Sweet Potato - Best for Vitamin A

If you are thinking of the best diet for babies in winters, include Sweet Potato. It's sweet in taste and rich in healthy nutrients. Let's go ahead and find out the benefits of Sweet Potato below.

When infants (birth till 1 Year) should be given Sweet Potato?

Infants of 6 months should be given Sweet Potato as solid food. See whether your baby is eating it with effortlessness. Try never giving anything deliberately to baby. Try to feed it once, if he denies then re-try after few days.

Multiple benefits of Sweet Potato for Infants:

Its rich in Vitamin A, which is good for both eyes and growth of the body. It also includes Beta Carotene which helps in building Vitamin A in the body. No other food contains Vitamin A in high quantity as compared to Sweet Potato. It’s very good and essential food for growing baby.

How to purchase best quality Sweet Potato from the Market?

Always choose firm sweet potatoes without any cracks or soft spots. Also avoid buying refrigerated sweet potatoes as the taste would be different if it would be of cold storage.

How to cook Sweet Potatoes?

Lets figure out few ways on how you can prepare it for your lovely child. You can try cooking Sweet Potatoes in 3 different ways: Boil it or bake it. Best is always to boil them as it retains its antioxidant powers. Simply cut it into pieces and use a cooker to steam it on medium flame for 15 minutes. Take it out, mash it with liquid like milk and feed it to baby after it cools down.

To Bake it, preheat Oven to 204 degree Celsius and place baking sheet on middle rack. Wash and remove the skin of the sweet potato properly from a knife. Now place sweet potatoes on the baking sheet and bake it for 30 minutes. Take it out, mash it with milk or any liquid and feed it to baby once it cools down.

Helps infants reduce constipation:

Its full of starch and dietry fiber. Body disolves starch into sugar which gives energy to the body. Babies feel energetic after consuming it. It has dietry fibers which keeps babies away from constipation. If you baby is going through constipation, then surely give this amazing sweet potato to them.

How it tastes:

As its name, it tastes like sweet which babies love it without doubt. However, in case your baby doesn’t like its taste, try to give it in less quantity along with different recipes baby likes to eat. Ensure he must have sweet potato rich in nutrients in his diet. It’s would improve the health of baby.

Do check out other posts:

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By Ajey Gupta

Fun Indoor Games for Kids and Adults

Covid 19 virus proved that work can also be done from home. It was never in the culture of India. Now a lot of companies are planning to implement Hybrid Environment where employees can choose to work from home or office. However, when you stay at home, there are certain disadvantages as well. You could not get together with your colleagues, and sometimes life becomes boring. So today I thought to share some easy, fun-packed ways to help you stay relaxed and enjoy a playful life at home.

Believe it or not, lockdown has slowed down our pace of lives like a speed breaker in between. Needless to say, staying indoors has reduced our regular physical activities. And with kids being stuck in four walls of a home, it is important to keep fun alive to have a healthy and fun-loving atmosphere at home.

So, here I bring you some easy ways to help you relax and enjoy playful life, every moment. Here we go...

Games for Kids:

Hula Hoops: It's fun for your kids, and if being a parent you’re reading this it’s not for your kids but also for you. It is an excellent way to keep your mind at peace. Hula hoops are affordable and can be brought in different sizes, to whatever suits you. It has lots of health advantages, which help in maintaining better body balance, burning calories and can completely fulfill the gap of not visiting the gym. This helps you staying indoors with your family and working out together.

Camping Indoor: Another great sport can be camping indoors with your kids. Yes, nothing can be more fun for them to make their own playhouse. Depending on your kid's age you can plan to set up the tent either at your backyard, balcony, terrace, or beside a fireplace. You can also plan a movie night in your balcony with the sitting arrangements in the tent with food and popcorn to feast on.

Ludo: Getting a Ludo game online is easy to find however it's more fun with the physical ludo game. It has been the favorite choice for years and may never get old and can be enjoyed by your kids. Ludo has always been a family game and can be a fun time amidst lockdown.

