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.

The post Tips to help you get through your diet first appeared on Fit Foodies Mantra.

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!

The post ‘Quarantine Fatigue’: What is it and how to cope with it! first appeared on Fit Foodies Mantra.

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!

The post Tips to help you keep stress at bay and sleep better during the Covid crisis first appeared on Fit Foodies Mantra.

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 great thing about home workouts is that you don’t actually have to go anywhere per se and could just end up making the best of this lockdown simply by following a few home workouts that you might have come across.

In order to help make the transition for you easier, we have here a few tips and tricks that could definitely make the whole process much easier. Have a look!

Take your pick

Welcome to the quarantine home workout life! From here on out things will definitely start getting clearer for people who are essentially beginners. So what is the first thing you need to do in order to ensure that you are able to carry through your home workout sincerely? Well, take your pick! There are so many different kinds of workouts that you can indulge in, that it can get quite confusing as to what you should follow.

From yoga and aerobics to dancing and cardio, all you have got to do is to decide what kind of workout suits your style and what you enjoy doing the most! Another amazing thing about this is that even if you tend to get bored with a particular workout routine, you could just rotate and mix and match the different kinds of workouts! Trust us, this might just be the best time for you to start working out!

Choose a space

You would be astonished to know what a huge difference it can make to your home workout routine when you have a particular space that you have allotted to your workouts. When you decide to set up space solely for your workouts, you are ensuring that you lay down a foundation to help you get the best from your home workouts.

When you set up space, you are mentally preparing yourself to make a commitment towards a better and healthier lifestyle, knowing that you would be working out during the time you are home. The best part? This does not have to just have to be established merely until the lockdown is over. You could very well keep working out at home post the lifting of the lockdown too!

Improvise

If you are someone who is used to working out with certain kinds of equipment at that gym of yours, then you might initially find working out at home slightly irritating. This is where you can use your imagination to make the best of your home workouts. Don’t have weights at home to lift? Well, use filled water bottles instead! Trust us, they DO come in extremely handy.

Missing cardio at home? Just use a skipping rope and skip your heart out to get it all pumped up for the exercises that are to follow! Don’t know how to go about those leg presses you used to do in the gym? Well, use the sofa as the weight and lift away! Of course, do ensure that the sofa does not end up slipping from the other end!

Don’t lose muscle

This is more of an advice than a tip per se! You see, when you are sitting in one place during your work from home hours in this lockdown, the chances of you losing muscle mass always arise. This is why it is important to prevent the same. For seasoned gym hitters, make sure that when you do workouts at home, you do so till the time you are close to failure. This will help push your body further, thus helping maintain muscle mass considerably.

When targeting larger muscle groups, a set of anything between 12 and 20 a week will help and a set between 8 and 15 for smaller muscle groups will go a long way in maintaining the health of your muscles in the long run as well.

Always remember, some or the other kind of physical activity is always recommended when it comes to helping speed up your metabolism even when you are not at your most active. This, in turn, will help you healthier both physically and mentally as well during the lockdown!

So everyone, do remember to indulge in some or the other kind of physical activity during the lockdown to make sure that you come out of it healthier than you went in!

The post Tips to keep in mind when working out at home 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!

The post Top 5 foods that will help boost your immune system first appeared on Fit Foodies Mantra.

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!

The post Natural remedies to get over a bout of flu first appeared on Fit Foodies Mantra.

Though there is no known preventive vaccination for the disease, the good thing is that by observing and practising a few basic habits, you and the people around you can actually avoid getting affected by this disease to a great extent.

Have a look at our top 5 tips and suggestions.

• Wash hands frequently

Of the many things that one needs to keep in mind, this is one of the most basic and yet the most effective at preventing you from contracting the disease. If in case you are travelling or do not have access to water and soap, then carrying an alcohol based hand sanitizer will go a long way.

Make sure that you wash your hands or use a sanitizer prior to eating, post using the washroom and before and after cooking food. By washing your hands frequently or using a hand sanitizer, you make sure that you eliminate any signs of the virus from your hands.

• Maintain distance

In order to make sure that you do not contract the disease from people around you, make sure that you maintain a safe distance of atleast 1 feet from them. This should be practised particularly with people who seem to be coughing, sneezing or having a fever.

Of the many symptoms of the coronavirus disease or any respiratory disease for that matter, coughing and sneezing are few. When an infected person sneezes or even coughs, they end up spreading droplets of the virus alongwith it. If anyone ends up inhaling these droplets, they too get affected. Hence maintaining distance is always a good option.

• Cover your mouth and nose

This is a basic etiquette that has been taught to us ever since we were children; that we should cover our nose and mouth whenever we cough or sneeze. Using your palm or a tissue is always a good option to do this. However, always make sure that you discard the tissue post the sneeze or cough and wash your hands thoroughly as well.

This will ensure that you also do not end up spreading any germs or viruses to other people and help in preventing the spread of any kind of respiratory disease.

• Keep hands away from eyes, nose or the mouth

Our eyes, nose and mouth happen to be one of the more sensitive organs in our body when it comes to susceptibility of catching viruses or germs. This is why, since our hands come into contact with many surfaces throughout the course of a day, it is always a good idea to avoid touching the eyes, mouth or nose even if you think your hands are clean. This will help prevent the transfer of any kind of virus to your body.

