Spicy is perhaps the best word to describe the weight-loss journey of 38-year-old Nagina Abdullah, an US-based fitness coach. It was during her two pregnancies that she gained 40 pounds (almost 18.5 kg) and she left no stone unturned to shed those kilos. From turning vegetarian to following all kinds of diets possible, Abdullah still carried the heavy burden of her post-pregnancy weight. But not for long. She then discovered one magical ingredient that helped her fight against these weight issues—spice.
The first step of her new weight-loss programme began by avoiding sweets in her diet while adding more spice to it. “All my recipes include natural fat-burning spices like turmeric, cumin and coriander. They’re not necessarily be spicy (unless you want it to be, like I do) and they’re definitely flavourful, filling and fat-burning,” writes Abdullah in her website www.masalabody.com where she shares with followers her journey from fat to fit. She also sends for free a book of weight-loss recipes that use spices to people who sign up for her website.
Indian food can never be complete without a healthy dose of spices. When we add spices or herbs to food, it upgrades the meal in more than one way. Besides adding flavour, which Indian food is known for, spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander and others are packed with health benefits as these contain minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. “Spices help in increasing the metabolism, decreasing body fat and lowering the bad cholesterol LDL and triglycerides in the body. Spices add flavour to our food. Savouring flavourful food makes you happy. This helps in fighting unnecessary food cravings and hunger pangs,” says Lovneet Batra, clinical nutritionist at Fortis La Femme in Delhi, adding, “Spices like turmeric have anti-inflammatory effect on your body, which brings the metabolic stress down. This increases the fat-burning capacity and boosts energy levels.”
A detox drink that contains lemon and sugarcane juice along with ginger, mint and cayenne pepper is believed to help in fat-burning. The truth behind such drink is still debatable but the role of pepper in weight loss has been accepted by many experts. “Some spices like peppers have a heating effect on the body, the process of thermogenesis burns fat. Certain spices like cinnamon decrease blood glucose levels and help in improving insulin resistance,” says Batra.
But eating an overdose of spice would not help. It should be used with care for maximum effectiveness. Abdullah tries to use spices judiciously while preparing her meals. She uses cinnamon in her tea, coffee and breakfast smoothies to help maintain the insulin levels and manage her weight. She also prepares healthy snacks of nuts sprinkled with pepper and red chilli powder.
With regular workout and a little spice, we can overcome any weighty hurdle.