Saturday, January 24, 2015

Make Your Winter a Healthy One!

I yawned again and sleep walked till the coffee machine for my 3rd cup of extra strong coffee that day. I cranked up the noisy machine and watched it pour the espresso in my big Soup mug. I stared at the mug trying to convince myself that the caffeine is not all that bad after all. A, It helps boost metabolism, B its winters, C…Damnit, I ran out of excuses there. Truth to be told, coffee is not one of the best things to be consumed in winters. Sorry, coffee machine gossipers.
Coffee and other caffeine containing beverages, dehydrate your body. They have a diuretic effect on your system, meaning you’d need to visit the washroom more often; having said that, it also kills your thirst for water. Coupled with this, the long hours of spending time in air conditioned office rooms, one tends to get dehydrated more. My advice, restrict yourself to one cup of coffee per day.
Here is my list of food that you should pig out in winters. ( coz appetite somehow triples in this season)
  •  Oranges and Guava- Nature has its own way of taking care of us. These 2 fruits, found only in winters, are extremely rich in Vitamin C (especially guava, which is the best source of Vitamin C). Amongst other qualities, Vitamin C helps protect you from infectious diseases by boosting your immunity. Also they are not heavy on calories, so eat to your heart’s content.
  • Potatoes- Yup that’s true. Potatoes sometimes get a bad rap for being a white starch, thrown into the same category as white rice or white bread. But unlike those starches, potatoes are whole foods that contain several beneficial nutrients. They are an excellent source of two immunity boosters—vitamins C and B6, delivering 25% and 29% of your daily needs per medium potato, respectively.
  • Avocados and Almonds- One thing that you can never miss about winters, even if you are on the equator, is the chapping skin that it brings along with it. Having vitamin E rich foods like Avocados and almonds, help retain the skin’s collagen and elasticity and prevent it from chapping.
  • Tofu, Soyamilk, anything Soya- Soya may help to preserve skin-firming collagen because it is rich in isoflavones. You will have fewer wrinkles and smoother skin even when exposed to UV rays.  And lets’ face it; you tend to expose yourself to sun more in winters than in summer.


These are just some tips to combat winters. Believe me, seasonal fruits and veggies are the best bet for any season as they have just the right nutrient required for the season. So stay smart and pick out the right food this winter. You can always have reasons for coffee machine gossips, but if you don’t make the right choices, you might not always have your health!