Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-07-19
Posted by Mary on Jul 19, 2009
- RT TrafficIntoCash SPECIAL! FIRST 10 SMALL BUSINESSES REPLY: we make & upload Internet Vid about Your Biz to 30+ Video Sites- $497 VALUE #
- Thanks for all the tweets! I LOVE reading them! Get my report on 7 Principles of Rejuvenation at http://www.AntiAgingSupplementsBlog.com #
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RT TrafficIntoCash SPECIAL! FI…
Posted by Mary on Jul 16, 2009
RT TrafficIntoCash SPECIAL! FIRST 10 SMALL BUSINESSES REPLY: we make & upload Internet Vid about Your Biz to 30+ Video Sites- $497 VALUE
Twitter Updates for 2009-07-16
Posted by Mary on Jul 16, 2009
- RT TrafficIntoCash SPECIAL! FIRST 10 SMALL BUSINESSES REPLY: we make & upload Internet Vid about Your Biz to 30+ Video Sites- $497 VALUE #
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Ayurvedic Cooking – Spotlight – Lentils
Posted by Mary on Jul 15, 2009
Lentils are storehouses of nutrition, especially fiber and protein, and are a staple of the vegetarian ayurvedic diet. Lentils come in a wide variety of shapes, colors and textures, and are eaten whole or split or split and hulled.
According to the ayurvedic perspective, the small lentils offer substance and nourishment while not being unduly burdensome on the digestion. To increase their digestibility, cook them to butter-soft consistency and cook them with digestion-enhancing spices like cumin and coriander.
Of the Indian dhals, mung dhal–split, hulled mung beans–are revered highly by ayurvedic healers because they cook easily, are easy on the digestion and are tri-doshic. Recuperating individuals are traditionally fed kitcheree–a mushy porridge of Basmati rice and mung dhal–as nourishing food on the road back to a normal digestion.
Urad dhal and whole urad–black lentils–are rich and heaviest of the small lentils. They are nourishing in the winter months, because they have an unctuous texture and are a “heavy” food. They need pre-soaking to cook down well. Add balancing spices such as ginger and black pepper to increase digestibility, and eat small portions.
Masoor are red lentils, and again can be eaten whole or split and hulled as masoor dhal. These also cook with relative ease, but may require some pre-soaking.
Toor dhal are split yellow lentils with a nutty flavor. These, when cooked, can be mashed into a puree to form a base for soups.
Channa dhal are split hulled black chick-peas. They have a nutty flavor, take longer to cook than most other dhals, and keep their shape even when fully cooked.
All of these dhals are readily available at Indian groceries or at some health food stores. They need to be stored in airtight containers in a dry, cool place, and used within 90-120 days of purchase. Sort through them before you wash them thoroughly to eliminate small stones or other debris.
Dhals combine well with vegetables, rice and wheat flatbreads.
A pressure cooker is very useful if you plan to eat dhals on a regular basis.
Ayurvedic Cooking – Spotlight – Lauki Squash
Posted by Mary on Jul 14, 2009
Lauki Squash belongs to the curcubitaceae family and is also known as bottle gourd. These gourds contain moderate amounts of Vitamins C and B complex and a few proteins. Their high water content makes them cooling and lubricating.
From the ayurvedic perspective, lauki is extremely Pitta pacifying. It particularly pacifies Bhrajaka Pitta, the sub-dosha of Pitta that governs the skin, by pacifying Ranjaka Pitta, which governs the liver and blood. It provides balanced rehydration for persons with fire, air or space predominant physiology.
Lauki is blessed with a good amount of soma (lunar energy element) from Nature, which is extremely balancing for persons with a strong fire element and nurturing for Vata persons with space or air predominant physiology.
The bottle gourd generally has a very pale green smooth skin. The flesh is white. Size and thickness can vary widely. Choose young, firm lauki for best results. Scrape and discard harder portions of skin, and scoop out and discard seeds before cooking.
Lauki is generally available at Asian grocery stores that sell fresh vegetables.
Never used Lauki Squash in a recipe before? Check out my New Recipe Section!
Twitter Updates for 2009-07-13
Posted by Mary on Jul 13, 2009
- Thanks for all the tweets! I LOVE reading them! Get my report on 7 Principles of Rejuvenation at http://www.AntiAgingSupplementsBlog.com #
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Ayurvedic Cooking – Spotlight – Mung Beans
Posted by Mary on Jul 13, 2009
Mung (moong) beans are small, cylindrical beans with a bright green skin. In ayurvedic cooking, they are used whole or, more commonly, split and hulled. Split and hulled mung beans are small and yellow and called mung (moong) dhal in India. These beans don’t need pre-soaking and are a snap to cook to butter-soft consistency if you have a pressure cooker. They can also be cooked in a slow cooker or on the stovetop. Sort beans and wash thoroughly before you cook them.
Mung beans are one of the most cherished foods in ayurveda. They are tridoshic–they can be eaten to balance all three doshas, especially when cooked with spices appropriate for each dosha. They are very nourishing, while being relatively easy to digest–they do not generally create abdominal gas or bloating, the drawbacks of larger beans. Persons recuperating are often recommended khichari, a combination of rice and mung beans, because of their ability to provide a good level of nourishment without overtaxing the digestion. They offer the astringent taste.
According to modern nutrition, mung beans offer 14 gms of protein per cooked cup. Mung beans are also a good source of dietary fiber. They also contain thiamin, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and copper, and are a good source of folate.
Mung beans can be eaten on their own, or combined with rice to make khichari, or combined with vegetables and greens to make hearty soups or ground into flour to be used to make crepes or added to breads. Turmeric, cumin, dried ginger and coriander are some spices that work very well with mung beans.
Mung beans are available at Indian groceries or health food stores.
Thanks for all the tweets! I …
Posted by Mary on Jul 13, 2009
Thanks for all the tweets! I LOVE reading them! Get my report on 7 Principles of Rejuvenation at http://www.AntiAgingSupplementsBlog.com
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-07-12
Posted by Mary on Jul 12, 2009
- Been trying some recipes based on Ayurvedic principles – SO GOOD! Will put them on my blog: http://www.AntiAgingSupplementsBlog.com #
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Ayurvedic Grains – Highlight – Basmati Rice
Posted by Mary on Jul 11, 2009
Flavorful, long-grained, aromatic Basmati rice is revered as a sattvic (pure) food by ayurvedic healers. Basmati rice is excellent for pacifying Vata, especially when cooked with a touch of rock salt and ghee. Basmati rice is also good for pacifying Pitta, as it falls in the sweet ayurvedic taste category. To pacify Pitta, enjoy Basmati rice in a rice pudding, or cooked with a pinch of cardamom and some rose water. If you are trying to balance Kapha, eat smaller portions of Basmati rice and eat it less often than other grains. Cook the rice with peppercorns, ginger and cumin when trying to balance Kapha, and eat it at lunch rather than in the evening.
Historically, the best, most flavorful Basmati rice has come from the Himalayan foothills. Basmati rice is now widely grown in many other parts of the world. Aged Basmati rice is more flavorful, and needs a little more time and a little more water to cook to perfection than ‘new’ Basmati rice.
Basmati rice is available at Indian and Asian groceries and in many health food stores and supermarkets. Store the raw rice in a clean, tightly-sealed container in a cool, dry, dark place. Wash well by rinsing multiple times (until the water runs clear) before cooking.
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