When it comes to trying to stick to your diet, there are many things that might hinder your resolve! Cravings, mood swings, stress and the likes can truly make you want to quit. However, here are a few things that might help you stick to your diet better! Have a look at some of them here.

Understand what your body wants

Cravings are a sign that you are not providing your body with well-timed meals with consistent gaps in between. These cravings could very well slow down your metabolic rate and your body, as a result will end up storing more fat.

We understand that sometimes the diet that you have to follow or that has been recommended to you might consist of certain things that you could not possibly think of having. In such situations listen to your body and don’t eat that particular food. You do not want to end up confusing your body. Instead choose an alternative that you like and stick to it! The happier you are, the healthier your body will be.

Portion control

Where we tell you to increase your meal frequencies, we also ensure thst we tell you about portion control. If you end up having the same quantity in your 6 meals throughout the day as you were having in the 3-4 meals prior to your diet, then you will not end up being heathier.

There are a ton of food groups that should be included in your daily diet in order to keep you healthy. Unless and until you need to, do not skip any particular group. Reduce the portion you intake and and make sure that you add these groups to your diet.

Keep yourself hydrated

We will never be able to emphasise the importance of keeping oneself hydrated when it comes to a healthier lifestyle. We understand that with the amount of worm most of us do, the thought of drinking water often crosses our mind. But your water intake is directly proportional to your health, always remember that.

Keep a sipper with you at a times so that you are able to remind yourself thst you ought to drink more water. In case you get bored of plain old water, yiu can also add fruits like strawberry or kiwi and veggies like cucumber and mint to the water to enhance the flavour naturally and give you some variety!

These three tips will truly go a long way in helping you maintain the new found diet plan that you are trying to implement in your life without a lot of effort.

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It has now been 2 months since the lockdown snd self-isolation and we understand that it might already have started getting on people’s nerves. This could very well be classified as Quarantine Fatigue. However, even though the pandemic does not seem to be going anywhere soon, we can always opt to keep a few things in particular in mind to help deal with this issue.

What is Quarantine Fatigue?

If you are someone who has been experiencing unexplained tiredness and fatigue at the end of each day, even when you haven’t been overtly active, then you just might be dealing with Quarantine Fatigue. Essentially this just might be because of all the anxiety that seems to be surrounding us in these uncertain times. From having to face financial difficulties to having to both work from home while tutoring their kids, this excess work can truly leave people exhausted by the end of a day!

Struggling due to lack of human interaction is also an issue that a lot of you might be facing since no one likes to be isolated within a four-wall structure for such a long time. Now, however, is a good idea learn to deal with this fatigue as this might the new way of living for sometime.

How to help yourself!

Create new routines: If you are someone who has found that their initial routine seems disrupted, then it just might be time for you to establish a new one. This will help you make a mental note of what all you want to do throughout the day, and will leave you satisfied upon achieving these goals.

Eat healthier: Of course it is easy to fall into the habit of eating junk when you are at home most of the time. However making a conscious effort towards following a healthy diet is of the utmost importance to keep quarantine fatigue at bay!

Stay physically active: Yes gyms are our go-to place when we are looking to get active. Of course that cannot be done right now. So it is important that one stay active, especially during this time as one could easily find themselves drawn to a sedentary lifestyle. This, as a result, will contribute further to the your quarantine fatigue.

Are you someone who has been feeling a wee bit off during this lockdown? Well, try following the steps mentioned above, and I am sure that you will feel much better!

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This stressing in turn could very well affect your sleep cycle in the worst way possible. However, the good thing here is that you can actually de-stress and restore your sleeping pattern by keeping a few things in mind. Let us look at some of them.

Keep away from frequent or long naps

Working from home might have its perks, but the chances of the couch calling out to you often are also there. If you plan on maintaining a proper routine, sleeping or napping for too long during the day time might end up making you not want to sleep at night. This is one thing that will definitely mess with your sleep cycle. A 15 minute nap works best, so try to keep it under the same in the afternoons.

Workout (not prior to sleeping)

You might think working out during a time when most gyms are closed is difficult. However, there a lot of variety of workouts that you can indulge in especially since a good workout is tied to a soundless sleep. When you are tired and are also feeling accomplished after a good workout routine, you tend to fall asleep easily.