Balancing Beam: It helps younger kids and toddlers to improve motor skills and their balance and is easy to play with. You will need Colored tape and a flat floor. Stick different colored tapes tape on the floor. Each colored tape can have a different rule to walk on. For example, you can ask the kid to walk on one leg on the Yellow Colored tape. The child has to walk only on the tape. If he falls off the tape, he will be out of the game. The child that walks the entire length of the tape without falling off the tape wins the game. You can change rules accordingly to suit your kid.

Puzzles: Give your child access to various puzzles that can be both engaging and educational. It can be in the form of pictures, rubber-made animal pictures. Ask your child that he needs to set the pieces of the puzzle together to form a picture in case of a picture puzzle. If you have younger children, you can try some 3D puzzle toys. Words puzzles are excellent for older kids in order to improve their vocabulary. Puzzle books are always good at home that can be given to your child when they cannot get out.

Read: Introducing your child into the habit of reading is a great way to keep them occupied on most days. This is a must skill every child should develop. Pick up a book with pictures and read with your child.

Freeze: It is enjoyed by both kids & adults. Play the music and dance till the music stops and ask everyone to freeze in the position they were in.

Hide and seek: It is a fun game that kids enjoy a lot. Ask one child to close his eyes and count till 20 until the rest of them hide in different places. Once the seeker is done with counting, he will have to go to find others. The first person to be caught must count the next time when the others hide again.

Games for Adults:

For all the adults working from home, physical activity has reached point zero. Eyes gazed at the laptop screen while you are completely placed on your bed or either sofa to the most. Let us make your times at home a little fun:

Raja Mantri Chor Sipahi: You may recall this game and if not you have to brush up on your childhood memories. This game involves four players. Chits with raja (king), Mantri (minister), chor (thief) and Sipahi (inspector) written on them are made. Shuffle the chits thoroughly and let every player pick one. Raja calls out to his Mantri and asks him to guess who the Chor and Sipahi are. If his guess is right, Raja gets the highest score, Mantri, the second-highest, Sipahi, the third-highest, and Chor gets a zero. If the Mantri’s guess is wrong, his score is interchanged with that of the chor.

Tip: At the end of the game, the one who loses can clean or mop the house.

Video games: It is another leisure activity you can engage in, if you have old cassettes at home it’s a great time for you to enjoy some good old games like Super Mario, Super Contra, Mustapha, Street Fighter, Tekken 3, etc. And the ones who do not have play station can invest in buying one. Getting glued to your phone's small screen, I considered it pretty unhealthy for eyes, playing some games on the big screen is worth a shot. In fact, there are studies that claim that playing video games can be good for our mental health and can help relax our minds.

Tic Tac Toe (Zero Kata): You can easily start playing it with a paper and pen, it is one of the classic little mind strategic game which you can try playing with your kids.

Dumb Charades: It is the best game to play if you have enough time. You can involve all your family members or just two people. All the players get divided equally into two or three teams. One person from each team has to enact (perform acting) the name of a movie using the actions for their respective team. If the team is able to guess the name, they get a point. As a punishment, the losing team can do all the household cleaning for a day.

Darts: Darts is another option for you to enjoy and have some physical movement staying at home. It not only gives you the thrill of hitting the target but also increases your mental agility. It helps you improve your eye to brain coordination and increases concentration. Too So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get, set, go!

So do you have your game plan set for the week? Do let me know in the comments below.

Do check out:

Itchy Scalp due to Dandruff – Solution, Remedies and Oil

How to increase height (100% Guaranteed Ayurvedic Routine)

5 Practical Easy Steps to reduce Stress

By - Ajey Gupta

Itchy Scalp due to Dandruff - Solution, Remedies and Oil

We all know that oiling is essential for healthy hair. But which one should you be using, especially during the winters when Dandruff is severe? Let's check out quickly:

Believe it or not, your hair and scalp have different needs during the winter—just like your skin. A change could be as simple as switching your shampoo, to doing something a bit more involved like finding a hair mask to leave on overnight. These are all the things you should think about investing in for the winter months ahead to help keep your scalp moisturized — for thick, strong, and healthy hair.

