Now that I finished my 8-day detox program, I’m feeling great. Although it was a bit challenging, I got through it with flying colors. My energy is up now, and I even shed a few unwanted pounds.
Now what am I going to eat?
My friend Jerry, who’s been a professional chef for years, suggested Masoor Dal. He claimed it would help improve my digestion. It’s also a great source of protein, and it evens controls cholesterol. Masoor dal (red lentils) is perhaps one of the most common foods in the Indian kitchen.
That sounded good, but I needed to do some research, make a pot and see what I think and feel.
I learned that Masoor dal is a good source of protein, essential amino acids, potassium, iron, fiber and vitamin B1. It also helps control sugar levels.
One cup of masoor dal has 230 calories, about 15 grams of dietary fiber and about 17 grams of proteins. It has many positive impacts on one’s health. It’s easy to make, and they say it’s the most delicious among all the lentils. Dal does not need much time to soak or cook. You can prepare it as easy or as complex as you want.
Here are some other dietary and health benefits of red lentils:
1. Help stabilize blood sugar levels because it scores low on the glycemic index and inhibits the rate at which food is absorbed in the small intestine by blood.
- Lowers cholesterol by improving the blood flow and reducing the risk of any sort of heart disease.
- Weight loss: it is high in fiber and slows down the digestion process,
- Anti-aging properties: Their antioxidants may effectively reduce the cell damage, thus effectively acting as an anti-ageing food.
- Nourishes teeth and bones: there’s a rich source of vitamins and other nutrients like calcium and magnesium, which are essential for maintaining healthy teeth and bones.
- Helpful in maintaining healthy vision: rich source of vitamin A, C and E. These vitamins are essential for maintaining healthy eyesight and vision.
- Beneficial for glowing & radiating skin: applying a face mask made out of ground red lentils with turmeric and rose water may lighten your skin and remove age spots.
This is the recipe I tried for dinner last night, and it was very delicious:
Masoor red lentils dal
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 1 olive tablespoon oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup Coconut cream
- 1 green chili pepper, minced serrano pepper,
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger root
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- Juice of one half a lemon
- Chopped cilantro leaves for garnish
- 1 Can of organic coconut cream
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the rinsed lentils in a medium saucepan along with 3 cups of room temperature water. Turn the heat to medium and allow the lentils to cook for 20 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cinnamon stick; cook for 60 to 90 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the onion, green chili pepper, garlic, and ginger; cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onions are turning translucent.
- Add the turmeric, cardamom, and paprika, to the pan as well as all other herbs and spices. Discard the cinnamon stick.
- Stir the spiced onion mixture into the pot of lentils. Add the lemon juice at the end and stir well. Taste and add salt as needed.
- Garnish with cilantro
From start to finish, the dish took less than ½ an hour to make. It was flavorful and filling. This is a great meal to have after completing a detox. It’s easy on your stomach and quite nourishing to the body and mind.
I always do a fast or detox four times a year at the season changes. It resets everything and prepares me for the new time of year. I do my best to eat seasonally with the vegetables and fruits that grow during that time period. It’s a more natural way to eat that keeps us more in touch with Earth’s processes and grounded with our human essence.
Many of us have been eating the wrong foods trying to achieve optimum health thinking that we know what’s the best for us.In the end, we’re just guessing. I’ve had patients suffering from arthritic pain eating what they thought was anti-arthritic food. One patient was eating three or four apples a day thinking it was good for her, yet her pain was getting worse. She could hardly hold her baby.
I had her blood drawn and sent to a lab to check the effect she had on 250 different foods. We did a food allergy test, and the results came back that one of the foods she was eating was poison to her system: apples. Who would have ever thought?
The report showed what she needed to eliminate, and what foods she could replace them with. Within a few months, her pain disappeared.
If you’re experiencing pain, stiffness or digestive problems, give me a call at 305-407-0120, and I’ll help get you back on the path of recovery.
