Bikanervala 

The company was founded in 1950, as a retail sweets (Traditional Indian sweets) and namkeen (salted traditional Indian snack) shop in Bikaner, Rajasthan. Bikanervala has its outlets and range of restaurants in Northern Indian including Delhi. Bikanervala products are exported to several countries worldwide.

Its a complete Indian (Pure Vegetarian) food outlet with almost all of the food prepared in Desi Ghee (clarified butter). Packaged Products manufactured by Bikanervala is sold under the brand name "Bikano" and include:

• Bakery items (cookies etc.)
• Chips (potato wafers)
• Namkeens (Traditional Indian Salted snacks)
• Papad
• Pickles
• Sharbats (Popular Asian, non-alcoholic drinks prepared from fruits/flower petals)
• Sweets

By Vaibhav Gupta 

                                                                 Kaleva 

Sweets add a special touch to every occasion. And in India, sweets form an integral part of celebration, be it marriage, birth of a child or festivals. And we, at Kaleva, have been trying to make every occasion a special one  with our sweets.  KALEVA means sweets or snacks served at any and every occasion.  At Kaleva, We have been preparing sweets from generation to generations in the  traditional method, giving  hygiene the top priority. So the next time you get the urge to eat, make sure it is from Kaleva

By Vaibhav Gupta 

                                 Saravana Bhavan

Hotel Saravana Bhavan is one of the largest vegetarian restaurant chains in the world, founded in 1981 offering south Indian  Vegetarian cuisine.They have more than 33 outlets in India (20 outlets in Chennai ) and 47 around the world (including Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the United States, and the Middle East 

In addition to the traditional south Indian snacks (dosa, idli, utthapam, vada, with several variations) a few North Indian dishes (Parotta, Chana Bhatura) are offered. A few combo thalis are offered. Some locations offer tandoori bread (Naan). A small selection of south Indian sweets (Badam Halva, Rava Kesri) and north India Gulab Jamun are offered. It has its own brand of vegetarian icecream.

By vaibhav Gupta 

                                                Sagar Ratna 

Sagar Ratna started its first branch in Defence Colony in 1986 and since then it has moved on to become the most preferred destination for South Indian cuisines across the country. Within a short span Sagar Ratna has spread its wings far and wide and today with more than 90 restaurants, Sagar Ratna has established its presence in the National Capital Region (NCR) through company owned restaurants and in various prominent cities of North India through franchise outlets. Having won numerous awards in the Hospitality industry in various categories over the years, Sagar Ratna continues to delight its customers with its authentic South Indian food cooked fresh many times a day.

By Vaibhav Gupta 

                    Haldiram's

Haldiram's was founded in 1937 by Ganga Bhisen Agrawal as a retail sweets and namkeen shop in Bikaner, Rajasthan .In

 expansion, the company's first manufacturing plant was located in Calcutta. In 1970 a larger manufacturing plant was established in Nagpur.Another manufacturing plant was 

established in New Delhi, the capital of India.

Haldiram's has over 100 products. Its products include frozen foods such as frozen meals, ice cream and kulfi, sweets,cookies, crackers, sherbet, papad, savories, chips and other snacks. Haldiram's also produces fruit-flavored beverages and dairy products. The company also produces ready-to-eat food since 2010. It provides all type of traditional indian food and sweets. In the 1990s, the production of potato-based foods was enabled by the importation of machinery from the United States designed for these purposes.

By Vaibhav Gupta 

    

          Antibiotics: Reversing the Damage

 

 

 

 A substance, such as penicillin or streptomycin, produced by or derived from certain fungi, bacteria, and other organisms, that can destroy or inhibit the growth of other microorganisms. Antibiotics are widely used in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.

 

Not all doctors positively prescribe antibiotics.

I remember several years ago when I visited the doctor for my acne and was prescribed doxycycline (a derivative of tetracycline – a strong acne antibiotic).Initially I was very pleased because it actually helped. I was ignorant to the damage they can cause, however as long my skin was clear – I WAS HAPPY!

Until….they stopped working and I started to get all sorts of problems stomach aches, weight gain, acne, diarrhea etc.

I was confused. Why would this start to happen?

