3 gut-friendly recipes to improve digestion, nourish your body
There are certain foods that can speed up metabolism and improve digestion while also supplying your body with the right amount of nutrients. These gut-friendly recipes are the perfect post-Diwali detox.
After the festive binge, it’s time to heal and detox your body. Many people report acidity, bloating, indigestion and constipation after over snacking during Diwali and eating foods their bodies are not used to. Processed, fatty foods and those made of maida and sugar can disturb your healthy gut bacteria and it’s important to restore them in order to have optimum digestion. Our gut is home to trillions of microorganisms and they play a crucial role in the digestion process and metabolism. There are certain foods that can speed up metabolism and improve digestion while also supplying your body with the right amount of nutrients.
“After enjoying all those Diwali sweet and savoury snacks, it’s time to get back to your daily routine with the post-Diwali detox that will help you achieve your desired fitness goals and overall, a healthy and nourished body. Detox diet does not mean you have only juices to cleanse but work towards improving the gut health,” Avantii Deshpaande, Gut health expert and Nutritionist told HT Digital.
Avantii also suggests 3 healthy gut-friendly recipes which will aid in nourishing your body with the right nutrients.
1. Bone broth (Paya soup)
Benefit: Contains natural collagen and helps to heal the gut faster
Ingredients:
Lamb trotters 150-200 gm (5-6 pcs)
Onion finely chopped- 1 cup
Garlic crushed- 1 tablespoon
Ginger cut into thin strips- ½ inch
Bay leaves- 2 nos.
Green cardamom- 2 nos.
Cinnamon- 1 stick
Mace- 1 stick
Cloves- 2 nos.
Chopped coriander stems and leaves- 2 tbsp
Cold-pressed coconut oil- 1 tbsp
Salt, black pepper powder to taste
Water- 500-650 ml
Method
– Heat oil in a pressure cooker, and add whole spices first. Once they are fragrant, add chopped onion, garlic and ginger and sauté till the onion is translucent. Then add lamb trotters and sauté on low heat.
– Add salt, pepper, and water and mix well. Pressure cook for 3 whistles.
– Strain the contents with a strainer.
– Pour the soup into a serving bowl, squeeze fresh lemon juice, and serve piping hot.
– If you wish, add the mutton pieces back to the soup along with the vegetables of your choice.
2. Vegan broth
In case you are a vegetarian this is perfect recipe which has the goodness of vegetables and miso paste which is a probiotic.
Ingredients:
Water (1½ litre)
Shiitake mushrooms (3-4)
Miso paste for soups (1 tbsp)
1 carrot (cut into cubes)
3 celery sticks (cut into cubes)
1 chopped onion
Garlic (3-4 pieces)
Salt to taste
Ghee/coconut oil
Method:
– In a big vessel, pour 1½ litre of water.
– Add chopped onion, whole garlic cloves, chopped carrot, and celery sticks to the water.
– Put the crushed shiitake mushrooms into it.
– Add salt to taste and stir gently.
– Cover it with a lid and cook for 45 minutes on low flame.
– Filter the liquid using a strainer in a bowl.
– Now, mix 1 tbsp miso paste with ghee or coconut oil.
– Add the paste to the broth and mix it well.
– Serve hot with ghee/coconut oil.
You can enjoy this delicious vegan broth as a soup or in rice preparations.
3. Beetroot Kanji
Our age old traditional recipe of North India, this is high in natural probiotic. Consume about 50 ml before meals.
Ingredients:
1 beetroot
1 carrot
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp mustard powder
6 cups of water
Method:
– Wash the vegetables clean (beetroot and carrot) and cut them into baton sizes.
– Put the chopped vegetables into a 1-litre glass jar.
– Now, add 1 tsp chili powder to it.
– Then, add 2 tsp salt to it.
– Now add 1 tsp mustard powder to the mixture.
– Add 6 cups of water to the mixture leaving a 1-inch space.
– Cover the jar with a muslin cloth and tie it with a rubber band.
– Stir the prepared juice and allow it to rest.
– Keep the jar covered for 4 days with the muslin cloth.
– And the beetroot kanji is ready to drink.
