Annai Organic & Naturals Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Ashwagandha has been used as a sedative, a diuretic, a rejuvenating tonic, an anti-inflammatory agent, aphrodisiac and an immune booster. It is especially beneficial in stress related disorders such as arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, general debility, etc. It has also shown impressive results when used as stimulants for the immune system. It is considered as an adaptogen that stimulates the immune system and improves the memory. Ashwagandha increases the count of white blood cells and prepares the body to produce antigens against various infections and allergies. It is also considered as a tonic for the heart and lungs as its regular intake controls the blood pressure and regulates the heartbeat. It has a strong nourishing and protective effect on the nervous system. Health Benefits of Ashwagandha - It works as anti-inflammatory substance therefore helps in reducing swellings and restoring blood supply. - It relieves stress due to presence of vata suppressant properties which helps in nurturing nervous system. - It helps in promoting calmness and mental satisfaction in mind due to its good penetrating powers, which helps to counter negative adaptogens. - It has an excellent healing properties therefore has great effects in healing wounds and injuries. - It helps in relieving from the feel of numbness and burning sensation in extremities. - It helps in providing nourishment to the brain for its better function and greater ability to work. - It improves mental ability, helps in gaining retaining power and improves mental concentration. - Ashwagandha revitalizes body and decreases untimely fatigue caused due weak body strength accumulation of negative energies in the body. - It works as a rasayan i.e. a substance that helps in preventing early aging and rejuvenates whole body to provide youth. - It works as powerful immune booster that helps in fighting any foreign invasion in the body. - It is a powerful aphrodisiac thereby helps in enhancing the sexual powers and long lasting endurance. - It also helps in increasing sperm count and also the quality of sperms. - It gives good results in leucorrhoea, as it possesses the properties that suppress kapha. - It is also useful in upper respiratory tract infection URTI and in asthmatic conditions.

When people think about eating nuts, the first thing that comes to mind is often the calories or the fat they contain. It is sad to see how much we are concernedworried about these factors nowadays, to the point where it affects our reasoning abilities. Although it is true that nuts have a high energy value because of their fatty acid content, this fact alone should never be the sole reason for our food choices in our deliberations. After all, there are calories in everything we eat. In fact, there are just as many calories in omega-3 oil and protein as there are in the same amount of lard and refined sugar! And yet we make a qualitative difference between these foods which influences our decision in order to make a healthier choice. At PRANA, we believe the same kind of distinction needs to be made with nuts. Truth be told, nuts are some of the most nutritiously complete foods on earth! Their vitamin and mineral content is often much higher than that of other common foods in our diet, with enough protein, fibre and essential fatty acids to rival even a typical, so-called “complete” meal. By the way, the most common type of fatty acids present in nuts is monounsaturated; a type of fat that presents no health risk for us, and which is even said to have protective qualities for our cardiovascular system! Certainly we can’t say the same for the oil in chips and French-fries…

Organically grown foods are becoming more popular as people worry more about the health and the safety of the food they eat. What is organic food? Where can you buy organic products? According to the USDA, organic foods are described as: Organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, bioengineering or ionizing radiation. Organic food advocates claim that organically grown foods are safer and more nutritious than foods raised with non-organic methods such as pesticides, non-organic fertilizers, antibiotics and hormones. Many people just don't trust these chemicals and don't want to put them into their bodies. Since virtually all non-organically produced foods contain residues of pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals, the only way to avoid them is to buy organic foods. To be certified as organic, food products need to come from farms and processing plants that are certified as organic. This means that they are inspected by certified government officials to ensure that organic farms are up to USDA organic standards. The inspectors make sure that only organic methods are used and that the environment is not contaminated with pesticides, synthetic fertilizers or other non-organic compounds. Organic Labeling Foods that are organically grown can state that fact on the label. This makes shopping easier for those of us who want to buy organic foods. It is important to understand exactly what organic labels mean. "100% Organic" Foods that are labeled as 100% Organic must contain all organically grown ingredients except for added water and salt. "Organic" Foods that are labeled as Organic need to contain at least 95% organic ingredients, except for added water and salt, plus they must not contain sulfites added as a preservative. Sulfites have been known to provoke allergies and asthma in some people. Up to 5% of the ingredients may non-organically produced. "Made with Organic Ingredients" Product labels that claim Made with Organic Ingredients need to contain at least 70% organic ingredients, except for added water and salt. They must not contain added sulfites, and up to 30% of the ingredients may be non-organically produced. Food products made with less than 70% organic ingredients may state which ingredients are organic, but they can not claim to be organic food products. What Makes Organic Foods Better Than Non-Organic Foods? Organic foods do not contain dangerous pesticides. Although studies show that the minimal amounts of residues of chemical pesticides found on non-organically grown foods are not dangerous to your health, many people just don't believe it. Studies show that children who maintain conventional diets have more pesticides in their bodies than those who eat organic foods. Some experts believe that these pesticides may possibly lead to problems impeding with normal neurological development. Many organic food advocates also wish to avoid the antibiotics and growth hormones that are used on conventionally grown farm animals. These substances pass from the dairy products and meat we eat into our bodies. This use of antibiotics may be one of the causes of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Organic food advocates also claim that organic foods are more nutritious than conventionally grown foods. There isn't much evidence to show that organic foods contain any more nutrients than non-organic foods; however some organic produce contain more vitamin C and higher quality protein content. There is also evidence that animals grown with organic feeds tend to be healthier than animals fed conventional feeds. Organic farming is not only better for the animals, it is better for the environment. Organic farms are much more compatible with wildlife and land conservation programs. Are Organic Foods Worth the Cost? This is a question that more and more consumers say "yes" to every day. Organic foods are more expensive to grow than conventionally grown foods and that cost shows up in the higher prices in the grocery store. The choice to add organic foods to your diet may cost a bit more money, but for that price, you are buying the reassurance that you're making healthy decisions for our own health and your family's health.

