Month: July 2018

Foods for a flat belly- The Top 5-

Wondering why your diets are not helping you out in getting a flat belly? We often fail to realize that there are many foods which actually help us in reducing our belly fat. Here is a list of the top 5 foods for a flat belly-

  • Almonds-

foods for a flat belly

 

Almonds are strong antioxidants which contain a high amount of proteins and fibers. These delicious nuts also help in maintaining a proper blood sugar level, which further reduces unwanted cravings.  Almonds also block calories, which makes it to the top of this list of foods for a flat belly.

  • Beans and legumes-

 

beans and legumes

 

Beans and legumes contain the essential nutrients, which helps your body in maintaining the necessary nutrient quotient.  They help in eliminating body fat and also improve on digestion.  With their fat reducing properties, they definitely deserve to be in this list of foods for a flat belly.

  • Dark leafy veggies-

spinach

They do not directly help you in losing fat, but they are a good source to fuel up your workouts. Dark leafy veggies like spinach contain small amounts of calories and also contain cancer preventing carotenoids. They are also a great source of calcium which is essential for muscle contraction.

  • Apples-

apples

An apple a day not only keeps the doctor away, but it also helps in flattening out your belly because of many of its properties. An average sized apple contains 85% of water, which makes you feel full and hence reduce your cravings. Apart from that, they contain essential fibers, and also help in combating cancers and cholesterol.

  • Seafood-

seafood

Seafood like mackerel, salmon and tuna contain omega- 3 fatty acids which help in burning fat and also improves your metabolism. Eating fish everyday helps in slow digestion, and hence lesser cravings. Apart from that, they have a high amount of proteins which makes them to the list of top 5 foods for a flat belly.

 

 

Avoiding junk food and eating homemade is also a major way of maintaining a healthy body weight. If cooking is a tedious task, then you can definitely subscribe to healthy homemade meals from Masala Box. With varied meal plans, Masala Box helps you in inculcating all the essential nutrients and proteins in your daily diet.

 

5 METHODS ON HOW TO AVOID JUNK FOOD-

How to avoid junk food seems to be a common issue of the present generation and is a tough one to tackle with. Studies have shown that fast food acts with the same effect of cocaine or heroin by triggering the pleasure centres of our brain. This trigger results in the form of addiction but this article will talk about 5 ways on how to avoid junk food.

  • Understand the ‘Right’ and ‘Wrong’ foods-

how to avoid junk food

The first key to avoiding unhealthy food is to completely understand the complexities of junk food like obesity, chronic diseases, heart attacks etc. Research on why junk food is known as “junk”, and ultimately understand what the benefits of ‘right’ foods. That is when you start your self-therapy to cut in your cravings.

  • Don’t diet, just change your lifestyle-

walking

This is one of the key stages of how to avoid fast food. Make small lifestyle changes like incorporating more of walking for short distance travels, starting out on eating homemade food, and also by keeping yourself mentally and physically engaged. Try to stay active by doing simple workouts, cooking, meditation or anything else that you enjoy.

  • Calculate your expenses-

calculate expenses

Calculate on how much you spend on unhealthy food per month, and calculate how much you have saved after switching over to homemade food. You will stick to homemade food eventually when you realize your expenses. If you find homemade food boring, you can always incorporate cooking interesting healthy recipes on your weekends.

  • Keep yourself motivated-

motivation

When the craving kicks in, remind yourself of why you chose this lifestyle. Remind yourself of the benefits you will be reaping from this. Understand the importance of this stage on how to avoid junk food.

  • Don’t be too harsh on yourself-

hanging out

Treat yourself thrice a month on fast food. Give yourself a break from all the deadlines, homemade food, and other stress-related factors. Remember to have only 1-3 meals of junk food a month.

 

These 5 methods on how to avoid unhealthy food may seem challenging. If you have no access to homemade food, you can always subscribe to Masala Box. Do check out the website or download the app for a healthier eating habit!

Top 9 foods to eat every day-

There are multiple kinds of healthy food that we must intake throughout a week, but some foods are mandatory to be eaten every day. These foods are beneficial to keep us healthy throughout the day as well as for a long period of time. Here are the top 9 foods to eat every day for taking care of us from head to toe-

  • Garlic-

Garlic coming from an onion family has many antibacterial properties which boost our immunity and also helps us in fighting the common cold. A small clove consumed every day can do wonders by also detoxifying our body, reduce our blood pressure and also lessen the risk of cholesterol. Well, now you know why garlic is at the top of the list of 9 foods to eat every day.

Garlic- Foods to eat every day

 

  • Tomatoes-

Tomatoes are known to be good for avoiding heart attacks or any other blood or heart-related problems. They are also a very good source of anti-cancer agents and help us in fighting mainly prostate, lung, and stomach and breast cancers. Apart from that, tomatoes are very good in taking care of our skin, especially for people who are prone to sunburns frequently.

