Dr. Shilpa Chawla

A bit of bloating is normal during the festivities due to the abundance of sweets consumed during this time. However, it is necessary to return to your healthy self, post this cheat period and this can be possible only if you follow a strict diet and exercise routine.

Here are a few tips which can help you lose weight post-Diwali:

1. Make physical exercise a part of your daily routine: There is no alternative to physical exercise, which is why it is necessary to engage in moderate to high level workout to drop those extra kilos post Diwali. You can hit the gym for half an hour or brisk walk or choose more interesting forms of exercise such as dancing or Zumba. However, the key here is to remain consistent.

2. Start your day with the right liquids: Add generous amounts of liquids and fluids to your daily diet which are healthy and low in fat content. Vegetable smoothies, sugar-free juices, coconut water, green tea and lemonade (without sugar) are great options to keep sipping on throughout the day. These liquids make you feel full faster and restrict you from consuming too many calories in the day. These liquids also hydrate your body and help in flushing out toxins, thus helping you detoxify and drop those kilos.

3. Have smaller but more frequent meals: You do not have to go on a crash diet post Diwali to drop those kilos quicker, because crash diets only result in weakness and temporary water loss from the body. However, what you can do is have small meals more frequently during the day. The time gap between two meals shouldn’t exceed 3 hours. This keeps hunger at bay and reduces the total number of calories consumed daily which help in reducing weight quicker.

4. Follow the thumb rule of detox: “If it comes in a sealed package or a tin, do not eat it.” Follow this thumb rule of detoxifying, post Diwali, as they are loaded with saturated fats and preservatives which make you fatter. Instead, opt for fresh fruits and vegetables in your meals along with fat-burning food items such as fish-oils, dates, berries, flax seeds, eggs, sprouts etc.

Nature has blessed us with some amazing and magical foods. Forget pills or supplements, these foods can give all that you crave for in life, a well-shaped body, a healthy mind and heart and a lot more. It is important for us to identify these foods and make them a part of our regular diet.

Believe it or not, bananas are one of these magical foods. This is a fantastic fruit, available in the markets throughout the year and is pocket-friendly too. From potassium to vitamin B6, it is packed with the goodness of essential nutrients. The best part about this fruit is you can consume it in different ways. Besides eating it alone, you can make delicious sweet dishes and milk-shakes out of it. 

• Each banana (118gm) contains only about 105 calories, and consists almost exclusively of water and carbs.
• Bananas contain very little protein and almost no fat.
• The carbs in unripe (green) bananas consist mostly of starch and resistant starch, but as the banana ripens, the starch turns into sugar (glucose, fructose and sucrose).
• A medium-sized banana contains about 3 grams of fiber, making bananas a fairly good fiber source.

Bananas contain mainly two types of fiber: 

1. Pectin: Decreases as the banana ripens. 
2. Resistant starch: Found in unripe bananas. 

Resistant starch escapes digestion and ends up in our large intestine, where it becomes food for the beneficial gut bacteria. Additionally, some cell studies propose that pectin may help protect against colon cancer. Bananas contain several types of potent antioxidants, including dopamine and catechins. These antioxidants have been linked to many health benefits, such as a reduced risk of heart disease and degenerative diseases. Bananas are often referred to as the perfect food for athletes, largely due to their mineral content and easily digested carbs. Eating bananas may help reduce exercise-related muscle cramps and soreness, which affect up to 95% of the general population. Bananas are also one of the most convenient snack foods. You can add them to breakfast yogurt, cereal or smoothie. You can even use them instead of sugar in your baking and cooking. Furthermore, bananas rarely contain any pesticides or pollutants, due to their thick protective peel. Bananas are incredibly easy to eat and transport. They are usually well-tolerated and easily digested, and simply have to be peeled and eaten. 

1. Keeps you smart and slim: It acts as a perfect energy booster. You get ample amount of calories by consuming a banana. A single banana can give you 100 to 110 calories instantly. Interestingly, it doesn’t add too much carb or fat to your overall diet. A medium-sized banana is most likely to contain about 30 grams of useful carbs and 3 to 4 grams of fiber. It is rich in resistant starch—a kind of carbohydrate that takes longer time for digestion, burning more calories.
2. Takes care of your muscles: Bananas are rich in minerals like magnesium and potassium. It prevents and protects us from developing cramps in the muscles. It enhances the process of muscle relaxation too.
3. Keeps a tab on your blood pressure: It is an ideal fruit for people with high blood pressure. It is because of the fact that bananas are rich in potassium. This mineral does wonder in reducing blood pressure. One gets about 400-450 mg of potassium (with no traces of sodium) from a single banana.
4. Get gorgeous with a glowing skin: It is not just the citrus fruits that fulfil your body’s requirement of Vitamin C. Bananas are also a rich source of Vitamin C. This nutrient is essential for a healthy skin. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that strengthens the immune system of our body.
5. Good for your stomach: Bananas are helpful in taking care of your stomach. They keep you away from gastric problems or disorders. Say thanks to the fructooligosaccharides (FOS) present in them. FOS acts as a probiotic substance, enhancing the growth of useful bacterias in human intestine. Consequently, eating a banana prevents you from gastric diseases. Further, bananas contain pectin which helps in beating constipation.