There are some essential oils for hair and remedies you can use to get rid of Dandruff and to get shiny silky-smooth hair in winters:

1) Apple Cider Vinegar:

In winters, most people suffer from dandruff and it results in an Itchy scalp. Apple cider vinegar can help you treat dandruff as well as itchiness right at home. All you need to do is mix apple cider vinegar with water in a ratio of 1:4 and with the help of cotton, apply the mixture to your scalp. Keep it applied on the scalp for one hour and then wash off your hair with a mild shampoo and see the difference, you will get a squeaky-clean scalp.

Tip: Apple Cider Vinegar is easily available online or in any Grocery Store.

Buy it online easily from Amazon:

Dabur Himalayan Apple Cider Vinegar: https://amzn.to/3qVnaZy

2) Avocado Hair Mask:

The Avocado homemade hair mask is highly moisturizing and adds a natural shine to the hair. Mashup 1 ripe banana and 2 ripe avocados together. Now apply the mix on the hair and leave it on for about half an hour or longer. Next, wash your hair as usual and you are done! You will find your hair will be well-nourished and moisturized.

Tip: Both Banana & Avocado can be easily available in nearby fruits market.

3) Tea Tree Oil:

Tea tree oil helps with an itchy and flaky scalp. If you’re looking for something light yet nourishing, tea tree oil is for you. Try mixing it with a small amount of coconut oil and apply the oil overnight and wash it off the next day with a mild shampoo. There you go, your scalp will be itchy-free and winter-ready!

Buy it Online from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3qTWnwN

4) Aloe Vera Gel:

If you have tried everything from lemon to camphor for dandruff and got no results, you must try aloe vera gel. It’s also recommended for skincare. However, it is great for dry and flaky scalps too. Apply some gel on your scalp and hair. Leave it on for a while and then wash your hair as usual. You are sure to see instant results with this one.

Buy it Online from Amazon:

WOW Aloe Vera Multipurpose Beauty Gel for Skin and Hair, 130ml + 20ml: https://amzn.to/3klBJmN

Patanjali Saundarya Aloe Vera Gel, 150ml:  https://amzn.to/3suWY8N

5) Hot Oil Massage:

Whether you have an oily scalp or a dry one, a hot oil massage is a must for everyone in the winter season. Just mix olive, coconut, and almond oil over a sim flame on gas for a couple of minutes. Once they are mixed well, you can apply it to your scalp.

6) Rice Milk and Honey Mask:

This next mask is a bit tricky to make but has great results. You can find rice milk in the markets or make your own using rice and water. Take 2 tablespoons of honey and mix it with some rice milk to form a thick mixture. Apply the mixture on your hair and scalp and leave it on for about half an hour. Wash your hair using a mild shampoo and you are done. See the difference after.

Additional Hair Care Tips:

In winters, we generally like bathing with hot water. Alongside the above occasional treatments, remember to keep your hair away from steaming hot water, chemical products, and hair dryers. Hot water can damage the cells of your hair. Also, minimize the use of hair styling products like gels and wax. Whenever you do use them, make sure that you treat your hair with a good wash afterward.

Friends, the above remedies must be tried at least twice or thrice for best results, however, if you want quick relief from Dandruff, try the below medicine:

Nizral Shampoo: It neutralizes dandruff-causing fungus & clears up the itchy, scaly & flaky scalp.

Method: Try mixing Nizoral shampoo with Clinic All Clear in ratio 1:2, mix it well and apply on the scalp and gently rub for 3 to 5 minutes and wash your hair. You can also use Nizral Shampoo alone without mixing it with another shampoo in case of severe dandruff. After wash, you will find quick relief from dandruff and itchy skin.

It contains Ketoconazole IP 2 % and is considered a very powerful shampoo in controlling flaking, scaling, and itching caused by dandruff. It's marketed by Johnson & Johnson Private Limited. Try it after every 3 to 4 days to control Dandruff from returning. 

Tip: You can easily get it at any nearby Medical Shop. I am personally using it and don't have any side-effects. It's similar to a normal shampoo having Ketoconazole effective in removing dandruff 100%.

