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The Complete Book of Herbs & Spices
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Namaskaar
Indian restaurant
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Indian food surprises us not only with its incomparable flavors and scents
thanks to the use of specific combination of spices.
India's vast reservoir of spices
made from its abundance of tropical herbs and contains medicinal and
preservative properties.
Herbs and spices make
simple vegetarian dishes flavorsome and really exciting. Even nowadays when
most Indian cuisine lovers can afford meat, each kind of meat can taste
completely different when different spices are added. In general, Indian
cuisine is not only tasty but also very healthy.
The
meat is either cooked in a wok or in a special tandoori oven – therefore
it’s not fatty, neither overcooked. It’s served along with vegetables and
rice – giving a well-balanced mixture of carbohydrates and proteins.
It is
widely known that Indian cuisine is very healthy and can protect you against heart problems, strokes, cancer, and obesity problems.
In India, a knob of fresh ginger
added to tea is believed to relieve sore throats and head colds, not to
mention it’s aphrodisiacal properties! Turmeric is splendid against skin
diseases and neem leaves are used to guard against small pox
Choose the diet, the best for you!!!
is a delectable way for people who love great-tasting food and wine to slim down and feel healthier.
Spicy food may keep cancer away
A daily diet rich in spices may offer protection against cancer and other
illnesses. This may be reason, why Indians suffer lower cases of many
cancers. A chemical called capsaicin, which fives spicy food its kick, holds
they key to the next generation of anti - cancer drugs. Timothy Bates and
other researchers at the University of Nottingham found that capsaicin can
kill cancer cells by directly targeting their energy source, indicating that
people could control or prevent the onset of cancer by eating a diet rich in
capsaicin.
Researchers tested the compound in laboratory on human lung cancer cells. A
similar test on pancreatic cancer - one of the most difficult forms of
cancer to treat - also produced results hailed as highly significant. As
these compounds attack the very heart of the tumor cells.
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Curcumin
halts spread of breast cancer
Curcumin,
the main ingredient of turmeric and the compound
that gives curry its mustard yellow color,
inhibits metastasis to the lungs of mice with
breast cancer, report researchers at The
University of Texax M.D. Anderson Center Cancer.
The study,
published in the Oct 15 issue of the journal
Clinical Cancer Research, reports that the spice
appears to shut down a protein active in the
spread of breast cancer to a major target for
metastasis. Metastasis is the spread of
disease-producing organisms or malignant cell
from one to other part of the body.
Though the
study results are early, researchers found that
the non-toxic natural substance not only
repelled progression of the disease to the
lungs, but also appeared to reverse the effects
of paclitaxel (Taxol TM), a commonly prescribed
chemotherapy for breast cancer that may trigger
spread of the disease with use over a long
period of time. Because Taxol is so toxic, it
activates a protein that produces an
inflammatory response that induces metastasis.
Curcumin suppresses this response, making it
impossible for the cancer to spread. In fact,
researchers found that adding curcumin to Taxol
actually enhances its effect. Curcumin breaks
down the dose, making the therapy less toxic and
jus as powerful while delivering the same lever
of efficacy. [..]
Extracted
from the roots of the curcoma longa
plant, curcumin is a member of the ginger
family. While it is not used in conventional
medicine, it is widely prescribed in Indian
medicine as a potent remedy for liver disorders,
rheumatism, diabetic wounds, runny nose, cough
and sinusitis. In ancient Hindu medicine it was
used as a treatment for sprains and swelling.
Traditional Chinese medicine uses curcumin as a
treatment for diseases associated with abdominal
pain.
source:
India Post News Service - Oct 28, 2005,
www.indiapost.com |
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Recent studies have
determined that consuming as little as one-half
teaspoon of Cinnamon each day may reduce blood
sugar, "bad" cholesterol, and triglyceride
levels by as much as 20% in Type II diabetes
patients who are not taking insulin.
Cinnamon Spice Produces Healthier
Blood
November 24th 2003 - Cinnamon
significantly reduces blood sugar levels in
diabetics.
Sugars and starches in food are broken down into
glucose, which then circulates in the blood. The
hormone insulin makes cells take in the glucose,
to be used for energy or made into fat. But
people with Type 1 diabetes do not produce
enough insulin. Those with Type 2 diabetes
produce it, but have lost sensitivity to it.
Even apparently healthy people, especially if
they are overweight, sedentary or over 25, lose
sensitivity to insulin. Having too much glucose
in the blood can cause serious long-term damage
to eyes, kidneys, nerves and other organs.
Molecular Mimic - The active
ingredient in cinnamon turned out to be a
water-soluble polyphenol compound called MHCP.
In test tube experiments, MHCP mimics insulin,
activates its receptor, and works
synergistically with insulin in cells. To see if
it would work in people, Alam Khan, who was a
postdoctoral fellow in Anderson's lab, organized
a study in Pakistan. Volunteers with Type 2
diabetes were given one, three or six grams of
cinnamon powder a day, in capsules after meals.
