Wellness and Food

Featured

About my journey

My Name is Premlatha Rajkumar (Poppy)

I created this platform to share wellness stories and great healthy recipes with you.

Wellness begins from making a conscious choice to feeling our best and living our life with wholesome health. .

Early in 2019, I had developed cataract in both my eyes, my entire body was inflamed, the pain and irritation that I was going through made me depressed. Also my beloved husband had just passed away after going through a fatal illness for 6 years. I was also grieving and I had not taken care of myself properly. It was a very difficult period.

As my cataract was preventing proper vision I had to go in for surgery. It was only when they started taking tests before surgery that I found out that I had developed severe type 2 diabetes, and had to be immediately treated for it.

The doctors started me on insulin, twice a day. I started putting on weight and was not feeling my best. I was also grieving for the loss of my husband and the diabetes and its accompanying discomfort in my body was creating extreme stress both physically and emotionally. The doctors did not give me any positive idea about my condition, they said that as days go by my diabetes will become worse.

I then decided the one thing that I knew best, I started connecting with my inner being for solution. Clutter cleaning my thoughts everyday with Ho’oponopono practice as taught by Dr.Hew Len. And invested my thoughts and feelings into the idea that a grand solution is available to heal my body completely.

Through my many experiences I have come to know and understand that imagination is the magic for new creation. The reality playing outside is only a past dream.

Every one of us has access to the world of possibilities through our imagination, we can make the choice to take time to imagine and access possibilities with our feelings, and create a new reality for ourselves.

And so in July 2019 my miracle began. Information on low carb diet and intermittent fasting appeared through people, messages, videos, and books. Especially the book of Dr. Jason Fung, “The Diabetes Code” made a lot of sense to me.

I realized that type 2 Diabetes can be completely reversed as long as the kidneys have not been affected yet. Just following simple dietary rules one can help the body get back its health and vitality.

I started listening to Dr. Fung’s podcasts and videos on YouTube, read all the research and information on how to practice a low carb diet and intermittent fasting.

In August, through the strength and courage given from my inner being, I stopped taking insulin and started intermittent fasting and practiced a low carb diet. My excess weight started dropping steadily, my inflammation disappeared, I was able to walk without help, I felt healthy and young and was immensely grateful for the benevolence of life.

By October 2019 the type 2 diabetes vanished completely, nowadays my fasting sugar stays in the 90s. Recently when I had a blood test for A1c, my sugar level was only 4.9 which is excellent considering my level was a 13.5 in June 2019. It was a most miraculous healing.

Today I am able to walk, exercise, be alert, energetic, able to make good decisions, I am not in the place of fear or depression, and I am able to sleep very well.

My experiences have led me to understand that we live in a loving, benevolent Universe. It is important to know that what we perceive as reality outside is a past story. We can always invest our time to go within, rewrite with imagination and start feeling in our mind, a new wonderful reality for ourselves. The benevolent Universe matches our feelings at all times. Positive thoughts and emotions matter, positive imagination matters, our positive feelings matter, they help bring heaven on earth.

I share my stories with many of my friends and family and have seen many transform their life. So I realize that if I can do it, you can do it also. It took courage to walk the path of intermittent fasting and low carb diet. Also I explored the many ways of substituting carb and sugar and creating great nutritious and tasty recipes.

In these pages I am sharing my success stories on wellness and great healthy recipes that worked wonders to heal my body.

May you be guided and blessed to take charge and live in your best health the rest of your life!

Blessings!

Premlatha Rajkumar (Poppy)

KHEER, PAYASAM – KETO

Indian Kheer or Payasam (as it is called in South India ) is a favorite sweet dish prepared for festivals and all other celebrations of life. Usually it is made with rice and milk. Since this is a keto dish I have substituted grated paneer (Indian Cottage cheese) for rice and coconut milk and cream for cow’s milk.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups of grated paneer (Indian cottage cheese available as slabs in the cheese section of your grocery store or any Indian grocery)

1 tin of thick organic unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 cup of heavy cream

1/4 cup or more (to your taste) of sweetener (I used monk fruit sweetener, erythritol)

A few cashew nuts roasted to garnish on the top

A pinch of saffron, 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom powder

A pinch of salt

PREPARATION

In a deep pan heat the coconut milk with the sweetener, saffron and cardamom powder.