I hope you will try the above treatments to get rid of dandruff and enjoy a clean itchy-free scalp and smooth shiny hair.

Do check out other posts:

How to increase height (100% Guaranteed Ayurvedic Routine)

5 Quick and Healthy Breakfast Options you must Try

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5 Simple Exercises to Reduce Belly Fat at Home

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Practical Easy Steps to Reduce Belly Fat

Do Men tend to Collect more belly fat than Women?

How to Increase Height (100% Ayurvedic Routine)

To check whether height can be increased we need to study and check ancient ayurvedic scriptures and have a discussion with medical doctors to understand the truth behind it.

While modern medical doctors can help with modern growth hormone injections to increase the height. On the other hand, Ayurveda has a set of simple practices through which a lot of people have already grown taller. Where modern science broadly suggests a healthy diet and daily exercise, Ayurveda on the other hand goes much deeper to identify certain foods and herbs in nature that directly impact the height. It may be a hard pill to swallow for many modern doctors but Ayurveda clearly states that irrespective of your genetics, if you are under 21 years of age, all you need is a few simple ingredients, a conviction in your mind, and a strong will power to shoot up your height. And that’s what this blog is all about. So, measure your height today, and let's get started with the below-mentioned routine to increase height.

Follow Daily Routine:

1. Early morning, after you have a glass of water, the first step is to have 50 gm of Bamboo Murabba. As the bamboo tree grows faster and taller, ayurveda scriptures identify bamboo shoot to be one of the most potent medicine for height growth and overall body strength. Even scientists have found bamboo shoots to be exceptionally rich in calcium, phosphorus, protein, and various amino acids that are vital for taller.

Process of taking it: 

Bamboo Murabba is made by boiling the bamboo shoots and then soaking them in sugar syrup. You don’t have to start searching for a Bamboo Tree near your place. It’s easily available online. Early morning, when your stomach is empty eating a bamboo muraba will have the most impact. After having it wait for at least 30 minutes before you eat your breakfast. If you find it to be sugary, you can even wash it under clean water.

2. Make homemade ayurvedic tonic:

Process: 

400 gm of Ashwagandha Root Powder, 100 gm of Shatavari Powder, and 500 gm of Thread Mishri, mix it and keep it in an airtight container.

Take 2 Tb spoons of camel milk powder and add 200 ml of hot boiling water. Add further Ashwagandha Shatavari powder and thread mishri for sweetening to make it tasty. Have it slowly and don’t eat anything for at least 2 hours. You don't have to take it with milk or buffalo milk as Camel milk is most potent for increasing height, its property is to boost height. I understand it's hard to find it, however, it's easily available in Powder form.

Note: If you are eating roadside junk food like samosas and oily foods in the day, it may not harm the body right away but in later run, you will regret your choice of food. It’s always better to have homely food. Best foods for increasing height according to Ayurveda are desi cow dairy products, curd, fresh butter, paneer. Fruits such as Bananas and chiku are excellent. In Lunch eat at much Black Urad Dal which is good in dietary fiber, isoflavones, vitamin B complex, iron, copper, calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium, phosphorus.

3. Stimulation of the Pituitary Gland which secretes the Human Growth Hormone which is responsible for increasing the height.

Process:

Sit cross leg on the bed or any comfortable position with spine erect and close your eyes and try to concentrate in between your eye-brows. Yes, this is where the Pituitary Gland is located. It's also referred to as a 3^rd eye. Keep all your concentration at this point. You don’t have to overstress and bring yourself into a relaxing state of mind. You may experience pain in the start but it will become normal after 2 to 3 days. Thought will rush at a speed of light, but keep concentrating and ignore them. Do this exercise for just 2 minutes before sleeping. You can increase it to 5 minutes slowly & gradually. It can be a game-changer and then finally go to sleep.

4. Sleep Well:

it's not hidden that our bodies grow when we are sleeping. When it comes to optimum sleep quality proceeds quantity. So at least have a minimum of 7 – 8 hours sleep.

