aa KITCHEN QUERIES: 7/6/08 - 7/13/08
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The Fat Is In The Frier..... Stop Recycling

Research shows that cooking oil gets worse for your heart the more often it is reused. Everytime you reheat the oil , it produces more polar compounds- chemical by- products creating during the heating process, doubles the risk of high blood pressure. Three days of repeated use; that's what it usually takes for a dangerous level of polar compounds to accumulate.

DID YOU KNOW THAT: 

                                              A mixture of honey and sesame seeds eaten regularly prolongs youth and beauty ???

Yes, it is recommended for women's beauty, as the sesame seeds are rich in Mn, Cu and Ca and also contains Vitamin B1 and Vitamin E. They have anti oxidant and anti cancer properties. The nutrients of sesame seeds are better absorbed, if they are ground or pulverised before consumption. Whereas, honey's natural anti-oxidant and anti-microbial properties and its ability to absorb and retain moisture helps to protect the skin from sun's rays and rejuvenate depleted skin.

Know your ayurvedic skin type :


Vata skin is usually dry, thin, delicate and cool to touch, it gets dehydrated easily and is very sensitive to dry windy weather. Ageing is faster here and it tends to be dry, rough and flaky. 

Skin care:


  Include whole grains, organic milk and green leafy vegetables in your diet.
  Drink lots of lukewarm water for internal hydration
  Healthy fat such as ghee or olive oil can be included in your diet for added lubrication.
  A warm oil massage is excellent for keeping skin lubricated.
  Use a gentle, moisture balancing cleanser and splash your face with plenty of water.


Pitta skin type tends to be fair, sensitive, soft, warm and of medium thickness. It tends to be more prone to freckles and moles than the other skin types.

Skin Care:


  Avoid hot, spicy foods and an excess of deep fried foods. 
  Stay away from harsh, synthetic cosmetics
  Sweet, bitter and astringent taste, as found in sweet, juicy fruits,  rose petal preserve
  and cooked greens, is what you will thrive on.
  Eat lots of sweet juicy fruits and have some rose petal jam in cool milk everyday, as rose is             considered to be cooling for mind, body and emotions.
  Body massage with coconut oil 
  Protect your from sun, use gentle, natural skin care products for cleansing and  moisturising.
  Provide added lipid support, such as facial skin oil , every other day.

Kapha skin tends to have all qualities of water and earth- it can be oily, thick, pale, soft,cool and more tolerant of the sun.Ageing is slower and forms less wrinklesthan the other two types.They will have dull complexion, enlarged pores, excessive oil, blackheads, pimples, moist types of excema and water retention.

Skin care:

  A diet that is warmer, lighter, less oily, and free of heavy and hard to digest foods.
  Eating more bitter, astringent and pungent tastes help stimulate digestion and balance
  kapha skin.
  Avoid too many sweets and fried foods, they add to the oiliness in the skin.
  Excercise everyday to improve circulation. A daily warm oil massage can also help.
  Eat plenty of organic vegetables and fruits to help cleanse the body from within.
  Cleanse your skin twice a day, exfoliate with a mud mask atleast once a week. 
  Cook with warming spices such as ginger and black pepper to stoke the digestive fire.

Combination skin can be Vata- Pitta that is both dry and sensitive, Kapha- pitta skin is oily and sensitive and Vata-Kapha skin that is generally dry with some oily zones.

Skin Care:

  •   A person with Vata-Pitta skin would follow te recommendations for PItta skin in summer and Vata skin in winter
                            
      The Kapha-Pitta skin would follow the recommendations of Pitta in summer and Kapha in winter
  •  Vata-Kapha type would be best servedby following Vata guidelines, with extra cleansing of theoily zones.


  •  
    Besides following the diet for your skin type, following foods are terrific skin-enhancers:
      
     Leafy green vegetables, easily digested proteins such as paneer, milk, tofu, sunflower seeds,  foods high in zinc and beta-carotene rich foods such as carrots and sweet cherries.
  • Almonds and walnuts support the skin with their protein and lubricating fat content.
  •  Some skin friendly spices include turmeric to nourish the first four layers of the skin. Cumin to    get rid of the body of ama. Black pepper to cleanse the channels and fennel to balance the  transformational ability of the skin.
  •  All anti oxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, such as pomegranate, apple, pear, and bitter, green    leafy vegetables are also excellent for the skin.
  •  Eat only fresh, whole and organic foods.
  •  Stay away from packaged, canned, frozen, processed foods.
  •  Effect of stress on skin:

    Mental stress results in drying of the skin and formation of wrinkles and stress lines.
     
    Emotional stress results in acne, sun sensitivity and other Pitta based problems.

    Physical stress causes the drying out of skin moisture and rough, aged skin.

Lettuce leaves turned brown--------- UNSAFE??


               No, its not a health issue and does not indicate a loss of nutrients. Still, most people find brown lettuce unappealing and will want to cut off the discoloured parts.

Browning usually results from oxidation caused by exposure to air when the leaves have been bruised or cut.Bacteria and fungi can also cause browning, but these are not a health hazard. 

  • Select lettuce that looks fresh (not wilted), since it will taste better and last longer.
  • To reduce browning at home, keep lettuce in the coolest part of the refrigerator, away from high- ethylene- producing fruits (such as apples, pears, peaches, bananas , tomatoes and melon), the chemical which is a ripening agent and aids browning .Keep it dry.