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.

Well, lucky for you, we do have a few tips and tricks up our sleeve that might help you achieve your healthiest version during the new year.

• Workout:

This might sound a little too obvious, but workouts might just be your best buddy right now. We understand that winters are essentially a lazy time for most people, but even if you are feeling particularly lazy, try to atleast squeeze in a 20-30 min workout routine.

You need not even go out to workout because there are so many of them that you can do from the comfort of your home itself.

• Fitness Trackers:

Image source: digitaltrends

Fitness trackers too might help you tremendously in achieving that healthy body that you have always craved for. Even the simplest of tasks like talking on the phone can be made healthier when you decide to take a stroll when doing it.

Such small things will let you achieve your daily goal of completing 10,000 steps in a day.

• Protein:

Another best friend you need to say yes to become healthier is proteins. The fact is that proteins leave you feeling fuller and more satisfied post heir consumption when compared to many other nutrients.

As a result of this, you will not end up over-indulging in your meals. Even if you are deciding to indulge in a snack, make sure that the snacks also contain protein in them.

• Hydrate:

Images source: dailyhunt

Keeping yourself hydrated is of the utmost importance. There is a reason why dieticians tell you to have atleast 2 liters of water everyday. You see, dehydration might just be your own worst enemy when you trying to lose weight and become healthier.

Dehydration ends up triggering a false in your body and makes you think that you might be hungry, when in truth, you are simply thirsty. Drink water and keep yourself hydrated to avoid any hunger pangs.

• Carbs are not the enemy:

You might have come across many articles and news pieces that state that going carb free is always the best option if you are trying to lose weight. However, this is not entirely true! The problem is that most of us do not know when to pull the reins on your carb consumption, and as a result, end up over indulging.

Carbs are truly not the enemy, but we need to make sure that we know the right amount that needs to be consumed and when it needs to be consumed. Timing and quantity are everything in this aspect.

• No meal skipping:

Image source: everydayhealth

You might be of the opinion that skipping meals might just make you look slimmer and help you lose weight quicker. But the thing that we often overlook is that when you skip a meal, you end up overindulging in the next meal you decide to have.

So essentially, there is no point of the skipped meal. Not only this, but skipping a meal also slowed down your metabolism considerably, thus leading to a lower fat burning capacity of the body.

I hope that you find a place and time to incorporate these tips and tricks in your New Year healthy body planner this time around, and are able to make out a significant difference when you enter the next year on a healthier and happier note!

The post Diet Tips to get you in shape for the New Year first appeared on Fit Foodies Mantra.

Hitting the gym is an altogether different affair! So how do you expect to lose weight in winters, especially when one does feel exceptionally hungry during this season too?

Well, we have you sorted. Go ahead and read our list of the Top 10 foods to help you lose weight during winters!

1.Honey:

Yes, we are starting off the list with something sweet. Not bad, is it?

The best natural sweetener known to man, honey is exceptionally healthy. However, you do need to be careful as to not overdo the amount you use. Unfortunately, when used in an equal amount, contains more calories than sugar. Other than that, however, honey is rich in antioxidants and also has anti-microbial properties. These properties go a long way in helping your body cope with the harsh winters.

2.Oatmeal:

We absolutely adore oatmeal! A super versatile dish with some exceptionally awesome health benefits! Just imagine how good a hot bowl of oatmeal in the cold winters will taste! Delectable! Convenient to make and full of nutrients and photochemical, what more can you ask for? Any nutritionist in Delhi, like me, would definitely recommend this as the go-to breakfast during a rushed winter morning as oatmeal is particularly successful in keeping you full for a longer amount of time while giving you lasting energy as well.

 3.Sunflower Seeds:

 Sunflower seeds can be added to a number of dishes and thus increase the nutrient value of that particular meal to a great extent! Rich in Vitamin B, folate and protein, they contribute a great deal in protecting your immune system. Apart from all these nutrients, sunflower seeds are also loaded with Vitamin E, that in turn helps prevent cell damage, helps support healthy hair and skin and also to a large extent helps prevent cancer.

 4.Dark Chocolate:

 Did we just hear a collective yay? We thought so! Who doesn’t like dark chocolate after all? We understand that every one of us has a craving for something sweet every now and then, so to help you meet that craving without adding the extra calories, dark chocolate comes to your rescue! Despite the brilliant taste, dark chocolates are also full of antioxidants!

  5.Red Wine:

 If dark chocolate was not enough to help you get through winter, we give you wine! Red Wine with its beautiful bouquet of flavours is also filled with a ton of antioxidants. A glass of red wine a day will not only slow down your aging process but also will help to considerably reduce the risk of heart diseases. Apart from this, red wine also helps prevent cancer. A glass of this elixir is sure to help you stay hale and hearty throughout the winters!

 6.Guava:

Guava is one of the most underrated fruits that are there! This beautiful tropic fruit contains about 5 times more vitamin C than even an orange! Keeping this exceptional property aside too, guava is rich in fiber, potassium, calcium, and iron too. One serving of this amazing fruit only has about 60 calories! Now that’s one hell of a slimming snack we tell you!

