green tea Archives

August 21, 2018 By Trupti Hingad Leave a Comment

Tired of traditional Green Tea? Try This!

Green Tea which is native to India and China has been hailed and consumed for its health benefits globally. If you don’t know, this blog might help you to understand the super benefits of Green tea.

https://goqii.com/blog/?s=green+tea

Rather than the benefits of Green Tea, we focus on how to divert away from the traditional ways of consuming Green Tea. You might be tired of taking that warm cup of green tea every day. Don’t worry we have a solution to your problem.

Many of us enjoy coolers instead of hot beverages. Here’s how you can make green tea coolers which are tasty and low calorie. So enjoy the drink guilt-free.

ICED MINT GREEN TEA

ICED MINT TEA

Ingredients:

2 mint flavored Green tea bags

1 cup ice

Method

Brew 2 mint tea bags in 2 1/4 cup boiling water for 4-5min. remove tea bags, let it cool. To serve, pour tea into 2 ice-filled glasses. Garnish with mint leaves.

ICED FRUITY GREEN TEA

ICED FRUITY GREEN TEA

Ingredients:

Green tea bags-2

1/3 cup fruit juice without sugar (peach, plum, mango, strawberry or orange)

1 cup ice

Method: Put 2 green tea bags in 2/3 cup boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and let it cool. Stir 1/3 cup of unsweetened fruit juice. To serve, pour tea juice blend into 2 ice-filled glasses. (You can add jaggery or honey for sweetness)

FRUITY BUBBLE TEA

FRUITY BUBBLE TEA

Same as the above ingredients.

Method: Use green or black tea bags, substitute milk with 1/3 cup fruit juice such as orange, mango or peach. No sugar to be added.

LEMON GINGER TEA COOLER

LEMON GINGER TEA COOLER

Method: Bring 1 cup of water to simmer in a saucepan. Add 1.5tbsp of chopped or peeled fresh ginger. Remove from the flame and let it steep for 20min. Strain the juice into a glass. Add 2tbsp fresh lemon juice and 1tsp sugar or sugar-free. Let it cool. Put 2 green or black tea bags in 2 cups of boiling water for a few minutes. Remove the tea bags and let it chill. To serve, pour the lemon ginger infusion into 2 ice-filled glasses. Top each glass with chilled green tea and garnish with lemon slices.

Serve these healthy coolers to your guests or enjoy in kitty parties, or any occasion. They are a good way to quench your thirst after a hot day under the sun.

Give it a try and tell us if you like it in the comment section.

May 10, 2018 By Trupti Hingad Leave a Comment

Hidden benefits of used tea bags

tea bags under the eye

Tea is Indians favourite beverage. Tea is known for many beneficial properties that it contains. Whether it is black tea or green tea or white tea…there are numerous health, home and cosmetic benefits attached to tea. Tea bags once used do not necessarily need be thrown away in the trash once they have been dunked and seeped into the boiling water and milk if you are using any.

Let me share a couple of hidden benefits of used tea bags

Tea bags for your eyes: The number of antioxidants present in tea makes it ideal when it comes to banishing those dark circles. After use, you can freeze these tea bags and press it on to your eyes for few minutes the next day. This will help in lightening the area and reducing the puffiness under the eye.

Tea bags for food flavouring: You can use tea bags to flavour the dishes too. This can be used as a robust condiment with pasta, grains, and chicken. You can use these tea bags in the water which will be used to boil grains and pasta so that the flavour can get infused in these ingredients. You can use flavoured tea bags like chamomile and cinnamon to make a difference to the dish that you are preparing.

Tea bags in the garden: In a large garden or small pots, you can use tea bags in the water used for watering plants. This will help in preventing the onset of any kind of fungal infection as far as the plants go.

Tea bags to deal with odours: Tea bags can be placed in muslin clothes and hung on rods and placed in corners to acts as deodorising agent. You can place these tea bags in the refrigerator too so that you can eliminate the various scents and odours that are not too pleasant.

Tea bags for cleaning: You can use tea bags to clean your rugs and carpets. These can be frozen before they are opened and the dried tea leaves can be spread over the various stains before being brushed away. This will lighten the stains gradually. Use the teabags to rub furniture and floor scratches to make them disappear.

Tea bags for healing sores: Chill a used tea bag in the freezer. Once it’s cold, place it on your canker sore. The cold plus the tea’s healing properties will help your sore feel better faster.

Tea bags for stopping bleeding on cuts: When a kitchen injury strikes while slicing and dicing, staunch the blood flow fast by saturating a black tea bag with hot water, then holding it against the injury for 30 seconds. The tannins in the tea will quickly clot the blood so you can cover the cut with a bandage and get back to whipping up your delicious dinner.

Tea bags to keep iron vessels rust proof: To make sure that your skillet stays rust-free by wiping it with a damp used black tea bag after every cooking session. The tea’s tannins will coat the pan with an invisible protective layer that prevents rust-causing oxidation.

May 2, 2018 By Palak Mittal 2 Comments

Living well with regular Yoga and good Nutrition

yoga lead

Yoga is not simply a set of exercises but a lifestyle. When practising yoga, asanas and nutrition go hand in hand to improve your quality of life. Your digestive system, immunity and energy levels are directly linked to the food you intake. If there is a problem with any of these, yoga asanas can help resolve it.

