Wellness and Food

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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)

DONUT MUFFINS – KETO

INGREDIENTS

3 large eggs

1 cup greek yogurt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 and 1/2 cups of blanched almond flour

1/2 cup of healthy granulated sweetener (erythrytol, xylitol or allulose)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the topping

1/2 cup butter melted

1 full teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup of healthy granulated sweetener

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Beat the eggs, yogurt and vanilla extract and add the smooth mixture to the almond flour, baking powder, salt and sweetener. Beat them all together till you get a smooth mixture.

Prepare a baking tray with 12 muffin tins. I use silicone muffin tins so it is easy to remove. But if you use metal muffin tins, please place liners and spray the liners with cooking spray.

Scoop the smooth muffin batter into the muffin tins equally. And bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove and allow them to cool.

Now in a small bowl add the melted butter and in another small bowl combine the sweetener and cinnamon powder.

Take each muffin and dip the top of the muffin in the melted butter and then dip into the dry sweetener and cinnamon mixture. Enjoy !

CILANTRO BUTTER – KETO

CILANTRO BUTTER

This delicious cilantro butter is healthy keto and can be used like butter on tortillas, patties, pancakes. Keto recipes for keto pancakes, tortillas, and patties are here in these pages.

INGREDIENTS

2 bunches of fresh cilantro ( coriander leaves)

1 cup of dry roasted peanuts

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 big serrano pepper or you can use 1/2 according to your taste

5 cloves of freshly peeled garlic

1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt to taste

PREPARATION

Wash and clean the cilantro.

Take a shallow pan with a lid and add 2 tablespoons of oil and add the garlic and cut the serrano lengthwise and add into the pan and close the lid. After a minute the garlic and serrano will change color. Now remove them from the oil and place in a plate to cool.

Now add the cleaned cilantro to the hot oil in the same pan and allow them to wilt and reduce in size. When all the leaves and stems are wilted remove from heat and allow them to cool.

Now in a blender add the dry roasted peanuts and make them into a powder. Now add the cooled garlic and serrano to the powder and grind for a second. Now add the cooled cilantro and lemon juice, salt and 1/2 cup of olive oil and blend till they form a smooth buttery texture.

Remove and enjoy as a spicy butter with every meal.

MINI CHEESECAKES – KETO

These mini cheesecakes are delicious and easy to make. After researching many recipes, I came up with this simple recipe. These cheesecakes can be made in muffin tins. You need a baking dish with 12 muffin tins. I use the silicone muffin pans and they are nonstick and easy to remove the cheesecake after baking.

INGREDIENTS

For the crust base of the cheesecake

1 and 1/4 cup of almond flour

3 tablespoons of granular healthy sweetener (erythrytol, allulose, xylitol or stevia)

5 tablespoons of melted butter

For the filling on the top of the crust

1/4 cup powdered healthy sweetener

8 ounce cream cheese in room temperature

1 egg in room temperature

1/4 cup sour cream , room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

PREPARATION

Preheat oven for 350 degrees

To make the crust mix together the sweetener, almond four and melted butter. Spoon the mixture evenly on the 12 muffin tins, and press them evenly into the tins with the back of the spoon.

Now prepare the filling.

In a large bowl add the sour cream, cream cheese, egg, vanilla, and powdered sweetener. See to it that they all are in room temperature. Now with an electric whisk mix them well into a very smooth batter.

Now spoon them evenly on top of the crust in the muffin tins. About 2 tablespoons for each muffin tin.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 – 24 minutes. Remove from oven and cool them completely and then chill them in the refrigerator for 3 hours.

Now they are firm and easy to remove and serve.

CHICKEN and SPINACH PATTIES – KETO

INGREDIENTS

1 LB ground chicken meat

1 egg

1 tablespoon mayo

2 shallots or one small red onion finely chopped

1/2 pound of spinach chopped

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

2 or 1 green chili or serrano finely chopped ( adjust according to your taste)

1 cup of cilantro finely chopped

1 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder

1/4 teaspoon cumin powder

1 heaped teaspoon garam masala powder

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and clove powder

1 teaspoon of salt

juice of half a lemon

1/4 cup of olive oil to fry

PREPARATION

Heat a shallow pan and add 1/4 cup of the oil and place in medium high heat.

In a large bowl add all the ingredients except the oil. Mix all the ingredients into a dough.

Now take a handful of the dough flatten gently and place it on the hot oil in the pan. Allow each side of the pattie to cook for about 2 minutes. Remove them when they are golden brown.

Serve them hot with an avocado salad or on keto tortilla. ( keto tortilla recipe : wellnessthrufood.com/2021/05/29/perfect-keto-tortillas/)

Enjoy!

PERFECT KETO TORTILLAS

These keto tortillas are made with coconut flour. This is a nice recipe that I found on ‘Keto Connect’. The tortillas turned out to be excellent in taste and texture and they go well with vegetables and any kind of protein dishes. They are so tasty that you can just eat them as a snack also.