I slab of Paneer grated makes approximately 3 cups. Now add the grated paneer to the pan and allow the mixture to heat and boil for a few minutes.

Now add the cream and allow to boil for another 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve hot garnished with roasted cashews or chill it in the refrigerator and then serve chilled.

Enjoy!

KETO CREAM CHEESE COOKIES

These cream cheese cookies are not very sweet, but they are sweet and salty and very smooth texture. They are an excellent anytime snack.

INGREDIENTS

1/3 Cup salted butter softened

4 oz cream cheese softened (room temperature)

1/3 cup healthy sweetener (erythritol or stevia)

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 and 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 and 1/2 cups of almond flour

1/3 cup of coconut flour

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large mixing bowl add the egg, vanilla and whisk it well, now add the sweetener, butter and the cream cheese and beat them well with an electric whisk.

To this mixture add almond flour, coconut flour, and baking powder. And blend them all together till a dough is formed.

Prepare a cookie sheet for baking the cookies. Make round balls with the dough and flatten the balls gently before placing on the cookie sheet.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 18 minutes.

Remove, allow the cookies to cool and enjoy with a cup of your favorite tea!

KETO CRACKERS – THAT BREAK WITH A SNAP

KETO CRACKERS

These keto crackers are an excellent anytime snack. They break with a snap and stay fresh for 2 weeks in an airtight container. You can have them with any kind of dip like garlic butter, cilantro butter, or any other keto dip.

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup of almond flour

1 tablespoon of flax seed flour

1 egg white (no yolk) (If you do not eat eggs you can substitute with 1 tablespoon of olive oil or any healthy oil and 2 tablespoons of cold water)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon each of cumin seeds and white sesame seeds for topping

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a deep mixing bowl add almond flour, flax seed flour, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Mix them well and then add the white of one egg (or the oil and water in case you do not want to use the egg white)

Mix everything to make a tight dough.

Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper into a square for easy cutting. Add the sesame and cumin seeds on the top and roll them in gently to stick to the top of the rolled dough.

Cut the rolled dough into squares. Lift up the squares gently and arrange them in a cookie sheet and place the sheet in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Now remove the cookie sheet and turn the crackers on the other side and place them in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Remove and allow them to cool completely.

Enjoy with your favorite dip.

KETO TORTILLAS

These tortillas are simple and easy to make. They are carb free, gluten free and can be enjoyed with any meal. You can also store them in airtight containers in the fridge for a week.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup coconut flour

2 tablespoons psyllium husk

3 tablespoons of olive oil or any other healthy oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup of hot water

PREPARATION

In a deep bowl add the coconut flour, psyllium husk and salt and mix them well.

Now add the oil and the hot water and mix all the ingredients thoroughly till a dough is formed.

Divide the dough into balls and roll each ball between two sheets of parchment paper. You can cut them with a round cutter or sharp end of a clean lid to make them evenly round.

Now heat a shallow pan in medium high heat and cook each of the rolled tortillas for 1 minute on each side or till they turn brown.

Enjoy with your favorite vegetable, chicken or meat dish.

ALMOND – BUTTER COOKIES – KETO

These cookies are easy to make. They are zero carb and zero sugar. They are a good tasty snack for anytime.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of almond flour

1/3 cup healthy sweetener (stevia or erythritol)

1/2 cup butter melted

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

A pinch of salt

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl mix together the almond flour, salt, sweetener, vanilla and egg, add the melted butter when it has cooled down so that it does not cook the egg. Blend all the ingredients with a hand whisk or electric whisk, till a dough is formed.

Prepare a baking sheet and make the dough into balls and place them an inch apart on the sheet. Now flatten the balls gently with a fork by marking the fork design on the top of each of the cookies.

Place them in the preheated oven for 15 – 18 minutes. Remove and cool them completely till they are hard on the outside. Store in airtight container and Enjoy as a snack anytime.

SCRUMPTIOUS BLUEBERRY MUFFINS – KETO

These blueberry muffins are easy to make and they are a delicious keto snack for anytime. They are made with almond flour, they are sugar free and gluten free. I usually substitute healthy sweeteners like stevia, erythritol (monk fruit sweetener) or xylitol (birch tree bark extract).

