Sugar Free – 5 most frequently asked questions

Are you one of those who are super health conscious or calorie counting with every morsel or need to keep a check on your cholesterol levels? If yes, then Sugar Free products are the one-stop solution for you. Presenting some FAQ’s that’ll help you get to know the product better.

1. Is sugar Free meant only for diabetics or can it be consumed by people without blood sugar issues too?

While Sugar Free products are ideal for diabetics, they can also be consumed by people who suffer from health risks such as obesity and high cholesterol levels. The range of products is also apt for those who want to watch their weight, control calorie intake and stay fit in general. However, it is advised to avoid using sugar free for kids.

2. Can sugar free be heated or is a product only for table top applications?

Unlike other artificial sweeteners, Sugar Free is stable when heated and is appropriate for cooking or baking food products. So, you can bake a number of delicious cakes, cookies and other similar delights minus any added calories from sugar with just this one product.

3. Is it okay to consume it on a daily basis?

If you consume sugar every day, there is absolutely no harm in consuming Sugar Free too because it gives you the taste of sugar minus the calories. Plus, it is a natural source of sweetness composed of glucose and fructose which leads you to a healthier lifestyle one day at a time.

4. Sugar Free products are dangerous for health?

Sugar Free products are approved by the WHO, USFDA and FSSAI – some of the most reliable health organizations of the world. It doesn’t provide you with any nutrition but it doesn’t harm you any way either – Sugar Free is a non-nutritive sweetener, which passes through your body virtually unchanged so you just get the sweet taste without any side effects.

5. Does Sugar Free has and unpleasant aftertaste?

Sugar Free doesn’t have an aftertaste. In fact it has a natural taste just like sugar. It comes in two varieties made with Aspartame which is 600 times sweeter than sugar and Sucralose which is 200 times sweeter than sugar. So, just a drop or a tiny spoonful is more than enough to give you sweetness like a load of sugar would.

Have any other questions about Sugar Free? Shoot them at us in the comments section below and we will try our best to answer them!

Ever heard about rotten potatoes being a delicacy?

Yes, the locals of North East India actually relish rotten potatoes as you and me would, a butter chicken! Quite obvious, this time we bring a list of some of the unusual or lesser heard dishes/ingredients that the very, otherwise vegetarian, India offers! Check these atrangi stuff out and make sure you give ‘em a try, whenever you can!

1. Ingredients – popular or exotic, you decide!

• Halim – nah! not the popular Hyderabadi dish. This one’s an edible herb, also known as ‘garden cress,’ that basically comes from the British and European nations. Peppery and tangy, this is great to garnish salads, sandwiches, laddoos and kheers.
• Dor – thinking about the movie? Well, don’t! These are the tiny, green and extremely tart berries that you find in your pickles. Popular in North India as karvandas or karaundas, the raw ones are light pinkish. Can also be used in jams and wine.
• Hilsa eggs – these are the very bangla version of caviar! Hilsa fish roes are coated with spices and fried to perfection in pungent mustard oil – a quintessential Monsoon delicacy in West Bengal.
• Amba haldi – Also known as ‘mango ginger’ or aam aada in Bengali, this one’s a hybrid between a ginger and mango! It looks like fresh turmeric/ginger and tastes like a raw mango! Great for making chutneys, pickles and candies.
• Black rice – super popular in Manipur, North Bengal and Kerala. Is packed with health benefits and also known as Magic Rice or Forbidden Rice or Purple Rice.

