A Healthy Diet for Healthy Women
Healthy quinoa bowl for weight loss and glowing skin is an abundant source of inspiration mainly for women when it comes to food ingredients and taste.
Weight loss is more than just watching our inches disappear. Losing weight wisely should be more important to take care of our body with nutrition and care.
Our gut absorbs nutrients that directly affect our skin. So, it’s necessary to give the best nutrient diet to our gut microbiomes for healthy skin and life. A healthy gut bacterium affects the immune system too, here we are going to make a healthy quinoa bowl!!!
INGREDIENTS:
- Olive oil – 2 tablespoon
- Finely chopped onion – 1 medium onion
- Clove – 1 or 2
- Black pepper powder – 2 pinches / Q.S
- Finely chopped celery stick – 1 or coriander leaves- 2 tablespoon
- Ginger paste – 1 tablespoon
- Rock salt – ¼ teaspoon/ Q. S
- Combined Vegetables – 2 cups
- Corn – 3 tablespoon
- Rinsed Quinoa – 1 cup
- Black beans/chickpeas -½ cup (Rinsed and soaked for a minimum of 6 hours.)
- Dry coriander powder – ½ teaspoon
Choice of vegetables can vary with person to person or also depends on the availability of it.
Here I am sharing some choices of vegetables which together make the dish very nutritious and healthy.
- Carrot, chopped spinach, bell pepper, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower etc. can be used as vegetables.
- Soaked pulses can also be used like black beans, chickpeas, pinto beans (rajma), groundnut, green peas etc.
METHOD OF PREPARATION:
- In a pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, black pepper, clove, celery or coriander and ginger paste and saute it until the aroma comes.
- Add 2 cups of your favourite vegetables along with rock salt and cook them until they become tender for 5-7 minutes for stock.
- Add corn in it and bring to a boil.
- Mix Quinoa and Reduce heat, simmer properly and cover with lid for 12-15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
- Add beans, stir occasionally.
- Give heat until the beans are raw.
- Put the flame off and let them settle for a couple of minutes with steam.
- Take it into one bowl and garnish it with coriander leaves.
And Here our healthy Quinoa bowl is ready to eat !!! It can be used in this bowl as Dinner or heavy breakfast. Diet conscious women can use this highly nutritious quinoa bowl as their lunch.
ABOUT INGREDIENTS
Quinoa –
It is available in three different colors – white, red and black, the nutritional content is the same in all these varieties.
As per Ayurveda:
- It comes under kapha hara dravyas.
- It is ruksha (dry), laghu (light) in nature.
- It is Hot in nature which makes our digestive fire strong.
Improves Skin Quality and Texture:
- Quinoa is rich in Vitamin B, it helps brighten and enhance our skin texture.
- It also adds texture to our skin and rejuvenates it making our skin richer and more vibrant.
- Its high level of riboflavin gives elasticity to our skin for softness and resiliency.
- It can also help build connective tissue to prevent wrinkles and fine lines.
Promotes hair growth:
- Quinoa contains the highest number of proteins among grain seeds, which helps protect and nourish our hair follicles.
- Quinoa contains an amino acid, tyrosine, which is the responsible source for pigmentation and the color of hair. It encourages the re-pigmentation of hair and can even help maintain the original color of the hair.
Health benefits:
Those following a plant-based diet need to find non-animal sources of protein to ensure they are getting enough for them. Our Healthy Quinoa bowl is the best choice for that.
- One cup of cooked quinoa weighing 185 grams (g) provides 8.14 gms Source of protein.
- The proteins in quinoa offer a wide range of amino acids Source. Amino acids are vital for supporting muscle development and immune activity.
- Quinoa possesses a low glycemic index making it a safe diet grain for diabetic patients.
- Quinoa is a good source of antioxidants compared with other common grains in a gluten-free diet.
- Quinoa is loaded with phytochemicals like nicotiflorin and rutin that can effectively bring high blood pressure under control naturally.
- Regular intake of quinoa reduces LDL or bad cholesterol and boosts the presence of HDL or good cholesterol with its high fiber content.
- Being a gluten-free grain, quinoa is a blessing for those suffering from gluten intolerance.
- Quinoa provides vitamin E. This is an antioxidant compound that may help reduce the risk
- of coronary heart disease, certain cancers, and several eye disorders which is also good for hair and skin too.
Here is the nutrient breakdown for 1 cup (185 grams) of cooked quinoa:
- Calories: 222
- Protein: 8 grams
- Fat: 3.55 grams
- Carbohydrates: 39 grams
- Fiber: 5 grams
- Folate: 19% of the Daily value (DV)
- Vitamin B6: 13% of the DV
VEGETABLES
Vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet, and variety is as important as quantity.
Broccoli-
- Broccoli is a green vegetable that vaguely resembles a miniature tree.
- Broccoli is low in digestible carbs but provides a decent amount of fiber, which promotes gut health.
- consumption of cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, is linked to a reduced risk of many cancers, including lung, colorectal, breast, prostate, pancreatic, and gastric cancers.
- The main isothiocyanate in broccoli, sulforaphane, acts against the formation of cancer at the molecular level by reducing oxidative stress.
Bell pepper-
- Also called sweet peppers or capsicums.
- Bell peppers are primarily composed of carbs, which account for most of their calorie content with 3.5 ounces (100 grams) holding 6 grams of carbs.
- Bell peppers are very high in vitamin C, providing up to 169% of the RDI. Other vitamins and minerals in bell peppers include vitamin K1, vitamin E, vitamin A, folate, and potassium which improves eye health and reduced risk of anaemia
Spinach –
- Spinach is considered as powerhouse vegetable.
- It’s lower in calories and packs a nutritional punch.
- It’s strongly associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancers.
Green peas –
- With almost 9 grams of fiber per cup, green peas can help to meet our fiber goals.
- Green peas are low in calories and contain several vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They’re also high in fiber and protein.
- Green peas have a low glycemic index which are important factor for blood sugar control.
Carrot-
- Carrots have a wealth of antioxidants.
- It is good for our eyes.
- It is rich in beta-carotene, a compound our body changes into vitamin A, which helps keep our eyes healthy. And beta-carotene helps protect our eyes from the sun and lowers our chances of cataracts and other eye problems.
ABOUT BEANS
Beans and legumes have several health benefits, including reducing cholesterol, decreasing blood sugar levels, and increasing healthy gut bacteria.
Chickpeas are particularly beneficial for reducing blood sugar and increasing insulin sensitivity. It may also help improve bowel function and reduce the number of bad bacteria in the intestines.
Black Beans are a great source of fiber, protein, and folate. It may also help reduce the spike in blood sugar that occurs after eating a meal, which may help reduce the risk of diabetes and weight gain.
Pinto Beans help to reduce blood cholesterol. It may reduce LDL cholesterol as well as increase the production of propionate, a short-chain fatty acid produced by gut bacteria. Propionate is good for gut health. Peanuts are a good source of mono-unsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, protein and B vitamins.
TIPS
Quinoa is packed with manganese and vitamin B, making it a perfect anti-aging product.
- Natural exfoliator-
- Cook ½ cup of Quinoa and add ¼ cup of olive oil or argan oil. (Can use honey or yogurt instead of oil as per skin type)
- This exfoliating scrub can be massaged on the face and body.
- Face Pack –
- 2 spoons of Quinoa flour + 1 spoon of gram flour can be mixed with yogurt and honey.
- This paste can be applied for approx. 20 min on the face or body.
- Wash it off with normal water and have glassy and glowing skin.
- Can use cinnamon powder which can also reduce inflammation and acne.
