Diet and Precautions during the Monsoons

Diet and Precautions during the Monsoons:

After the long, hot summer months, the monsoon rains bring much needed relief from the heat. The rains, which are a welcome change, can spell the end for outdoor exercises for all health enthusiasts. The rains also tend to bring to the table steaming teas along with hot ‘pakoras’.

Fried Foods

So how does one take care of the diet during with all these hurdles?

Diet:

• Avoid binging on fried foods (pakoras, chips, namkeens, samosas,etc) as far as possible. Moderation is the key word here.
• Snack on the grilled buttas/makkai/corn that seem to pop up everywhere with the rains. Nothing smells better than corn being roasted over hot coals on a rainy day, besides the fiber makes it an excellent healthy snack.
• Eat light meals and keep yourself hydrated by drinking loads of water.

Precautions: A word of caution as the monsoons also brings with it the dangers of waterborne diseases like cholera, jaundice, typhoid and diarrhea.

Here are some tips to avoid falling sick this monsoon:

• Drink only boiled/ bottled water. Carry a bottle of water from home to avoid drinking water from unsafe sources.
• All vegetables and fruits should be washed well in clean water especially those that are consumed raw. Avoid eating salads and cut fruits, juices,golas and chaats from the street vendors.
• Eat home cooked meals as far as possible. If it isn’t feasible at all times, then opt for cooked meals like roti/chawal with sabzi/dal. Avoid sandwiches, raitas, salads, which can contain raw vegetables.
• With these simple precautions you can prevent yourself from falling sick which will end up as another excuse for not exercising.

Here are some tips to help you continue your weight loss journey:

Exercise:

• Outsmart the rains and join a gym/aerobics/yoga/dance class. Since these are conducted indoors, the rains are highly unlikely to hamper your fitness plans!
• Invest in some exercise machines like the treadmill/elliptical/exer-cycle and burn those calories without having to leave your home (make sure to exercise otherwise you’ll end up using them to dry your wet clothes)!
• If joining a gym/exercise class or buying exercise equipment isn’t too friendly on your pocket-then pick up some exercise DVD’s or surf the internet for exercises that you can do at home.
• Keep yourself active-take the stairs whenever possible, jog inside the house, do simple home exercises.

Doing this will keep your metabolism from slowing down.

Healthy Snack Options:

Khaman dhoklas,

Sweet Potato Baked Fries,

Kale Chips,

Just keep in mind that the monsoon season is no excuse for NOT exercising.

Thank you all for your support and feedback.

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How to lose 1 pound (half a kg) of body weight every week by eating a Healthy Indian Diet

Are you planning on turning a new leaf this New Year? Are you looking forward to discovering the new Healthy You? If you've tried it every year and given up at the end of January-then trust me, there's NOTHING wrong with you! It's just that you haven't found the right way to get healthy. This year, take the right steps, do the right things and make this the "Year Of the New You".

Here are 9 simple steps to start off:

1. Get up and move: Choose and start a physical activity or fitness program that you enjoy. It could be as simple as a brisk walk, a jog, aerobics, gym workout or a sport. Ideally something that keeps you on your toes for at least an hour every day. 'Sitting is the new smoking' these days-so keep moving! Your new mantra should be 'Calories in and Calories out'-burn out the calories that you eat!
2. Detox or declutter your kitchen pantry: Remove all the chips, bhujias, ghatias, sweets,cakes, chocolates and all the unhealthy foods from your fridge and pantry. It's going to be out with the old and in with the new foods this year! If there are no tempting foods in your reach, you will end up not eating them.
3. Stock up with 'real food': Once you have all the high-calories and ready to eat processed foods out of the house, buy lots of fruits, vegetables and ingredients that you need to make dishes from scratch.
4. Always include a vegetable and a protein source: Make sure you eat at least one vegetable (more is better) at every meal and add some protein to add satiety. Protein foods keep you full for a longer period of time and the vegetable will reduce the amount of grain/cereal you have. Examples: Upma with vegetables and curd, poha with vegetables and curd, sambar with vegetables. If you can't add a vegetable-then add a fruit.
5. Avoid sugary drinks and sweets: A little bit of halwa, a little bit of chocolate, a little bit of ice cream, a little bit of soft drink makes you pack on the pounds! 
6. Buy a water bottle: Yes, that's right-a water bottle. Most of us forget to drink water through the day. Buy a big 1 litre water bottle (BPA free) and fill it up. Take it with you and you'll never have to buy packaged water or soft drinks when you feel thirsty. Make sure you drink two bottles of water by the end of the day.
7. Set timings for your meals: Don't eat whenever you feel hungry-set regular meal timings. This helps in getting into a regular meal pattern and also does away with hunger attacks. This will reduce cravings and binge eating.
8. Eat dinner two hours before bedtime: Eating too close to bedtime is a definite no-no! It not only interferes with your sleep pattern, but also makes you sluggish and susceptible to heart burn (acid reflux) in the night.
9. Get eight hours of sleep: Researchers have now found a link between a lack of sleep and obesity. This is one simple thing which will go a long way in your journey of a new healthy you.

Once you have mastered these seven steps, then you can take the next most important step-find the right diet plan which has been tailor made for YOU. Check out this article- How To Choose the Right Indian Diet Plan for a Healthy Weight loss?

Also check out my website and pick a package that is suitable for you: My Indian Dietitian

How to Choose the Right Indian Diet Plan for Healthy Weight Loss?

Have you made your New Year's resolution to lose weight and are looking for the right Indian Diet plan for healthy weight loss? Then here is the checklist of what you should look for before signing up for it.

1. Do they plan Indian Diet Plans for Healthy weight loss? This is most important especially if you are living outside India. If you sign up without finding this out you will be stuck with a fantastic diet plan or package but which is of no use for you since the foods are all Western! Let's face it-we may live abroad, love the Western lifestyle and the amenities that is offered there, but at the end of the day, we still want to eat our 'desi khaana". Akhir dil hain Hindustani!! 
2. Is there a real dietitian or are you expected to interact with a computer? No really-think about it!! Why pay for a computer generated diet chart?
3. Check the credentials of the person: With every Tom,Dick and Harry giving out diet advice these days, you need to be careful about who you sign up with. Look for a qualified dietitian who has worked at least a couple of years in a hospital. Most dietitians who have worked in a hospital know the dangers of crash dieting and are vary about prescribing the same to clients.
4. Do they recommend fad diets? Some websites push fad diets (fruit diet, juice diet, GM diet,Cabbage diet ) to show immediate results. But remember-these results don't last. Not only that, there is a danger of nutritional deficiencies and severe hair loss after sometime. Do you really want that? Or would do you want something that helps you keep the weight off forever? It's your choice-but it's your body that will pay for what you choose!
5. Are the Indian Diets planned for you or are they chosen from previously printed plans? Diets need to be planned, not printed off the internet. It's like going to the doctor and getting a check-up and by google. Would you really do that? You want something that is specific to you-one size does not fit all in the case of diets!! So don't be fooled by websites who take money to dole out pre-planned diet charts.
6. Will the weight loss Indian diet be planned according to your eating habits? Again what's the point of eating something which you are not used to eating? For example-if you are a South Indian and the diet planned is a typically North Indian diet. It's just not right for you. 
7. Will there be follow-ups? You need to have your diet reviewed basically to see how you are doing on it and if any changes are required.

If this is exactly what you want, then do get intouch with me to schedule an appointment as the first step to a new, heathy, YOU!!

 Click to go to choose the right Indian Diet Plan for Healthy weight loss: My Indian Dietitian