Author: Dr. Cijith Sreedhar

This inventive take on the tapenade pairs it with pea pesto to give you a bold and zippy starter. It’s a colourful number that refreshes your palate and leaves you craving for the next course.

Portion Size

Makes 4 portions

Ingredients for the Pea Pesto

  • 100 gm Sprouted Green Peas
  • 50 gm Cilantro chopped
  • 50 gm Capsicum chopped
  • 30 gm Garlic chopped
  • 5 ml Lemon Juice
  • 5 gm Salt
  • 50 gm Cashew Cheese

Ingredients for the Tapenade

  • 50 gm Black Olives chopped
  • 30 gm Dehydrated Tomato soaked
  • 20 gm Garlic chopped

Method

  1. For the Pea Pesto, add washed and chopped Cilantro, chopped Capsicum, chopped Garlic, and Sprouted Green Peas in a mixer and make a coarse paste. Add Cashew Cheese and pulse twice or thrice, then season with Lemon Juice and Pink Salt.
  2. For the Tapenade, pulse the Dehydrated Tomato (which has been soaked), with chopped Garlic and the Black Olives.
  3. Serve the Pea Pesto on a Tomato slice topped with the Tapenade.

Beetroot is a very versatile ingredient that can be cut into thin slices to create a wrapper or pouch for some delicious filling. Here’s how to make a great stuffed ravioli dish with beetroot as the sheets.

Portion Size

Makes 1 portion

Ingredients

  • 2 nos Beetroot sliced
  • 20 gm Cashew Cheese
  • 5 gm Mixed Herbs chopped
  • 1 gm Oregano
  • 1 tsp Lemon Juice
  • 1 gm Pink Salt
  • 5 gm Pistachios (for garnish)
  • 1 gm Micro Greens (for garnish)

Method

  1. Season the Cashew Cheese with the Mixed Herbs to create the filling.
  2. Place the filling between two sheets of Beetroot slices.
  3. Season with Pink Salt, Oregano, and Lemon Juice.
  4. Garnish with chopped Pistachios and Micro Greens.

Give papaya a tropical twist with this smoothie recipe. Elevate the goodness of papaya, rich in antioxidants, nutrients, vitamins, minerals and fibre, with rich coconut milk and fresh oranges.

Portion Size

  • 200 ml
  • Makes 4 portions

Ingredients

  • 100 gm Papaya chopped
  • 50 ml Orange Juice
  • 50 ml Coconut Milk
  • 2 ml Lemon Juice
  • 20 gm Honey

Method

In a blender, add the Papaya with the Orange Juice, Coconut Milk, Lemon Juice, and Honey. Blend and pour into glasses. Serve immediately.

When we talk about chocolate, we are referring to cacao nibs, the highly nutritious product made from crushed cocoa beans. These are exceptionally rich in antioxidants and minerals.

Portion Size

  • 200 ml
  • Makes 2 portions

Ingredients

  • 100 gm Banana
  • 50 gm Cacao Nibs paste
  • 50 gm Almonds activated
  • 30 gm Dates de-seeded
  • ¼ tsp Vanilla Bean powder
  • 200 ml Water

Method

  1. Blend all the ingredients into a smooth paste and pour it into glasses.
  2. Serve as soon as it’s ready.

If you’ve never been a fan of broccoli, this recipe will change your mind. These squares are well-rounded in terms of flavours, textures, colour, and of course, nutrition. This is one square meal you can’t ignore.

Portion Size

  • 200 gm
  • Make 2 portions

Ingredients for the Broccoli square

  • 150 gm Broccoli cleaned and chopped
  • 30 gm Sunflower Seeds
  • 20 gm Cashew Nut powdered
  • 15 gm Onion chopped
  • 5 gm Garlic chopped
  • 30 gm each of Red, Yellow, and Green Bell Peppers chopped
  • 2 gm Black Pepper crushed
  • 5 ml Lemon Juice
  • 2 gm Oregano
  • 5 gm Salt

Ingredients for the Romesco Sauce

  • 100 gm Red Bell Pepper diced
  • 50 gm Dehydrated Tomato soaked
  • 50 gm Almonds
  • 8 gm Onion chopped
  • 3 gm Garlic chopped
  • 1 gm Rock Salt
  • 2 gm Lemon Juice
  • 50 ml Water (To soak the dehydrated Tomato)

Method

  1. For the Broccoli squares, coarsely crush the Sunflower Seeds and Cashew Nuts and set aside.
  2. Blend the Broccoli in a food processor with Onion, Garlic, Oregano, Black Pepper, Bell Peppers, Cashew Nut powder, and Sunflower Seed powder. Then, season with Rock Salt and Lemon Juice.
  3. Mould this mixture into squares.
  4. Blend all the ingredients for the Romesco sauce to a smooth paste in a blender. Garnish each square with a dollop of this mixture.

