Bhakti Paun Sharma
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Written By: Bhakti Paun Sharma | Updated : February 1, 2016 6:13 PM IST
Wow! It s Friday already and you are in week two of your fitness challenge for the New Year. This fitness plan is soon going to become a habit and and you will be healthier and fitter. Don t get too excited and cheat over the weekend, lest you end up wasting all the efforts you have put in for the last week.
Morning: Rise up early if you have to leave for office by 9 am. If you have still not given up on bed tea or coffee, do it right away. Drinking caffeinated beverages on an empty stomach can lead to acidity. Eat a fruit the moment you wake up or have a glass of warm water with lemon and honey. You can have cup of tea preferably without sugar and skimmed milk after half an hour.
Healthy recipes
Following a diet plan if you are out of home most of the day can be difficult, but not impossible. All you need is some determination and a little extra work. After a month, cooking healthy food won t seem time consuming as you would have learnt the recipes.
Breakfast Begin your day with cereals. Daliya or broken wheat is a fantastic source of fibre and keeps you full for long. But sweet porridge is a big no. Remember you are cutting down on sugar. Try this delicious masala daliya recipe today. It s quick and tasty. An ideal breakfast for diabetics, daliya also keeps a check on your cholesterol level. Even the flavoured oats packet you bought from the store doesn t taste as good.
Lunch Are you a fan of rice just like me? This hara masala brown rice pulao recipe is going to let you enjoy rice in your meal guilt-free. Eat a bowl of plain low fat curd along with it and your meal is complete. A tasty lunch like this won t leave you craving for junk food during snack time.
Snacks Since, there is a huge gap between dinner and lunch, feeling hungry in the evening is normal. Here's a slight twist to the bhel we tried yesterday. Stock up murmura or puffed rice at home. Roast it without any oil in a pan if it is not crisp. Chop an onion and a tomato and add to the murmura. Add salt, some chili powder and some coriander powder. Squeeze half a lime and mix well. You have a delicious snack ready.
Dinner Dinner needs to be light. Since you have consumed enough carbohydrates during the day, avoid it during dinner. Go international and try this recipe of honey smeared chicken today. Add a few raw veggies or grilled veggies to the side and you have a fancy dinner ready.
Exercises for beginners
You ve started exercising for 45 minutes to an hour every day now. Use different types of exercises to kill the boredom. You can combine the easy ones with the high-intensity workouts. Learn to stretch your limit. If you successfully completed 25 squats or lunges yesterday, try 30 today.
At home Wondering how to exercise in a small room? Try these no excuse home exercises for small spaces and join the weightloss bandwagon. You can play this video on your TV or laptop and follow it. It is like working out with a group of friends. The exercises shown in the video will target your core and lower body while strengthening the upper part.
Gymming After completing the exercises you ve learnt from day 1 to day 8, release the tension from your muscles and ease them with foam rollers. Foam rollers have several benefits. They will massage the flare up in the muscles and prevents soreness and injuries. They help you stretch your body with ease. Follow this tutorial on how to use a foam roller at the gym.
Yoga After the tiring home and gym workout, refresh your body and skin with yoga. A few yoga asanas can help rejuvenate your skin and make you look gorgeous. Try the Kapal Randhra Dhouti or the yogic facial massage. This massage needs no creams or lotions. Just the gentle touch of your fingers and you will be thrilled to see the results.
Sleep well tip
Dozing off the moment you hit the sack after a tiring day is easy. But if you can t or want to sleep like a baby without any distractions, nutmeg is the natural sleeping pill. Have a pinch a nutmeg mixed with a teaspoon of honey before going to bed. This spice induces sleep and can increase the duration of sleep too. So don t forget to set your alarm for the next day. Switch off your phone or put it away and slip into slumber.
Well, if you are motivated to start your New Year with a bang, spread the word by tagging your friends and #NewYearNewYou and @HealthSite4U. You can even mail your pictures, and we ll post in on Facebook, Instagram and share it with our TheHealthSite.com Community.
Disclaimer: If you follow a fitness plan already, consult your nutritionist before switching to this one. If you are allergic to any of the foods/ingredients mentioned, please do not consume it. Do not follow this plan without consulting your doctor if you suffer from a health condition hypertension, hypotension, diabetes, etc. or are pregnant.
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