There are important museums on either side of the square and visiting them takes at least 2-3 hrs. If you walk behind the heroes square, you can visit szechnyi thermal baths, the castle and a beautiful park. This is a very important monument and well worth spending your time visiting.

St. Stephens Basilica (Panoramic view)

The St.Stephens Basilica is one of the important tourist attraction and the third highest church in Hungary. The sheer size of the basilica, its facade and bell towers is worth admiring. You can go on top of the tower through life and see the best panoramic views of Budapest and you can’t certainly miss that.

The Margarit Island

Budapest cosmos Margaret island Mexican autumn rose
IC: Pixabay

The Margarit island, not far from Parliament is a long island completely a park. You can relax if you are a nature admirer of green vegetation. The park is very well maintained and is very big and certainly renting a cycle is very recommended to see the island. There is a bus which runs through the island and there are also hotels at the end of the island.

Gellert Hill and Citadella

Gellert Hill is also a very important tourist attraction in Budapest. If you wish you can climb the hill starting from Gellert bath near Szabadsag and climb up. It might be tiring to reach Gellert but climbing up and down is a really fun part of exploring the hill.

The Chain Bridge (Szechenyi Hid)

Széchenyi Chain Bridge in Budapest, connecting Buda with Pest, by Silar 2010

Walk on the chain bridge at night (amazing)

Deak Ferenc Ter (Main city centre)

Károly Boulevard, ‘Deak Ferenc ter’ temporarily tram stop and bus – waiting area for tram replacement buses. The ‘real’ Deak Square is two blocks away.
IC: Kleszczu

Main city centre in Budapest. Start from here and all the tourist buses start from here

Vaci Street (shopping street)

Vaci street is one of the main shopping and restaurant street in Budapest. It starts with Deak Ferenc and is a very long street buzzing with tourists.

House of Terror Museum (Andrassy street)

House of Terror in Budapest, Hungary
IC: Chmee2/Valtameri

The Terror Museum on Andrassy avenue contains exhibits related to the fascist and communist dictatorial regimes in 20th century Hungary and is also a memorial. Tickets are not free but I think you can get discounts with Budapest card. It is at a walkable distance from opera.

The Hungarian State Opera

The State Opera is one of the buildings and must be visited at least for a photo. Guided tours are available inside the opera and are worth visiting. For timings please the www.opera.hu website.

The Central Market Hall

Budapest great market hall Hungary building IC:Pixabay

The Central market hall is one of the biggest market halls in central Europe. It attracts many tourists for its sheer size and there are hundreds of shops inside for shopping souvenirs, food items, Hungarian delicacies at very reasonable prices. It is at Szabadsag bridge and it can be reached by taking a tram from Deak Ferenc ter.

Castle of Vajdahunyad

The Vajdahunyad Castle and entrance is not very far Heroes square and in fact if you walk it is just behind it. This castle cannot be missed and especially a beautiful church inside it and you would love to take pictures of the castle and gardens. The castle is now Agriculture museum.

Museum of Applied Arts

Lake Balaton: 1 -day full tour

Lake Balaton is the largest fresh-water lake in Central Europe and is about 1 hr from Budapest and there are full-day bus tour trips conducted by tourist companies which include Herend porcelain visit, lunch and spending half a day at Balaton. During summer, over a million tourists visit Lake Balaton and is one of the main attractions in Hungary. Enquire about this at the tourist information office in Budapest and they will book you with one of the companies. You can also take a train which runs from Deli Payaudvar station (Red line metro) to Lake Balaton if you prefer. Very certainly, you will get to enjoy unique Lake Balaton and there are plenty of souvenir shops out there to shop. Be sure to add 1 more day to your trip itinerary, if you want to visit Lake Balaton.

Danube Night River Cruise with dinner and live music

The cruise ride during Night is the best way to see Budapest with all bridges and parliament and castle lit up at night and it is so beautiful. You can get to catch a glimpse of both Buda and Pest on both sides when sailing. The cruise trip starts at night 20:00 and is about 2.5 hr trip including dinner. You have to get tickets at Budapest port or near Erzsebet bridge (White bridge) on the riverside, and there is a ticket counter to buy tickets.

River Ride Bus

The River ride bus is very unique and is the main attraction in Budapest. The bus runs both on land and water and this way you get to see Budapest both on land and water.

References and Links

Tourist Information Office: http://tourinform.hu/english

Restaurants

You will find nice restaurants in these areas. walk around liszt ferencz square near oktogon, then raday utca. There are tonnes but Gundel is the most famous and expensive restaurant.

Coffee Shops

Grab a coffee in Central cafe, New York coffee, Alexandria cafe (worth seeing)