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7 Nutrition Tips For A Healthy Winter

Nutrition Tips

Everyone likes the drop in temperature, hill station vacations, sitting around the bonfire while barbecuing delicious food, but do we really enjoy the cold and flu? Drying of our skin? Getting viral infections? And then the never ending consumption of cough syrups? The Winter season is one of cool breeze as well as the season of cold and flu. Hence, it is important to take care of ourselves, and avoid getting any viral fevers, cold and flu. To help you with it, I have some healthy nutrition tips for you this Winter. 

7 Nutrition Tips For a Healthy Winter 

  1. Keep a check on your water intake: The most common negligence we do in winters is that we tend to forget to drink enough water. As the temperatures are down, we often do not drink water and consume it only while gulping down food. This leads to dehydration in the body, and further damages our skin, leaving a major impact on our bowel movements, due to which most of the time we are constipated. Make sure to drink at least 3-4 liters of water per day. 
  2. Build your immunity: Common cold & flu are 2 symptoms, which you will get quite often in the winter season. So the best thing will be following a healthy routine daily, so as to keep them at bay. Try drinking Saunth (dry ginger water), every alternate day just before you sleep or anytime once in a day. As dry ginger/Saunth has a bioactive compound called as Gingerol, which is anti-inflammatory and has other medicinal properties as well. 
  3. Avoid overeating: In winter as the temperatures are low, we always tend to overeat, consume hot and spicy meals, eat fried snacks, etc. All we know is the winter makes us hungry, but we need to realise that they also make us put on weight. Issues of bloating, gas and constipation take a toll on our health. To avoid this, we should not indulge in all the cravings. Instead, to beat the cold weather, we should consume hot soups, warm khichdi, seasonal green leafy veggies, and healthy homemade snacks like steamed muthiya’s, sprouts poha, idlis, and many more. 
  4. Restrict caffeine: Drinking tea/coffee every 2 hours to keep the body warm is not a good idea. We not only increase our sugar intake but also our caffeine intake. Caffeine leads to dehydration in the body, and as in winter we already have a tough time meeting our water intake, drinking caffeinated  beverages will harm us further. In that case, we can consume antioxidant rich and caffeine free Green tea’s. Drinking or sipping on Green tea, turmeric water, cinnamon water, and herbal teas will also be a great deal.
  5. Go seasonal: It is also advisable to eat things which are in season, as they are found in abundance. Bioavailability of the nutrients is high, and helps us with the essential vitamins and minerals as well. So winter season belongs to berries like strawberries, mulberries, blueberries and fruits like oranges, chiku, plums, guava. Green leafy vegetables and root vegetables as well. So snacking on a roasted sweet potato for your evening snack will be a great thing. 
  6. Consume superfoods to stay warm: There are a variety of ingredients or to be more precise, many dried foods and spices, which keep our body warm from the inside. Including these while cooking our food is definitely going to keep us warm from the inside. These ingredients include anjeer, figs, dates, sesame seeds, cinnamon, peppercorn, garlic, cloves, ginger, saunth and star anise.
  7. Say no to processed: In the fast moving world, we often tend to have packaged soups, as they are more easy to make than actually chopping veggies and making it fresh. However, these packaged foods are high in preservatives and additives, which are very unhealthy for us. Instead of using them, try blending fresh veggies and make a healthy meal for yourself. 

We hope these nutrition tips help you have a healthy winter! Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more on staying healthy during Winter, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr 

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Why You Need To Consume More Water During Winter

consume more water during winterWinter can be a dreadful experience if you don’t have the resistance to withstand cold. While searching for things to keep us warm from the outside and within, consuming water is quite low on our winter checklist. But there are many reasons why you need to consume more water during winter – one of them being that we get more dehydrated during winter.

Why Do We Feel More Dehydrated During Winter? 

It’s a fact that we get more dehydrated in winter when compared to summer. This is because when the surrounding temperature drops, we cling to the heater or cover ourselves with layers of clothing to keep us warm. This artificial heat causes dehydration.

Though we do not sweat during this season, water vapor is still lost from our body through our breath. Winter can even accelerate dehydration because of the lifesaving mechanism that’s functional in our body which constricts our blood vessels in cold weather, in turn conserving heat and maintaining body temperature.