Digestion: Not all food is easy to digest. Instead of popping laxatives and antacids after every meal, change the food you’re eating. Citrus fruits and leafy vegetables that are rich in fibre aid digestion and prevent constipation. Some foods like yoghurt, buttermilk are probiotics that support the growth of gut bacteria and keep your stomach healthy. Also include carminatives or foods that prevent the formation of gas like cumin, ginger and oatmeal.

Yogic Asanas such as the Spinal twist, Apanasana and Paschimottanasana can help smoothen the digestive process.

apanasana

Immunity: Eating the right food can help boost your immunity. Citrus fruits are rich sources of vitamin C that directly strengthen the immune system. Herbs like turmeric, ginger and garlic are rich in antioxidants and linked to the prevention of a number of diseases including several types of Cancer. Proteins also help nourish your immune system and hence should not be ignored.

A combination of asanas and yogic breathing techniques can help boost your immunity. Some asanas to try to include Viparita Karani, Bhujangasana, Matsyasana and Adho Mukha Svanasana. These poses help lower stress and boost immunity by pumping rich oxygenated blood to all the parts of the body.

bhujangasana

Energy: The food you eat is turned into glucose to fuel the body and maintain a constant supply of energy. Soy and green leafy vegetables that are rich in iron can effectively boost your energy levels. Fruits like apples, bananas and oranges can also help increase your energy. Yoghurt rich in magnesium does not directly contribute towards the creation of glucose but helps the body release this energy whenever needed.

Yoga asanas help increase blood flow and increase the heart’s capacity to pump blood through the body. A few yoga poses that can boost energy are the camel pose, tree pose and warrior asana.

Relaxation: Sipping on a cup of green tea is a good way to end the day and relax. Other food like honey, milk, celery and oatmeal can also help calm the body and fight off the day’s stress. Apart from being delicious, dark chocolate also releases hormones that ease stress and help relax a person.

Practising yoga breathing techniques like Pranayama can effectively release tension. Supta Baddha Konasana, Viparita Karani and the Supta Matsyendrasana can also help increase energy levels.

December 10, 2017 By Palak Mittal 1 Comment

‘Spices that help in losing weight’

India is popular for its spicy food. The sheer number of whole and ground spices used in Indian foods is sometimes intimidating. Each dish has its own combination of spices and its own unique flavour. The spices not just add flavour to your food but they also have many health benefits. Rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, most spices are good for your health. Some of the spices also improve your metabolic rate and help in losing weight. Here is a list of Indian spices that help your body to burn more fat. So, spice up your dishes!

Cinnamon

cinnamon

According to a recent study, cinnamon may boost your metabolism. This sweet, fragrant spice also regulates your blood pressure. It lowers level of total cholesterol, bad cholesterol, triglyceride and blood sugar in type 2 diabetes patients. Cinnamon increases the metabolism of glucose by around 20 times. This spice will help you lose weight faster.

How to Use?

You can prepare cinnamon, honey and lemon drink- boil a pinch of cinnamon in a cup of water. Sieve and add a tablespoon of honey and squeeze some lemon into it.

Turmeric

Turmeric

The pungent, yellow spice is known for its anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-mutagenic, anti-carcinogenic and anti-fungal properties. It also helps you lose excess weight. The spice ups your body heat and this can result in improved metabolism.

HOW TO USE?

Use it in your curries, chicken and in milk to gain the health benefits of turmeric.

Ginger

ginger

The spicy ginger regulates your blood sugar levels and helps prevent an increase in the level of glucose. Like turmeric, ginger has thermogenic or fat-burning properties. You can add it to your stir-fried vegetables or tea or chicken. It improves the taste and helps you in weight loss.

HOW TO USE?

Prepare a Jeera (Cumin) Ginger drink.

Boil a tsp of Jeera and some crushed ginger in a glass of water. Boil till it starts reducing, sieve it and Drink after 30mins of lunch and dinner to ease digestion.

Black Pepper

black-pepper

Black pepper has a pungent flavour, thanks to the presence of the substance known as piperine and this substance also prevent new fat cell formation. The bioavailability of other foods is also increased by black pepper. It makes the food not only tasty but also healthy. If u eat fresh pepper and begin to perspire, that’s the pepper helping your body to get rid of excess water and toxins. But, you need to control consumption, a pinch with your food (one meal) is enough.

HOW TO USE?

Black Pepper Tea.

Easy to prepare and the best way to consume black pepper for weight loss. You can use ginger, lemon, honey, tulsi (basil leaves), cinnamon, or green tea bags to prepare the tea.

Use 1/2-1 tsp freshly ground black pepper and drink it before breakfast.

Regular consumption will not only help you in losing weight but also improve your skin and prevent gut problems.

CAUTION

Do not consume too much as it may cause gastrointestinal problems, burning sensation in eyes, stomach irritation. If you feel uneasy, stop the use of black pepper immediately.

Garlic

garlic

Adding garlic to your diet will help you burn the increased amount of fat and lose weight faster. Try to use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder or granules.

Here’s how it works…

Garlic stimulates the satiety hormone which reduces binge eating, sugar cravings, junk food, and oily stuff.
It releases the norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter which boosts metabolism.
The allicin present in it lowers blood pressure, cholesterol and insulin levels.
Garlic inhibits the process breaking down stored fats.
It is a powerful detoxifier and effective diuretic.
It contains trace minerals (sulphur, selenium, and magnesium, zinc, copper and iron), amino acids and vitamins A, C, and E.
It helps to dissolve blood clots that lead to Heart stroke.
It has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.
It helps to remove excess mucus from the body.

HOW TO USE?