Start healthy with morning detox

In the wake of rising pollution and health hazards, we all are trying to protect ourselves from the drastic effects.  My focus has always been on healthy living and changing lifestyle. Post festivals and with the onset of winters, when our immunity is worst affected, here are easy ways to detox and build immunity against diseases. Read through my 7-day infused water consumption that I do each morning-   

Day 1- Zesty Mint and Lemon Water

Make three-four thin slices of a lemon and soak in a jug of water with 9-10 mint leaves. Let it sit overnight. Strain and drink the infused water in the morning. Make sure you de-seed the lemon slices lest the water should turn bitter.

Known as the ultimate summer refresher, mint and lemon together are a great detox. Rich in antioxidants, lemon helps to cleanse and alkalize body and mint stimulates digestion. Use the lemon slices in your dishes later. Chew mint leaves to kill bad breath or improve digestion. The same mint leaves can be used for second infusion the following night. Too much of this water might lead to frequent urination, headache and fatigue. Also, overuse of mint is harmful to gastro-oesophagal patients.


Day 2- Calming Tulsi Infusion

Pic credit:Fit Quint

Pluck a handful of tulsi or holy basil. Wash them thoroughly and soak in water. Strain and consume early morning on empty stomach. You can use the leaves later in brewing tea or simply chew them.

Tusli is extremely beneficial in relieving cough and cold, inflammation, bronchitis, anxiety, upset stomach and insomnia, besides many other benefits.  Do check for allergies or medical conditions like diabetes, pregnancy or thyroid before intake of tulsi leaves.


Day 3- Make it work with Methi

Soak a tablespoon of methi or fenugreek seeds in a glass of water. Strain and consume on empty stomach every morning. Use the soaked seeds in your salad, poha, upma or vegetable tadka (tempering). You can also consume a spoonful with some honey. The greenish-yellow infused water tastes slightly bitter.

Methi promotes good kidney function, weight loss, shiny hair, digestion, aids in controlling insulin and regulates menstrual problems.  However excess of everything is bad. Do not over-consume. Doing so may have side effects.


Day 4- A Punch with Ginger

Wash, peel and slice a few pieces of ginger and put in a water jug. Put the jug in the fridge letting it sit overnight. Strain the water, heat it till lukewarm (not hot), squeeze half a lemon in it and consume empty stomach in the morning. You can use the ginger pieces in tea or tempering dishes. The colour of the infused water would look a little dirty/light brown and the taste has a tinge of spice. Rest, it would feel like consuming plain water.

Laden with anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants, ginger balances blood sugar, cholesterol, weight and hydrates body. Ginger also cures cough and sore throat. However, since ginger causes burning sensation in mouth, gas and heartburn, do not over consume ginger.

Day 5- Win it with Ajwain Infusion 

Just soak two spoons of carom seeds in a cup of water. Stir and strain to have it on empty stomach. Alternatively, you can also boil, strain and cool the water pre-consumption. The taste would be a little pungent and the colour orangish-yellow.

Ajwain or carom seeds are a storehouse of benefits from digestion to relieving toothache. They also relieve acidity, cold and cough, treat pain due to kidney disorders and promote weight loss. Over-consumption may cause heartburn, dizziness, stomach ulcer and nausea. Hence do not over consume ajwain.

Day 6- The Under-Rated Fennel Seeds Water

Soak fennel seeds (saunf) in water overnight. Heat the water with seeds for a minute or two. (Do not boil). Strain and consume it on empty stomach. You can also have this twice a day. The light yellow infused water cools your stomach and tastes refreshing.

Fennel seeds are known for improving digestion, irregular periods, boosts immunity, improves digestion and flushes out toxins from the body. The time especially post festivals is when your digestion goes for a toss. Fennel seeds water combats acidity, bloating, stomach cramps and improves kidney function. Avoid excess of it as it may lead to allergic reactions and may not suit those prone to blood clotting.

Day 7- Detox tea from Organic India

I have been a regular consumer of Organic India Green Tea. During festival shopping, I came across their store at one of the malls in NCR and thought of trying something new. Tulsi Ginger Turmeric Tea instantly got my attention. Ginger and turmeric are good to cure throat infection, cold, improve immunity and allergies. Similarly, Tulsi Cleanse Tea is a great detox, immunity booster and supports liver & kidney function. Warm Tulsi Ginger Turmeric and Tulsi Cleanse tea are my go-to detox infusions these days.
Dip the tea bags in warm water for about a minute or two and sip while it is warm.