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

whites of 8 large eggs ( to avoid wasting the yolks you can buy a small carton of egg whites from the supermarket) . so 1 &1/2 cups of egg whites is equal to whites of 8 large eggs.

10 tablespoons of water

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of chili powder

1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon of onion powder.

PREPARATION

In a large bowl add the coconut flour and baking powder and mix them well. Now add the water, egg whites and salt and spices to the bowl and whisk them all together with a whisk into a smooth watery batter.

Heat a medium sized or small pan. Place it on medium high heat and smear a little oil on the pan and pour 1-2 tablespoons of the watery batter, quickly lift your pan and gently move the pan in rotating motion till the batter spreads as a thin layer over the entire pan. Adjust the amount of batter according tot he size of your pan. See that you get a thin layer.

Now allow the tortilla to cook for about 1 and 1/2 minutes on each side. Finish the batter with the same technique. You will get a stack of delicious, thin tortillas. You can store them in air tight containers for a week in your fridge. Enjoy tortillas with your favorite vegetable and meat dishes or simply with an avocado salad.

CREAMY CUSTARD – KETO

EASY KETO CUSTARD

This custard is very simple to make. It is creamy and very delicious and has zero carb.

It has just 3 ingredients, eggs, cream and sweetener. Ramekins or small custard cups are good to make the custard . Ramekins are good for baking individual portions of custard or soufflé. I used 4oz ramekins that can hold a half cup of custard in them.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of heavy cream

2 large eggs

1/4 cup of powdered sweetener

1 teaspoon vanilla or any fruity essence of your choice

PREPARATION

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

You need a baking sheet, a large baking dish to hold the ramekins, and 4 ramekins (porcelain oven proof custard cups)

In a large bowl add the cream, eggs, vanilla essence and powdered healthy sweetener (erythritol or stevia)

Blend the mixture by a hand whisk or electric whisk till it is smooth.

Now arrange the large baking dish on a baking sheet and keep the ramekins inside the baking dish. Pour the mixture into the 4 ramekins equally.

Now pour boiling hot water into the baking dish that contains the ramekins. Carefully pour on the sides so that the water does not get into the ramekins. Pour about an inch level, so the ramekins are sitting in the hot water.

Now place the entire arrangement into the preheated oven and cook the custard for about 30 -35 minutes, till the top of the custard is lightly browned.

Remove from oven and allow the custard to cool for 15 minutes, garnish with nuts and berries or just have it plain. You can also leave it in the fridge for an hour and then have it as a cold dessert. Enjoy!

TUNA KETO CASSEROLE – Zero Carb meal

Wild caught Tuna has high levels of omega 3 fatty acids that help reduce cholesterol that can accumulate inside the arteries of the heart.

I used canned tuna. The canned tuna I used is slow cooked and easy to use in the casserole. Canned tuna are excellent for easy lunches and snacks.

This Keto recipe is simple and easy to make. It is carb free and gluten free.

INGREDIENTS

3 cans of wild caught tuna (15 oz)

1 lb broccoli cut to small bite size pieces

1 lb mushrooms washed and cubed

1 lb spinach cut

1 big red onion sliced

7 -8 cloves of garlic peeled and cut

3/4 cup of heavy cream

1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese

3 tablespoons of shredded parmesan cheese

1-2 serrano or green chili finely chopped (according to your taste)

2 tablespoons of cream cheese

2 tablespoons of mayo

4 tablespoons butter

1 heaped teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt 1/2 teaspoon ( you have to be careful about salt because the canned tuna has salt, and also the cheese)

PREPARATION

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.

In a pan add 4 tablespoons of butter and saute half of the cut onions , add the garlic paste and salt and a handful of cubed mushrooms, allow them to saute. Now add the chili powder, cumin powder and garam masala to it.

Now in a blender blend the other half of the sliced onions, peeled cut garlic and the remaining mushrooms and blend them till they become a paste. Then add this paste to the sauted onions and mushrooms in the pan. Allow the mixture to cook for about 5 minutes.

To this mixture add the cream cheese, mayo, heavy cream, shredded cheddar cheese and remove from heat and stir them till they mix completely.

Now add the tuna to the mixture, remove the salt water from the can and add only the tuna.

Now saute the broccoli with a little salt and pepper. Chop the spinach.

Take a 7/11 or 9/11 baking tray. Spread the broccoli, then the cut spinach, then the finely chopped serrano or green chili. Now pour the mushroom -tuna mixture into the tray and spred evenly. Garnish on the top with the grated parmesan cheese.

Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove after 30 minutes and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Enjoy a tasty keto meal!

BUTTER PECAN COOKIES – KETO

INGREDIENTS

1/2 Cup healthy sweetener ( erythrytol, xylitol or stevia)

1/2 cup softened unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond essence

1 and 3/4 cup of blanched almond flour

2 tablespoons of coconut flour

1/2 cup pecan nuts, toasted and chopped

PREPRATION

Pre heat the oven at 325 degrees.

