The Importance of Healthy Foods –
Recently, we visited Kerala, which is famous for its Ayurvedic healing treatments and Organic produce, apart from the natural beauty it has. While, I got myself indulged in Shirodhara, which was one of the best body and soul rejuvenating session, I had a good chance to interact with the centre manager. He himself was an Ayurvedic doctor and propmpty shared some really great insights with me. While our lives in metro cities are too different, the air we breathe, the foods we eat are not pure and organic. We really need to strive to attain a healthy life and that begins with healthy eating habits.
5 Healthy food/habits, we as a family, incorporated after visiting Ayurvedic centre in Kerala :
1. Turmeric Water :
We all are very well aware of the benefits of turmeric as in, being a great antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and even antibacterial. For this we usually add a pinch of it in the foods to get the benefits. But drinking a glass of lukewarm turmeric water(detox water) daily will have added benefits to your health. Adding a pinch of black pepper to this enhances curcumin’s absorption in the body.
What all we need is, add a pinch of turmeric in a glass of water while it is being heated. Let it cool, add black pepper, honey(optional) and start your day with this booster cleansing water.
Benefits of Turmeric water :
- It reduces the risk of cancer
- Removes toxins from the body
- Reduces the risk of the diabetes and maintain sugar levels.
- Helps treating arthritis
- Keeps the cold and flu viruses at bay and many more
Have a glass of turmeric water daily and start off a healthy regime.
2. Never skip your breakfast :
Well, we all might be hearing this from our moms, but our hectic lives as we juggle personal and profession world often leaves us with negligence towards our own self. But mind it, if you skip your breakfast you are bound to munch many calories till the time you eat your lunch. And if not, you are sure to intake more calories for lunch and dinner. This would result in excess storage of fat and cholesterol.
Having a nutritious filling breakfast (nuts, protein, fruit) keeps you energized and in turn helps you in weight loss, prevents incidents of heart diseases(reduces LDL cholesterol), reduces diabetes risk. It fastens your metabolism which helps in burning more calories throughout the day.
3. Steamed Food in Breakfast :
There has been quite a debate over the steamed food and its health benefits. Till few days back, I rarely had steamed food in my breakfast, but now I have a steamer and I try to cook some type of steam food for breakfast and lunch for the whole family.
Benefits of Steamed food :
- It retains the nutritional value of various vitamins, water soluble and cancer fighting compounds in vegetables. Also, did you know that 90% of the antioxidants are preserved when steamed food is eaten.
- Absence of Oil in cooking, and hence completely healthy and fat free way to start the day.
- Softens the fibres in various foods and hence various plant and animal based foods become easily digestible by our bodies.
- Natural flavours are retained since no gas and oil cooking is involved.
- Food remains moist and fresh, also it saves the cooking time.
With these health benefits and me being vegan, I have introduced steam foods as – Steam vegetables, Idli, Dhokla, Vegetable Kofta (balls), Steam rice, in my diet. Indeed, I feel light and fresh for the day.
4. Eat light Dinner and before 8pm :
Dinners with get togethers, evening dates, accompanied with some really delectable food have high presence in our lives. We have more dinner parties than lunch parties for obvious reasons. Further, family tends to assemble during dinner time and we all plan to make that special with some lavish and lip smacking delicacies on the dinner table.
The reason to keep dinner simple and well before 8pm is reduction in the body activity. When we sleep, our body reduces the Metabolic rate, resulting in poor digestion and accumulation of more fat. Hence keep the dinner food light, with carbs for a healthy and fat free body.
5. Enhance Lemon water intake and no Green tea empty stomach :
Until recently, I saw many people loving their green tea’s early morning first thing. Whoa! There is a science behind not doing so. The tannins present in the green tea increase the early morning stomach acidity and it can lead to nausea , stomach ache for some people. Also since Green Tea has caffeine, it affects the anxiety level and sleeplessness if taken as the first thing empty stomach in morning. Incase any of you have sleep problems/anxiety/stomach problems/Iron deficiency, then better postpone the energy Green drink and have it after your meals.
Further, enhance Lemon intake in morning. Since, I prefer to opt for turmeric as well, so I usually take a mix healing drink of Turmeric, pepper and lemon in lukewarm water early in the morning. Lemon has vitamin C and helps in digestion and fighting many diseases, while turmeric’s properties have been shared earlier. This gives me a perfect detox drink in the morning. Followed by a fruit and steam food, I feel much better with these healthy options in my food regime.
What about you? Are you into any of these regime or prefer to? Any suggestions you would like to share more for the readers out here?
Let’s pledge to give our bodies a good and healthy start for a healthy life. Try inculcating these habits and observe the difference.
Happy healthy Living!
I totally agree with the point of having steamed food in breakfast. Besides, it always should be heavier than any other meal.
I agree. Also I make sure I have my breakfast. Without having a proper breakfast, I feel so crankly and not in good mood.
Plus lemon water!
I didn’t know about Turmeric water. I usually consume turmeric milk but it is nice to hear that there are other days to add turmeric to your diet as well.
Never heard of turmeric water. So easy to make and filled with healthy ingredients
recently i have started taking lemon water and yes its definitely helping me a lot!!!
See I have a terrible morning routine as I rarely eat breakfast and always tend to eat dinner after 8 so that is something that I definitely need to change! Turmeric water is a great idea!
Lemon water and turmeric water have been a part of my morning drinks since some time now… Loved your tips and the reason to avoid green tea in the morning.. I was not aware of this detail
I need to follow your routine and start drinking lemon water and turmeric water in the morning. I can imagine they would be a great kickstart to my day!
