Top nutritionists tell all about how you should have your daily chai or coffee.
Rujuta Diwekar says 2-3 cups of chai or coffee are safe to have daily
HIGHLIGHTS
- Indian masala chai is rich in anti-oxidants
- 2-3 cups of chai or coffee are safe to have daily
- Coconut sugar can be added to chai or coffee as a healthy alternative
Tea and coffee are beverages which people consume on a daily basis. But when we are on a weight loss regime, we all have numerous apprehensions about what to eat/drink and what not to eat/drink. Avoiding sugar and sugary foods is one of the very first steps that we take when we want to lose weight. And this means avoiding sweet foods likes mithai, chocolates, donuts, etc. along with sugary drinks. We also tend to avoid adding sugar to our favourite beverages like tea and coffee as well.
Adding sugar to tea or coffee, or the very consumption of tea and coffee is a worrisome topic for people suffering from diabetes. In order to avoid any unnecessary rise in their blood sugar levels, diabetics either choose switching to artificial sweeteners, or they drink tea and coffee without any sugar. But is that really required?
Also read: This Tea Has Properties To Cure Many Diseases
Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar has always helped us in doubts such as these. She shares various posts on social media wherein she clears people's queries about what to eat and what to avoid. One of her recent posts on Facebook was about chai/coffee and to have or not to have them.
In the post, she clarifies some very basic doubts that people usually have about chai or coffee. These include how many cups of chai or coffee are safe to have, is adding sugar to chai or coffee healthy, etc.
So, the first query about chai or coffee is what is the right time to have chai or coffee? According to Rujuta, one must avoid having chai or coffee as first thing in the morning or last thing before going to bed. These two timings can actually make drinking chai or coffee harmful for health. Also, drinking chai or coffee as a replacement for meal during the day should be avoided.
Also read: A Cup Of White Tea Could Help You Lose Weight; Here's How
Many people feel confused about how many cups of chai or coffee are okay to have in a day? Some people are so fond of these beverages that they consume them many times in a day. But according to Rujuta, 2-3 cups of chai or coffee in a day are totally fine. It has to be considered that anything more than 2-3 cups in a day can be harmful for health.
The latest fad in the world of weight loss and diet plans is drinking green tea or green coffee in place of the regular milk-based chai and coffee. Rujuta mentions in her post that this can be considered true only for the purpose of profits, not people. She goes on to add that the Indian masala chai, the one which is cooked with milk and spices, is now being considered as a drink rich in anti-oxidants. These anti-oxidants can help in speeding the process of recovery.
Also read: How Much Green Tea Should You Drink Per Day?
The most crucial concern is how many calories in the form of sugar are safe to be added in our daily chai and coffee? Do people suffering from diabetes continue to have artificial sweeteners or sugar-free chai or coffee?
Rujuta denies. She says that according to World Health Organisation and other global organisations for diabetes, 6-9 tsp of sugar in a day is fine. Instead of avoiding sugar, people should avoid invisible sugar sources in the form of breakfast cereals, fruit juices, biscuits, etc.
Delhi-based diet coach Sapna Puri says that chai can be consumed both with and without milk. "I would suggest people to have chai without milk in winters. But during summer time, you can have your chai with milk. Make sure that your milk is not boiled excessively. There is no harm in it, provided you don't add too much sugar in it or have it with packed foods such as biscuits," she says.
Sapna says that people can add coconut sugar to their tea as an effective alternative to refined sugar. "Coconut sugar is the most beneficial type of sugar. It is not processed and has a low glycaemic index."
(Sapna Puri is a diet coach based in Delhi)
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