Quarantine Diet Tips: 7 Diet Changes That Can Help You Get Healthier And Fitter

Quarantine diet tips: The coming week is likely to be the last week of lockdown. Let's use it as an opportunity to incorporate changes in your diet that can help you in the long run. Any lifestyle or dietary modification should be made gradually, one day at a time. Doing so ensures that the modifications are long-lasting and your body gets the time it needs to adapt to those changes. So, let's be realistic and incorporate one dietary change every day for a week.

Quarantine diet tips: 7 diet changes that can help you be healthier and disease-free

Day 1- Say no refined sugar

This is the simplest and a direct dietary modification. There's nothing sweet about refined sugar and it can hamper your overall health in countless ways. Excess of sugar can lead to chronic inflammatory conditions, obesity, diabetes, heart diseases, and high cholesterol levels. Moreover, it doesn't provide you with any nutrients making it a portion of food with "empty calories". Reducing/ avoiding sugar can also lead to clearer skin, better memory, and feeling energetic. Refined sugar causes a vicious cycle of craving and partial satisfaction tricking your brain into wanting more. If researchers are to be believed, sugar has the potential to cause addictive behaviour similar to cocaine. Try incorporating healthy and natural sugar substitutes to address your sweet taste buds like- jaggery, raisins, figs, and dates.

Also read: Craving Sugar? Try These Simple Tricks To Say Goodbye To Sugar

Day 2- Have dinner before 7 pm

The benefits of dining early go well beyond just managing your weight. It helps you sleep well and improves heart health. As a thumb rule, you must always keep a gap of 2-3 hours between your dinner and bedtime. Finishing your last meal by 7 PM gives your body enough time to digest the food so that you wake up fresh without any bloating/ heartburn. Ensure that you are sleeping early too.

Try to have dinner by 7 pm every day
Photo Credit: iStock

Day 3- Start your day with an amla shot

The perfect antidote for a lot of health problems is the humble Indian gooseberry aka amla. Having 20-30 ml of undiluted amla shot on an empty stomach every morning optimizes your health in many ways. It aids in weight management, gives you a perfect dose of Vitamin C that further boosts your immunity and improves your skin. Amla also keeps seasonal flu away and also reduces high cholesterol and high blood sugar levels.

Also read: Amla Health Benefits: 5 Reasons Why Amla Should Be A Part Of Your Winter Diet

Day 4- Rainbow on plate

Aim to consume 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables of various colour groups. Fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals that your body cannot synthesize on its own. Refrain from consuming fruit juices as the beneficial fibrous pulp is strained-out. Eat your fruits whole or blend into smoothies. Vegetables can be taken in the form of salads, soups, steamed, cooked or unstrained juice.

Day 5 - A cup of herbal concoction

Your kitchen is the perfect place to look out for powerful antioxidants disguised in the form of herbs and spices. Before picking up a packaged superfood product from your favourite grocery store, hunt your kitchen first. There are many herbs and spices that are packed with a concentrated dose of immunity-boosting antioxidants and phytonutrients. Try a concoction by boiling 2 cups of water with a pinch of ground cinnamon, 2 cloves, 1 slice of raw turmeric and little grated ginger till the quantity of reduced to half. Having this potion once a day supports your immune system and keeps infections away.

Day 6- Snacking smartly

Are you guilty of mindless munching? If yes, then start paying attention to your cravings by healthily curbing them. Remove all the packs of deep-fried snacks, chips, cookies, confectionaries and replace your kitchen/ fridge with smart snacks like mixed nuts, seeds (melon, pumpkin, sesame, flaxseeds), roasted black chana, roasted makahana, tofu or moong sprouts. Try satisfying your mid-day or evening hunger pangs with these healthy options.

Nuts, seeds and fruits are great for healthy snacking
Photo Credit: iStock

Also read: Weight Loss: Snacking Too Often? Try These Healthy And Low-Calories Snacks To Reduce Hunger Pangs

Day 7 - Turmeric latte to call off the day

Turmeric milk is the age-old bed time soothing and healthy drink. Having a cup of lukewarm turmeric milk right before you end the day can provide you many health benefits. The active compound in turmeric is called curcumin and is one of the most powerful antioxidants with anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, and immunity-boosting properties. Milk helps enhance its absorption. You can also add a pinch of black pepper to make the most of it.

(Nmami Agarwal is nutritionist at Nmami Life)

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