In the past several weeks and months, I have been hearing from many relatives and friends about health issues. The key thing I noticed was, in many cases the health issue could be easily controlled by a planned, healthy diet and excercise. But in all of the cases I heard, the Doctors prescribed heavy medications with no mention about diet. And everyone was happy to go about their daily intake of Rice, Sugar, Ghee and other items. Makes me so sad.
If you are a regular visitor to my blog, by now you would have realized how crazy I am about preparing and eating healthy food. I have heard many saying casually” We go to restaurants almost 2 or 3 times a week”. When I hear that it gives me a heart attack. Just joking here. In my house, we might go to a restaurant once in 3 or 4 months. I just don’t like the idea of not knowing what has been added to my food.
My daughter keeps joking that if it went my way I would have turned my Husband to a Flaxseed, myself into fibrous fruit, and her into a veggie burger full of vegetables.
Anyway, long story short I decided to start posting a series of articles on preparing and eating healthy meal and by incorporating them in our daily lives without any effort. Yes, including these changes will make you a little bit poorer, but health wise you will be quite rich. You can do this right?
So, the first key ingredient which I heard for many many years here in the US but started using only recently was Flaxseed. Studies have shown that Flaxseed helps people who have diabetes, heart problems, and some form of cancer. It is called the most powerful plant on earth. I brought whole Flaxseed as well as ground Flaxseed from Giant supermarket. It is easily available in India also. I remember my friends asking me if I wanted “Agashi Chatni” when in Bijapur. That is exactly what is Flaxseed.
So, go buy flaxseed, grind it into a powder and make sure you use 2-3 tsp a day. Flaxseed in various Indian languages.
Linseed in India
Agase beeja in kannada
Siruyali vidai in Tamil
Jawas or alashi in Marathi
Alasi/atasi in Sanskrit
Cheruchana vithu in Malayalam
Aviselu or avise ginjalu in Telugu
I have started adding Flaxseed to most of my dishes. Like in Smoothies, while eating rasam or sambar rice, for Dosa batter, and below are pictures of how I incorporated Flaxseed into chapathi dough and made chapathis and parotas. While mixing the chapathi flour, add 3-4 tsp ground flaxseed. And make chapathis like normal. So easy right? It didn’t even take a few minutes to change your chapathi and parota into a super healthy food.
Click on the images to see bigger pictures. None of the dishes posted here had any change in their taste. It was quite yummy, tasty and most of all healthy.
Start using this wonder food in your daily food items, and enjoy the benefit of a healthy living. As always, if you have any health issues, please consult your Doctor. I am just a crazy health food enthusiast, so I have incorporated this new style of living from many years. Like you all know, I have a full time job, and a family and travel a lot. If I can do it, there should be no excuse for you to not do it. 
Enjoy, stay healthy and stay tuned for the next article.
Posted by jamuna on March 8, 2013 at 3:41 pm
very nice and good information. Trader Joes has a blueberry and flax seed powder which is also very good to use in oatmeal and cereal. thanks meera.
Posted by meeraghu on March 8, 2013 at 4:12 pm
Jamuna,
Yes, Flaxseed is available in almost all stores. Easy to use it in any dish, doesn’t change the taste or flavor.
Posted by Geethaa Sanoor on March 8, 2013 at 11:17 pm
Dear Meera,
Thank you for giving a valuable article. It will more useful to me since I am a diabetic person. I will definitely try this. Continue your health oriented articles.
geethaa sanoor
Posted by meeraghu on March 9, 2013 at 8:22 am
Hope it helps. Consult your Doctor also.
Posted by Bhavana on March 14, 2013 at 1:17 pm
Dear Geetha, You can make the chapati/roti flour with the following ingredients.
5 kg wheat + 1/2 kg soya bean + 1/4 kg fried gram + 100 grams Methi + 100 grams flax seed.
Th proportion is suggested by the dietitian of KID ( Karnataka Institute of Diabetology)
Chapatis made by this flour are very soft and light.
Posted by geethaa sanoor on March 16, 2013 at 12:15 am
Dear Bhavana,
I thank you very much for suggesting me for a protein rich combination of wheat flour. I will definitely make use of it.
geethaa sanoor
Posted by Bhavana on March 9, 2013 at 12:29 am
Meera, Do yo fry the flaxseeds before making powder?
When I prepare Agasi chatni I fry them on low flame till they splutter. Otherwise the chatni becomes sticky. – Suggestions please.
What is the sabji beside chapathi? Is it brinjal?
Posted by meeraghu on March 9, 2013 at 8:23 am
No frying. Just grind the flaxseeds the amount you need for a week. It is Brinjal palya.
Posted by Vijaya ramesh on March 9, 2013 at 2:11 am
What is the Indian name/Telugu or Hindi for flaxseed
Posted by meeraghu on March 9, 2013 at 8:23 am
Updated the post with names in various languages.
Posted by shanthisethuraman on March 9, 2013 at 3:51 am
Thank you for your health tips, that flaxseed is good for all health factors, like sugar,
heart diseases, I have not heard about this before, I will try and tell my relations and friends about this. Fenugreek Seeds also good for sugar. If you cut two ladies finger
two ends, and cut the center part into 2 pieces,,soak into the water before going to bed
and take water and drink it the next day. You make it habit of this, it will be also control
sugar to some extent.
Wish you a “Happy Women’s Day” to all of you. I supposed to wish you all yesterday,
as I had to attend “Women’s Day function in our place, I couldn’t wish you, sorry.
“Better late than never” we are used to say for delay in anything.
Shanthi S
Posted by meeraghu on March 9, 2013 at 8:24 am
Shanthi,
Happy Womens day. And yes, please tell you friends and relatives to use Flaxseed it is very powerful.
Posted by Bhavana on March 17, 2013 at 12:40 pm
Geetha,
visit the website of Karnataka Institute of Diabetology. http://kidbangalore.in/
Here you get a lot of information.
- Bhavana.