In a deep mixing bowl add the sugar , butter, almond flour coconut flour, vanilla or almond essence and salt and mix well with clean hands till a cookie dough is formed.

Toast 1/2 cup of pecan nuts in a dry pan on the stove top at medium low heat till it becomes dark brown and lets out a delicious aroma. Chop the nuts after they cool. Add the chopped pecan nuts to the dough and fold them in.

Prepare a baking sheet and make round balls of the dough and place them on the baking sheet. Keep them in the oven for just 5 minutes and remove and flatten the round balls with the help of the flat surface of a glass or cup.

Now after all the cookie balls are flattened , place the cookie sheet in the oven at 325 degrees for 12- 14 minutes.

Remove and allow to cool for an hour. They will harden up. Enjoy with a cup of coffee. They will taste even better the next day! You can store them in airtight containers after they have cooled completely.

NOTES

I also tried to make these as flat cookies by hand, when you flatten them in your hand see to it that you keep the edges thicker. You bake them in 325 degrees for 20 minutes You do not need to remove them after 5 minutes since you already flattened them by hand.

BANANA NUT MUFFIN – KETO

These excellent muffin treats have no real bananas in them. They are soft, fluffy and moist, they are made out of almond flour.

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 Cups almond flour

3/4 cup healthy sweetener ( xylitol or erythritol)

1 cup of greek yogurt

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons banana extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts ( walnuts or pecan nuts)

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Prepare a muffin tin with 12 cups, you can use cup cake liners and spray the inside with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl combine the almond flour, baking soda, salt and sweetener. Now mix in the eggs, yogurt, vanilla and banana extract, and make them into a smooth paste.

Now fold in the chopped nuts.

Using an icecream scoop or a large spoon fill in the 12 muffin pans equally. Place them in the preheated oven and bake them for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes in the muffin pan and then serve.

Enjoy as breakfast or as an anytime keto snack.

KETO CHICKEN CASSEROLE ~ WITH INDIAN CURRY

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs boneless chicken

1lb broccoli cut to bite size pieces ( or any vegetable of your choice, cauliflower, spinach, mushrooms any or all together. See that when combined all the vegetables add up to 1 lb)

1 red onion

4 cloves garlic

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 cup chicken broth

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup mayo

2 tablespoon cream cheese

3 tablespoons parmesan cheese

1/2 cup of almond flour (roasted)

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon garlic paste

1 heaped teaspoon garam masala

1 heaped teaspoon fennel powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon chili powder (I added one chopped serrano for more heat)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/4 teaspoon clove powder

1/2 teaspoon meat tenderizer

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup chopped cilantro for garnish

salt to taste

PREPARATION

Cut the boneless chicken to bite size pieces. Place in a bowl and add the garlic and ginger paste, spices and lemon juice and the meat tenderizer and mix well and allow to marinate for an hour.

Then cook the chicken in the pressure cooker or instant pot with just a half cup of water. And preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Now saute the broccoli with a tablespoon of butter , salt and pepper. Take a 9×13 casserole baking dish and arrange the broccoli in it.

Now finely chop the red onion and the garlic cloves add to the pan with a tablespoon of butter and saute them. Spread them on top of the broccoli in the baking dish.

Remove the cooked chicken and add the pieces to the baking dish. Take the broth out and reduce it in the pan if it is more than 1 cup.

Now to the chicken broth add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, 3/4 cup of heavy cream, cream cheese, 1/3 cup of mayo, and mix them well. Now spread this mixture on to the chicken and vegetables in the baking dish. Then spread the 3 tablespoons of parmesan cheese evenly on top.

Roast the almond flour in a heated pan for a few minutes carefully till it is lightly brown.

Now spread the almond flour on top of the chicken and vegetables in the baking dish. Almond flour spread will be the top layer of the casserole.

Bake for 25 – 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Five minutes before removing spread the cilantro on the top.

After it is well baked allow the casserole to cool for 20 minutes and then enjoy Chicken casserole with curried chicken!

NOTES

You can add any vegetable of your choice to the casserole, cauliflower, mushrooms, and spinach are also great for this dish. You can add them combined or separate. When adding spinach just cut and add it fresh on the top of the cooked cauliflower or broccoli.
I have found that when I make the mushroom as soup it brings in more creamy texture to the casserole. I blend a 1/2 lb mushrooms with 4 cloves of garlic in a blender and cook the paste in butter and then add the cream, cream cheese, mayo, grated cheddar cheese and chicken stock to this mixture and pour it over the chicken spread over the pan.
Using roasted almond flour as topping is optional. If you dont like the texture of the almond flour you can substitute the topping with a 1/2 cup of grated cheddar and parmesan on the top.
Be careful with the salt you use to cook the chicken and vegetables, since cheese has salty taste.