A healthy burger! That’s not an oxymoron anymore. Our burger patties are filled with delicious and nutritious sprouts, baby corn, cashew, and more, paired with nacho cheese and basil pesto.

Portion Size

  • 200 gm
  • Makes 2 burgers

Ingredients for the Burger Patties

  • 100 gm Green Gram Sprouts
  • 100 gm Baby Corn chopped
  • 50 gm Carrot grated
  • 50 gm Onion chopped
  • 50 gm Cashew Powder
  • 30 gm Garlic chopped
  • ½ tsp Lemon Juice
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Oregano
  • 8 nos Tomato thick slices

Ingredients for the Nacho Cheese

  • 50 gm Dehydrated Red Capsicum
  • 50 gm Cashew Nuts
  • 20 gm Onion
  • 10 gm Garlic
  • 10 gm Dates
  • 5 gm nutritional Yeast
  • 50 ml Water
  • 10 ml Lemon Juice
  • 5 gm Rock Salt

Ingredients for the Basil Pesto

  • 50 gm Pine Nuts
  • 50 gm Cashew Nuts split
  • 10 gm Garlic chopped
  • 50 gm Basil Leaves
  • 50 gm Capsicum
  • 5 ml Lime Juice
  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. For the patties, blend the ingredients together (except the Oregano and Tomato slices) to form a coarse paste and make the burger patties out of it. Place a patty on the Tomato slice and top it with Basil Pesto or Nacho Cheese.
  2. For the Nacho Cheese, soak the Dehydrated Red Capsicum in water for an hour and strain. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
  3. For the Basil Pesto, blend all ingredients into a smooth paste with a little water.

Dessert doesn’t have to be unhealthy when you can enjoy fruits in a fun way. These bite-sized flavour bombs are packed with zing and zest, and are very healthy for you too.

Portion Size

  • 70 gm
  • Makes 4 portions

Ingredients

  • 150 gm dried Apricots chopped
  • 80 gm dehydrated grated Coconut
  • 1 gm Vanilla Powder
  • 50 gm Raisins chopped

Method

  1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blend till it forms a dough-like consistency.
  2. Shape this dough into medium-sized balls.
  3. Roll them in the dehydrated Coconut.
  4. Garnish with thick Grape Juice and Mint Leaves.

Break your fast with a delicious and nutritious bowl of basil, apple, plum, watermelon, almonds, sesame seeds, and vanilla bean, in refreshing coconut milk, sweetened with honey.

Portion Size

  • 200 gm
  • Makes 2 portions

Ingredients

  • 10 gm Basil Seeds
  • 100 ml Water
  • 100 ml Coconut Milk
  • 100 gm Honey
  • 1 gm Vanilla Bean Powder
  • 30 gm Apple chopped
  • 30 gm Plum chopped
  • 10 gm Banana chopped
  • 50 gm Watermelon chopped
  • 10 gm Almond sliced
  • 2 gm Black Sesame Seeds

Method

  1. Soak the Basil Seeds in 100 ml of water for an hour, till it forms a jelly-like consistency.
  2. Add the Coconut Milk and Honey to the soaked Basil Seeds.
  3. Add the chopped fruits to this mixture.
  4. Garnish with chopped Almonds.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been an eye-opener for all of us in many ways, especially concerning our health. We now realise that the greatest protection we have against any threat is our own body. Only by strengthening our immunity and investing in preventive healthcare can we truly achieve long-term wellbeing.

So, what do we do now?


Keep your body devoid of metabolic toxins with naturopathy treatments.