CUCUMBER LIME VEGGIE SMOOTHIE RECIPE

Are you looking for an ideal detox diet? Detoxing does much more than making your skin glow and your eyes sparkle. It boosts your energy levels, improves your digestive system and also helps you with weight loss. A detox diet contains no grains, no milk, no alcohol, and no sugar. A detox plan aims at taking the load off the organs which detoxify your body, such as the kidneys, liver, and bowel. There are several things you should keep in mind before undertaking a detox diet.

How to start?
You should undertake a detox diet when you have a long break from events and occasions which might disrupt your detox diet, such as parties, weddings, and birthdays. You may experience a cleansing reaction during the first few days of the detox diet, like loose bowel movements and headaches. This happens because of the abrupt withdrawal of some food items from your diet.

Food you should avoid
While on a detox diet, there are several food items you should avoid. They include milk products, sugar, maple syrup, honey, artificial sweeteners, coffee, alcohol, dried fruit, and grains such as wheat, barley, oats, rice, and barley.

Food you should take
Here are the food products which should be a part of your detox diet:

1. All kinds of fresh fruits
2. All kinds of fresh vegetables
3. Fresh fish or fish canned in olive oil or water
4. Lean red meat and chicken
5. Legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, and kidney beans
6. Organic eggs
7. Unprocessed coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil
8. Nuts such as walnuts, cashews, macadamias, and unsalted almonds
9. Seeds like pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds
10. White tea, green tea
11. 1 to 3 liters of water every day

Seven day detox plan

1. You should start your day in the morning with lemon juice, which is good for cleansing your system and kick starting digestion.
2. During detox, you should exercise for an hour regularly. Vigorous exercise is required, which increases your circulation and lymph flow for helping you sweat out toxins.
3. Consume raw food items as they contain more enzymes and nutrients.
4. You also need to detoxify your mind. You should meditate for at least 15 minutes every day. You can also try belly breathing.
5. Drinking lots of water is very important during a detox diet. This helps in moving the lymphs and supporting detoxification from your kidneys.
6. It is important to chew your food properly. You should chew a mouthful of food for about 10 to 12 times before swallowing it. You should avoid a detox diet if you are pregnant, have high blood pressure, are underweight, or if you are an elderly person.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Health benefits of mangoes

1. A pregnant woman’s saviour

• mangoes are not only a rich source of iron, but also vitamins b6, a and c that are great for pregnant mothers and their baby.

• mangoes are a great way to satiate voracious cravings during pregnancy and to get the right amount of nutrients.

2. helps in digestion

• it is time to make this fibrous fruit a sgnificant member in your daily menu if you waste your precious time in the loo.

• being a rich source of fibre, mangoes ease the digestion process and bowel movements. they relieve you from constipation, ulcers and other kind of gastrointestinal disorders.

• enzymes in mangoes also help in breaking down carbohydrates and proteins.

3. helps in achieving flawless skin

• vitamins a, c, b6 and other nutrients present in mangoes make consuming them an ideal way for achieving healthy skin.

• mangoes cleanse your body within and clear your pores, thereby, keeping acne and other skin problems at bay.

• it protects your skin from sun and oxidative damage.

• they improve the complexion and help in maintaining the youth and suppleness of the skin.

4. alkalizes your body

• maintenance of the right ph level of the body is important to stay healthy. mangoes contain significant amounts of tartaric and malic acids and traces of citric acids as well. this helps in the maintenance of alkaline levls that prevent any damage to muscles, bones and kidneys.

• it also helps in quick transfer of oxygen to all parts of the body that keeps you energetic, fit and healthy.

5. memory booster

• mangoes are loaded with nutrients that improve your brain health the presence of vitamin b6 plays an important role in enhancing brain function.

• regular consumption of mangoes prevent oxidative stress and cell damage that in turn improves your memory, alertness and prevents any kind of brain disorder.