5 Myths about Water That Refuse To Go Away

Before you read any further, take a second and look around you. Most of us will see a bottle of water within a 10-foot radius, no matter where we are. Makes really good sense, considering the unbearable heat and soaring temperatures. We all know that water is essential for life—it makes up 60 per cent of the adult body and is required by every living cell of the body for proper functioning. Repeated research has shown that while a person can last about three weeks without food, without water, they are likely to die within a week, probably lesser in scorching heat. And yet, despite how important water is for our very survival, there are certain myths regarding hydration that refuse to go away. Here are 5 myths about water that, while persistent, are completely incorrect.

Myth 1: Everyone needs to drink eight glasses of water a day

This “rule of thumb”, as it is widely considered to be, is outdated and no one knows where exactly it came from. Physiologically, men should aim for about 3 litres of fluid, while women need about 2.2 litres. Fluid, not just water. Which means that coffee, tea, fruit juices and even sweetened beverages, all contribute to fulfil the body’s fluid requirement. Foods count too, especially those that have a higher water content, like watermelons, cucumbers, etc. “A person’s water requirement depends on their height, weight and activity level, and people who are engaged in strenuous physical activity should take special care to keep drinking water and avoid dehydration, says Dr Shama Sheikh, a Mumbai-based nutritionist.

Myth 2: If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated

Not at the beginning, you aren’t. Our body’s sense of thirst is too acute to allow you to get dehydrated without setting off warning bells. In truth, it is so incredibly alert that it gets triggered if our water balance is off by just one per cent. Thirst is actually just your body’s way of telling you that you need to replenish its fluid levels so it can do its job and you can do yours. So no reason to panic, unless you’re habitually ignoring your thirst.

Myth 3: Water helps you lose weight

By itself, water has no weight-loss triggering properties. So if you’re drinking lots of water in the hope that it will magically make you lose weight, don’t. While it might make you feel full temporarily, since water doesn’t bind with the food, the excess is emptied out by the kidneys pretty quickly. A much better option is eating foods with a high water content. They will keep your stomach full while being low on calories since water has no calories.

Myth 4: Water flushes out your toxins

Drinking a lot of water may make you urinate more often, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that your kidneys are working more effectively to flush out the toxins from your body. According to a paper in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, over-hydration doesn’t improve the functioning of other organs either. This includes our body’s largest organ—the skin. While dehydration will negatively affect the skin and kidneys, the opposite is not true. The up-side is that if drinking more water makes you feel better about your health, go ahead. The extra bathroom trips will at least serve as a break from long durations at the desk!

Myth 5: Clear urine is healthy urine

Okay, so staring at the pot to gauge the colour of your urine might not be the most pleasant task, it can help you understand how hydrated or dehydrated you are. Healthy urine is pale yellow (lemonade-coloured), not clear. The yellow colour in the urine is a measure of how many solid particles, such as sodium, chloride, nitrogen and potassium, are excreted by the kidneys. While more water means lighter urine, very clear urine may actually be a signal that the kidneys are excessively taxed by the amount of fluid and the minerals are getting too diluted. To help matters along, Lawrence Armstrong, an exercise physiologist and professor at the University of Connecticut's Human Performance Laboratory, has created a urine colour chart to measure dehydration. Based on where you fall on the chart, you can adjust your fluid intake.

Reviewed by:

Dr. Jagmeet Madan

National Vice President for India Dietetic Association 

Healthy snacking III - Chivra / Chura bhuja

Chivra / Chura Bhuja/ Healthy snacks

Its winter time !! Its that time time of the year when a hot cup of tea or coffe gives you the maximum comfort. We often crave for something to munch on during tea time and settle in for something unhealthy.

Here is one recipe which satisfies not only satisfies our taste buds but is equally healthy.

This is made of flattened rice popularly known as chura or chira in the eastern parts of the country.
This crunchy snack is made of just 1tsp of oil.

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups chura
2. 1 dry red chilly
3. Green chilies
4. Black salt
5. Pepper

Method:

1. Take a pan and heat 1tsp of oil
2. Once heated, add the red chilly and the green chilies
3. Add the chura and fry well on medium heat till it become crunchy

You might also add pan roasted green chilies to the pan and your tea time snack is ready to serve.

Dhaniya Chicken

You can't beat the aroma of dhania or coriander leaves in the winters :)
So here's a recipe that you can enjoy for dinner.

Its healthy and is low on calories.

