Feed Your Body Right - With Vitamin E in Your Diet (Vegetarian)

"Wake up to fitness" 

That's the little piece of advice on the beautiful glass frame hanging on the front wall of my room that my dad got for me long back. Probably because maintaining a good level of 'fitness' is one of the attributes that we all aspire in our lives.

I'd always wonder how people handle their demanding schedules without falling prey to any major illnesses these days when we all lead such a sedentary lifestyle. People brimming with incredible zest all the time still leave me speculate about what they eat and drink that supplies their body so much of energy. haha ;)

Over the years of my personal experience with picky eaters in my family (not just kids, but adults too), I realised that the best way to keep everybody's energy levels optimum is to adopt a healthy meal-style in everyday routine instead of preparing occasional healthy recipes. Because healthy eating habits have enduring effect on our physical and mental well-being.

For a well-known fact, vitamins are the substances our body needs for normal functioning. The best way to get the daily requirement of these substances is by eating food sources rich in specific nutrient. 

Image Credits: nextlevelfitness.net

Our body has 13 vitamins in total, further classified as fat-soluble and water soluble. Vitamin E is one of the essential fat-soluble substances that is stored in the body's fatty tissue and is used when needed. Technically speaking, Vitamin-E is responsible for protecting fats, cell membranes, DNA and enzymes against damage. But in a layman's language, it is the foundation of our healthy immune system.  

Now, before you expect me furnish an encyclopedia of facts and figures about know-how of vitamins, let me put my records on ;) I'm neither posting some recipes with fancy names that would put your culinary skills at stake nor a medical reference guide. I only wish to inspire every homemaker to tackle mealtime drama in a fuss-free way without compelling any of your family members to 'eat right'.

Image Credits: hellodoktor.com

Since we're a family of vegetarians, I'm listing some tried-n-tested common dietary recommendations for those who reject animal products in their diet considerations-

Broccoli - The Edible Green Plant

This close relative of cauliflower is most nutrients when eaten raw as salad greens. But the smart ways of cooking broccoli enhance certain health benefits, like it's cholesterol-lowering properties are powered in the boiled form. Not only, it's an ideal antioxidant but a proven detoxifier too. Eating broccoli regularly helps in reducing signs of ageing, allergic reactions and inflammation. It's immunity booster and anti-inflammatory properties prevent cancer and heart diseases. Due to the folate content in broccoli, it minimises the chances of birth defects in babies and so is suggested in the diet of pregnant women.

My family likes broccoli as a side dish. You may quickly steam broccoli stalks in the microwave and serve with a little salt, vinegar and olive oil. My personal choice is roasted aromatic broccoli. You might be surprised, but adding little oil and cheese to steamed broccoli turns into creamy, velvety green pasta sauce that children really love. 

Spinach- the super food of Popeye!! 

That's one of the healthiest green leafy vegetables loaded with multitude of health benefits one can ever have. The beauty of this veggie lies in its versatility. Eat it raw or cooked, it actually doesn't compromise the amount of its nutrients.You can toss it up in salads or add it to your soups, pasta, sandwiches and evening snacks. 

It's absolutely effective to prevent constipation and promotes a healthy digestive tract. The long term health benefits include lower risk of bone fracture, high blood pressure and asthma. My clever idea is to add a cupful of boiled spinach in my flour dough everyday during the winter season and cook chapatis (or any other Indian Breads). That way nobody gets a choice to skip the nutrition ;)

Cucumber - The Cooling Food

With a little source of Vitamin E, this crunchy and juicy vegetable is favourite of most of us. It helps to regulate body temperature, maintains uric acid level and prevents kidney stone. The cucumber extract can be used for topical skin application for a bright and youthful glow. You would probably find cucumber slices in salad or on your sandwich, but you may make delicious pickle, mocktails and baked snacks out of cucumber ;) People like my mom who are diabetic can safely be benefited from the consumption of cucumber juice. And my favourite is to mix grated cucumber into spiced yogurt and enjoy it in my lunch or dinner. You may bring a variation in your recipe by adding seasoning of your liking.