Shrinking blood vessels increase blood pressure, making our kidneys produce more urine which means less blood to fill in the veins and arteries and frequent visits to the loo, hence, increasing the risk of dehydration. Dehydration causes muscle fatigue, cramps, loss of coordination and even a stroke. A dehydrated body is easily prone to flu and winter cold.

Basically, during winters we refrain from having enough water. With the days being short, it makes us exercise less and our food intake grows. When our body is well hydrated, its efficiency to break down fat for energy increases so that we have better control of our appetite.

The other concern is that of water retention due to the body not being well hydrated during winter. This takes place when our body starts feeling the scarcity of water and it starts holding back water leading to water retention.

How do I know if I am dehydrated? – Thirst is our body’s way of saying “I am on the verge of dehydration”. You can even be watchful of how clear or light colored your urine is. If it is dark, hydrate immediately.

How Do I Consume More Water During Winter?

  1. Drink Warm Water: 90% of the excuses that we give for not having water in winter is that it makes us feel cold. The best solution here is to drink lukewarm water, which would not only soothe your throat but will also replenish your water stores while boosting your metabolism
  2. Balance Tea and Coffee With Water: Caffeine and alcohol are diuretics (they cause us to lose more water through urine), so try to have a glass of water before having your evening tea/coffee. Have another glass after a few mins of after having your tea/coffee This way, we can replenish our body’s water store.
  3. Include Water Based Food In Your Menu: Vegetables and fruits are naturally rich in water, which also provide vital minerals and vitamins. Soups are the best way to go! Try this Chilli Bean Soup to keep you warm: https://goqii.com/blog/chilli-bean-soup/
  4. Drink Water Throughout Your Exercise: Make it a point to have water before, during and after your exercise. Due to the cold climate, there are very fewer chances of sweating too much or feeling too thirsty, mind it your body needs it!
  5. Make Water Interesting: Many find drinking plain water very boring. If you are one of them, then you can add natural flavors to water (not free calories though) by adding some fruits or herbs which give the water some mild taste and make it delicious to sip on.

In conclusion, I would say be it summer, monsoon or winter, our body remains same through the year. So keep sipping and always stay hydrated! If you have difficulty keeping track of your water intake, you can log and track your daily water intake via the GOQii App as well as set reminders to drink water.

We hope this article helps you consume more water. For more on staying healthy during winter, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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Healthy Eating: How to Prepare Thick Curd At Home

homemade curdWho doesn’t enjoy a bowl of curd? With its many health benefits and the million different ways in which you can consume it, curd is almost irreplaceable. Did you ever wonder how curd came to be discovered? Was it made with intention?

History suggests that curd, like many other fermented milk products, was discovered by accident! It was primarily due to milk being left unattended for a long time which initiated curdling. Basically, the milk began souring as a result of microbial action. A microorganism called Lactobacillus is responsible for the curdling of milk.

Curd is considered to be a superfood as it is rich in proteins, provides the body with Vitamin B and Calcium and is a fantastic Probiotic and is good for the gut. However, there are many who still struggle to make good thick curd at home and dependent on packaged curd.

So let us learn to make thick, perfect curd at home!

What You Will Need

  • Milk – 500 ml
  • Curd – 2 tsp
  • Water – 2 tsp

How to Prepare Thick Curd

  1. In a pan add milk and allow it to boil. Keep stirring it lightly.
  2. After the milk comes to a boil, switch off the flame and let it cool down.
  3. Now take a bowl, add 2 tsp of curd and 2 tsp water & whisk it together.
  4. Once the milk cools down, remove the cream from the milk and strain the milk in a bowl.
  5. In the strained milk, add 2 tbsp of curd + water mixture & mix well.
  6. Cover the bowl and keep it in a warm and dry space for 4-5 hours to set.
  7. Refrigerate the curd for an hour before you serve it.