Tomatos

  • Avocados-

Avocados, also known by other names like ‘butter fruit’ and ‘alligator pear’, are a highly recommended fruit due to its various health benefits. One of the best reasons to eat an avocado is that it maintains our blood pressure levels due to its high levels of potassium. Avocados are also super heart healthy and also help in weight loss; which makes it the third in our list of top 9 foods to eat every day.

Avacado

  • Spinach-

Nothing is as awesome as this dark leafy superfood which contains high levels of magnesium, calcium and iron. Some of the top benefits of having spinach every day are that it helps in controlling our diabetics level, and also helps in preventing cancer and asthma apart from other benefits. Now you know why spinach is listed as one of the top foods to eat every day.

Spinach

  • Yogurt-

A cup of yogurt a day is beneficial to our body in many aspects, especially if you are on a diet as it helps in appetite and weight control. It also helps in combating many digestive related issues like constipation, bloating and diarrhoea. Apart from that, yogurt is a very good source for boosting your immunity levels.

Yogurt

  • Kale-

This leafy veggie has proven its magic in many aspects of health and is one of the highest recommended foods by doctors. Kale is mainly consumed for a better eye health, detoxifying the body, and also for a better wellbeing of your skin. These are just some of the reasons as to why it is on the list of foods to eat every day.

Kale

  • Cucumbers-

This yummy vegetable contains a lot of water and nutrients and hence is a must to eat every day. Cucumbers are generally very good in reducing the risks of chronic diseases like heart problems, cancer and autoimmune diseases. They are also a very good source of water, hence helps in hydration and also in weight loss.

Cucumber

  • Grapefruit-

One of the major reasons as to why people love grapefruit is that it helps in weight loss aggressively. The citrus factor of the fruit reduces chances of strokes in women and also helps in controlling our blood pressure and heart health. This is exactly why it is one of the foods to eat every day.

Grapefruit

  • Bell peppers-

These beauties are a wonder when it comes to maintaining our eye health. Due to its high vitamin C properties, it also helps in boosting our immunity to high levels. If you are pregnant, capsicums area great source of nourishment to your foetus.

Bell peppers

Now maybe you are not a person who can easily eat all this every day as you are a busy bee. But you can definitely incorporate healthy eating by simply eating homemade. Subscribe to healthy homemade meal plans now only from Masala Box, or simply download the app.

Top 5 Indian foods which are not Indian at all!

We all are people who enjoy our Indian cuisine no matter how many Burger outlets start nearby. The Indian food is unique when it comes to flavours, aroma and its vibes; but what if the delicious Indian meal that we all enjoy so much is actually not Indian? Here is a list of top 5 Indian foods that are bound to break your heart-

  • The all famous ‘Samosa’-

samosa

Yes, ‘Samosas’ it is; that too at the top of the list of these 5 Indian foods! ‘Originally called ‘samosa’, the Indian delicious potato filled spicy savoury travels all the way from the Middle East. It was introduced in India during the 13th or 14th century through Middle Eastern traders.

 

  • The succulent ‘Gulab Jamuns’-

gulab jamun

This sweet party in our mouths is not Indian either! Originally known as ‘luqmat al qadi’, our sweet dough balls called ‘Gulab jamuns’ in India are actually from the beautiful Meditteranean cities like Persia. It was originally deep fried and then soaked in honey syrup and sprinkled with sugar, while we Indians modified it and adopted it as ‘Gulab Jamuns’.

 

  • Spicy ‘Vindaloo’-

vindaloo

This spicy meat curry is born with Portuguese roots and is usually made with pork, chicken or beef. Known originally as ‘carne de vinha d’alhos’, this yummy hot dish is actually made with pork, wine (vin), and garlic (alhos); hence the name ‘vinha d’ alhos’. We Indians have further modified it with by adding potatoes and hence the name vindaloo (aloo means potato) became one of the top 5 Indian foods in this list.

 

  • The compulsory evening ‘chaai’–

chai

Tea was originally used as a medicinal drink in China, which was later adopted and enjoyed by the Britons. Thanks to the British colonizers, we now have the habit of drinking tea quite often during a day. While they drank a strong cup of tea with no milk, we Indians made it more flavourful by adding milk, sugar and at times even spices like cardamom.

 

  • The all-rounder ‘rajma chawal’ –

indian foods

The ‘rajma’ (kidney) bean is bought from Central Mexico and Guatemala. The Mexicans love spice and hence they boiled the kidney beans and added spices to it. We Indians borrowed it and modified it into a delicious and nutritious dish and hence this is one among the top 5 Indian foods which are not Indian.

 

Craving for that yummy homemade North Indian meal? Why wait then? Subscribe now to Masala Box or simply download the app now.