During these COVID-19 times, you might have heard that ‘it is not the virus that kills you, but your body’s hyper reaction to it’. One of the most basic tenets of naturopathy is based on the same insight. It states that ‘a seed is not as important as the condition of the soil’.  Our body’s reaction to any disease-causing agent depends on how supportive our body is to the growth of those diseases. If we make our bodies non-receptive, the disease can’t take hold. Naturopathy treatments can get rid of toxins so that the soil (our body) does not support the growth of these seeds (disease-causing agents). With the help of a naturopathic diet to provide the right nutrition for the body and natural treatments which enhance and optimise the circulatory, nervous, hormonal, and metabolic functions; the naturopathic system of medicine can clean and heal our body and make it healthy.


Nourish your body with natural, fresh, live, wholesome, rainbow food.

“What should we eat?” is one of the most common questions a doctor hears in his or her clinical practice. There are thousands of theories and diet programs available, but none satisfies all the expectations. The reason is simple. There is no one-diet-fits-all solution. Everybody is unique and your body’s nutritional needs vary depending upon various internal and external circumstances. The one truth that doesn’t change is that natural food, when fresh and live, is the best. Food that is not altered by science or technology but remains wholesome is the healthiest. Another important tip is to make sure your diet contains food with different natural colours or what we call a ‘rainbow’ diet. Each colour represents a phytonutrient that is present in the food, and the greater the variety the more diverse your diet is, which is essential for the normal functioning of your body.


Enrich your vitality with proper and scientific rest.

The basic concept of naturopathy is that the body can heal itself when given a chance. That ‘chance’ is nothing but rest. Timely and adequate sleep along with intermittent fasting are two basic but essential methods to keep it functioning optimally and to maintain its defences against diseases. While sleep helps for daily repair and regeneration; intermittent fasting helps to remove old, unwanted, extra foreign cells through the activation of autophagy*.

 *Please consult your doctor before you start intermittent fasting.


Activate your immunity with exercises.

We are all aware of the benefits of exercise, but this has greater significance now during these COVID-19 times. Along with all the other known benefits, one of the most important roles it plays is in keeping our defence systems and immunity active. Exercises which involve alternative stretching and relaxing, squeeze the muscles and thereby keeps the lymphatic system – the transport mechanism of our immune cells – functioning smoothly. Exercises also help to keep the defence system active by inducing mild physiological stress to the system.


Harmonise your system with natural elements.

In these modern times, we have become disconnected from our natural environment and have paid the price. If we look at the mortality data from COVID-19 cases, Vitamin D deficiency played a major role. Vitamin D is a nutrient which the body can produce through exposure to sunlight, but unfortunately, a majority of the population is suffering from this deficiency. Regular interaction with the five natural elements – sun, pure and natural water, earth, unpolluted air, and nature’s energy, will keep your body in complete harmony.


Manage your stress well to activate your body’s healing systems.

Chronic stress is like a constant war going on in your body and mind, and this prevents your natural healing mechanisms from being activated. Stress also causes a domino effect starting with hormonal reactions and leading to a disruption in the normal functioning of your cells. Laughter, meditation, socialising, and learning new things will help you manage stress more effectively and keep yourself healthy.


Be punctual to your body, listen to its natural rhythms, and plan your day accordingly.

Our body works in different rhythms, which are optimised based on the inputs from the internal and external environment. These rhythms are called ultradian rhythm, infradian rhythm, and circadian rhythm. Among these, the circadian rhythm is considered the most important as most of our hormonal and metabolic functions are affected by this. However, your lifestyle confuses these inputs with exposure to artificial lights and temperatures, late-night eating habits, the consumption of unnecessary drugs and other chemicals, etc. which disrupt the normal functioning of your body. The remedy lies in sun gazing, avoiding coffee in the late evenings, keeping away from artificial lights, not exposing yourself to extreme sounds and temperatures, etc. are the simplest but the most effective ways to maintain the normal rhythm of our body

Remember, your body has amazing recuperative powers.

Being healthy is not just about preventing disease. It’s about allowing your body to return to its normal state naturally. When you do this, you awaken the healer within you and activate the healing mechanisms and restore the balance.

This is especially true in these COVID-19 times, which is about the survival of fittest. Follow the principles of Prakruthi Chikitsa or Nature Cure and you can achieve preventive health, build immunity, correct lifestyle disorders and its comorbidities at the onset, and prevent degeneration of one’s body.

To know more, talk to the doctor here: www.prakritishakti.com/talk-to-doctor/

-Written by

Dr. Cijith Sreedhar.

