Healthy Living

GINGER, you are balmy

This root has many parts. The good effects ginger can have on the system are several: it is good for improving digestion, cures cough and cold, relives nausea and pain, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, and promotes clear skin and healthy hair.

But ginger is now increasingly being used for another important health benefit: to lose fat, especially stubborn belly fat.

Belly fat accumulates over time for various reasons, which include bad diet, reduction of hormones, stress and a sedentary lifestyle. Hormonal changes and stress increase levels of cortisol in blood. The spike has a negative effect on the immune system and the metabolism. Higher levels of cortisol may contribute to weight gain, especially making it hard to lose belly fat. It is believed that ginger reduces cortisol levels.

It is also believed that ginger is a “thermogenic food” that raises the temperature of the body and helps accelerate metabolism and calorie burning .

Ginger makes you feel full, so it stops urges to overeat, eat constantly, or cravings.

Consumption of ginger also raises energy levels, which helps you to exercise.

Begin your day with a ginger infusion. Boil two cups of water with a piece of ginger the size of a grape. Bring to a simmer for a few minutes. Drain the mix, add honey and lemon juice.   

How to lose weight with these spices

·        Cinnamon: it helps stabilize blood sugar level, keeps you full for a longer time, decreases hunger pangs and metabolises fats at a faster rate.

·        Turmeric: It helps in reducing the formation of fat tissues, thus lowering total body fat.

·        Ginger: being a good body cleanser, ginger helps to remove the food logged in the digestive system and thus prevents fat storage and weight gain.

·        Cumin: cumin improves your digestive process and production of energy. Cumin seeds also helps in boosting your immune system.

·        Black papper: filled with a compound called piperine, it helps in burning fat at a faster rate.

Changes for a fitter you

Fitness is unnecessarily made complicated and expensive. It is something that everyone should have access to, feels fitness expert Rujuta Diwekar, who has launched a one-of-a-kind, free, public fitness project where she will be giving one guideline per week for 12 weeks, ensuring you live healthy ever after. By the end of those 12 weeks/3 months, you will be doing 12 different things or 12 things differently, which will put you permanently on your way to fitness. Here are a few excerpts from the project guidelines:

1. Start your day with a banana or any fresh fruit/soaked almonds/ soaked raisins and NOT with tea or coffee.

2. Eat ghee. Without fear, without guilt, without doubt. Add 1 tsp of ghee to breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is especially useful for PCOD, diabetes and heart diseases, BP, acidity, weak joints, constipation, IBS. Have ghee and jaggery post-lunch or dinner if you suffer from PMS, fatigue or low Hb levels.

3. Rethink, reform and regulate the use of gadgets in your life. The human head is heavy and we have spent months as babies learning to stabilise it. In a neutral position, ears above the shoulders, the head weighs about 5-6 kg. But with just a 15-degree tilt downwards, it weighs more than double. What do you think this is doing to your back, shoulders and even the brain?

-      So cut down on gadgets. No gadgets while eating food. Start doing this at one meal a day and over the next 10 weeks, build it to all 3 main meals per day.

- No gadget for 30 mins before bed. Don't delay bedtime, just keep the phone away, switch off your TV and read a book (not on kindle or iPad).

- The correct way is to lift the phone at eye level and not tilt the neck down. One of the good effects of this will be limiting your phone usage to only the relevant and important issues.

Infused water recipes to keep you hydrated

Regardless of your purpose, one of the best for getting rid of harmful toxin in the body is drinking infused water. It will not only keep you hydrated but also have additional benefits, depending on the ingredients. Here are recipes of infused water and their benefits to help you decide what’s best for you.

MANGO AND GINGER WATER

Both mango and ginger are extremely good for boosting metabolism. Additionally, ginger helps boost your memory, relieving pain, and betters digestion. HOW TO MAKE IT: take a bowl of diced mango and an inch of ginger. Mix both the ingredients into a litre of water and let it stay for one-three hours.

ROSE PETALS & FENNEL SEED WATER

Rose petals helps in relieving stress and uplifting your mood, while fennel seeds improve digestion and have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. HOW TO MAKE IT: Take a handful of rose petals and two teaspoons of fennel seeds. Mixit into a litre of water and let it stay for four hours before drinking it.

CUCUMBER & GINGER WATER

Cucumber and ginger are one of the most readily available ingredients in the market. Drinking this water can not only keep you hydrated, but it also ensures weight loss better digestion, reduces dark circles, eases nausea, prevents gas and inflammation. HOW TO MAKE IT: you will need a medium sized cucumber and a piece of half-inch ginger; peel and slice it into pieces and add it to a litre of water. Let the water stay for two hours and drink it.

APPLE CINNAMON WATER

Again, apple and cinnamon boost metabolism, so combining them can give double the results. Apples are also rich in vitamins B and C, contains antioxidants, reduces the risk of hypertension, diabetes and heart diseases; while cinnamon lowers cholesterol and fights diabetes. HOW TO MAKE IT: Take 1/4^th apple(sliced) and a two-inch long cinnamon stick. Put them into one litre of water and let it rest for some time. It is advisable to soak the cinnamon in water overnight and apple only 20 minutes before drinking.