These stress relieving, caffeine-free tea can be consumed at any time of the day. P.S- These are not green tea.

P.S- This post made it to the top on Indiblogger home page.

What happens when you skip meals?

A shapely sexy figure and flat abs is a dream that every girl sees. They work out, give up junk and follow healthy diet. Do all girls do that? No, they don’t. In an attempt to lose weight or inches quickly, often many people are seen fasting. Little did they know that skipping meals is no time saver and can pose bigger problems than they imagined. When skipping meals becomes a habit or a part of a dieting plan, it has serious long-term implications on the body like development of some chronic conditions or even gaining weight instead of losing.

Here are scary things that might happen if you skip meals regularly:

Low glucose level: Your blood glucose level rise after meals. It remains constant if you don’t exercise (hence recommended to work out if you want to control the level). A long gap of fasting causes your blood glucose level to fall, leaving you feel sleepy, tired and exhausted. Mind you, glucose is the source of energy for blood.

Low metabolism: Low glucose means low metabolism. Its simple. A low metabolism leads to dip in energy, imbalance in body and metal activity and improper eating patterns as you tend to eat more the next time.

Poor performance. As scary as low metabolism sounds, equally scary is poor performance. Not only you become physically slow but also mentally you are unable to concentrate and make quick decisions. Hampers your professional and personal life majorly!

Overweight:  Those who skip meals to reduce weight, rather tend to gain weight. If you eat less number of times you typically should, your brain signals you to eat more when you get food loading your body with calories which are not required at that moment. This leads to slow digestion and bloating of stomach. Ouch!

May lead to diabetes or excess calories: Ignoring the hunger pangs of your body will drain all glucose of your body leading to low level of energy and high stress. It’s your body’s natural tendency to hog sweets or junk food to replenish the loss of glucose. This also happens when stress level is hgh. So, this leads to excess of sugar or calories in your blood. So much for skipping meals yeah?

Acidity: You may experience acid reflux or nausea if your stomach is empty for too long. An old long habit of staying hungry may cause heartburn, acidity or dry cough. Skipping meals gets scarier hence.

Brain drain. The brain’s exclusive fuel, glucose, is compromised within four to six hours if you have not eaten. That’s because the glucose stored in the liver as glycogen, runs out during this time period. The liver is like a traffic cop for blood sugar. When blood glucose dips too low, the liver converts glycogen into glucose and releases it into the blood. But if its glycogen has been depleted, the body turns to less efficient fuelling methods resulting which you start to feel anxiety, depression, have mood swings or always hungry.

Bad breath: Your tongue produces saliva as you chew food. Long breaks of skipping meals make your tongue dry and create a breeding ground for bacteria, hence causing bad breath. Remember, the same happens when you fall ill?

 

Few tips to stay healthy and lose weight without skipping meals.

      

1. Eat small frequent meals instead of one large meal. Recommended to eat in an interval of every 2-3 hours
2. Include fruits, veggies and whole grains in your food. Chuck junk for good. Replace refined/processed sweets with natural sweeteners like dates or fruits.
3. Water intake should be 8-10 glasses every day.
4. Drink water before meals, not during meals. Avoid drinking water immediately after meals.
5. Exercise daily for atleast 30 minutes. Hitting the gym is not possible we understand. So go for brisk walk, ditch the elevators and take stairs or exercise indoors.

Image courtesy- Pixabay

Beneficial "Ber"- Health Book- Day 62

The end of February or beginning of March, somewhere close to Holi, is marked by the presence of Ber or Jujuba fruit in the market. I wonder if this fruit is available in the market for the whole year or it is spotted only during this season. I love gorging on this fruit when brought home. For mothers, this is the fruit that is offered on shiv ling on Mahashivraatri. Ofcourse eaten by us later :-)

BUM BUM BHOLEY!  :-)

Ok, while munching ber or jujuba, I would like to share with you, some benefits of this fruit as follows-

1. Laden with anti-cancerous properties

2. Aids in controlling body weight-  Their low calorie values put together with negligible fat content makes them ideal for snacks.

3. Strengthens human immune system- Rich in vitamin C &A, and potassium, jujube helps to build and strengthen the human immune system. Hence, it also protects from cold and cough.

4. Calms your nervous system- Ok, I did not know this! Jujuba has a soothing effect on mind. Jujuba can hence be used as a natural anti-depressant and sedative. This also eases anxiety and stress.

5. Contains antioxidants- The large amount of antioxidants helps you protect against liver injuries and cancer. Is there a better preventive fruit?

