Healthy refreshment : My homemade Punjabi Mango Lassi adaptation!

Last Saturday I was talking to a friend before heading to the salon to get my hair done and I mentioned to her that I would fix some Mango Lassi before going out! She did not know what a Mango Lassi was so I explained it to her before I started telling her about some great Indian spices she could use for health as well as beauty treatment! One spice I told her to shop for is turmeric! A spice I love to add in many things and you can read more about it on my article:  http://goodhealthdiva.blogspot.com/2011/01/benefits-of-turmeric.html
Anyway, since some of you might not be familiar with Lassi I guess I can give you too a little introduction to my Mango Lassi before sharing my version of it! I say my version because I am not sure that there is such a thing as the perfectly authentic Mango Lassi recipe. I think it initially starts with yogurt and mango but who knows how it finishes...

N'na's own: Mango Lassi

Lassi is a popular and traditional Punjabi-yogurt drink from India and Pakistan that is generally enjoyed fresh as a refreshment during hot weather. Punjab is simply a region in North western India and Pakistan, just in case you wonder what's a Punjabi yogurt! Punjab means the land of five rivers "Panj" means "five" and "ab" means "water"! I know I am sharing a recipe here but a little culture is good for you! Might as well feed the intellect too while we are talking recipe!




 So...Lassi  is made by blending yogurt with water or milk and adding some Indian spices. I think Punjab yogurt includes curry and turmeric among their Indian spices.  There are quite a few variations for the drink such as salted lassi, sweet lassi, mango lassi etc. The drink is called different things in different parts of the world! For example, in Turkey, a drink similar to Lassi is called Aryan,  while in Afghanistan and Iran a similar drink is called Doogh!

 Here on the left is a picture I found online of an Ayran drink, it's a yogurt and mint drinkThis one is a picture I found online representing a Doogh drink.


Anyway, to fix some Mango Lassi you mainly need Mango and Yogurt! I used plain Vanilla Yogurt. Don't worry,by the time I add some spices of my choices it will not be that plain.... I can guarantee that!!!!
In addition to Mango and Yogurt you add water or milk!
I personally would not add dairy milk to mine (having Yogurt is enough for me) I would suggest you add coconut milk, I think it's more tropical (smiles)...well that's my humble opinion...
Alright...what else..? Well...  let's  just use the pictures as a guide since they say a picture is worth a thousand words I will use them to save me some typing...

N'na's own: Mango Lassi in progress

I don't think that the recipe would specify to use some frozen mangoes but my version does! I am using some frozen mangoes as well as fresh mangoes. I always keep a stash of frozen fruits because it adds more texture to my drinks and I can benefit from them already being cold! I do my best to avoid crushing or adding ice simply because I want to take advantage of my blends full flavors and not 'water down the taste'.

In trying to decide what to add I am turning to my special 'natural medicine cabinet"! I call  this kitchen cabinet my 'natural medicine cabinet' because I use most of the things in there for their health benefits! More on that later.

Having to choose between water or milk I actually opted for coconut juice. I figured plain water would be boring to my taste buds and I was not in the mood for coconut milk! Coconut juice was a great compromise! I used about 1/4 of the can. (Next time I will try my Lassi with rosewater and let you know how it turns out)

Well... I know I said it's a Mango Lassi but it's my drink so I can add whatever I desire...I was thinking that the taste of pineapple juice and some pineapple could add extra flavors to my drink. You know...take it to the next level!!! I love flavors! So I used a couple of slices and blended them with a little bit of pineapple juice.

I sweetened with a little bit of honey this is truly optional, and figured I could make use of some spices from my ' natural medicine cabinet'! After all a Lassi include Indian spices... so I selected my own spices Ginger, Caraway, Fennel and a little bit of turmeric! I was actually hoping to add some Cardamon as one of my main spices but I did not have any left! I could have used other spices too but I figured my first selections were alright. I only added a few pinches of  my chosen spices.