Summary:

Early morning 30 minutes before breakfast have a piece of bamboo murabba, then 2 hours after breakfast have one glass of warm camel milk with one teaspoon of Ashwagandha Shatavari Powder and have the same tonic 30 minutes before going to sleep at night as well. The final step is to practice stimulating the Pituitary Gland for 5 minutes. Do ensure you don’t ignore a well-balanced homely diet with stretching exercises and quality sleep.

Increasing height might sound like a difficult task but if you follow every bit of what I have mentioned in my blog I assure our ancient text assured that you will be amazed to see the result. Do measure your height after 1 month, but I want you to follow the above routine consistently for at least 3 months to see amazing results. It’s a one-time investment and the satisfaction you will enjoy for the rest of your life.

You can get all products mentioned in this blog on any ayurvedic store offline and also online easily.

Also check:

a) 5 Quick and Healthy Breakfast Options you must Try

b) 5 Practical Easy Steps to reduce Stress

c) 5 Simple Exercises to Reduce Belly Fat at Home

d) Top 5 Best Indoor Plants for your Bedroom 🌱

e) Why 65% people never create Financial Plans for their future?

f) Practical Easy Steps to Reduce Belly Fat

g) Do Men tend to Collect more belly fat than Women?

5 Quick and Healthy Breakfast Options you must Try

Breakfast is the first very important meal of the day. It provides physical energy to start your day and helps your mind function actively. When we wake up fresh early morning our body requires energy and our breakfast therefore becomes very important to fulfill that need. I would be sharing the 5 best breakfast recipes in this blog post which would be quite easy to cook with all ingredients easily available in every house. First, let's understand the importance of breakfast and the consequences of skipping it.

In our fast-paced life, a lot of people either not have their breakfast properly or eating the same thing every day like any parantha, biscuits, bread, and tea which is not enough for our body and moreover, it's even harmful. Tea in a lot of quantity makes acidity and bread is made up of refined wheat (maida) which is hard to digest and takes time.

The food that’s digested quickly, generates energy quickly. That is the reason breakfast should contain a balanced diet rich in fiber which gets digested quickly and controls the blood sugar and weight of your body. A healthy breakfast helps the body to perform physically and mentally at its best.

To understand completely the positive benefits of a healthy breakfast, we should also consider the consequences of skipping or leaving breakfast. If you skip your first breakfast meal, you could feel headache, inactive, slow, lethargic, and low blood sugar.

Let’s discuss a few benefits of Breakfast:

1. Blood Sugar remains controlled: If you skip your breakfast the blood sugar level could increase. Research proved that the weight of people is always less as compared to people who skip breakfast.
2. Cholesterol remains controlled: People who take well-balanced breakfast on time have generally a habit of consuming less fast food which in turn reduces cholesterol and the risk of heart problems also gets reduced.
3. Helps increase concentration & focus on tasks: Researchers found that breakfast helps increase concentration and sharpen memory. It reduces tension and keeps the mood good the whole day. Like other parts of the body, the mind also requires energy to work and helps decide what’s good and bad for us.
4. Reduces the desire to eat fast food: If you don’t take a balanced breakfast diet, you start craving for food soon, and because of which a lot of people consume unhealthy food that is harmful to the body. Always take a well-balanced breakfast.
5. Breakfast makes the immunity system strong: If you consume fruits like oranges, bananas etc which are full in vitamins & fibers, it helps you build your immunity system strong and helps you fight diseases and stay protected.
6. Breakfast helps reducing Tiredness and Insomnia the whole day: When you take a balanced diet, it keeps your body energetic and helps you fight insomnia as well.
7. Reduces obesity: If you are follow dieting, it's recommended to never skip breakfast. According to health experts, having a well-balanced breakfast can help you reduce obesity. If you skip breakfast, irregular eating desire takes place which ultimately results in obesity.

What should you eat for Breakfast?

Choosing the right well-balanced breakfast is very important. It can include fruits, vegetables, Dalia, dairy products with fewer fats and protein shakes.

