Spices! Cardamom...

There are many spices that are used for both healing and cooking purposes. While all spices have their benefits, I wish to particularly highlight on one spice today: Cardamom. 

Yes! Cardamom....I am a person who is easily swayed by my sense of smell when it comes to perfumes, spices and essential oils. One of my all time favourite will be Cardamom. Below is an image of cardamom (if you do not know it). Some call it as "Queen of Spices". 

There are two types of cardamom: green and black (or brown). The green type is the more common type. 

In general, cardamom is used as a treatment for mouth ulcers, bad breath, digestive problems, and even depression.

Ayurveda uses this quite extensively for many purposes. But I am not going to go into further details on that. 

I am easily attracted by this due to the fragrance. I use this extensively for my cooking and when the fragrance of this particular spice hits my senses, I feel great....

Below are some websites that talks extensively on this spice. Recently, Crabtree and Evelyn had this used in their Xmas editions....A look at some of their items below (images taken from Crabtree and Evelyn website)...I have eaten the chocolate biscuits with a hint of cardamom...I do like the fragrance of the cardamom, but I do find the chocolate a bit overwhelming. 

So, if you are like me, who love the fragrance of cardamom...let us all appreciate and enjoy one of nature's creation.... :)

Some websites listing all on the spice cardamom:

From Myspicer.com
https://www.myspicer.com/history-cardamom/

From IndianMirror
http://www.indianmirror.com/ayurveda/indian-spices/cardamom.html

From WebMD
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-614-cardamom.aspx?activeingredientid=614&

From Organic Facts
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/health-benefits-of-cardamom.html

From Nutrition and You.com
https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/cardamom.html

Recipe using Cardamom
Semiya Payasam (Rich Indian Dessert)
If you have eaten out at an Indian Restaurant, mainly South Indian Restaurant, this dessert is usually popular. It is one of my favourite too :). 
Check out the recipe below...
http://www.happyandharried.com/2016/08/31/semiya-payasam-kheer/

There are many other recipes for using cardamom in your daily dish. You can search for those...

Have a great weekend!

Benefits of Jasmine Tea

All of us at one stage or another in our life would drink tea - be it English Breakfast, Herbal or Fruity. Today, I would like to blog on Jasmine Tea and its benefits. It is one of my favorite tea - for its aroma and also for its benefits. 

The benefits I get from drinking Jasmine tea are many - but the main is for relaxation. I buy my pure Jasmine tea from Eu Yan Sang. 

All links are below. Enjoy reading and why don't you indulge in some pure jasmine tea today? :)

Of course, with any food or drink, it is always important to practice moderation. 

Link to purchase pure Jasmine tea from Eu Yan Sang
http://www.euyansang.com.sg/jasmine-tea-888842534102.html#q=jasmine%2520tea&start=1

Read more on Jasmine Tea

From Organic Facts
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/beverage/health-benefits-of-jasmine-tea.html

From Earth Friends
https://www.earthsfriends.com/jasmine-tea-benefits/

From Tea Forte
https://www.teaforte.com/tealiving/the-secret-history-of-jasmine-tea/

From Livestrong.com
http://www.livestrong.com/article/447320-side-effects-of-jasmine-tea/

Healthy Eating: Apricots

The season for apricots are coming - well, at least in most overseas countries, not here. These are usually imported from overseas for us here and is slightly pricier than other common fruits found here. Dried apricots or canned apricots are usually available all around the year. Fresh apricots are seasonal. Nevertheless, let us look into some benefits of apricots. 

Apricots are a good source of Vitamin A, C and rich in antioxidants. For detailed benefits on this fruit, refer to the links below:

From The World's Healthiest Foods
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=3

For Recipes, from Martha Stewart
http://www.marthastewart.com/275304/apricot-recipes

Healthy Eating: Oats

Last week, I covered on raisins and its benefits. Today, I will briefly write on oats. Oats has existed in many forms and in many varieties and my all time favorite will be Quaker Oats and I am going to cover some aspects on it. This brand has been in existence for 130 years! 

History of Quaker Oats - get to know briefly the downs and ups of this company
http://www.quakeroats.com/about-quaker-oats/content/quaker-history.aspx

Even in oats, there are varieties such as "Old Fashioned", "Quick", "Instant" and "Steel Cut". Don't understand what I am saying? Refer to the below link, with pictures and details....
http://www.quakeroats.com/oats-do-more/why-oats/our-oat-story

People these days are environment conscious and going "green". Below is Quaker Oats part of being environmentally friendly....
http://www.quakeroats.com/oats-do-more/for-your-world/oats-and-the-environment

Recipe for Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies - my personal favorite
http://www.quakeroats.com/cooking-and-recipe/vanishing-oatmeal-raisin-cookies.aspx

Recipe for Famous Oatmeal Cookies
http://www.quakeroats.com/cooking-and-recipe/famous-oatmeal-cookies

And my simple version of oatmeal "snack" is with raisins (Sunmaid). That is something I can never resist....

As mentioned earlier, or simple logic, each of us vary in our nutritional needs. 
Practice moderation for any kind of food and always have a variety of greens and colors....
Have liquids in your daily diet - in the form of water, juice and soups...and most importantly, remember to add qualities like gratitude and positiveness in your daily life!