I poured my mixture to my glass, decorated with some fresh mint from my garden and topped my drink with some crushed pineapple and mangoes. Why add the crushed pineapple and mangoes? I just felt that my promising refreshment could handle some extra 'texture' and hmm was I right! It was so good.... 

N'na's own: Mango Lassi

I did refrigerate my drink just a few minutes until I was ready to savour it!
I poured some in a glass and saved the rest for later enjoyment!
Keep in mind that the drink should be refrigerated before drinking, it's meant to be chilled and served as a refreshment for a hot day! I was able to enjoy mine without a long refrigeration simply because I have used some frozen mangoes in addition to the fresh ones!

Doesn't it look good????Now...you knoooow it tastes good! If it has mango alone it tastes good! Add all those other ingredients and it taste GREAT! Hey that's N'na's Mango Lassi! Taking a simple drink to the next level!That's the kind of things you drink and you smile for not apparent reasons...so..soooo....gooood!!!

N'na's own: Mango Lassi

 The leftover was a delicious treat later on in the day...

N'na's own: Mango Lassi

Voila, N'na's own version of a delicious refreshment! Mango and Pineapple Lassi! To be honest I haven't heard of pineapple Lassi, it's always Mango Lassi that I hear about but nobody said I could not come up with my personal variation! So from coconut juice to pineapple and some unexpected ingredients like Caraway and Fennel, my Lassi was not just delicious it turned out to be a very healthy refreshment!

Now, I have read that one variation of Lassi make people drowsy, that might explain why I yawned so much when I was at the salon getting my hair done! Who knows? I probably should blame the fact that I went to bed really late the night before (making a face)!

 If you have never tried a Mango Lassi it's worth trying, I guess any kind of Lassi is worth trying, but I can only recommend what I know for sure to be very tasty! Mangoes are delicious and are one of the healthiest fruits you can eat! It's also a great fruit for skin care and hair care treatments....if you want to know more about that you will just have to come back another time! Stay tuned! Become a Follower by joining this blog if you are new here, Like the facebook page Healthy can be done and Follow Goodhealthdiva on twitter as well! Alright that's it for today, hope you enjoyed learning about my adaption to Mango Lassi.
 I don't mess with alcoholic beverages so for a hot weather refreshment packed with health benefits I greatly recommend that you give the Mango Lassi a try!

Are you a Lassi drinker? If yes, what kind of Lassi do you drink? What's your favorite (healthy) hot weather refreshment?

Interview: My findings about Sensaria & beauty tips from Janine Aguero

Have you ever heard about Sensaria? Well, I had never heard about it until recently when my new friend, and co-owner of The Sample Shoppe, Janine Aguero told me about it!  True to my curious nature I asked her to share more about the company before I did some research on my own! It's great to come across things online but it's always better to talk to someone in person about  a particular product. Don't you think?!




 This gorgeous woman is Janine Aguero, so you see why I would turn to her for beauty tips! (smiles)


Janine kindly agreed to an  'interview' about Sensaria  but before I say more about Sensaria let me tell you a little bit more about Janine! Janine Aguero is a Sensaria sale representative, but she is focusing most of her energy on her own business. Her cousin Lisa and her are the proud and successful co-founders of an online business with a pretty neat concept. Called The Sample Shoppe,   they actually sell samples of products thus allowing customers to try some samples before committing to the purchase of a particular item.  This idea is not just great for a customer, it's also great for a vendor willing to market their products!

I encourage you to read more about their unique business and those special women right after reading this! The link to their site will be provided below,  please stick around for a while and let's just talk about Sensaria first...

GoodHealthDiva: What's Sensaria?
 Janine Aguero: Sensaria Natural Body care is the premier direct seller of spa-grade products for home use.

GHD: How did you come in contact with the products?
J.A:  At Christmastime, I decided to only purchase my gifts from independent business owners instead of going to the "chains" at the mall.  I asked some women on a forum I belong to if they would send me their catalog.  I received a Sensaria catalog with a few samples of their products.  When I put on and smelled the Mango body lotion....I was hooked!