This led to me researching the side-effects of antibiotics and natural ways of combating this serious condition! I was highly saddened and disappointed that the doctor failed to point out these side-effects let alone suggest alternatives. He just smiled as if he was trying his best to convey some form of genuine sympathy, waiting for me to leave his office before the feign smile dropped off his face!

What was even more alarming was the fact that when my sister asked the doctor whether it was advisable to take probiotics whilst on an antibiotic course, the reply was: “…what are they? Some type of vitamin?”

I couldn’t believe it, I was astonished when I was told.

It really makes me wonder whether they receive commission from pharmaceutical companies .

If the good bacteria are also destroyed, then harmful substances can get a foot hold and cause havoc, e.g. Candida albicans (aggressive yeast overgrowth). Problems associated with digestion are also always common with antibiotic intake (this definitely occurred with me).

 

If however, you have to take antibiotics for a finite period, then I cannot emphasize enough the simultaneous use of probiob. Probiotics are beneficial microorganism cultures – i.e. good bacteria strands – that basically replenish the good bacteria in your system and try to repair the side-effects of antibiotic use.

Whilst using probiotics, I also advise one to eat foods high in natural probiotics and prebiotics . Prebiotics are the food the good bacteria in your body thrive upon and hence it results in growth and multiplication in your gut.

Good examples of food that contain prebiotics are: artichoke, asparagus, banana, unrefined barley, garlic, green beans, honey ,leeks, unrefined oats, onions, raisins, soybeans, tomato, sprouted wheat products, whole grains etc.

 

By Vaibhav Gupta

 

   

                    Honey and Water : A Perfect

 

                            Morning Drink

 

 

 

 

 

Every morning, or just about every morning, the first thing I do after waking up and using the bathroom (I guess you don’t need to know that part) is to make a honey + water drink. This may sound like an old wives tale or something your grandmother might have told you, but there is some serious truth behind the benefits of such a practice…I’m sure you’ll be surprised once you finish reading the information below.

First, how do you make the drink?
Simply add a teaspoon (or a tablespoon if you have a really sweet tooth) to a glass of natural mineral water (preferably room temperature) – which means NO tap water – that’s another subject that shall require an article within itself (stay tuned).
Stirring with a fork quickens the process – be patient now.
Then, open your mouth and consume the beverage 


Did you know that honey has been shown to be far superior to conventional antibiotics in treating infections and without the negative side effects associated with antibiotic use.
It is amazing that the bacteria-killing properties of honey increase two-fold when diluted with water. Maybe that explains why newly born bees are nourished with diluted honey.
Also, when honey is mixed with water, a chemical reaction takes place resulting in the creation of hydrogen peroxide, the most powerful natural antibiotic. Unlike the hydrogen peroxide purchased in the pharmacy, the one produced by the above mixture is natural and therefore protects itself from being associated with conventional man-made antibiotics and their negative effects.

By Vaibhav Gupta

                  Vitamin C – Protecting you from the  

                             common cold

 

 

 

Everyone wants to be one step ahead of the common ‘cold’. Unfortunately it becomes very difficult to avoid when everyone around you is sniffling and sneezing and coughing and… you get the point.

Then you get those individuals who take matters into their own hands, and decide that the best way to not get a cold, is to stock up on vitamin C supplements and get a head start by taking them way before the cold wintery months begin. Some even go to the extent of taking vitamin C daily all year round. Unfortunately it is not as simple as that.

One of the key individuals involved in this field was Linus Pauling. His interest into the cure for the common cold arose when he and his wife used to suffer from severe colds which would interfere with their daily life and work. Pauling was then introduced to a gentleman called Irwin Stone, who had published lots of papers and books on the benefits and uses of ascorbate (vitamin C). Stones research suggested that taking high doses of vitamin C could be a measure to preventing the ‘cold’. Pauling took this information and put it into practice and found that it worked for him and his wife. He then went on further to publish a book on vitamin C and its effects on ‘colds’. This book caught public interest and spurred others to research into the effects of this ‘miracle’ vitamin.

For those of you who are dosing off or about to slip off their chair, take a stroll to the kitchen and grab yourself a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice…that’s the history lesson over.

Now, research has concluded that vitamin C is beneficial in combating a ‘cold’. BUT, taking vitamin C before getting a ‘cold’ has no effect on the incidence. Vitamin C has been shown to reduce the duration of ‘colds’ by about 23% and its nagging counterparts .