6. Healthy and younger skin- The presence of antioxidants in the Ber makes it a natural anti-ageing agent, hence keeping your skin younger. The extracts of ber are widely used as remedies for skin redness, sunburns, and dryness. In manufacturing, jujube extracts are used in skin care products to reduce redness and swelling, wrinkles and dryness; and for relief from sunburn.

7. Healthy digestive system- Need not worry about gulping warm water or banana always. People suffering with constipation and other digestive problems gain benefit of jujuba hence.  Along with promoting digestion, dry jujubes act as gentle laxatives. This amazing fruit also promotes appetite.

8. Source of energy- This fruit, despite being low in calories, is a good energy booster. I munched just 3 or 4 of these and felt so good. Just eat these fruits to get rid of your fatigue in a quicker way. It is quite refreshing.

9. Healthy teeth, muscles, and bones- The presence of calcium and phosphorous in this super magical fruit aid in strengthening your bones and teeth. With 3 milligrams magnesium per serving can help in toning up the muscles. Jujube is used for improving muscular strength and weight hence.

10. Efficient pumping of blood- The small yet effective amount of niacin obtained from each jujube fruit ensures effective and efficient pumping of blood, thus keeping your energy levels intact.

I have a thought of planting a jujube tree in my house, if possible. Fruits are magical and such a blessing for humanity. So stay healthy and stay blessed!

Play & make it fun- Health Book: Day 14

A brisk walk or jog sounds boring to many. So they plug in their earphones and forget jogging. Others talk on mobile phones while walking. Good lord, that’s not done!

Outdoor time with your dog

Routine is boring, agreed! Following a gym routine or exercise schedule is difficult for many people. It takes a lot to gather that courage and determination for a fitness regime! No wonders once you get used to it, you stop complaining. Getting used to it, is the question! So play up your fitness routine. Yes, don’t exercise, but play. Make it fun!

I am NOT TALKING ABOUT INDOOR GAMES for God sake!

Doggy time-  Have a dog at home? Go for a walk with your pet or spend some time playing with it. And you will vouch for the fact that “Behind every active person, there is a dog”!

Cricket fever- Watching cricket on your TV set while munching chips is not cool. Remember gully cricket during your childhood? Following it is so simple! All you corporate professional people, go for weekend matches! You will be active, physically and mentally both.

Badminton- You don’t need a stadium for it. . Play in your lawn, garden, terrace, neighborhood park or may be on the narrow lane/road near your house.  An economical investment and loads of calories burnt! All you need is two rackets, a shuttlecock with 2 players.

Swimming is the best exercise

Swimming- This is the best natural exercise that burns all fat and calories of your body.  Ya ya, I could not learn to swim ever, but all those swimmers whom I have known till date, have been fit and active! Get a membership for yourself of a nearby sports club or swimming school, as soon as summers approach.

These were easy, weren't they? All work and no play will make you dull. So play up and stay fit!

The action reaction theory

She is getting married in February and has become extremely conscious about her appearance. She wants to look good and thin, hence has started skipping meals. Breakfast was never on her list. Now lunch follows. All she has is a good quantity of rice in dinner. How does she expect to stay healthy like this? We, (her colleagues) have been trying to convince her to eat right. But our advice seems to fall on deaf ears.

Did you know that skipping meals is as harmful as over eating? Did you know that dinner should be the lightest meal of the day? Did you know about the repercussions of missing breakfast? Okay, I do sound like a Nutritionist or a college professor, but come on, this should be your basic knowledge!

· Never miss breakfast. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why it is called break-fasting after the night’s sleep.

· Try to begin your day with fruits or cereals.

· Do not hog! Have small meals 5-6 times a day instead of one large meal. (Carry fruits if you don’t have time to cook. Explore options like brown bread sandwich, sooji/rawa pasta, nuts, wheat biscuits, sprouts, popcorns, roasted chana, salad, soup, corns, battered rice and so on)



· Breakfast and lunch can be heavy, dinner should be the lightest. That’s because your physical activities during the day aids in digestion. The 6-7 hours of sleep during night is the time when our body is not physically active and the process of digestion is slow. Eating heavy at night may cause acidity, restlessness, indigestion and accumulation of fat.

· Have evening snacks 2-3 hours before dinner, It fills you and you don’t over eat hence. A good option is to have salad or soup pre-dinner.

· Avoid cheese, high protein diet, pizza or junk, deep fried, high calorie items in dinner.


Skipping meals is not cool at all. It may give rise to many life style diseases that are beyond our imagination! Eating right is the key to good health. What goes in reflects on your body because every action has equal and opposite reaction!