Avoid screen time before bed

No one argue with the fact that during this trying time, the internet has truly provided us with means of entertainment as well as information. It has also enabled us to work from home without much hassle. However, the one thing you need to be doing when you are trying to fall asleep is to keep your phones and computers at bay. It has been advised by most doctors that unplugging your PC and keeping your phone aside an hour before bed will help you sleep better.

Keep news watching under control

We know that trying to escape the news is something that cannot be done at this time and it is always good to be aware about what all is going on around us. That however, does not mean that you end up overdoing the news consumption. When you constantly end up tuning into the news, you can end up developing anxiety which in turn will affect your sleep cycle to a great extent. So try to steer clear of the excess.

Consume foods that will help you sleep better

There are plenty of things that you might find in your pantry easily which help you fall asleep and stay asleep better. A combination of chamomile tea and a few almonds has been known to reduce stress and promote a healthy night’s sleep without much effort. Even a little warm milk mixed with turmeric has been found to help one sleep soundly. So try consuming these products before you head to bed.

These are a few of the tried and tested I myself have found to be useful and I truly hope they will be useful and helpful for you in getting the sound sleep that you deserve. Stay Home, Stay Safe everyone!

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Another issue that the Lockdown has brought with is unavailablity of certain things. There might be a few days that you will not find fruits or vegetables to include in your daily diet. So how does one eat healthy during such a time!

Well, by using the things you already have at home of course!

Here are our four recipe ideas and their nutritional values that you can make using the things you already have in your pantry!

Chicken and Rice

It literally could not get simpler than this meal! Most people have things like rice, flour and the basic staples lying at home even during this lockdown phase.

We used boiled white rice that was already there in the fridge. That accompanied with chicken breast, made in such a way that it could be kept and had easily for 3-4 days.

Add some boiled spinach to that and you have an amazingly balanced dish on your hands. With fiber, carbs, protein filled to the brim on the dish, you cannot go wrong with it!

Omelette

Apart from all the basic staples, eggs are definitely always available in any and every grocery store, even if it during the Lockdown itself. The great things about eggs is the fact that they are extremely versatile!

Omelette is merely one thing that you can make using eggs. Even in this you can have different variations. Like you can make an omelette with the whole egg, or if you want a healthier option, make an all egg white omelette. Add a couple of chopped onions to it, which is another thing ALWAYS available in our Indian household without fail, and you have an amazing and healthy dish on hand.

This dish has an amazing protein content and is fairly high in dietary fiber too! Another plus? It is absolutely delicious too!

Oats Cheela

The Besan cheela is definitely something that most Indian households have been making since time immemorial. It has also been a major part of most of our childhoods.

This however is a twist on the classic cheela made with another ingredient present, nowadays, in most of your kitchens; oats!

The combination of the steel cut oats and the egg whites gives this dish a wonderfully soft yet a crisp texture, which a true delight to indulge in!

The Oats cheela contains a good amount of proteins, fiber and carbs alongwith essential vitamins and minerals that helps keep your immune system working well. Season it with your favourite seasonings, and you are done! Definitely cannot say no to this one!

Khichdi

The ultimate Indian comfort food, if there was one, then it os definitely the khichdi without fail! This amazing amalgamation of rice and dal is wonderfully healthy, easy to make and uses the most basic and minimal ingredients.

Usually, split moong dal and rice are used to make the khichdi, both of which are ALWAYS in our pantries without fail.

Did you know that a mere serving of Dal Khichdi gives 320 calories. Out of this, carbohydrates comprise 232 calories, proteins account for 50 calories and remaining calories come from fat which is 38 calories.

These four amazing recipes, though some of the simplest happen to be extremely delicious and nutritious apart from being made with ingredients always readily available. So what more could one ask for during this Lockdown? Eat healthy, stay home and stay safe everyone!

The post Eating healthy during the #Lockdown without fruits and veggies! first appeared on Fit Foodies Mantra.

The good thing is that a lot of food products that we can lay our hands on easily, even during this lockdown mode, can actually help you build that immune system in the best way possible.

Here is our list of the top 5 foods that you should definitely be including in your diet on a daily basis to boost your immune system.

Vitamin C

How many times have you heard your mother tell you that you ought to eat oranges or have amla in order to help you avoid a bout of flu? Well, we are sure you have heard it a number of times and with reason too!