INGREDIENTS

2 and 1/2 cup of blanched almond flour

1/2 cup of healthy sweetener

1/3 cup or 5 1/2 tablespoons of melted butter

1/3 cup of heavy cream

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Salt to taste

1 cup of fresh blueberries

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Prepare a tray with 12 muffin tins.

In a big blender jar add 3 eggs, vanilla sugar and cream and beat them well, now add the almond flour, salt, baking powder, melted butter and beat everything together till they are all mixed well.

Pour the batter into a deep mixing bowl and add the fresh blueberries and fold them well into the mixture. Keep a few blueberries to arrange on the top of the muffins.

Fill the 12 muffin tins with the mixture, and place one or two blueberries on the top of the muffins, and place them in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Remove when they are completely cooled. Enjoy!

KETO PUMPKIN BREAD

This keto, gluten free, sugar free pumpkin bread is easy to make. It is soft and moist and melts in the mouth. Great to bake at this time of the year.

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups of blanched almond flour

1/2 cup granulated healthy sweetener ( I used erythrytol)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice powder ( I mixed my own pumpkin spice powder with an equal amount of clove powder, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder and ginger powder)

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 large eggs beaten

1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter melted

1 cup of unsweetened pumpkin puree

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Prepare a 8X4 loaf pan by greasing it with butter or line it with parchment paper

In a large bowl add almond flour, sweetener, salt, baking soda, and pumpkin spice and mix well.

Now add the pumpkin puree, beaten eggs and melted butter and mix well till a batter is formed.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and place in the preheated oven and bake for 55 – 60 minutes or until a toothpick test comes out clean.

Cool completely and then slice the loaf. Enjoy it just like that or with butter.

You can store the slices in an airtight container in the fridge for a week.

EASY KETO PANCAKES

These yummy keto pancakes are easy to make and can be stored in the fridge for a week.

INGREDIENTS
5 large eggs
1 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
3 tablespoons of stevia or any healthy sweetener (I used erythritol)
1/3 cup non-dairy milk (almond milk, hemp milk etc.)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

PREPARATION
1. Blend or whisk by hand all the ingredients until they are smooth.
2. Preheat an oiled pan on the stove in medium heat. Drop a spoonful of batter on the pan, spread it gently in a circle, cover for a minute and cook. When bubbles appear, flip and cook another minute or two till brown,
3. Serve hot with butter or sugar free syrup. Enjoy!

COCONUT MACAROON -KETO

INGREDIENTS

Whites of 3 large eggs

1/3 cup sweetener (erythytol or stevia)

2 cups of grated unsweetened coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 320 degrees. Prepare a cookie sheet to bake the macaroons.

In a deep mixing bowl add the egg whites and beat them till they form stiff peaks.

Now add the sugar and vanilla and mix with a spatula.

Then add the grated coconut and mix till well blended with a spatula.

Using a spoon or your clean hands, make lime sized balls of the dough and place on the cookie sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven, allow the macaroons to cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

SNICKERDOODLE COOKIES – KETO

These cinnamon cookies are easy to make. It is important to bring the butter to room temperature so that the cookies will bake evenly.

INGREDIENTS

1 stick or 1/2 cup of unsalted butter softened to room temperature

1 egg

1/3 cup of sweetener (erythritol or birch xylitol or stevia)

2 cups of almond flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon cinnamon powder

A pinch of salt

Ingredients for the coating of the cookies

1/4 cup sweetener (granulated erythritol)

2 teaspoons of cinnamon powder

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a deep bowl add the softened butter, vanilla extract and egg and beat well till they are smoothly combined.

Now add the almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder, sweetener, salt and cream of tartar to the mixture and beat together with an electric whisk.

Remove the whisk and mix the dough with a spatula.

In a small bowl add the coating mixture, 1/4 cup of sweetener and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.

Take the dough and make into balls and roll the balls in the coating mixture and flatten the balls to cookie shape and place in the cookie sheet.

See to it that the edges of the cookies are thick. Place the cookies about an inch apart from each other.

Place the cookies to bake in the preheated oven for 14 minutes.

Remove from the oven, allow the cookies to cool down for 30 minutes. Enjoy delicious snickerdoodle cookies with a cup of milk, tea, or coffee.