Avoid having tea or coffee first thing in the morning: Rujuta Diwekar
Highlights
- Add black pepper and cinnamon to tea to improve insulin sensitivity
- Add ginger and tulsi for better digestion and immunity
- Add lemon grass to your tea for reducing congestion
Monsoon and chai go hand-in-hand. We bet all of you agree! But alas... the many misconceptions circulated by the food industry has made the very humble chai gain bad reputation. From causing gastric issues like gas and acidity to worsening diabetes, this common beverage has now lost its presence to the likes of chamomile tea and green tea. This, however, hasn't stopped actress Kareena Kapoor Khan and her nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar from having chai. While the former boldly flaunts her cup of masala chai to paparazzi (see post below), the latter regularly shares tips and tricks on social media to make people aware about time-tested food and beverages like dal rice, masala chai, ground nuts, dates, jamun and much more.
3 "special tips" shared by Rujuta Diwekar on Facebook and Instagram
"The rains are here and so is the desire to sit by the window, sipping a hot cup of chai. It surely calms your mind, but here are 3 easy tips to make it works for your body too," she writes for the following tips:
1. Add ginger and tulsi: Ginger is the wonder spice that can be added to nearly all of your homemade preparations. It has antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Ginger is also great for improving digestion. Tulsi or basil has been used in Ayurveda for thousands of years for its healing properties. Sore throat, cough and cold are all common during monsoon. It makes perfect sense to add ginger and tulsi in your tea for better digestion and immunity.
Also read: Celeb Nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar Recommends This As The Single Most Important Thing For Your Child's Health
2. Add lemon grass: If you experience bloating too often, then you must add lemongrass to your tea. Not only bloating, lemon grass can also help in reducing congestion. Adding lemon grass to your tea can help in controlling chronic cough and cold by reducing congestion.
3. Add black pepper or cinnamon: Now we know why masala chai is actually called 'masala' chai. It is because of these varieties of spices that you can add to tea, not just make impart a distinct flavour to it, but also for their health benefits. For people with diabetes, adding black pepper corns and cinnamon powder to tea can help in improving insulin sensitivity.
Adding a variety of spices in your tea can make it healthier
Photo Credit: iStock
Also read: Having Rice For Dinner? Here's What Rujuta Diwekar Has To Say About It
Add sugar to your tea, guilt-free
Rujuta Diwekar says that it is absolutely fine and safe to add sugar to your tea or coffee. According to the World Health Organization and other global organisations for diabetes, around six to nine teaspoons of sugar in a day is fine. Instead of avoiding small amount of sugar in tea or coffee, you should avoid invisible forms of sugar in biscuits, fruit juices and breakfast cereals.
Follow the right pattern of consumption
When it comes to consuming tea or coffee and the gastric issues associated with it, your pattern of consumption and gut health plays a huge role. If you have a healthy gut, then digestion issues are not likely to happen after drinking tea or coffee. Also, if you have tea or coffee first thing in the morning, it is quite likely to cause acidity. To avoid other gastric issues, you must avoid having tea or coffee just before sleeping or as a meal replacement during the day. 2-3 cups of tea or coffee in a day are "totally fine" says Rujuta. Last, but not the least, "Have it in full fat milk please," Rujuta writes in her post.
Also read: Drumsticks For Weight Loss: Prepare This Morning Tea And Lose Weight In No Time, Know Other Health Benefits
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.