2. Dishes – some preparations of our country that are purely not ‘regular!’ The list can go on and on, here are just a few…

• Chakki ki Sabzi, Rajasthan – this dish is specially dedicated to Jains for their paryushan months when they are prohibited from eating even green vegetables. Gluten and a handful of spices is what you need to dish this up!
• Haldi ka Halwa, North India – a Makar Sankranti special made from fresh turmeric. This unique halwa is even known to fight cold and coughs and strengthen immunity.
• Phan Pyut, North East India – take some potatoes, put them in soil and allow them to rot! Take ‘em out, slather with some spices and they are good to go as a relish!
• Khorisa, Assam – grated bamboo shoots fermented raw or in a pickle form. Best had with fish.
• Chaprah, Chattisgarh – a spicy and pungent chutney made with red ants and their eggs! These red ants are also used as a garnish on other dishes to make them hot! A delicacy for the Chattisgarhis.
• Mahni, Himachal Pradesh – a sweet and sour dessert made with black gram, jaggery, dried ginger powder and other flavourful spices.
• Snail Stew, Nagaland – snails simmered in a flavourful stock with aromatic herbs and spices makes for a hearty meal while you are in Kohima. You can have it just as it is or accompany with garlic bread.
• Daulat ki Chaat, Delhi – this one’s from the rustic lanes of apna Chandni Chowk in Dilli. Winters are best with this sweet chaat – light fluffy cream done by churning milk for hours, topped with khoya and pistachios.

3. Fruits – Meghalaya has various types of wild fruits that are all over the state and the locals swear by them.

• Sophie nam – these are tiny round sour ones available in red (good to just pop after spicy meal!) and green (great for pickling!) versions.
• Soh thri – these are small fruits grown in bunches and are as sour as vinegar!
• Soh phlang – these are tuber-like which are boiled, peeled and eaten with u nei (black sesame chutney).
• Soh liang – these are seeds of a wild poisonous fruit about the size of lemons. The seeds are washed, cut and eaten.
• Soh ot rit – small Khasi chestnuts.

London like never before!

It was more than time for me and my family to unwind. And this time the destination that was selected pretty unanimously by all of us at home was London! London is definitely one of my favourite places to visit anytime! So, we just packed our bags for some London thumak da time!

Also, like my other trips, that end up being more of work and less of recreation most of the times, this time I had decided that its going to be vice versa! And when it’s London, its pretty much useless to prepare an itinerary from before because there is so much to do, see and eat in this British city!  So, from the ‘Eye’ to the ‘Big Ben’ to the natural ‘Hot Springs’ and the ‘Stonehenge’ – I intend to tick off maximum, if not all, items on my London Bucket List this time!

Cannot really share each and everything from my trip, for this tiny city is HUGE for sure *pun intended*! So, here are some of the best things to happen till now! And in imagery, because a picture is worth a thousand words!

At the iconic London Eye and Big Ben with family – these are definitely getting framed on my wall, back at home in Mumbai!

 

The Hop-On-Hop-Off bus tour – can never miss this one even today! It’s absolutely crazy to explore this beautiful city as a tourist! Don’t miss Alyona in the background and the weather! 

     

At the very popular Trafalgar Square, this time minus the pigeon-feeding session! Did you know that the Nelson’s Column was built to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805?

 

At the prehistoric Stonehenge in Wiltshire. This monument is over 5000 years old and was supposedly built to cremate the dead at that time. It is also believed to be older than the Egyptian pyramids!   

Glimpses of the city of Bath, a UNESCO certified World Heritage Site.

Bath is a major tourist centre with 1 million plus staying visitors and 3.8 million per day visitors per year. While the city has many tourist centred places like theatres, museums and other cultural and sporting venues, it also has very active and evolved software, publishing and service-oriented industries.

 

Bath is also known for its natural hot springs of the Roman Era and 18th-century Georgian architecture.

 At the magnificent, peaceful and serene Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Bath. Did you know that the church has a cruciform plan that is, having a shape of the Christian cross and a seating of 1200? 

 And this one is one of my favourites! Cutting the customary birthday cake arranged by my family as a part of the typical English breakfast – wish time just stopped!

 

As I end, sharing a favourite tea cake recipe that goes with all the London vibe! Yes, there’s a slight twist to it, but it still is as fabulous as the authentic one! Enjoy…