Can we drink desi chai to support weight loss. Is Indian chai healthy ? We look to answer these questions in this article. Let’s see what are the reasons for desi chai not being considered healthy.
Basics about desi chai
- Black tea has flavonoids, types of antioxidants called theaflavins and thearubigins
- A cup of black tea contains roughly 30-80 mg caffeine
- Caffeine can promote lipolysis, which breaks down fat and stimulates cycles that metabolises fat
- Black or green tea has approx 20-30 calories in a cup, however, the regular chai with whole milk contains 150-200 calories
- Tea in ayurveda is considered a rajasic food (stimulant of mind and body)
What do you need to do
- Don’t let chai / tea become a addiction
- Milk tea if consumed at a inappropriate time can cause acidity, bloating or indigestion
- Due to incompatability of milk protei casein and tea antioxidants, the effect of tea antioxidants reduces
- Add Indian herbs and spices to increase the antioxidants levels in your chai
- Spices should be added as per season, region and your body type
- Adding holy tulsi can reduce the side effects in many ways
- Add herbs and spices like fennel, nutmeg, ginger or cardamom
Health benefits of chai with spices
- Tea is loaded with antioxidants
- It boosts immunity and metabolism
- It relaxes the blood vessels
- Tea is good for the brain, it stimulates the nervous system
- It reduces the cell damage and reduces oxidative effects of tea in the body
- Tea is good for the heart
- Spices help reduce blood sugar
- It is anti inflammatory and has anti aging properties
How to consume tea in weight loss ?
- Always start with adding spices and give a nice boil to the water
- Add herbs / spices as per the season and your body type
- Add natural sweetners in small portion instead of white sugar
- Reduce your serving size
- Try and develop taste for adding plant milk in the chai
When to drink desi chai ?
- Don’t combine tea with meal or drink it right after your meals
- Tannins found in black tea inhibit the absorption of iron, calcium, zinc and many other nutrients from our meal
- Don’t drink tea immediately after waking up
- Avoid drinking tea empty stomach
- Wait for at least 90 minutes to have your first cup of tea
- Don’t consume tea post sunset
- Caffeine in the tea stays in your blood stream for a long time which will interfere with your sleep
What should you do ?
- Go chai free for atleast a week in a month
- This will help you avoid getting addicted to tea
- It will also help build your body’s natural ability to work without a stimulant
How much tea should you have in a day ?
- Consume at least 1 cup and maximum of 3 cups
- Portion size of the cup however is very important
- Avoid using mugs to consume tea