• Cosult a doctor if you are sneezing or coughing.

We understand that this is one of those seasons where a lot of people end up falling ill or catching a cold, but one can never be too careful about the prevention of deadly diseases. If you are someone who is experiencing issues like coughing, sneezing or have a fever then consult a doctor and get tests done. You should especially see a doctor if you are experiencing these issues alongwith breathlessness.

Bonus tip: Eat immunity boosting foods

Include foods like broccoli, citrus foods, garlic, ginger and the likes to your diet to ensure that your immune system js able to get a boost during this season of illness.

One can never be too careful when one wants to prevent the occurance of a communicable disease, so it is always better to be safe than sorry!

The post Things to keep in mind to prevent infections! first appeared on Fit Foodies Mantra.

Of the many health benefits that apple cider vinegar has to offer to our body, here are our top 4 that we absolutely adore!

Helps lower blood sugar levels

Scientifically it has been found out that many patients who are suffering from type two diabetes have benefitted from the consumption of apple cider vinegar. The main reason why blood sugars are high in type two diabetes is either because the body becomes resistant to insulin or it stops producing the hormone altogether.

But it is not only people with diabetes that suffer from high blood sugar levels, and thus it is something that can be controlled by the consumption of apple cider vinegar on a regular basis. It is obviously healthier to keep blood sugar levels within a normal or lower range and one can do this by reducing the consumption of refined sugars and carbs. Vinegar, in turn, helps in increasing insulin sensitivity and helping improve insulin function as a whole thus reducing sugar levels after meals.

Antibacterial properties

Did you know that vinegar can actually help many pathogens that cause diseases including bacteria as well? In order times, vinegar has been known to disinfect and clean issues like warts, ear infections, and the likes. At one point of time in history, it was also used to clean wounds in a natural manner.

Since vinegar has also been known to be used in the art of food preservation, it has been found that it helps reduce the occurrence or growth of E Coli in the food and thus helps to keep it from spoiling. So remember the next time you are looking for something to help preserve your food, and then apple cider vinegar might just be the answer

Helps aid Weight loss

We are sure that you must already have heard many times that apple cider helps people reduce weight effectively on regular consumption! Well, that it definitely does! How it does this is by increasing the feeling of satiety as a result of which you end up eating less and consuming fewer calories. This is what basically helps you lose those pounds eventually.

Not only this, apart from helping with weight loss, apple cider vinegar is also known to help with the reduction of belly fat quite brilliantly. However, simply just depending on apple cider vinegar to help you lose weight or belly fat is not something you should be doing. Leading a healthier lifestyle is of utmost importance and here, apple cider vinegar plays the part of one of the many accessories that happen to add to the overall healthy outlook.

Improves heart health

It is a fact that heart attacks actually happen to be the most common cause of premature death across the world. There are many factors that lead to an increase or even a decreased risk of developing heart issues. He good thing, however, is that these risk factors mentioned here can easily be controlled by the consumption of vinegar.

The regular consumption of vinegar is known to decrease cholesterol and triglyceride levels among the many factors that cater to the increase in the risk. OF these factors, blood pressure is shown to have reduced upon the consumption of ACV.

ACV is a true miracle worker; however, it is always a good idea to have a word with your doctor prior to consuming this vinegar on a regular basis in order to rule out any underlying conditions that the vinegar might end up triggering.   

The post Top 4 health benefits of apple cider vinegar first appeared on Fit Foodies Mantra.

What goes into attending to a sting/bite?

The first thing you need to determine before you decide to provide first aid to the bite or sting area is what kind of insect has caused that particular sting or bite. Some of the most common insects that can be found during monsoons are mosquitos, bees and spiders.

Essentially the only reason that you feel the sting or bite is due to the fact that your body ends up reacting to the venom or proteins present in the saliva of the insect in question. There are many symptoms that can accompany a bite or a sting.

• Itching
• Pain
• Swelling
• Redness
• Burning sensation

In case of severe allergic reactions, there are a few symptoms that you will be able to observe.

• Breathing issues
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Swelling of the face or neck.

So what should the first aid treatment include?

• If one is facing a sting, then the first thing that needs to be checked is whether the stinger of the insect is still attached to the bite area or not.
• If that is the case, then one needs to use a flattish object to help scrape the stinger off of the wound area. Do not think of using a tweezer as it might trigger stinger to release more venom into your skin.
• Post the removal of the stinger, clean wound site properly using soap and water
• If there are pain and swelling at the site of the bite, then use an ice pack to on the site to reduce it
• If you have calamine lotion at home, then apply it to the wound site. However, you can also apply a paste of baking soda and water throughout the course of the day.

However, if the case seems to be that of a severe allergic reaction, then it is always better to rush to a doctor or hospital nearest to your location as severe allergic reactions can prove to be quite dangerous. Always remember, it is better to be safe than sorry! Don’t let the fear of a few stings or bites ruin your chances of enjoying the monsoons though!

The post First Aid for bites and stings during monsoons first appeared on Fit Foodies Mantra.