Mandala
Drumstick: The new superfood
Known as ‘the tree of life,’ the humble drumstick tree or Moringa oleifera is a name familiar to almost every Indian household. Also known as the horseradish tree or the Ben oil tree, it is the new superfood with over 92 nutrients and 46 natural antioxidants as well as anti-inflammatory compounds and tissue-protective properties. Little wonder that it has been dubbed the ‘miracle tree.’
Almost all parts of the tree are either consumed as food or used as ingredients in traditional herbal medicines. The seeds, pods, flowers, and leaves are used as food, while the bark, roots, stems, and the rest of the tree are used for making tools or folk medicine.
Popular for its highly nutritious profile, part of the tree is used in ayurvedic medicine for treating various ailments. The leaves are eaten raw in salads, blended into drinks, or steamed. Additionally, the Moringa oil, harvested from the pods, is much sought after in the formulation of skincare products.
The tea prepared from its leaves has high levels of polyphenols and works as an antioxidant. It is detoxifying, supports strengthening of the immune system, fights against nausea, indigestion, diarrhoea, and much more. Diabetic patients can easily consume this tea as the sugar content is low. The magical tea is also a rich source of Vitamin C.
Essentially native to Northern India, the Moringa tree is today common throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. It grows easily from seeds or cuttings even in poor soil and blooms eight months after planting.
The diet of people in developing nations sometimes lacks vitamins, minerals, and protein, and Moringa oleifera can be an important source of many essential nutrients in these places.
A complete guide to veganism
Veganism has become very popular amongst people nowadays. It has not only become a beneficial trend but is also considered a way of life by many people. Veganism is much more than just excluding meat, dairy products, eggs, or any product derived from an animal source, from the diet. It also includes removing animal-based-and-tested products.
Setting down a new portal for all the vegan heads and ‘to be vegans,’ Vegan First emerges as India’s first digital and print publication that covers vegan-curious awareness, alternatives, and solutions in an accessible format.
Under the leadership of Palak Mehta, Founder and CEO of Vegan First, this publication is all set to provide space for anyone who wants to lead a conscious, kinder, and healthier lifestyle. Sharing her inspiration behind starting this publication, she says, “When I turned vegan four years back, I was shocked to find out about the cruelty behind our dietary and lifestyle choices. There was no difference in being a vegetarian and non-vegetarian in terms of the impact on the animals, our planet, and our health. Pieces of information were just scattered across social media, which I found to be categorised as vegan but turned out to be only cruelty-free. This way, turning vegan became very challenging and inspired me to create a platform with the right recommendations of vegan products.”
With a team of creative minds who multitask to achieve perfection, Vegan First generates content that is engaging, informative, and easy to digest. This includes myth-busting videos, substitute recipes, interviews, tutorials, guides, listicles, features, as well as solutions from doctors, vegan experts, and much more. The content appeals to the mindful and conscious consumer of today.
Their key audience includes vegans, transitioning vegans, curious non-vegans, health lovers, fitness aficionados, animal lovers, environmentalists, foodies, and passionate chefs. The future plan is to scale up more video content, recipes, and ready solutions for transitioning vegans and non-vegans. Vegan events such as luncheons, meetups, and fests that provide support to vegans and come out as a great starting point for vegans under process are on the cards.
A roadmap for organic sectors
Biofach India, the only organic platform in India that networks quality organic products from around the world, scheduled an exhibition from 25th–27th October at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India.
Organised by NürnbergMesse India and APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, Ministry of Commerce and Industry) and supported by the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, the 10th Edition of Biofach India, the largest show in the organic sector in India, was inaugurated by Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Suresh Prabhu.
The theme of the expo was ‘Enhancing export of organic products trade from India—strategies and synergies’ that emphasised on foreign countries to assist in setting a roadmap for organic exports from India.
Considered to be India’s most engrossing event in the organic sector, the expo offered the best platform to the organic stakeholders, retailers, exporters/ importers, government boards, state pavilions, certification bodies, consultants, and associations from India and all over the world to assemble for networking.
The three-day exhibition-cum-international conference and buyer-seller meet that featured 150 exhibitors, conference delegates, and more than 60 international buyers, was the largest gathering that showcased various organic export products like soybean, basmati rice, sugar, tea, spices, flax seeds, pulses, and processed foods (mango pulp and soybean meal).
Apart from displaying eatables, one of the stalls, ‘To be organic,’ showcased natural wellness products as well. For the first time, farmers’ conference and organic farmers’ market too were featured in the expo to help the farmers adopt agricultural practices that are a combination of folklore and innovation that relies on natural processes without indulging in any artificial practices that cause harm to nature.
The event was supported by all International and National stakeholders: IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement), FSSAI (Food Safety Standard Authority of India), OFAI (Organic Farmers Association of India), ICCOA (International Competence Centre of Organic Agriculture), BDAI (Biodynamic Association of India), and AIOI (Association of the Indian Organic Industries).