Ingredients:

700gms Chicken
3tsp garlic paste
3tsp ginger paste
1cup sliced onions
1/2 cup curd
4tsp kasoori meethi
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
3 tsp chicken masala
salt to taste

Method:

1. Marinate chicken with ginger, garlic paste, curd and salt and keep for about 2 hours

2. Heat about 2tsp of oil in a non stick pan and fry the onions

3. After the onions turn golden brown, add chopped tomatoes and fry them

4. Add the marinated chicken
5. Also add the kasoori meethi,salt and chicken powder and fry till oil starts separating from the masala

6. Add about 1 cup of water and let the chicken cook in the gravy

7.  Add chopped coriander leaves and garnish

Mixed Raita

The best accompaniment to any meal is a nice preparation of raita. It is one meal which not only quick and healthy, but never fails to impress you.

Just chop some vegetables and whisk with yoghurt. Your healthy and spicy raita is ready to serve.

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced cucumber
1/2 cup sliced onion
1/2 cup sliced tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped coriander
2 cups whisked yoghurt
3 tsp chaat masala
2tsp pepper powde
3 tsp black salt
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Whish yoghurt and keep aside

2. Add the chopped vegetables to the whisked yoghurt

3. Add chaat masala, pepper powder, black salt and salt to the mixture

4. Add chopped coriander

The raita is now ready to serve.

You can also grate the cucumber before adding to the yoghurt. However, I prefer my raita crunchy.

Pasta - quick chinese style recipe

Who doesn't love a hearty plate of pasta. Yet we avoid it because of the sauces that come with it. White sauce and red sauce come loaded in calories and are high in cholesterol levels thanks to the butter and cream used.

So here is a healthy yet yummy option for pasta which can be easily cooked at home. The best part is you can put in all your favourite veggies or egg, chicken and mushroom and make your own version of this !

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups boiled pasta
2. 2 large onion
3. Spring onions
4. 2 springs of lemon grass
5. 4 cloves of garlic finely sliced
6. I cup slices vegetables like carrots, beans, bell pepper
7. Green chillies
8. 1 tsp soya sauce
9. 3tsp tomato sauce
10. 1 tsp black pepper sauce
11. Herbs like oregano if available
12. Black pepper

Method:

1. Take about 1tsp oil in a non stick frying pan
2. Fry the garlic, onion, spring onions, lemon grass and bell peppers
3. Once the onion starts going brown, add the chopped vegetables and stir fry
4. If you are using meat or egg, add them now
5. Add the sauces and let the veggies/meat cook with the sauces
6. Once it is cooked, add the pasta, oregano or other herbs, salt and mix well
7. Add green chillies and black pepper if you want. You may also add coriander for that extra flavour

Healthy snacking II - Masala Muri or jhaalmuri

Here is the 2nd option in our healthy snacking series.

Healthy snacking is one thing we all look out for in between meals be it at home or at office. As advised by doctors, it is healthier to eat smaller portions of food in regular intervals. However, many a times at office or on the go, we often settle in for unhealthier options as they are more easily available.

A little creative thinking can help us eat healthy while also satisfying out hungrr pangs. The best part is you dont really have to compromise on taste.

So, we bring to you the recipe od masala muri or jhalmuri as it is popularly called in the East.

You just have to put all the ingredients together and add a dash of lemon. Your tasty snack is ready.

2 cups puffed rice or murmura
1 medium onion
1 cucumber
1 tomato
1 cup of mixed sprouts
2 tsp of lime juice
2 tsp chaat masala

Put all the ingredients together and mix well.

While the street side vendor puts in a lot of oil and fried stuff ( like bhujia or chanachur), we have added a healthy yet easy twist by adding sprouts and bringing in spice by adding lime juice.

Smart snacking series I - Sprouts salad

Snack time is often the time when  we are  tempted to binge  on unhealthy  stuff.

Whether you are at your  work desk  or at home chatting with  friends or   catching up with the latest book , you often look for the perfect snack to give you company .

Remembering to eat healthy even when giving in to ur urge to eat is the idea here. Therefore, we bring to you a snack series wherein we will discuss some healthy yet tasty snacking ideas.

Here goes the first one - sprouts salad. Its not just tasty but is loaded with necessary fibres and can be put together very easily. You just need to remember to soak the ingredients overnight.

Ingredients :
1. 1 cup black fram or chana
2. 1 cup whole moong
3. 1 cup matar
4. 1 onion ( sliced )
5.  2 tomatoes ( sliced )
6. 1 cucumber ( sliced )
7.  2tsp chaat masala
8. Green chilies as desired
9. Juice of one lemon

Method :
1. Soak the chana , moong and matar overnight to get  the best results. 
2. Mix all the sprouted pulses  together . 3. Add in the onion , cucumber, tomatoes together
4. Add the lemon juice , salt   and chaat masala
5. Mix well and the sprout salad is ready to serve
6. You can add chopped coriander leaves also for added flavour.

