Get healthy with these wholesome foods

Get healthy with these wholesome foods

As a Holistic Health Coach, I believe in eating foods that are fresh, organic, nutritious and delicious. I also recommend whole foods — foods that haven’t been processed and de-natured. Eating healthy is about understanding your food — how it’s grown, what is in it, how it affects your body. Food can heal and nourish you. Here are a few recipes to get you started: Crisp ‘n’ crunchy vegetable pasta I love to tuck into Italian food – pastas, risottos and minestrone soup, in particular. While Italian food at restaurants can be a bit heavy on the stomach, when you rustle up pasta or risotto at home, it can be refreshingly light and crisp. I like to make my pasta healthy, wholesome and delicious. Ingredients  2 onions, diced 5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped 1 zucchini, thinly sliced 1 capsicum, roughly chopped 1 large, juicy tomato, roughly chopped 1 small broccoli, roughly chopped 3 cups wholegrain pasta (I used rice and millet pasta – great for people with gluten allergy) 1 tbsp organic flaxseeds l2 tbsp organic sesame seeds 1 tbsp ground sunflower seeds Rock salt lFreshly ground pepper 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oillGrated cheese — as per taste For the sauce:1/2 tbsp mustard saucel ½ tbsp sweet and sour red chilli Thai sauce 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oill1 tbsp organic peanut butterl3 tbsp water Method  Cook the pasta as per the packet instructions, drain and keep aside.Warm the olive oil and sauté the onions for a minute. lToss in the zucchini, garlic and broccoli, and sauté. Let the veggies remain crisp and crunchy.lAdd the chopped tomato and capsicum and give it all a stir. Add the seeds and cook for a very short while.lTip in the cooked pasta and give it a good stir. Add salt and freshly ground pepper, and let this cook on low heat.lNow quickly prepare the sauce. Add all the mustard, red chilli sauce, peanut butter and olive oil. Stir it well and add some water to dilute the sauce.lMix the sauce into the pasta and veg mixture, and serve hot with freshly grated cheese. Breakfast Greens As a Health Coach, I recommend a daily dose of leafy greens to all my clients. Greens are nature’s super foods, packed with nutrients. Here is how I like to cook them. Ingredients A big bunch of mixed fresh greens (spinach and mustard greens), roughly chopped 5 cloves of garlic, chopped 2 boiled eggs, sliced 2 tsp flaxseeds 1 tbsp mustard sauce ½ tsp coriander powderl½ tsp chilli flakes  Rock salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil Method  Warm the olive oil in a wok and add the chopped greens. lToss in the garlic and sauté for a few minutes, till the greens become soft. lAdd the sliced boiled eggs, flaxseeds, coriander powder, mustard sauce, chilli flakes, salt and pepper. Cook for a quick minute till the flavours meld and serve hot with wholegrain toast.lTip: Instead of eggs, you can use pieces of grilled chicken or fish. If you are a vegetarian, substitute eggs with boiled sweet potatoes. Chandana Banerjee is the founder of Luscious Health, a wellness studio in Bangalore. You can find out more about this at www.luscious-health.com