GHD:What appealed you to those products?
J.A:  I loved the freshness of the products. They are all natural, with little or no parabens or fillers.  Since your skin is your biggest organ, I don't like putting chemicals on my skin, so Sensaria was the intelligent choice.

GHD: What do you think make them special and which one would  you greatly recommend?
  J.A: What makes Sensaria special is the fact they use the finest grade botanicals, essential oils, vitamins and minerals.  There are no harsh chemicals, lanolin, or mineral oils in their products.  And one of the most important reasons I think Sensaria is special is because their products are cruelty free!  It's hard to recommend just one product...I love their body butters and, of course, the Mango body lotion.

GHD:  Is there any products for men? I love to promote the ideas of men pampering themselves and taking care of their skin beyond the daily hygienic and grooming routine !
J.A:  Yes, we actually have a Men's Skin Care System which includes  Face Wash for Men, Face Scrub for Men, and Hydra gel for Men

 ( I just found that picture on the Sensaria site. It's the men skin care system, currently available for $55.00)


GHD: What are some of beauty tips beyond Sensaria that you would love to share with any female and male reading this article?
J.A: I would say to keep your skin cleansed thoroughly, especially before bedtime.  NEVER go to sleep with makeup on...it ages your skin.  Also, always use a moisturizer, day and night, even if you are only in your 20's, you're never to young to start taking care of your skin.  Another tip would be to always eat a balanced diet, with a minimal amount of sweets, fried food, and junk food, with lots of fruits and veggies.

Doing some researches on my own, I found that in addition to skin care, hair care and body care products, Sensaria also offers Home Care products like their "Aroma-sensory burner" and home fragrance oils available in scents like rosemary, vanilla, mandarin & cucumber.
 This 32 flo oz citrus cleaner is available for $18 and is:  

" A safe, phosphate-free, non-alkaline, biodegradable household cleaner that can be used diluted or full strength. Effective as a household cleaner, a laundry detergent, a stain remover, a fruit and vegetable wash and more. At full strength, Citrus Cleaner is strong enough to take on the most stubborn surface stains, yet mild enough for dish washing or hand washing delicate fabrics.

Recommended for Use By

Households looking for a naturally-based, all-purpose, multi-use cleaner"  (http://www.mysensaria.com/jaguero)

 
They also have some products called Mineral Genesis, those have great reviews but I must tell you the price tag on those is not for people on a budget! However, I am sure those products might be well worth the try! For my part, I will simply start with the Mango lotion. If I get hooked I might go for more of their products.

You can order Sensaria products on the following link http://www.mysensaria.com/jaguero. For those of you interested in a business opportunity selling a great product, there is the possibility of becoming a Sensaria representative.
I for my part, I intend on ordering thw mango body lotion because mango is actually one of my favorite fruits and I know that  mangoes have amazing health properties!

As Janine suggested, eating a balanced diet, with a minimal amount of sweets, fried food, and junk food, with lots of fruits and veggies, and drinking plenty of water is probably the best beauty practice one can have.
Back in college, I suffered from a 2nd degree burn due to a household fire and in spite of the repulsive look of my burns my skin and my wound healed pretty well with minimal scarring due to the fact that my diet mainly consisted of fruits and vegetables. So I do strongly believe that good healthy food  and plenty of water play a considerable role in the beauty of our skin!

Janine is obviously a very beautiful woman and I will take her word for it concerning the mango lotion! If you are curious to learn more about The Sample Shoppe visit http://www.thesampleshoppe.com
To learn more about Sensaria and their products go to http://www.mysensaria.com/jaguero . I guarantee you that both sites are worth a visit.

Was it your first time hearring about Sensaria? If are familiar with Sensaria, what is the one product that you would recommend? Is there any brand of botanical skin care products that you would recommend as highly as Janine recommends Sensaria?
If you make a stop on either sites or both please be kind to come back and let us know more about your impressions! Should you eventually order a product from any of those sites please grant us the pleasure of reading all about it by leaving us a comment! (smiles)






N'na