Skip to main content

Health shots

Do you reach out for that plate of fresh fruits or cold milk or maybe soaked overnight oats? While all these boost umpteen health benefits, they may not be ideal food choices for the day’s first meal. There are people who opt for cold breakfast options over warm ones to give their day a much-needed start, Ayurveda suggests otherwise. As per Ayurveda, it is best to kickstart your day with warm breakfast options to make the digestive system active for the heaviest meal of the day, the lunch.

Health Shots reached out to Dr Dimple Jangda, gut health and an Ayurvedic expert, to understand why we should preferably have a warm breakfast.

Is cold breakfast good or bad?

Our metabolic fire has a direct relationship with the position of the sun. In Ayurveda and modern science, this concept of syncing your internal clock with mother nature’s clock is highly appreciated. The concept is called circadian rhythm, explains Dr Janga. “In the morning when the sun is just about rising, your metabolic fire in the gut is also just waking up and is a bare minimum. Now, if you put a cold breakfast in your gut in the morning, chances are that the metabolic fire will either extinguish or it will weaken. Over time, your digestive health becomes weak,” she adds.

why should we have warm breakfast
When it comes to healthy eating, trust Ayurveda. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

Ayurveda recommends starting the day by showing love and care towards our digestive health. The expert shares that your colon is active between 5-7 am, and your digestive fire starts becoming active at sunrise and sets at sunset.

Healthy morning habits you must practice

Here are some things our expert recommends as we go about healthily starting our day.

1. Spend at least one-hour meditating, chanting, or in body movement

“You should kickstart your day on a healthy note by practicing meditation, chanting or some basic yoga exercises like stretching to activate the downward movement or peristalsis of the waist. The downward moving wind principle allows us to evacuate any waste from our stomach, intestines, and our colon,” says the expert.

Also read: Learn how to make poha, and end your search for a low-calorie desi breakfast

2. Have warm water on an empty stomach

You should drink at least 200 ml of warm water to stimulate the agni/digestive fire in the stomach.

3. Have overnight soaked nuts or stewed fruits

The expert suggests, “Have some overnight-soaked nuts because they are great superfoods and are a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. You can also have stewed fruits wherein you can take fruits like apples or peaches. You can peel off the skin, add some water, cinnamon or clove and stew them all well. You can have a bowl of warm stewed fruits for breakfast. You can also have a bowl of porridge”.

why should we have warm breakfast
A dal-based hot chilla can be a fulfilling and healthy breakfast option. Image courtesy: Adobe Stock

Breakfast tip: Make sure that your breakfast is simple and small, based on the position of the sun. You can have a big lunch when the sun is at its peak and a small dinner when the sun sets. The portion of your meals should be directly related to the position of the sun, and the number of meals should be as minimal as possible.

Skipping the morning breakfast to directly go on to have brunch at 11 am is also healthy, according to Dr Jangda, even though many experts may contradict it. A healthy practice is to allow your metabolic fire to reach its peak before you start giving food to your body.

Also read: Why skipping breakfast for ‘brunch’ is not weight-loss friendly

Word of caution

If you are someone who suffers from issues such as acidity, acid reflux, headaches or burning sensation, you must have breakfast or it could aggravate pitta symptoms such as hyperacidity or acid reflux.

Best breakfast options

“You should refrain from having bread, wheat parathas, milkshakes or smoothies which are toxic combinations of vegetables or fruits and can lead to skin diseases in the future,” says the expert.

The best breakfast options as per the expert are porridge, steamed idli or dosa. These can be made using ingredients such as sooji and oats, or from any of the millets like bajra, jawar, raagi, or broken wheat. These ingredients can either be steamed to make idli, porridge or dosa on an iron pan where are no spices or cooking process involved.

This warmth in our body and gut keeps us alive. So, we should always honour the agni in our stomach which is the source of our life.

The post Why should you avoid a cold breakfast, according to Ayurveda appeared first on Healthshots.



from | HealthShots https://ift.tt/7JGPYCs
via IFTTT
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Health shots

An itchy scalp is a common hair problem. I have dandruff, which is probably why I experience an itchy feeling most of the time. It is very bothersome, especially because it may lead to scalp odour, and hair damage. Also, persistent humidity might create an environment that promotes fungal or bacterial diseases. Use azadirachta indica or neem for itchy scalp, says my mom. She believes that since neem is rich in anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, it can help treat a variety of scalp infections. When I used it, it helped reduce inflammation on the scalp. What are the causes of itchy scalp? An itchy scalp can be caused by several factors, including common irritants and underlying medical issues. Here are a few common culprits – 1. Dandruff Dandruff can lead to itchy scalp, but does not give the red or inflamed appearance. It can happen in oily areas of your body, like your scalp, face, or chest, as per a study published in the Journal of Clinical and Investigative Dermato...
Read more

Health shots

Every time you get sick, mothers and grandmothers always have a million remedies to help you get some relief. One of the most common health problems is cough. Not long ago, I got a bad cough, and my mother came to my rescue and suggested that I should eat guava leaves for cough. Baffled at first, I was skeptical to try it out but believing her instincts, I tried it and guava leaves gave me some relief. While it worked for me, I had to check with an expert if it worked or if it was just a coincidence. Guava leaves for cough: Does it work? Cough is a health condition that causes trouble breathing. There are various reasons behind this health condition like allergies, infections, or environmental pollutants. Guava leaf extract has been part of ancient home remedies for centuries. It was used to treat ailments such as cough and pulmonary diseases in Bolivia and Egypt. It was also a part of ancient cough remedies  in India, according to a study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmac...
Read more

Health shots

When you want instant boiling water for tea or coffee, an electric kettle can make it quick and easy. An electric kettle is a useful kitchen equipment that rapidly and efficiently boils water. It typically comprises a container with an electrically powered heating element. Electric kettles have various advantages over traditional stovetop kettles, such as faster boiling periods, automatic shut-off functions, and precise temperature control. They come in various sizes, designs, and materials, including stainless steel and glass. Electric kettles are multifunctional and can be used for more than just boiling water, such as brewing tea, coffee, instant noodles, and soup. Here are some of the best electric kettles hand-picked for you! 6 best electric kettles for hot water Check out the best electric kettle for a hassle-free hot water solution. 1. Pigeon Electric Kettle This electric kettle from Pigeon comes with a stainless steel body and a 1.5-liter capacity. This 1500W electric kettl...
Read more