Munching on Makhana, a healthy snack has been on trend ever since Kareena Kapoor-Khan revealed the secret of her weight loss transformation. Yes, Kareena Kapoor-Khan swears to gorge on makhanas for snacking and having small meals simultaneously to maintain her slim figure.
Makhana, also known as fox nuts or lotus seeds, is a non-cereal which grows in the stagnant water of wetlands, tanks, ponds lakes and ditches. Popular as a fasting food in India, its health benefits are superior to those of dry fruits such as almonds and walnuts. it has been proven to be a high nutrient food which is rich in medicinal properties essential for a healthy diet.
How to eat it?
Makhana can be eaten raw, roasted or ground. When soaked in water overnight, it can be added to soups, salads or other gravy dishes. It is also used in kheer, puddings and as dry roasted snacks. It can be ground and added to soyabean, bajra and jowar flours to prepare gluten-free, protein-rich chapatis.
Benefits of Makhana:
1) Rich source of calcium
Makhanas are an excellent source of calcium.Calcium is a must to ensure smooth functioning of your daily body activity. There is nothing easier, tastier and a healthy way to get your daily dose of calcium than this wonderful snack.
2) Good for controlling high blood pressure
Makhanas have a high content of potassium and magnesium and very low sodium making it an excellent choice for a hypertensive person.
3) Beneficial for a diabetic patient
Makhanas are well known for its high fibre content and low-fat content. The low fat component releases fewer sugars on digestion and high fibre content helps to ease digestive problems in a diabetic patient. Moreover, its glycemic index is significantly lower than most high carbohydrate foods like rice, bread, etc making it more beneficial for diabetic patients.
4) Useful for a healthy heart
Maintaining a good heart health is essential in this fast-paced stressful life. With its low-fat content, makhana is good to strengthen the heart and the better function of cardiovascular system.
5) Good for weight loss
Being high in fibre and protein and low in calories, makhanas are the best option to munch when the midday hunger pangs strike, aiding weight loss. Also, the protein in makhana is gluten-free so it makes it an ideal snack for people allergic to gluten.
6) Good for pregnant women
During pregnancy, nutrition plays a major role in the growth of your baby. Packed with nutrients, makhana are good for pregnant women who are facing a high risk of gestational diabetes, hypertension and also the calcium content in makhana is very good for the fetal development.
7) A Vegetarian’s delight
Are you a vegetarian? Then makhana is a very good snack where you could find a combination of a good amount of calcium, carbohydrates, magnesium, potassium, protein, fiber, zinc, phosphorus, iron and antioxidants for your body in just one handful of nuts.
8) Anti-ageing
Above all the advantages, another benefit of consuming lotus seeds is that it acts as an anti-ageing agent. The enzymes that exist in these lotus seeds obstruct the ageing process. These enzymes assist in fixing and preserving the impaired proteins responsible for ageing of the body.
Now, as you know that makhanas are the powerhouse of nutrients. You should try to include a handful of these nuts in your daily diet.
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