Which home-made drinks are good for weight loss?

Food should be eaten only when the last meal has been digested properly and one feels hungry and enthusiastic about eating. Our body exhibits hunger when it needs food. Snacking without hunger, especially if it is done at night, will cause indigestion. Activities like laughing, talking, and watching television while eating should be avoided. Eating when we are anxious, worried, deep in thought, angry, or sad is not a good idea. Or in other words, eating when one is emotionally compromised must be avoided.
Food should not be consumed in a hurry or too slowly either. In addition, the quality of food must also be taken into consideration. For example, food should be warm, tasty, easily digestible, of good quality, of the right quantity according to the Agni of a person and should contain all the six rasas. Ayurveda has six tastes or rasas: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, spicy, and astringent. Ayurveda recommends including each of the tastes in every meal. Too much of any one of the six rasas should also be avoided.
Ayurveda also emphasises a fixed meal time for proper digestion and assimilation of food. It is not just about maintaining a fixed time for meals; how the food is prepared is also important. For example, jumping out of bed at 7 am and having a quick bite is not the right way. We need to wake up early, engage in light exercises like yoga and meditation and complete our morning ablutions. It is then that our body enzymes start working for digestion. Ayurveda believes in customised food patterns according to one’s doshas. This will help us keep our body weight in check.
What is the ideal time to have main meals?
· We can have a light and warm breakfast like porridge, millet rotis or chapatis, warm oatmeal, rice pudding, eggs and steamed fruit 7 am.
· Lunch must be the heartiest meal and should be taken between 12:30 to 2 pm.
· We can have some fruit in between breakfast and lunch if hunger strikes. But this should be taken before 11 am.
· Post-lunch, at 4 pm, one can have fruit juices.
· Dinner should be consumed at least two hours before bed. That means, it can be taken between 6:30 pm and 8:00 pm and not after.
· A relaxing walk post-dinner is a good practice after which one should go to bed 10 pm.
· Keep a 4-6 hour gap between main meals: In between the main meals, if you feel hungry, you can have a few nuts, fruits or salads and fruit/vegetable juices. But go for these only if you are very hungry. This will ensure that your metabolism works efficiently and provides the correct nourishment to your body.
What should I drink?
In Ayurveda a detox can be done through Panchakarma. Juices should be made of foods that are rich in fibre and water content.
● Drink one glass of lime juice mixed with room temperature water- Avoid cold water or ice cubes. You can sweeten it with organic jaggery or honey instead of sugar. Helps burn fat, detoxifies the liver and promotes gut health.● Drink golden milk. Add a pinch of organic turmeric powder to warm (not hot) milk at bedtime which can be sweetened with organic honey. Guarantees good sleep hygiene.● Eat 1-2 Indian gooseberries (amla) every day. However, avoid eating raw food during infection in the body. Or simply juice it up.● Drink herbal teas during the day
Ayurvedic drinks for weight management 
1) This ginger-turmeric drink helps increase immunity, digestion, gut health and there helps you manage your weight. Ginger is known to suppress appetite while turmeric increases bile production, which emulsifies fat and boosts its metabolism. A great way to lose weight.
Ingredients:Dry ginger-100 gmMint-5 gmTurmeric-10 gmLemon grass-5 gm
Method:Boil together and drink
2) Immunity tea: This drink increases Vitamin C in your body, boosts immunity and prevents colds.
Ingredients:Beetroot-50 gmCarrot-50 gmGinger-10 gmTurmeric-10 gmOrange juice-100 mlLemon juice-1 tspBlack salt to taste
Method:Blend together in a juicer and drink
3) Apple carrot orange juice: This juice is high in fibre, flushes out toxins and along with antioxidants detoxifies the body quickly. The fibres lend satiety value, so we do not tend to snack on junk food.
Ingredients:Apple- 30 gmCarrot- 150 gmOrange juice- 120 ml
Method:Blend the carrot and apple together and pass through a strainer. Add orange juice and blend well. Enjoy your drink.
4) Garlic pepper Tasam: In 2017, a study was done on obese rats to understand the effects of pepper and piperine compounds on metabolism. It showed that the piperine lowered cholesterol, improved insulin and gut health. Packed with antioxidants, it expunges toxins making the body sweat and producing more urine. This helps us drop weight while aiding digestion.
Ingredients:Garlic-50 gmJeera -1/4 tspPeppercorns-1/2 tspRed chilli-2 nos
Coarsely grind all of this together in a blender and set aside.
Ghee/ virgin coconut oil-2 tspMustard seeds-1/4 tspCurry leaf-10 nosTurmeric powder-1/4 tspWater -750 mlTamarind water -50 mlSalt to taste
Method:Heat ghee in a frying pan and add mustard seeds and let them crackle. Add curry leaf and coarsely ground spices and sauté till it emanates a dinct fragrance. Add turmeric powder and water and boil well till all the flavours come out into the broth. Add salt and tamarind water and serve hot.
How can I perk up my food?
● Use fresh/organic turmeric powder and black pepper to spice up your cooking.● Incorporate rice porridge in your meal planning — Kanji from the southern states or the comfort food called khichdi, that’s made from rice and lentils.● Avoid cold, frozen, half-cooked and deep-fried foods as much as possible.● Avoid food prepared with refined or all-purpose flour: Avoid white bread, buns, rusk, parottas, bakery items, and other varieties of refined flour.