Like many nutrients, Vitamin C helps wonderfully in boosting our immune system. It essentially does this by increasing the white blood cell count which helps in turn to fight infections in the body effectively. There are many Vitamin C rich foods like oranges, amla, lemon, lime and the likes. Surprisingly Guava also contains a ton of Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a nutrient that is not manufactured naturally by the body, so regular intake of the same is of utmost importance to maintain your health.

Ginger

The great thing about most Indian households is the fact that most of dam already have ginger in the pantry so you have to go shopping for it. We are sure that you already heard how beneficial ginger can be for your health. It has been used in the Indian cuisine for many years and there are many reasons behind that.

Since is the flu season brings with it everything from a runny nose to a cold throat, ginger has been known to decrease inflammation in the body along with also been able to cure sore throat. if that is not all injoy is also known to decrease nausea that one can experience during flu.

Yogurt

Indian mothers are notorious to put at least one or two scoops of good thick yoghurt on our plates every time we sit down to eat. Have you ever thought why that is? You see the first rule of making yoghurt is the fact that live cultures are used to make it take thick and set it. These live cultures are responsible of strengthening our immune system internet helping us fight many diseases.

Apart from that yoghurt also happens to be rich in vitamin D which is another nutrient known to kick in fighting mode of our body when it comes to fighting infections.

Turmeric

Turmeric is another condiment that can be found widely in almost every household in India. Most of the curries or vegetables we cook has a teaspoon of turmeric in it. It is not used only to give colour to a food it is is so much more than that.

Did you know that turmeric has been used for ages to treat issues like inflammation does proving to be useful in the treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis. another amazing thing about turmeric is the fact that the yellow component present in it called curcumine also happens to be amazing ingredients that decreases any exercise related muscle damage.

Kiwi

This brilliant emerald fruit which is wrapped in a beautiful but slightly heavy brown peel, might just be one of the most nutritious fruits on the planet. From containing nutrients life folate, potassium and Vitamin K two also having Vitamin C, an addition of kiwi to your daily diet could go a long way in helping you lead a healthy life.

We understand during this time of crisis you might find it a little hard to purchase most things you would want to but the great thing about these ingredients is the fact that team I already be present in your pantry. So you need not look too far. Stay healthy, stay positive & stay safe!

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Here are few way in which you can take care and get over that bout of flu using a few of the home remedies listed below, after all no one want to stay in bed all day ick and ailing!

Ginger

Ginger has been used since centuries as a medicinal plant and product. It has a ton of health benefits that it lends to the body and this Is precisely why it has been used since many years to help cure many ailments. The good thing about the development of science is that now, science too has proven how healthy it Is to use ginger root on a daily basis.

Something as simple as boiling ginger root in hot water and then having this concoction can go a long way in curing cough and a sore throat as well. Another benefit that this concoction can have is to help keep nausea at bay, something that often accompanies the symptoms of the flu.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C Is one of the main vitamins that provide the body with a ton of benefit. There are a ton of fruit and vegetable that contain this vitamin. Consuming fruit and vegetable like orange, lime, leafy green vegetables, grapefruit and the like will help you provide your body with this much needed nutrient.

Simply by squeezing half a lemon into a glass of freshly made hot tea Is an expert in decreasing the phlegm that one might have during flu. This will not only make you feel better but will also cure you in a quicker manner.

Honey

It Is a known fact that honey has a ton of antibacterial and antimicrobial properties which make it for a wonderful addition to any one and everyone’ daily routine in food and in general as well. This Is why, simply by adding honey in tea that you might be drinking regularly, along with lemon, one can actually find relief from cough and a sore throat as well.

Honey also happens to be one of the safest and most effect home remedies to subject kids to. A mere 10 gm of honey given to kids prior to bed time can actually help them sleep soundly and as it reduces the symptom of severe coughing to a great extent.

Garlic

Indian households also tend to use a lot of garlic in their cooking and there are a ton of reason for the same. You see garlic happen to be a brilliant source of a ton of nutrients. Garlic contains a compound known as allicin. This compound Is said to contain antimicrobial properties.

By simply adding garlic to your daily diet or even taking garlic supplements, one can go a long way in helping prevent and even cure symptom of cold.

These four natural remedies are absolutely brilliant in helping one feel better during bouts of cold that can get you down! Try them out and do let us know how well they worked for you!

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