“Wake up and smell the coffee. Great mornings start with the heavenly aroma of coffee. You can’t have a bad day when you start your morning with coffee.” As evidenced by these quotes, coffee is a beverage that holds great significance in the morning routines of many individuals; tea also elicits similar sentiments in another group of people. That’s because both tea and coffee contain caffeine, a natural stimulant that helps increase wakefulness and alertness and that’s why people prefer starting their day with a cup of tea or coffee to shake off drowsiness and improve focus, and to get that boost to kick-start their day. Another advantage is that tea and coffee can help the bowel moving 😛 With respect to losing weight, experts say it’s not a good idea to have tea/coffee immediately after waking up because they can trigger stomach acids and cause heartburn and acidity. Also, adding sugar, creamer, etc., would increase the calories, cause a sudden spike in blood sugar levels, leading to a subsequent crash in energy levels later in the day. This can result in fatigue, decreased productivity, and increased hunger, which may lead to overeating and weight gain. As caffeine triggers cortisol secretion, it’s best to consume coffee/tea between 9:30 to 11:30 am, to avoid increasing the cortisol levels during this peak time. Since health gurus are against beginning the day with a cup of coffee or tea, particularly on empty stomach, here are 5 things that will hydrate the body, boost metabolism, and will not hamper weight loss either.
1. Warm Water with Lemon:
Warm water with lemon is often touted as a natural detox drink that may aid in weight loss when consumed first thing in the morning. Lemon when mixed with water flushes out toxins and it’s a low-calorie drink to kickstart your day, and detoxify the body. Drinking warm water with lemon in the morning is thought to stimulate the digestive system, boost gastric acid secretion, which in turns helps with more efficient breakdown of nutrients, potentially leading to a slight increase in metabolic rate. You can add mint, cucumber, ginger for added benefits, but do avoid adding honey because it will spike up the calorie count.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar in Lukewarm Water:
Raw, unfiltered, minimally processed apple cider vinegar has antioxidants, enzymes, and minerals. It is believed to boost immunity along with imparting detoxifying properties. Thought to have detoxifying effects and help with bloating, diluting 1 tbsp of unfiltered apple cider vinegar in one whole glass of lukewarm water tends to also boost metabolism and improve digestion as well. Since apple cider vinegar is obtained through the fermentation process, it is great for the gut. Research has shown that the gut bacteria play a big role in the way we store fat, and that’s why a healthy gut, can help us slim down.
3. Fenugreek Water:
It is believed that fenugreek suppresses appetite, increasing satiety with its fiber content. Soak 1 tbsp of fenugreek seeds overnight in glass of plain water. Consume this glass of water first thing in the morning. It will help regulate blood sugar levels, flush out toxins, regulate digestion, will lower cholesterol level too. Additionally, fenugreek water can promote hair growth as well.
4. Cumin (Jeera) Water:
Just like fenugreek seeds, soak 1 tbsp of cumin seeds in one glass of plain water overnight. Having this drink first thing in the morning will help boost metabolism, help with bloating, correct digestive issues, and flush out toxins from the body. Also read: “Can Eating Spicy Foods Help you Lose Weight?”
5. Jeera/Dhania/Saunf/Ajwain Drink:
Soak a bit of cumin seeds, dhania seeds, saunf, and just a bit of ajwain seeds in a glass of water overnight. You can also add 1 tbsp of chia seeds. Cumin, dhania, and ajwain (carrom seeds) all boost digestion. Now, this is a potent drink to promote digestion, clear bloating and flatulence, improve metabolism and also to lower inflammation. It would also not add too many calories either. Also read: “10 Weight Loss Foods in Every Indian Kitchen.”
These natural drinks help to boost weight loss in the way that they help to boost metabolism, flush out toxins, and reset the digestive system – all essential factors building up to shedding weight. But make no mistake, weight loss can only be achieved through a proper diet plan and consistent exercise routine. You can get such diet plans to shed weight fast on the Rati Beauty app. Subscribe to the Rati Beauty app to access these plans. Everything else just act as aids in the whole process, including these above-mentioned drinks.
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