Things to Keep in Mind  

  • Do not use skim milk for making curd, it will be runny.
  • The milk should not be very hot when you add culture in it otherwise the curd will coagulate
  • Never forget to remove cream

Benefits of Homemade Thick Curd

  • Curd which is commercially available is the result of a straining process that removes the liquid whey, resulting in thicker curd.
  • In its traditional form, the curd is far more nutrient-dense and is rich in high-quality protein, beneficial probiotics and cancer-fighting linoleic acid.
  • Poor quality milk is used to produce most commercial curd, which can be a concern.

What if You Do Not Have Starter Curd?

  1. Take boiled milk in a vessel and reheat it a little for making the starter curd. Use lukewarm milk. Now, pour little amount of milk in 3 different bowls for making the starter curd.
  2. In one cup of milk drop 2 green chilies. It is very important to have the stalk attached to the chilies for making the starter curd and make sure it is submerged completely in the milk.
  3. In second cup of milk, add 2 red chilies and submerge it completely.
  4. In third cup of milk, add 1 tbsp. of lemon juice and mix it well.
  5. Cover all the three cups of milk and store in a warm place for 12 hours.

Making starter curd is little time-consuming. Its not as good when compared to Dahi and is only used in making the curd.

Here you go! Try this natural and healthy way to make thick curd at home and don’t rely on packaged curd. Do share your experience in the comments below!

For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or ask your GOQii Coach directly by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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All Natural Amla Murabba: A Recipe To Level Up Your Health!

amla murabbaAmla, Amalaki or Indian Gooseberry is one of the most important part of many Ayurvedic medicines. It is a powerhouse of not just antioxidants and vitamin c, but also a good source of calcium, iron, phosphorus, carotene, vitamin B and fiber. Available for consumption in various forms like churna, juice, candies, pickles and supplements, benefits of this superfood are innumerable.

This is a highly recommended food for common problems like hair fall to severe health concerns like helping in preventing the formation of cancer cells. The list of benefits is endless but commonly it is a great remedy for boosting immunity, improving gut health and liver function, preventing pancreatitis, balancing hormones, lowering blood pressure and reducing arthritis related pain due to inflammation.

Many of you have eaten Amla Murabba which is whole Amla simmered in sugar syrup, flavored with cardamom and saffron. Amla Murabba is such an invaluable preserve that you can’t afford to miss it! But what about the people who don’t have time for a long process of making Amla Murabba or are trying to discard white sugar completely from their diet? For them, I have a fantastic and hassle-free, all natural recipe! It can be made with just 2 ingredients, however, you can always add some more flavors to enhance the taste and of course, the nutritional benefits as well.

What You Will Need

  • Amla – 500 gms
  • Raw organic honey – 250 gms or more
  • Rock salt – ¼ tsp
  • Black pepper powder – ¼ tsp
  • Saffron – 3-4 strands
  • Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp

How to Prepare 

  1. Wash and completely wipe the Amla dry 
  2. Grate the amla, discarding the seeds and add all the flavoring ingredients like salt, saffron, cardamom and black pepper to it. 
  3. Fill this mixture in a glass or a ceramic container (just like traditionally used for pickles or any other preserves) and pour the raw organic honey over this mixture.
  4. As the honey makes its way to the bottom, make sure it completely covers the amla mixture. You can add more honey if you wish to. 
  5. Cover the container and keep it in sunlight for 4-5 hours for approximately 10 days. You can eat this mixture right away but keeping it in sunlight increases its shelf life. 
  6. After 10 days your all natural Amla Murabba is ready.

Please Note: Make sure everything from your hands to the Amla to the glass container are all dry. Any moisture is unfavorable for this kind of a preserve.

Highlights of the Amla Murabba  

  • Honey was used as a food preservative in ancient times. It works as a preservative because the high concentration of sugar in honey forces the water out of any yeast or bacteria cells that could otherwise contaminate the food. Along with that, honey itself has innumerable health benefits.
  • This recipe requires no cooking, hence, all the benefits of Amla are well packed which otherwise get destroyed during cooking.
  • Keeping it under the sun helps incorporate powerful benefits of sunlight as well in this recipe.

Hope you are as excited as I was after finding this recipe. Do try it and let me know your feedback in the comments section below! 

Want to try more healthy recipes? Check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce! 

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