We hope that if you are a nutritionist in Delhi, then you too would agree with us on this list of ours! So do YOU have a favorite from among these 6? Do let us know!

The post Go ahead and read our list of the Top *6* foods to help you lose weight during winters! first appeared on Fit Foodies Mantra.

So what if we told you that by channelling that willpower of yours in the right direction you can easily achieve all your health goals and even more? That is precisely how Nikhil achieved the transformation that he did; a loss of 33 kgs in 2 years! Sounds hard to believe, doesn’t it? Well, willpower has a huge role to play in the whole transformation!Nikhil was never the quintessential over-weight or obese guy, but at 6’2” he weighed 118, which wasn’t exactly a healthy goal weight! It took a little time for him to realize that losing weight for him would only prove to be a boon in the long run, but when he did, there was no stopping from there on out!

Nikhil started working out and following a strict diet from 2016, and from then till now his weight loss and muscle gain have been tremendously inspiring. His diet plan too started off with him following shredding, then he switched to low carb. After a low carb diet, he made a switch to ketogenic diet and now he has started following a high-protein, high fat and low-carb diet.

Shredding, being a restricted calorie diet plan is a detox cleansing plan, that enabled him to lose weight and fat efficiently and quickly. But being a calorie restrictive diet, it was something that should not be followed for more than an extended amount of time! After that, both low-carb and keto diets helped with controlling his appetite, enabled fat loss, and also effectively helped him lose more weight! The high-protein, high-fat and low-carb diet enabled him to intake the right amount of carbs twice-thrice a week which in turn has helped him in to gain bulkiness in muscles.

Falling off of the wagon was out of the question for him, and this is where his willpower came into play brilliantly! With the diet he followed, he made sure that he listened to his gym instructed diligently so that he could achieve his fitness goals even more efficiently and apart from this, he makes sure that he gets his weekly dose of cardio and sprints by indulging in them twice a week!

The drastic change that his diet also went through made a great deal of difference to his health and contributed very effectively to the transformation that he has achieved till date. From eating mostly junk in his earlier years to indulging in healthier diets and habits, Nikhil has been able to achieve what many people have seldom been able to do; turn his life around completely!

We cannot express how very proud we are of Nikhil and the brilliance that he has achieved in these two years thanks to his willpower, diet and lifestyle change! We are sure that he will continue on this beautiful path and inspire many others!

If you are someone who is looking to make a change in YOUR lifestyle and are hoping to incorporate a healthy diet and workout plan into your everyday life, then feel free to contact us! We are always here for you!

The post Transformation Journey: Nikhil Dhawan! first appeared on Fit Foodies Mantra.

With all those rigorous workouts and strict diets in store, the 6-packs are like the light at the end of a tunnel, always a mere reach away aren’t they? Dedication and hard-work are something that go a long way when it comes to helping you achieve this very goal! However, what if we told you that you needn’t hit the gym every day to do just that? Surprised? Well, check out our list of the Top 3 ways to get those 6 packs faster then!

Hydrate:

No matter however many times we might have mentioned this, but it somehow still doesn’t seem enough! Hydrate! Keeping yourself hydrated and well-watered can make or break all your efforts to achieve those perfectly sculpted 6-packs! There is a reason behind it though!

You see, when you are well-hydrated, your body helps you give your metabolism a boost, that in turn helps you burn more belly fat which in turn paves your way towards achieving those amazing 6-packs! And as water is something that ends up making you feel fuller for longer, it also helps you eat less, and thus makes you lose weight too! A win-win situation, isn’t it?

Cardio All the way!

Cardio is basically any form of exercise that helps to increase your heart rate! When you decide to include cardio in your workout routines, you make sure that you end up burning extra fat, especially belly fat, thus helping your abdominal muscles to be more visible!

When you do cardio for merely 3-4 times in a week with diligence, it was found that there was a significant reduction of the belly fat of people. And it was also discovered that the more cardio a person did, the more the chance of the person losing more belly fat! Simple rules really, but definitely something that needs to be followed with the utmost dedication in order to achieve your goals.

Yes to Protein:

Another sure shot way of paving a deeper and wider path towards your destination of getting 6-pack abs is by increasing your protein intake! Did you know that any high-protein food helps you lose weight and cuts down on belly fat too! You see, when you increase your protein intake, you end up decreasing your calorie intake significantly!

Apart from that, they also brilliantly help supporting muscle growth! Thanks to this very property, consuming proteins post-workout is always advised. Post your workouts, when you consume protein, the protein helps you heal and build muscle tissues too! And the best part? It was recently discovered that protein besides aiding in the process of weight loss, help you preserve muscles mass as well as metabolism! What more could you have asked for?

Just remember, crunches and planks are not the only things that will help you get those 6-packs, there are more way, so don’t beat yourself up if you can’t hold that 1 min plank! Just remember to follow a healthy diet and the right kind of workouts, and you are sorted!

The post Top 3 ways to get those 6 packs faster first appeared on Fit Foodies Mantra.

Challenging one’s body is the first step you take to help in the lean muscle building process but if your nutritional intake does not match what your body needs during this time, then any physical activity you might indulge in going forward, could prove to be of no use!

