A Nutty Tale – Why People Told Nuts are Nutritional Powerhouse for Health?

In a nutshell, we’re all nuts about nuts! I mean seriously! Anybody would have to be a nut to not like nuts! Pun aside; it is universally acknowledged that nuts are nature’s way of telling us that the best things come in small packets. Where else can you find so much energy and nutrients in a mere handful!?

The question which arises now is what exactly are nuts and how are they different from dry fruits? Botanically, most of the nuts we know as nuts are not exactly nuts. So on a technical level, almonds, cashews and peanuts do not strictly fall under the category of nuts. For the sake of avoiding confusion and ambiguity, we’ll treat them as nuts all the same. Dryfruits are different since unlike nuts, they are not naturally dry but their water content is evaporated or drastically reduced so that they appear to be dry. This was the earliest method used by our ancestors for food preservation, and continues to be a great way for storing food items for emergencies.

If we are talking about dry fruits, it would be highly unusual if we didn't talk about raisins. Raisins are basically grapes which have been dried. If you wish to gain weight in a healthy way or keep your eyes healthy, raisins can help you a lot. In addition to being used in a variety of cooking recipes around the world, raisins are also vital ingredients in high energy food supplements. Raisins are also rich in calcium and Oleanolic Acid, which prevents growth of bacteria and keeps teeth healthy and strong.

Speaking of calcium, almond is the leader with the highest amount of calcium present in it among all the nuts. In addition to that, it’s got fiber and vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps fight dangerous inflammation and possibly health conditions such as lung cancer and age-related cognitive decline. Due to their multiple benefits, almonds are very popular among nut eaters.

To wrap up the list, we’d mention one other nut which has immense number of benefits. Walnut is a treasure trove of rare and healthy amino acids and vitamins, which are not usually found in nature. Due to these super healthy and rare constituents, walnuts have several unique properties. One of the most prominent among them is drastically reducing the risk of a fatal heart attack. Frequent consumption of walnut lowers the risk of death. It also has a host of antioxidants which are crucial if you plan to age gracefully.

If we sum it all up, we find that nuts help you to reduce weight, live longer, appear younger and fill the stomach as well! So there isn’t any reason not to eat nuts unless you’re allergic to them! With such a lot of goodness packed into them, the only concern which remains is the purity. There is a simple solution to this dilemma- buy them online from trusted sources. Nowadays websites like FoodFeasta.com sell dry fruits and nuts online from trusted producers and deliver right at your doorstep! Go healthy! Go nuts!

Food Reference Guide: 5 Mouthwatering North Indian Desserts

As sweet the people of North India are, their sweets are even sweeter! While the main course of food unlike other Indian regions is rarely sweet, the desserts are widely and deeply loved here. Since there are sweet shops to be found at almost every street, satisfying the urges of your sweet tooth is never a problem as long as you are in North India. We present before you our favorite 5 sweets and desserts, which you cannot afford to miss if you are in north India.

The first one is the dessert which many people will remember with fond memories as their mother’s special dish. Kheer is a dessert which is as simple to make as it is tasty. Prepared without any hassle, kheer is a mouthwatering dish which can even be prepared using some leftover rice, sugar and milk. Kheer is also considered to be the ancestor of the European Rice Pudding. Apart from being a dessert, Kheer is also prepared on almost all festivals and is quite popular.

Soan Papadi is a flaky sweet which if prepared by an expert, melts in your mouth to give off a delicious flavor. Also known by others names like Sohan Papdi and Patisa, this sweet can be found at almost every north Indian Sweet shop. Large scale manufacturers have lately redefined the texture and taste of Sohan Papdi to give it an exotic and delicate flavor, yet the plain old variant also remains quite popular with the general populace.

“Mathura ke pede” a phrase in itself, is an indicator of just how famous the pedas made in Mathura are. If someone has to go to Mathura for any reason, they instructed by their neighbours and friends to bring along Pedas while returning. They are used extensively in religious ceremonies which have attached an aesthetic value to these delicious sweets. For the people unfamiliar with it, Pedas are basically thick, semi soft solid made using khoa, sugar and traditional flavorings, including cardamom seeds, pistachio nuts and saffron.

Halva, rather being a particular dish, is more of an umbrella term for several different appearing dishes. The name is derived from Arabic and basically means sweet or dessert. Since we are specifically talking about North India, some varieties which are famous here are the solid Sohan Halwa, Suji (Semolina) Halwa and even Gajar Halwa which is made using carrots. While the new varieties continue to thrive, for those who still crave for the age old recipes, Halwas can be bought online through websites like FoodFeasta.com which bring you Halwas directly from shops which have been making them for decades and centuries.

Last we have our very own Indian ice cream! Yes it’s none other than the Kulfi! The name itself provokes nostalgic memories of a street vendor with a bell attached to its cart, making his rounds in the summers. From the kitchens of the Mughal Empire to every street in North India, Kulfi has been showered with love every step of the way.

That’s all for now! We’re anxious to know which Indian dessert made you fall in love with it!

Top 5 Ways to Make Your Life Partner Feel More Happy and Exotic

Happiness multiplies when shared and who best to share your happiness with, than your life partner? Each of us tries their best to make people around us happy and yet we fail time and again when we get stuck in our day to day routines. Monotony often kills the spark of excitement and romance. So here we present before you (wait for it... Extended drum roll) 5 ways to keep your life partner happy and leading a better, more successful and contented life.

Gold – Gold would be rather a surprise debutante on this list as most people would be expecting something clichéd like roses. We know that it’s quite expensive but that is not all which is there to it. A finely made gold jewellery can make most girls go weak in the knees and swoon right into your arms. Even girls who are not attracted to material things will appreciate beauty and it is universally acknowledged that gold is one of the most beautiful things around!

Chocolates: Now this is indeed a clichéd thing but that does not in any way undermine its importance or its effect. Anybody who has eaten chocolate in anger will testify that nothing evaporates a bad mood like chocolate! Be it apology, casual surprise, or just another way to remind your partner of your love, chocolates never miss a trick! It could be dairy milk or high end chocolates like Neeta Mehta’s, chocolates always elevate the mood. While the former can be bought from the nearest general store, 

Clothes- A shabbily dressed date is everyone’s nightmare, therefore importance of good clothes cannot be stressed enough. Not only should you dress well, you could also gift clothes to your partners. Of course, you have to keep their choices and preferences in mind, but clothes are excellent gift items if you pick the right ones!

Visits and Sweets- The reason for putting these two together is that in India visits are associated with sweets to the extent that some families actually take offense if a guest comes empty handed. You would be curious as to how does this figure into the list of ways to make your life partner happy. Actually it’s quite simple when you come to think of it. It is mandatory that you take sweets along with you whenever you visit someone, but there is no rule against taking some sweets home along with you at the end of a long day. A small amount of sweets can go a long way in sweetening up your life! In this day and age, everything’s connected through internet so why not use a website like FoodFeasta.com to buy specialties from around India and have them delivered to your house in your absence! This could result in a very warm welcome when you get home!

It’s the little joys which light up a life. Try these and let us know how they worked!