April 2018 www.womanthismonth.com LIFESTYLE | wellbeing 48 SMART SWAPS Life is all about the choices you make, and the same goes for wellbeing and longevity. Besides taking the stairs instead of the elevator, there are many other small but significant ways in which you can make your body a happier, healthier one. Trust me, a little extra effort and attention pays big dividends in the long run. All it takes is some common sense and a bit of planning to ease into your sensible substitutions. Because, in life, the little things are the big deal. Here are some simple but effective food and lifestyle changes that you can easily incorporate in your day-to-day routines that’ll make a big difference in your overall wellbeing. INFUSED WATER FOR SODAS Aerated drinks contain several heaped teaspoons of sugar per serving. If the thought of that doesn’t make you feel sick, think of all the myriad preservatives and chemicals in them that can be carcinogenic and/or mess with your hormones and cause diabetes. But alas, plain old water is so boring. Spike your jug with slices of lemon or lime, grated ginger and fresh mint. Infuse water with berries, melon or peach slices and bid bye-bye to those mindless cravings for cola and empty calories. You’ll be waking up to a clearer complexion, flatter tummy and a sprightlier you. Reference: www.theguardian.com GHEE FOR OIL Take out the water content and milk solids from butter, and you have lactose-free ghee. This clarified form of butter, which has been a revered ingredient in Indian cooking since time immemorial and has now found acclaim in the Paleo diet ideology, has many virtues. It had been wrongly pushed into the trans-fats and hydrogenated fats category at the start of the century but has emerged a triumphant superfood that is here to stay. No matter how ‘healthy’ they claim to be, cooking oils – be it canola, vegetable, soybean, safflower, corn oils – available in the market are highly refined, have gone through processes such as degumming, bleaching and de-odourisation. They contain inflammatory fatty acids and toxic chemicals. Hydrogenated fats like margarine are particularly dangerous to human health. Pure ghee has a high smoking point, antioxidants to keep the wrinkles at bay, nutrients that feed the brain, and lubricates and oxygenates the joints. You will need less ghee than oil to cook your food in and will reap far greater benefits. Reference: www.ketogenic-diet-rereference.com and rujutadiwekar.blogspot.com FRUIT FOR YOUR MORNING CUPPA It’s a given to kickstart your morning with a steaming mug of tea or coffee, but get this – caffeine first thing in the morning is known to disrupt metabolism, due to its acidic nature, and can be dehydrating, leading to headaches and muscle cramps. Does living healthily have to be complicated? Not at all, finds Behnaz Sanjana.
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