Bell Pepper - Crisp Flavourful Bells 

For a decent supply of Vitamin-E, green bell peppers should be included in your diet in either raw or cooked form. These really compliment the taste of noodles I cook at home for kids. Those who ditch eating raw bell pepper, try tasting it scatter over a green pasta salad. It's aroma ensures to make your food less boring ;) If consumed in adequate amounts, you may enjoy healthy eyesight and may lower the risk of oxidative stress, high cholesterol, and the formation of blood clots.

Kiwifruit - The Emerald Delight

A vibrant and not-so-ordinary fruit that's really a sight for the eyes is the choicest one among fruit lovers. This excellent source of Vitamin-E brings flair to any fruit salad and tickles your taste buds with zingy flavour. The sliced kiwi fruit sometimes softens other fruits in the fruit salad, so I either prefer eating it alone or add it's slices in my infuser bottle to enjoy the tangy flavour in every sip. It's good for keeping the blood sugar levels of diabetic patients under control.

Nuts - Nutrition on-the-go

Nuts are often eaten on their own as a snack. However, they can be added to salads, pastas, breakfast cereals, soups and baked dishes. Almonds, Walnuts and Peanuts are known for their high amount of Vitamin E. Munching a handful of these nuts combats the risk of cardiovascular diseases. We all have those elderly members in our families who strongly advocate consumption of these nuts on daily basis for improvements in brain function and retention. For the busy-bees in this fast paced life, nuts are a quick fix of energy. People who have dry and flaky skin like me can apply lukewarm almond oil or walnut oil on their skin to boost the growth of cells and look radiant. 

Vegetable Oils
Vegetable and plant oils are natural sources of vitamin E and may fulfil great share of our daily intake needs. Olive oil, sunflower oil, wheat germ oil, canola oil, olive oil etc are the best Vitamin E rich oils. I've switched to canola oil from my previous cooking oil as a healthier alternative. It can be used in everyday cooking to stir fry, shallow fry or deep fry the food items. Using it for everyday cooking not only lowers the cholesterol but also improves the appearance of the skin. The high amount of Vitamin E present in canola oil keeps body’s metabolism move at a normal rate which is otherwise a task.

Why Supplements?

Usually our body's daily intake of Vitamin E (i.e. 15 mg) is likely to be fulfilled by the kind of wholesome diet we consume. But if your body doesn't respond to absorb fat properly and/or has digestive disorders, then it's difficult to achieve the intake level from diet alone, thus requires supplementation to avoid its deficiency. I've seen my dad consuming #Evion soft gelatin capsules, one of the most trusted Vitamin E supplements that effectively helps to avoid a number of deficiency-related diseases and age-associated disorders.

Usually adding a daily vitamin E supplement that has an ideal balance of all natural compounds may be a good way to ensure you're taking enough of this important vitamin, but it's always recommended to consult your heath care provider first for any possible interaction of these supplements with your ongoing medication (if any). Lastly, remember that vitamin E is fat-soluble, so these supplements are best absorbed when taken with food.

Hope these Vitamin-E rich vegetarian choices grabbed your attention and maybe it’s time to start adopting these in your diet to enjoy better health yourself! Got any tips for us, please share :)

Food Photography & Asus Zenfone 2

"Your camera quality barely matters if you have to click only food pics..." is the most humorous thing about food photographers that I have ever come across. I mean how can people think of food bloggers as amateurs who incidentally or accidentally get to click fabulous food pic :/ The food also deserves to be clicked with perfect shot in much-appetizing & tempting manner. Not all the time, we (the food bloggers) get a chance to strike a balance between the camera settings and the food being presented in front of our eyes..Infact I had messed up many a times just because it took my phone camera a li'l extra time to adjust its exposure, focus, flash, composition etc :( But I believe my hunt for an appropriate camera will end soon with the launch of Asus ZenFone 2 that is said to have critically acclaimed PixelMaster Camera loaded with marvelous features.

So here is why I think the unique ASUS-developed PixelMaster Camera technology will be my rescuer for my food photography...