Let's all enjoy the goodness of oats! :)

Healthy Eating: Raisins

Everyone would have eaten raisins in our life. Raisins are actually dried grapes. And when I mention raisins, what brand comes to your mind first? Well, for me will be the red boxes SUN MAID. It is widely available in many countries around the world. 

Do you know that the "Sun-Maid girl" really existed? 
Her name was Lorraine Collett Petersen. 

Read the below link to know the history of the "Sun-Maid girl"
http://www.sunmaid.com/cp_sm_subm/the-sun-maid-girl

And coming to the benefits of raisins, we know of some....here is to know more of it....
http://www.sunmaid.com/cp_sm_subm/frequently-asked-questions#q1

History of raisins, anyone? Of course, being a Humanities person, I shall never stop searching for histories of anything...From Ancient Egyptian time, let's trace the history of raisins....
http://www.sunmaid.com/cp_sm_subm/history-of-raisins-and-dried-fruit

Other than the above, if you constantly have sweet cravings and do not want to indulge in sweet things all the time, try popping some raisins into your mouth. The sweet feeling will subside and you will not be craving for any more sweet things. 

And if you are also an oatmeal fan, try adding some raisins into your oat porridge - it is sure yummy and healthy too. 

You can also try the same with bran flakes. It helps increase the fiber in your body. But do take note that you must drink enough fluids such as water and juice to "soften" the fiber in your system. 

Healthy Living: Myths of Drinking Water

There are many times we are told to drink so much water daily. But is that the truth? 
There are many articles in support or disputing it - I am not here to prove anyone right or wrong. 
The simple logic I have is that each of our body systems knows how much water we need and it will act accordingly. It is no use forcing yourself to drink water. Once the thirst hits you and you crave for water, go for it. Read the below article or you can also search on your own other articles....
Happy Drinking! :)

From The New York Times, "No, You Do Not Have to Drink 8 Glasses of Water a Day" by Aaron E. Carroll
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/25/upshot/no-you-do-not-have-to-drink-8-glasses-of-water-a-day.html?_r=0

Delcies Desserts & Cakes

Delcies Desserts and Cakes comes to my mind each time I need a healthier option or purchase a vegan cake or cake suitable for diabetics. I came upon Delcies when I wanted to celebrate a birthday of my yoga friend who is a vegetarian from India - that was more than 5 years ago. Finding high and low and reading of many stores, I decided to place an order for a vegetarian cake for my yoga friend. The first cake I placed an order was Black Forest. My yoga friend enjoyed that cake very much...

And just very recently I purchased a diabetic friendly Mud Fudge cake for my birthday which was in January. Catering to the people who are health conscious and wants to care for their calories intake, this was sure a treat for them....

Not only that, I purchased Pineapple Ball (Eggless & Diabetic Friendly) and Melting White Almond Cookies (Dairy-Free, Eggless & Lower Sugar) for Chinese New Year this year. Both were healthy and very tasty too....

If you are also considering a healthy choice for birthdays or other occasions, consider Delcies Desserts and Cakes. Their outlet is located somewhere near Boon Keng MRT and other details can be found in the below weblinks...

Delcies Desserts and Cakes believes, "WHEN WE BAKE, IT BECOMES HEALTHY™"

And sure that is so, with many awards and recognition and hard work, they have come a long way....

Main Website
http://delcies.com/

About Delcies
http://delcies.com/about/

Nutritional Information
http://delcies.com/about/nutritional-information/

Awards and Certificates
http://delcies.com/awards-and-certificates/

Light "Zen" Lunch

A typical light Zen type lunch of mine.... :) Had it yesterday, 18 February - Saturday...

1. Yong Tau Foo Soup
2. Pear

Tofu

Tofu is one of the popular dishes among vegetarians and health conscious people. In fact, tofu is one of my favourite dish too. Having said that, ever wonder what exactly is tofu, how is it made and benefits. Found a website, Unicurd, which is one of the brands of Tofu sold here in Singapore. I have provided the various links. Enjoy reading!

About Tofu
http://www.unicurd.com.sg/about-tofu

History of Tofu
http://www.unicurd.com.sg/history-of-tofu

Health Benefits of Tofu
http://www.unicurd.com.sg/health-benefits

Storing and Selecting Tofu
http://www.unicurd.com.sg/tofu-selection

Dark Chocolate - Pros and Cons

If you are a lover of chocolates, especially dark chocolates, there are pros and cons. I am especially lover of dark chocolates with nuts. There are a lot of information online on the benefits and the disadvantages. Below are links to various articles. 

In any food, as we already know, it is best to consume in limitation and according to our body needs and health. Enjoy reading!

From Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/healthy-eating/chocolate-10-health-reasons-you-should-eat-more-of-it/

From Chopra Centre

http://www.chopra.com/articles/the-health-benefits-and-risks-of-dark-chocolate#sm.001262oyv1dfbcwuz67107kpkb643

From Harvard Health Publications

http://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/chocolate-pros-and-cons-of-this-sweet-treat

Good Morning!

How about making a "small" resolution just for one day to go totally healthy with wholesome meals? It is always possible if we try....Always, anything, "KIS" - Keep It Simple!

Healthy Eating: Nuts

Living in Singapore, we are blessed to have access to many kinds of food. While we may be focusing on too much on big items such as noodles, rice and vegetables for our daily dietary needs, it is also important to note that nuts can also play a crucial role too. Below is an article on the various kinds of nuts and its benefits. There are also recipes too...Read and apply it to your daily diet...

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/health-benefits-nuts