The many wonders of a honey diet!

First job after college opens windows to a whole new world! New office, new friends, revamped wardrobe and not to forget…one’s own money! I still remember how excited I used to be to go to office every day, like a kid who has just joined school.  Work was all about friends, fun & partying! Working for an American MNC prior to the recession phase meant a whole lot of pampering & I totally loved it! There were frequent parties, team outings; sponsored lunches, cakes for every occasion, impromptu chocolate hampers…life had become a party!

Life was a bed of roses till the thorns began to make appearance. A few months down the line, the Pizzas, burgers, late night partying, extended work hours and erratic lifestyle began to show on my waistline. While winters were all fun with overcoats and layered dressing, once summer knocked on the door, my denims were the first one to ditch me. I was no longer fitting in my denims and other clothes too joined the revolt. Still in the denial mode, I went shopping however, one look in the over sized clothes and I just hated myself in the mirror. I would look awful in the parties, I panicked.

And so, in the panic mode, I did what most youngsters of my age were doing – going on a fad diet. I had received a forward mail on fad diets and a friend too had mentioned how a friend of hers lost 10Kg in 2 months by going on a fad diet. Looking for a quick fix, I chose one of the fad diets and without consulting any dietitian, forced it on my body.

I somehow managed the first 2 days of the diet with my enthusiasm however, the third day saw my body crumbling in to the after effects of a crash diet - I was feeling weak, lethargic, irritable and couldn’t just focus on work. I had a sweet tooth and was gobbling up 2 pastries and many cookies a day. But the diet instructed me to go completely off sugar! The next day I almost fainted near my workstation. That’s when a friend came as an angel. Her sister was a dietitian and she suggested I consult her before subjecting my body to random diets.

The rendezvous with her sister turned out to be an eye opener. After hearing my story, she attributed the sorry state of affairs to an unhealthy lifestyle. She told me these fashionable crash diets were no permanent solution to my problem. In fact they deprived the body of essential nutrients which had a damaging effect on the body in the long run.

After asking few basic questions, she made me a diet chart and suggested the following  steps to a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle–

·         No skipping meals as this damages the body by depriving the body of essential nutrients. Instead, she suggested small, frequent meals.

·         A balanced diet as per my body type ensured my body got the required dose of calories and nutrients to go about the daily processes.

·         Lots of water and juices and a total no to aerated drinks

·         40 min of walk and light exercises everyday

·         Early to bed, early to rise

I had told her I had a real sweet tooth, she asked me to stay away from refined flour and sugar. Since it wasn’t easy to completely go off sweet temptations, she suggested Sweeter Alternative – Honey! She suggested I begin my day with a spoon of honey and warm water as it would help flush the toxins from my body. I had always thought honey to be just another sweetener, however was pleasantly surprised how just a teaspoon of honey a day brings the following benefits –

·         Weight management: A Spoon of honey taken with warm water in the morning is traditionally known to be useful in weight management.

·         Sugar substitute: Honey is a healthier substitute to sugar when looking to reduce weight as it has lesser calories than sugar and contains vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which are good for health.

·         Source of energy: Honey is known to be a good source of energy as its natural sugar and carbohydrates are easily digested by the body.

·         Aids Digestion: Honey when used in your diet is known to aid in digestion.

·         Cough and cold: Honey is known to help in cough and throat irritation.

·         Beautiful Skin: Honey is known to be useful for the skin because of its moisturizing and nourishing properties.  

Over a period of few months, I realized the focus from fad to fit did begin to show its results as my old clothes were again friends with me. While balanced diet and exercise definitely are a part of my life now, I also swear by the morning spoon of honey with warm water. I use honey to substitute processed sugar in many of my recipes and enjoy the many benefits of a honey diet!

You can visit the Dabur Honeypage to know more about how a Honey Diet can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle. Also don’t forget to check out the honey recipes.

Source - Indiblogger