One should take breakfast having a good amount of calcium, iron, vitamin B, and fiber. I would like to share 5 quick and healthy breakfast options along with their recipe process. The selection you will find will take the least time to cook and also have a variety of tastes. It can be cooked in less than 5 minutes with minimum ingredients and will have a great taste as well:

1) Besan ka Cheela:

It's also called the vegetarian omelet. It high in complex carbohydrates and protein.

Process:

a) Put 1 cup of besan in Bowl

b) Add little water to make the batter.

c) Add Tomatoes, Onion, Ginger paste, Corriander Leaves, Salt & Turmeric Powder – Mix well.

d) On a Pan – add a little bit of Mustard Oil – and pour the batter and spread it to give it a chapati shape. Once cooked from one side, flip it and cook the opposite side.

e) Once cooked, serve it with Curd or any chutney.

Note: It tastes amazing and you can make it at least 3 times a week.

2) Curd Rice Recipe:

If you are facing any digestion related issues, I will highly recommend you to have Curd Rice Recipe for your breakfast.

Process: 

a) Half Cup of Brown Rice and let it boil.

b) In a Pan add a Tablespoon of Mustard Oil

c) Add few mustard Seeds, ½ Tb Cumin (jeera) Seeds, Curry Leaves, a pinch of asafetida & Salt. Mix Well

d) In a new pan, add Boiled Rice + half cup Curd + chopped Coriander Leaves. Add the tadka of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves into it and mixes well.

Note: The curd when consumed as first thing in the morning cleanses the intestines. Try it for 1 week and you will find all digestive problems disappear.

2) Tamarind (Imli) Rice:

Process: 

a) Take Half a cup of Brown Rice and boil it

b) Take a pan and add 1 Tb of Desi ghee.

c) Add 1 Table Spoon of Mustard Seeds.

d) Add Curry Leaves, turmeric, salt, peanuts, and asafetida and mix well.

e) Take some Tamarind (Imli) and boil it in water.

f) Strain the Tamarind water into the pan and stir it well to make it thick.

g) Finally add boiled rice and mix it well.

Note: This meal is full of complex carbohydrates from brown rice, protein from peanuts helps you energize for the start of the day.

3) Banana, Almond & Milk (Simplest)

a) 4 – 5 Almonds

b) 1 – 2 Bananas

c) 1 Glass of Warm Milk

Eat It slowly and don’t rush eating it.

4) Cashew Upma:

Process: 

a) In Pan – add 1 Tb of Desi Ghee.

b) Add Cumin Seeds, Ginger, Onion, Curry Leaves, Turmeric Powder, Salt, and Tomatoes. Mix them well.

c) Add a few Cashews (Kaju) and mix them.

d) Add water – stir it.

e) Add broken wheat (upma)

f) Add coriander on the top and serve to enjoy it.

Note: This can be consumed daily as a breakfast and a good alternate to unhealthy foods.

5) Green Salad:

A mixture of green salad, raw vegetables like carrot, sweet potato (shakarkandi), turnip (shalgam), sugar beets (chukandar), cabbage, egg white, etc. with lemon, and a pinch of salt. Add whatever you have with you and take with one glass of Milk.

Other breakfast options:

1. Oatmeal (Dalia) having milk, raisins (kismis) & nuts.
2. Egg Omelet with Brown Bread.
3. Boiled Eggs and Banana.
4. Curd with Parantha. Avoid having butter.
5. Green Tea or Lemon Tea instead of normal Tea.
6. Safolla Oats with Milk.
7. Sprouted grains - have to prepare them in advance as it takes a whole night to sprout)
8. Fruits such as apple, mangoes, guava, pomegranate, or oranges

I hope my above blog would definitely help you to choose from a variety of healthy breakfast options and you will help you become health conscious. If you have any comments, suggestions or feedback do send me an email at ajey@akginfotech.com

Must Read:

a)  5 Practical Easy Steps to reduce Stress

b) 5 Simple Exercises to Reduce Belly Fat at Home

c) Top 5 Best Indoor Plants for your Bedroom 🌱

d) Practical Easy Steps to Reduce Belly Fat

e) Do Men tend to Collect more belly fat than Women?