All responded within weeks, with blood sugar
levels that were on average 20 per cent lower
than a control group. Some even achieved normal
blood sugar levels. Tellingly, blood sugar
started creeping up again after the diabetics
stopped taking cinnamon. The cinnamon has
additional benefits. In the volunteers, it
lowered blood levels of fats and "bad"
cholesterol, which are also partly controlled by
insulin. And in test tube experiments it
neutralized free radicals, damaging chemicals
which are elevated in diabetics.
Cinnamon Helps Type 2 Diabetes - Also Helps
Cholesterol
December 5th, 2003 - A spicy tip: Cinnamon
can improve glucose and cholesterol levels in
the blood. For people with type 2 diabetes, and
those fighting high cholesterol, it's important
information. Researchers have long speculated
that foods, especially spices, could help treat
diabetes. In lab studies, cinnamon, cloves, bay
leaves, and turmeric have all shown promise in
enhancing insulin's action, writes researcher
Alam Khan, PhD, with the NWFP Agricultural
University in Peshawar, Pakistan. His study
appears in the December issue of Diabetes Care.
Botanicals such as cinnamon can improve glucose
metabolism and the overall condition of
individuals with diabetes - improving
cholesterol metabolism, removing artery-damaging
free radicals from the blood, and improving
function of small blood vessels, he explains.
Onions, garlic, Korean ginseng, and flaxseed
have the same effect. In fact, studies with
rabbits and rats show that fenugreek, curry,
mustard seeds, and coriander have
cholesterol-improving effects. But this is the
first study to actually pin down the effects of
cinnamon, writes Kahn. Studies have shown that
cinnamon extracts can increase glucose
metabolism, triggering insulin release - which
also affects cholesterol metabolism. Researchers
speculated that cinnamon might improve both
cholesterol and glucose. And it did!
The 60 men and women in Khan's study had a
diagnosis of type 2 diabetes for an average of 6
1-2 years but were not yet taking insulin. The
participants in his study had been on
anti-diabetic drugs that cause an increase in
the release of insulin. Each took either
wheat-flour placebo capsules or 500 milligram
cinnamon capsules.
http://www.cinnamonpills.com/#Recent_News
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With their sweet and nutty flavor, these are the most popular
dal in India. They're made from splitting a small relative of the chickpea
in half. They're a dull yellow and are renown for causing flatulence, which
Indians try to counter by adding asafoetida to the dish. Chana dal is
delicious, nutritious and easily digested, but, aside from its usage both in
dal dishes and savories, the legumes are also roasted and powdered into
chickpea flour (besan or besin), another widely used ingredient in nearly
every regional cuisine. Louki Chana Dal: Ingredients: 1 cup Chanadal, soaked
for 1 hour 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder (haldi) 1 tsp. ginger paste 3 young
zucchini peeled and cubed ½ tsp. of garam masala 3 Tbsp. ghee or vegetable
oil 1 tsp. cumin seeds (jeera) 1-2 whole red chillies 1/2 tsp. asafoetida (hing)
2 tsp. ground coriander powder (I sometimes add a tablespoon of sweet
coconut to my dish- this is optional but it makes this dish just wonderful -
Kavita) ½ Tbsp. fresh lime juice salt to taste For the garnish - 4 Tbsp.
chopped cilantro. Procedure: Pick through the dal and wash it. Drain the
water. Add 3 cups of water to a heavy pot and add dal, 1 Tbsp. of ghee or
oil, turmeric, ginger and salt to taste. Boil the dal. Reduce heat. Add
zucchini and garam masala (add coconut - optional) and let it simmer. As dal
is simmering, heat ghee in a small sauce pan and fry cumin seeds and red
chillies till they brown. Add asafoetida, coriander powder and fry the
seasonings for 2-3 minutes. Pour the seasonings into dal and let it continue
to simmer on low until the zucchini is butter soft. Adjust the water so that
the dal has the consistency you like( from soup like consistency to thick
soup, pour over dal or to eat with flat bread) Add lime juice and garnish
with chopped cilantro.
Lentil-Chili or Dal Keema - This is an excellent dish for
those seeking to cut down their intake of red meat and hence cut bad
cholesterol. (Need a pressure cooker for this dish) Ingredients: 12 oz or 1
lb. chana dal (gram pulse) washed and set aside 1 cup minced meat (keema) 4
Tbsp. yogurt 1 tsp. turmeric powder 2 tsp. coriander powder 1 tsp. garam
masala (curry powder) 1 large onion (chopped fine) 1/2 tsp. garlic paste 1/2
tsp. ginger paste 4 green chili 1/2 bunch coriander leaves 2 tbsp. ghee /
butter Salt and chili powder to taste. Heat ghee in the pressure cooker pan
and fry the onions until golden brown. Add cleaned and washed minced meat
and fry, adding a little beaten curd and garlic when the meat turns deep
brown. Add chana dal to the meat and stir in the turmeric coriander, chili
powder, salt and ginger. Fry for a minute, add 3 cups of water, close cooker
and place on medium heat. Pressure-cook. Then let cook on low with the
pressure for 10 minutes. Remove and cool the cooker for five minutes, open
cooker and add split green chili and
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