Our body works hard to keep us warm by producing heat, and that’s the way we end up burning calories without trying.
We are blessed with a good metabolism during winter time, which means we can shed more calories with minimum efforts. But our natural instinct is to stay comfortable in our cozy blankets and not move around much, binge-watching series or reading books.
Just need to act wise by using these 5 strategies
1. Drink herbal tea or other warm options –
Instead of your regular tea or coffee loaded with sugar and milk, have herbal tea and black coffee. Oolong tea, hibiscus, black tea is rich in antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties. You can also have warm homemade soups, green tea or hot water squeezed with lemon.
Matcha tea comes from the camellia sinensis plant is also a good supply of antioxidants. Golden milk, this warm beverage boosts immunity.
One of my favourite spice tea made from boiling spices like zeera, saunf, ajwain, cinnamon, star anise, cloves. Drinking them instead of tea will help you lose faster.
2. Eat healthy and on schedule –
It has been proven that winters makes us eat more. The cold temperature increases our daily calorie requirement to keep our body warm. The trick to break the chain is by eating on time and filling your plate with healthy and fiber rich foods. Fiber keeps your stomach full for longer time, preventing the craving for unhealthy foods, and also helps in eating in limited quantity. Have breakfast, lunch and dinner on time with small mini meals in between. Remember to add loads of veggies as stirred veggies and soups, raw fruits.
3. Improve Water Intake –
People drink 40 percent less water during winters but water requirements does not reduce. Remember 70 percent of our body is water. Each and every cell requires water to function properly. Low water intake leads to dehydration, which can increase hunger pangs and decrease metabolism. As our brain gives hunger and thirst signal in the same way. We are dehydrated and keep on looking for food. Fill three liters of bottles in the morning and keep a track of water amount.
4. Watch your Sweets and Carb Intake-
Winter is famous for warm delicacies like creamy soup, gajar ka halwa which is hard to ignore. Because of low vitamin D / less sunlight serotonin levels in the body, we are more inclined towards carb rich foods. Winter blues are real, and it can affect our mood as well as our eating habits. When we feel low, we automatically reach out to comfort foods, which is unhealthy. Go out in the sunlight, which is a mood enhancer and also helps in balancing hormones. Also, make a note to have your vitamin D supplements regularly.
5. Involve in more household chores-
The cold weather influences our weight loss process in many ways as become less active
If you do not want to go outside for exercise, involve yourself in physical activity indoors. Household chores can help you burn a considerable number of calories.
Winters can work wonders on your body if you use these strategies wisely.
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