Honey Honey lends a sweet, rich taste to foods when used in place of sugar. Produced by honey bees, honey has 64 calories per tablespoon. Honey is sweeter than sugar and has a higher moisture content. Foods baked with honey brown faster than those baked with sugar. To substitute honey for sugar in recipes, Ohio State University recommends using three-quarters cup of honey for every one cup of sugar called for in the recipe. Decrease the liquid in the recipe by one-quarter cup for every one cup of honey added. Decrease oven temperature by 25 degrees when baking items made with honey to prevent excess browning. Agave Agave nectar comes from the blue agave cactus. Agave is high in fructose, which gives it its sweet taste. A teaspoon of agave syrup has about 20 calories. Agave can be substituted for sugar in baking and other recipes. Reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe equivalent to the amount of agave added. Stevia Stevia comes from the leaves of the stevia herb Stevia rebaudiana. The leaves themselves can be added to hot liquids such as tea to lend sweetness, but usually the leaves are dried and ground into a fine powder which can be sprinkled in beverages or onto fruit or cereal like sugar. Stevia is much sweeter than sugar and has no calories. Commercial stevia sometimes includes inert ingredients to equate stevia and sugar measurements for ease of substitution. Use stevia in recipes calling for sugar, but the amount needed may be much less, depending on the stevia formulation.

Conventional turmeric cultivation uses different varieties of toxic chemical fertilizers and pesticides. For instance, the seed material rhizomes is first treated by farmers with fungicides and systemic pesticides copper oxychloride; dithane M-45; Bavistin which are all implicated in sperm damage. 1. Black pepper 2. Cardamom 3. Cinnamon 4. Cloves 5. Mustard seeds 6. Red chilli powder 7. Jeera 8. Methi seeds 9. Dhania seeds Conventional chilli cultivation uses pesticides and fungicides like lindane, quinalphos, acephate, dicofol, dimethoate, monocrotophos, triazophos, cypermethrin, mancozeb. You cannot eat a chilli sprayed with mancozeb a fungicide until five days are over. It has the potential to cause goitre and the metabolite has produced birth defects and cancer in experimental animals. The wait time for a chilli sprayed with quinolphos an organophosphate insecticide is between 5-10 days. chilli pdrBright red chilli powder available in the market is coated with a dye called Sudan Red, a carcinogenic chemical used in the textile industry. When this chemical dye was detected, a huge consignment of red chillies was sent back to India from the UK in 2003. The Spices Board was forced to cancel the license of the five Indian exporters involved and to order mandatory pre-ship inspection of all future chilli consignments leaving the country. If you want to test chilli powder quickly yourself, put some in water. If there is sawdust, it will float to the surface. If there is dye, the water will get coloured. If there is red brick powder, it will sediment faster than the real chilli. Our chilli powder is made from organically grown chillies, without the use of any additives. 10. Sesame seeds black 11. Turmeric Turmeric pdrTurmeric powders sold in the market is further adulterated with deadly chemicals, making it further toxic. It is found to be mixed with starch powder or saw dust dyed yellow with coal tar dyes including metanil yellow or with extremely toxic substances like lead chromate which is cheaply available. Lead poisoning can cause or worsen anaemia, abdominal pain, neurological problems, kidney damage, hypertension and foetal distress. Our turmeric is organically grown, boiled, dried and powdered without any additives. It gives a distinct aroma which instantaneously wins the approval of most of our customers.

We bring you a variety of different vegetables and fruits that are harvested fresh and come to you straight from the farm. We try and source a variety that includes greens keerais, special hill vegetables that are succulent, colourful and delicious such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, carrots, radish, potatoes and a whole range of ‘locals’ such as bitter gourd pavakkai, ridge gourd peerkangai, tomatoes, avarakkai a kind of string bean, drumstick, snake gourd, yellow and white pumpkins, ladies finger, brinjal and so on.   Fruits in season are available such as mangoes, jacket oranges, green and red grapes, bananas, guavas, sapota - chikku, pomegranates and even the occasional pineapple; sometimes you might be lucky and there will be starfruit or some other exotic fruit that the farmer has sent as a surprise!