AsusZenfone2

When my pics get blurred in dim light of a restaurant: The root cause of blurry pics is the lack of enough light getting to the sensor of camera. The potential solution is PixelMaster Camera's Low Light mode which is designed to take brighter images in low light conditions. It basically combines four adjacent pixels into one and applies image processing algorithms to increase the light sensitivity by up to 400% and boosts the color contrast by up to 200%. And the result is ...clearer high quality picture with optimum noise cancellation.

When the picture turns out in false colors: Having some more bright areas in a food pic may be due to overexposed areas. Even the Color noise may adversely affect the quality of a pic to greater extent when you find it difficult to relate the picture to 'true-to-life- color. PixelMaster Camera's Depth of Field feature will bring the pic to true colors by helping me click pics to isolate objects from their background highlighting certain aspect of a picture.

When a passer-by ruins the well-captured picture: While attending an event in the town, not enough time is given to every individual to click the food object presented at the center stage. And it hurts when an unwanted moving object spoils your most precious photograph accidentally :( PixelMaster Camera's Smart Remove feature is ready to smartly erase the unwanted moving objects from your photos and hence giving a magically uplift to the pic quality :)

When I want to click a food selfie: Not to forget mentioning my passion for selfies ;) And a selfie with my food preparation is not worth missing actually. But when I get imbalanced due to the difficulty in holding the food preparation for a selfie, onviously it gets shaky. I would love to use PixelMaster Camera's Selfie mode that will help me click wonderful selfies after the acoustic countdown initiation & will automatically take a burst of three pictures to capture the best moments :)

In short, the PixelMaster Camera is a noteworthy tool of Asus ZenFone 2 which proves that one doesn’t necessarily need a super fancy camera beyond your budget to take appealing food pics.

A Chapter of Comprehensive Learning

Teaching, in my views, is a dynamic experience...I mean when we formally teach the students we are the givers of knowledge; but even when we are not even opening the text books, still the process of sharing knowledge is always on.

Teaching is taken in a new perspective in present times. We, the teachers, are expected to eliminate the traditional methodology of rote-learning and present facts to the students that can be retained for longer time span.

I personally see this scenario as a beneficial approach from a teacher's aspect. Because when a teacher  swaps his/her position with a pupil, there is a possibility of 'LEARNING' valuable lessons from younger generation.

Last weekend, I had been involved with the annual show themed as 'Incredible India: Carnival 2014' at St.Soldier, Mohali and here are some memorable moments of the day that left me mesmerized by the talent that was exhibited by my enthusiastic students ...

During the show, India - the abode of cultural confluence, the cradle of human race, the grandmother of legacy and the great grandmother of tradition was deftly showcased in a vibrant manner.

The Indian cultural history had carved a niche of its own. The students from senior school mesmerized one and all by putting up a fabulous exhibition that depicted the myriad hues of five zones of the motherland viz. North, East, South, West and Central.

The unique cultural diversity and vibrancy of India was beautifully presented through folk dances from various zones beautifully choreographed by the popular 'Dance Pe Chance' Academy from the region. From Punjab’s Luddi, Kashmir’s Bhumbroo , Rajasthani’s Kalbelia and Ghumar , Maharashtra’s Lavni to Gujarat’s Dandia, South India’s Kathakali and Bharatnatyam; each and every performance entertained the audience.

The highlight of the show was the Puppetry Show-‘Namak Ki Keemat’. Soulful rendition of folk songs of different areas, models of ancient architectural specimens and monuments made by the students stood testimony to the rich legacy and varied culture heritage of India.

The traditional food and cuisines of different zones tickled the taste buds of every connoisseur and satiated the palate of gourmets with mouth watering catteries and delicacies. The mega event ended with the grand finale ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara’ conveying the message of unity in diversity.

By the end of the day, every bone of my body was aching since we all had toiled for almost 3 weeks for this show, but the grand success of the show plus the contentment of getting to know the trivia of my own nation was the reward of every minute spent there.

It feels privileged to be a part of such fulfilling experiences !! So how you feel about this post :)