Confused as to what you should be eating during this time? Well then, you are in luck! Here is a list of the top 3 foods that will compliment your workout routines brilliantly when you are looking forward to build lean muscles.

1. Chicken Breast

Considered to be a must-have pantry essential when you go down the lean-muscle building road, there is a very important reason why chicken breast proves to be a great addition to your diet! Filled with proteins, Vitamin B6 and Niacin, nutrients that have been known to be exceptionally helpful for anyone who is hopeful about building lean muscles, chicken breast truly is something that you should have stocked in your fridge, during this journey of yours!

The nutrients present in the chicken breast help your body function properly when you are indulging in exercises as a result of which, the process of muscle building happens quicker and in a more efficient way. And if that was not enough, then let us also tell you that high-protein diets that include chicken in them, have been known to also aid fat loss exceptionally!

2. Soyabeans

If you are a vegetarian or a vegan, soyabeans are your best bet at receiving the right amount of protein for your body! Did you know that a mere half cup of soya beans contain close to 14 gms of protein? Something to think about, isn’t it? And apart from the protein content present in them, soyabeans also happen to have healthy unsaturated fats, Vitamin K, iron and phosphorus!

The main function of iron in your body is to help store and then transport oxygen to your blood and all your muscles. When working out, your muscles need to receive the right amount of oxygen, else there will be no use of doing one rigorous exercise after the other! And if, by some chance, you happen to be deficient in iron, then receiving oxygen by your muscles can be quite a task!

3. Quinoa

Fuelling yourself with enough energy giving foods is also of vital importance when it comes to building lean muscles apart from indulging in protein rich foods. This is where foods with carbohydrates in them come into the picture. Quinoa is one such grain that has attained a lot of popularity among the masses in recent times!

A single serving of cooked Quinoa, i.e. 1 cup, contains about 40gms of carbohydrate, 8gms of protein and 5gms of fiber with hearty amounts of phosphorus and magnesium also present in it! Apart from carbohydrates, that help in providing energy to the body, magnesium also play a vital role in the functioning of your muscles and nerves!

All you need to remember is that, like we stated earlier, eating the right kind of food and indulging in the right kind of workout will help you brilliantly in gaining lean muscles! And if you are still sceptical about the whole thing, then just reach out to us and we will answer any questions that you might have!

The post Top 3 foods to eat to help build lean muscle! first appeared on Fit Foodies Mantra.

Keeping water aside, we do have a few options for you to choose from so that you are able to keep up your amazing flow in the gym, while also indulging in some delicious elixir! So have a look at some hydrating post-workout drinks that you can sip on to help stay refreshed!

Coconut Water:

Coconut water is chockfull of antioxidants! That is what makes this delicious and naturally occurring elixir one of the best post-workout drink that you can easily indulge in, guilt-free! We are sure that you are familiar with a lot of post-workout drinks that they sell in the shops nowadays, like Gatorade and the likes?

Well, coconut water too, like those sports drinks contains high levels of electrolytes like magnesium and potassium. The idea is to go slow when you are using coconut water as a natural hydration drink for yourself, post workout. This will ensure that sudden dose of too much coconut water doesn’t upset your stomach and lead to bloating.

Another great part about consuming coconut water is that it contains a considerably lesser amount of sodium in it when compared to regular sports drinks. This property comes in extremely handy when one needs to hydrate after a brilliantly sweaty session at the gym. For anyone who is indulging in light workouts, coconut water makes for a great companion.

Tart Juices:

Did you know that tart juices like cherry juice, can help brilliantly when it comes to fighting sore muscles? Atleast now you have some use for that cherry juice that has been sitting in your fridge for such a long time! The many antioxidants present in tart cherry juice help reduce inflammation thus benefitting muscle recovery as well.

Your body’s lipid peroxidation also reduces when you consume cherry juice post your workout session, thus aiding the muscle recovery process even more. Another great benefit of consuming cherry juice is that it has also proven to prevent strength loss during workout sessions!

However, remember to not go for those juices that come in a carton and always try to opt for unsweetened cherry juice. Apart from this, remember to keep your cherry juice intake below 300 ml in a day.

Black/Green Tea:

Tea, be it black or green tea, has to be the most underrated beverage that there ever was and it can sometimes really surprise you as to how many benefits a small little cup of this warm liquid can offer you.

Ofcourse Green Tea has become quite popular in many weight loss circuits, but do you know the reason for this? Teas like green and black tea help very effectively in the process of fat oxidation, as during this very process the fat in your body is broken down into smaller molecules, that are sorted and are eventually used up to produce energy.

Thanks to the antioxidants present in tea, it too functions like the Cherry Juice and ends up helping with the recovery of sore muscles, whenever and wherever the need arises! Athletes can especially benefit from the consumption of tea, as it helps in providing less delayed onset muscle soreness.

So the next time you decide to skip that bottle of water post your workout because you are too bored of it, think about what we have written here and try using the alternatives as a way to rehydrate yourself after a workout! Are there any particular drinks you prefer from these? Let us know!

The post Top 3 Hydrating Post-Workout Drinks first appeared on Fit Foodies Mantra.