 

By vaibhav Gupta

                                EAT  , LIFT ,  AND BE HAPPY 

    Enjoyment—that is what life is all about! Eat delicious food that nourishes your body and considers both the environment and your community, train consistently and  cultivate a strong and powerful body, and strive every moment to live in your highest and fullest expression. 

 I’ve never been overly dogmatic, and therefore spent years trying to find something to tether myself. We all want something to believe in—something that expresses our intentions and desires, and speaks to our hearts. 

I  will get you started on your own Eat, Lift & be Happy journey, by giving you 5 of my favorite recipes, 3 of my most effective workouts and 30 simple tips for happiness. Following this will lead to your own individual path, and help you live your bliss.

 

 There is no other YOU. No one has your unique qualities and your exact gifts. No one can offer the world what you have to offer, in the way you have to offer it. And just as you are a unique being, your journey is an unparalleled experience. It’s yours and yours alone. What can you create when you realize you can choose your own adventure?

By Vaibhav Gupta

                            CROSSFIT

 

 Physical training has always been something of endless fascination to me. Having read so many reviews about the benefits of CrossFit, I decided to take a look for myself. I really want to notice a change in my body. I have always been very lean, a natural runner, but I long for more muscle mass and a stockier frame. I want to be strong, not skinny.  

On Monday I attended my first CrossFit session at CrossFit Colchester. The coaches were really friendly and we got started straight away.

Warm up squats - 3 sets of 5  

Main set - 4 x 9 squats - 30kg - every 3 minutes - 

Workout Of The Day then followed.

50 air squats

15 wall balls 

15 box jumps

10 burpees 

10 lunges

Do it for 20 minutes     

It doesn't seem like long. I can tell you now, it was brutal! 

To say I was exhausted, post workout, is an understatement. I have never felt so depleted of energy in all my life! My legs felt like they were going to  underneath me on the walk home! But I LOVED it. The sweat, the determination, the atmosphere in the gym. It felt amazing to be a part of that positive energy.

By Vaibhav Gupta

                               YOGA : THE INNER POWER

The ultimate goal of Yoga is moksha (liberation),  The exact definition of what form this takes depends on the philosophical or theological system with which it is conjugated.

Yoga has four principal meanings

  1.Yoga, as a disciplined method for attaining a goal 

  2.Yoga, as techniques of controlling the body and the mind 

  3.Yoga, as a name of one of the schools or systems of                philosophy

  4.Yoga, as the goal of Yoga practice

The core principles of "yoga" were more or less in place, and variations of these principles developed in various forms over time  .

    Yoga, is a meditative means of discovering functional perception and cognition, as well as overcoming it for release from suffering, inner peace and salvation; illustration of this principle is found in Hindu texts such as the Bhagavad Gita and Yogasutras.

    Yoga, as the raising and expansion of consciousness from oneself to being coextensive with everyone and everything; these are discussed in sources such as in Hinduism Vedic literature and its Epic Mahabharata .

By Vaibhav Gupta

  

                               NUTRITION

A nutrient is a component in foods that an organism uses to survive and grow. Macronutrients provide the bulk energy an organism's metabolic system needs to function while micronutrients provide the necessary cofactors for metabolism to be carried out. Both types of nutrients can be acquired from the environment. Micronutrients are used to build and repair tissues and to regulate body processes while macronutrients are converted to, and used for, energy. Methods of nutrient intake are different for plants and animals. Plants take in nutrients directly from the soil through their roots and from the atmosphere through their leaves. Animals and protists have specialized digestive systems that work to break down macronutrients for energy and utilize micronutrients for both metabolism and anabolism (constructive synthesis) in the body.

Organic nutrients consist of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and vitamins. Inorganic chemical compounds such as dietary minerals, water, and oxygen may also be considered nutrients. A nutrient is considered essential if it must be obtained from an external source either because the organism cannot synthesize it or because insufficient quantities are produced. Nutrients needed in very small amounts are called micronutrients while those needed in large quantities are called macronutrients. 

  Types of nutrient

    The chemical elements humans consume in the largest            quantities   

   The classes of chemical compounds humans consume in      the largest quantities and which provide bulk energy are          carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Water and atmospheric        oxygen also must be consumed in large quantities, but are      not always considered "food" or "nutrients".

By Vaibhav Gupta