Ohh I had no idea about what green tea can make us in the morning on a emty stomach! I will avoid that from now on! I love tumeric chai and I try to drink lemon water every morning but I only manage a couple of mornings and then I stop. I have to keep drinking it to see if I can feel anything different. I have heard many have lost a few kg because they have less sweet tooth.
This is a really informative post. I would have never thought to have steamed food for breakfast. I would have never guessed that it would have so many amazing benefits.
That turmeric water sounds interesting. I’ve heard of so many benefits to using turmeric. I’m just now sure how it will taste in my water.
This is great post! I’m thinking to try the turmeric water! So that I can drink hot and cold anytime! Steamed food for breakfast is very interesting! I need to try those two!
We make turmeric milk, especially in the winter. I didn’t know about turmeric water though. I’m really interested to try that!
I love these great health tips – I try to cook with numeric as much as possible. However, I’m going to take your advice and make turmeric water for a week and see how my body reacts. <3.
Don’t know that turmeric water is so beneficial for health.. Will definitely follw
I had done turmeric and ginger last year for a period of time. I may have to try the turmeric water, it is so great for inflammation!
i liked the practical tips. i have been ax with steamed food, and had no idea about turmeric water. will try out your tips.
These are great tips. I can’t start my day without breakfast but it’s not always as good as I want it to be.
Wonderful and a perfect way of starting a healthy day. I just love these points for morning routine. Like the turmeric and black pepper water for detox. Its superb idea. Will start it soon
Ya agree with you on the suggestions. We diligently take a cup of lemon water with honey every morning. Very refreshing!
Thank you for this. I’ve never tried turmeric water, perhaps I ought to! I was so good earlier this year and started my day with lemon water and a healthy breakfast, but now I find myself surviving on coffee until lunch and eating all my calories in the evening, which I really need to stop as it’s bad for both my physical and mental health. Thank you for the reminder!
any kind of caffeinated beverage is a hazard when taken empty stomach. also i never knew the benefits of turmeric water – great tips!
A good start to.the day is the best way to do better.I love lemon water in empty stomach
I’ll keep these in mind. I do drink lemon water. I love it! And I actually try to stop eating at 6 PM. We usually at 5, so I’m usually able to do this. I skip breakfast though–I’m working on eating it though! I know it’s important. But I also eat an early lunch at 11.
Agree breakfast and dinner should be on time.. I take turmeric water too..
Of course it is important to eat healthy and not skipping breakfast is one thing I am glad I practice all the time. I didn’t know about the turmeric water tips though. Thank you so much for sharing. It’s a very informative post.
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That was an eye opener. I usually have been tea empty spark, didn’t realise it hasn’t a healthy option. Also I’m definitely trying the turmeric water.
I did not knew that about Turmeric water but it seems great to have! I think a light dinner really makes you feel much better in the morning.
I’m already following most of these tips, except for the turmeric water, never thought this was a thing? especially turmeric and black pepper.
I love turmeric!!! I have never tried it in water, but I do fake a turmeric supplement daily!!! The benefits are definitely amazing
I did not know about that “no green tea on an empty stomach.” I have green tea at mid-afternoon so I guess that’s okay. I will have to try turmeric and lemon water. A lot of my friends say it is very good for our health. I might as well give it a shot.
I love the practical tips. I totall agree with you on having steamed food.Lemon water is also my favourite.
What a useful post and very informative.I too drink turmeric water in the mornings.
I love lemon water but have never heard of turmeric water before! That’s good to know! Your tips are great! I definitely need to work on eating dinner before 8pm every night!! Life gets hectic but I agree that it’s important to take care of our bodies!
Steamed food for breakfast like banana, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc are good fot breakfast. I like them and gives me good digestion.
Turmeric water is new to me… I never heard about it before, I’m amazed to see the benefits
What an informative post and I really love this, I’m planning to in a healthy lifestyle too. I will keep this in my mind.
herbal lemon tea is how i normally start my day.. great tips here and should try turmeric water (though use turmeric in many ways throughout the day for our cooking anyways!)
I used to try Turmeric in milk. Worked for me. Love your post.
I have never heard of turmeric water before but I am definitely going to try it. Turmeric is a miracle spice with so many benefits. Proper breakfast is the key to healthy start of the day 🙂
OK, I really need to add the turmeric lemon water to my daily morning routine. Is there a particular brand you’d recommend? I know they’re not all as “pure” as we’d like.
Hey, the best way is to make it self, it takes just 2 minutes and you’ll be done with pure ingredients:). Thanks
I didn’t know about not drinking green tea on an empty stomach, that’s a new one to me. I never used to eat breakfast but I am trying to get into more of a routine now x
I always struggle with a proper dinner time, with two kids it can be tricky for me to eat before 8pm but it is something I am working on
We definitely need to try to eat healthier, but it is hard to get kids on board! I ha e a steamer, but need to use it more often. Thanks for the suggestions.
Whoa I had no idea that they recommend not to have green tea first thing in the morning. I definitely need to share that with my brother cuz he does.
xx, Kusum | http://www.sveeteskapes.com
This is a great list. So happy to have stumbled upon this
I know skipping breakfast can be really bad, but I do have a hard time doing that for sure. And I did know that lemon water can be very helpful.
My mom swears by Tumeric. She adds that to almost everything. And I can tell you at her age (she is 53), people still thinks we are sisters. She’s always glowing!
My friend has been trying to get me to try tumeric for a while I may have to give it a go