It’s said you are what you eat and it makes great sense to find and eat food that keeps you in good health. Raw food does just that. While eating raw, you are choosing to give your body the goodness and vitality of earth. Raw food establishes a strong, nourishing link between you and nature.

Raw food is anything that has never been heated over 40-48°C (104–118°F) and not refined or processed in other ways. A raw food diet is usually vegetarian, with fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds being the staples. Sprouted or soaked grains and legumes too are excellent raw food.

Why eat raw food?

A raw food diet lets you consume food in the most natural way. Compared to cooked food, raw food can be much more nutritious as they are not subjected to heat or any kind of processing. The heating process involved in cooking can destroy natural enzymes which are beneficial for the smooth working of bodily functions. Our bodies have their own supply of enzymes but the body will be greatly helped by the enzymes from the food we eat. High-temperature cooking will destroy heat-sensitive nutrients and can alter the bioavailability of other nutrients. Avoiding the cooking process also prevents chemical changes like browning of food.

Food elements that have undergone changes in their chemical composition are considered as ‘foreign/unnatural’ (xenobiotic elements) by our bodies. This triggers Xenobiotic metabolism where the liver gets busy in breaking down and processing these elements. Raw food frees our bodies from this process and reduces stress on the liver. Because of their natural makeup, raw food demands minimal energy from the body for digestion, preventing the body from overworking.

Also, eating a raw food diet clears you off from consuming processed food and the multitude of health risks associated with it.

Eating raw food has multiple health benefits

Raw food is rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals and disease-fighting phytochemicals, which can be easily absorbed by the body. Since most raw food preparations are low in calories, fat, sodium and high in fibre, a raw food diet almost always leads to weight reduction. Losing weight and managing it can help with type 2 diabetes. Studies have found that being on a raw food diet can greatly lower body fat. A raw food diet also helps by preventing the chance of over-eating.

Being low in sodium, a raw food diet may help lower chances of stroke, heart failure, osteoporosis, stomach cancer and kidney disease. It also helps keep blood pressure in check.

Since the natural composition is retained, raw food communicates well with body’s internal haemostatic systems, like with the hormones Leptin and Ghrelin. Often called the ‘hunger hormone’, Ghrelin promotes appetite and readies the body for food intake. Leptin offers a counter-weight and inhibits hunger. Synergy between the two is hugely important for good health. Impaired sensitivities towards these hormones can lead to eating disorders and poor metabolism. Raw food lets these hormones work their natural effects efficiently.

It’s reported that raw food contains more brain-healthy micronutrients than found in cooked food. Raw fruit and vegetable intake was found to correlate with improved mental health, with lowered feelings of depression and stress.

Another major health benefit of raw food is the effect it has on body’s acid-alkaline balance. A body that is acidic cannot absorb enough oxygen into blood. This raises the chances of diseases like heart disease, arthritis, cancer and diabetes. The alkaline nature of raw food helps restore this balance thus preventing various diseases.

Raw food has excellent prebiotic and probiotic qualities. Prebiotics are food elements that promote growth of ‘good bacteria’ in the gut. Probiotics are these ‘good bacteria’ which have significant effect on GI tract health and which can also boost immunity and overall health. Raw, fermented foods are excellent probiotics and ingredients like garlic, onions, bananas are good prebiotics in their raw form. Prebiotics and probiotics together keep the gut microbiome in its perfect balance.

Some other positive effects of a raw food diet include more energy, clearer mind, sharper focus and an improved sense of well-being. Bodily functions running smooth lead to improved sleep, better skin health and improved bowel movements among other clearly-identifiable benefits.

Raw food preparation methods

In place of heat-based cooking and other food processing methods, raw food preparations include soaking, sprouting, dehydrating, blending, juicing and fermenting. These methods offer plenty of scope to create very healthy food that are delectable too. For example, dehydrated vegetables can have excellent flavours. Kimchi is a great example of a raw, fermented food. Sprouting and grinding grains and seeds can create a “flour” that can then be used to make substitutes of regular baked food items.

Raw food is an integral part of the Prakriti Shakti experience. Our culinary team has been consistently creating delightful raw food delicacies. A fully-raw spread of Kerala Sadya, Avocado Lemon Tart and Brownies are a few of our innovative raw food preparations.

Raw food lets you take in the spirit of life inherent in nature and to be in tune with it. It helps keep your digestive, metabolic and other systems running in good state, giving you better health and a strong sense of well-being.


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