Paras Hemrajani
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Written By: Paras Hemrajani | Published : September 29, 2019 7:13 PM IST
Navratri is one festival that dictates term on the use of ghee. © Shutterstock
Whether it is a halwa cooked in a Gurudwara or halwa cooked at home for Navratri, they are always cooked in ghee and not refined oil. Even the havan that is kept for nine days in the house, which contains the spiritual fire, is kept alive by adding ghee. This is an extension of regular butter. It's made by heating unsalted butter. The idea behind heating is to remove the milk solids and water components from it. After the whole process is complete, this pure butter fat is obtained.
This is a natural food and can be used everywhere that butter is currently being used. Just like halwa, other common Navratri dishes like biscuits, fried potato chips, potato curry, garlic scallops and banana with cinnamon are also made using ghee. According to the Vedic texts, the food that was cooked for the gods was always cooked in ghee. Not only is the addition compulsory but their is also a strict rule that needs to be followed regarding the amount and order of inclusion of ghee in the halwa. Navratri is one festival that dictates term on the use of ghee. This makes people wonder should they include ghee in their diet too and the question arises that apart from spiritual reasons what else could be the reason for including ghee in diet. Here are some health benefits of including ghee in your Navratri and diet.
Food made from regular butter will add free radicals in your system. Radicals are free flowing toxins in the body. Regular butter and oils generate radical as they burn. But ghee burns at 500-degree Fahrenheit. So the chances of generating radicals decreases with this.
Navratri is a festival that symbolises the victory of good over the evil. Just like antioxidants to ghee help defeat the bad radical in the body. Killing of radicals helps in preventing cell and tissue damage. Ghee also contains Vitamin E, that helps remove other toxins from the body.
It is not just used in cooking. This is a traditional moisturizer that can be applied directly over the skin to remove dryness.When applied to hair, it helps in nourishing them and making them thick and long.
According to a recent study by The National Institute of Health, USA, ghee contains a high concentration of monounsaturated fats and omega 3s, which if consumed in high quantities can help in reducing the risk of heart disease. The study showed that ghee can achieve this because the presence of omega 3. This can reduce the level of serum chorestrol in the body.
It is always advised that the ghee that you are consuming should be homemade and without any adulteration. Only then will you be able to derive all of its spiritual and health benefits.