This salad is loaded with proteins , fibres and vitamins . This helps in lowering cholesterol levels too. Its a favourite with people who want to lose weight.

Eating your breakfast - why is it so important ?

People on the go usually skip breakfast to save precious time in the morning. Some even think that skipping breakfast cuts down your daily calorie intake.
However, research proves that it is the most important meal of the day.

Breakfast as the name suggests is the meal which helps us break our night long fast. Breakfast is the meal which helps us refuel our body to meet all the needs of the present day and therefore, it should be a hearty and healthy meal. Ideally, breakfast time should be within 2 hours of a person's waking up time. 

It kick starts your metabolism for the day: 
It send information to the brain that it needs to start the metabolism process for the day. Therefore, it helps to burn the excess calories A good breakfast provides the necessary carbohydrates to the brain to start functioning and helps us with our concentration levels and makes us stress free.

It helps you to keep a tab on binge eating:
If you do not have a proper breakfast in the morning, chances are that you will feel hungry much earlier in the day as the body need energy to function. There are high chances that you  resort to food which have a high fat content rather than smart snacking.


Having a good meal at the start of the day peps up your day and adds that extra energy that you need at the start of the day. Not eating a proper meal makes you sluggish and has a negative effect on your day.As it helps in the functioning of the brain, it also keeps you in a good moos.

Therefore, one should take special care about a person's breakfast menu. A little imagination can help you to come up with tasty breakfast ideas.

Tomato & Dhaniya ka Shorba (Tomato & Coriander Soup)

This soup makes a healthy dinner.

 Low in calories, the ingredients are loaded with tons of benefits.

Tomatoes are known for its antioxidant properties and play a major role in maintaining cardiovascular health. Coriander is also known to increase HDL Cholesterol in our body which is popularly known as the good cholesterol and is extremely important for a healthy heart.

Ingredients:
4 medium tomatoes
Coriander (about 1 cup)
Garlic (about 2-3 pods)
Cumin seeds
Black pepper
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Cut the tomatoes into 4 halves and pressure cook them for about 10 mins
2. Once cooled, mash the tomatoes properly 
3. Blend together the tomatoes and the coriander to make a smooth paste
4. Strain the mixture to remove tomato skin if any
4. Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds start to crackle, add the tomato & coriander mixture to the pan
5.Add about 1/2 cup of water and cook till it starts boiling
6. Add salt & pepper
7. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot

Coriander Chutney / Dhaniya ki Chutney

For a healthy lifestyle these days, we often avoid oily food.


However, sometimes we miss the extra spice of pickles alongside our main course.However, we cant always give in to our temptations as pickles contain a lot of oil.

So, here is some healthy & quick alternative that will definitely add that extra zing and is no less in taste as compared to pickes.
Coriander Chutney

Things you need: 

1.Coriander leaves - 1 bowl finely chopped
2. Lemon juice - 3tbsp
3. Green chillies - 2
4. Sugar - a pinch
5. Salt - to taste

Process:

1. Grind the coriander & green chillies together
2. To the paste, add the lemon juice, sugar and salt.


Mix well and your spicy chutney is ready to be served.

Coriander not only adds a great flavour to all your dishes, it also has numerous health benefits. It also lowers LDL(bad cholesterol) cholesterol and increases HDL(good cholesterol) cholesterol levels apart from aiding in digestion, curing intestinal gas, preventing nausea & urinary tract infection. It lowers the blood glucose levels in diabetics and prevents skin problems too.

Rava idli

This is a breakfast recipe loaded with loads of health and taste.

A simpler yet quicker version of the regular idli recipe, this instant version of the idli can be made within 20 mins.

Lets take a look :

Things you need :

1.suji or semolina - I cup
2. Curd - 1/4th cup
3. Curry leaves
4. Sesame seeds
5. Water - 1cup
5. Salt to taste
6. Coriander
7. Soda bicarbonate - a pinch

Process :
1. Mix the suji with the curd and water and keep for 10 mins
2. For the tempering, heat oil in a pan and add curry leaves and the the sesame seeds
3. Add the tempering to the suji batter and coriander
4. Add the soda bicarbonate to the batter
5. Grese the microwave safe or steel idli stand with a little oil and steam

Healthy and tasty breakfast is ready to be served. Serve hot with  sambar.