Balance your energy and stay grounded

• Eat fresh, nutritious foods – Fruits, vegetables and whole grains
• Include protein-rich foods – Nuts, seeds, paneer and sprouts
• Stay hydrated – Water, herbal drinks and coconut water
• Practice mindfulness – Meditation and pranayama
• Get natural sunlight – Boosts mood & Vitamin D
• Keep a good sleep routine – 7-8 hours rest and recharge

Choose wholesome foods, practice gratitude and build habits that bring peace, positivity and balance into your life.

The post Navratri Tips for Day 9 – Maa Siddhidatri first appeared on Healthy life with Manju Mohan.

Detox, Refresh and Re-energise

• Include detox-friendly foods – Cucumber, papaya, lemon and tulsi
• Choose light meals – Fruits, sabudana, khichdi and vegetable soup
• Stay well-hydrated – Water, coconut water and herbal tea
• Practice mindful eating – Eat slowly, avoid overeating
• Keep your surrounding clean & clutter-free – for a positive vibe
• Get quality rest – 7 to 8 hours at the least

Choose happy surrounds and nourishing habits.

The post Navratri Tips for Day 8 – Maa Mahagauri first appeared on Healthy life with Manju Mohan.

Fasting has now become routine and your body is not resisting any more.

Keep your mind calm and positing

• Stay hydrated – Water, herbal drinks and coconut water
• Eat light and nutritious meals – Fruits, vegetables, khichdi and soups
• Practice mindfulness – Meditation and deep breathing
• Get enough sleep – Recharge your energy
• Avoid junk food and excess sugar – Keep it clean, Keep it healthy
• Do what brings you joy – Music, nature and family time

Let’s embrace her blessings by nourishing our body, calming our mind and choosing habits that support our inner and outer well-being.

The post Navratri Tips for Day 7 – Maa Kalratri first appeared on Healthy life with Manju Mohan.

Boost your immunity & energy

• Manage Stress – Meditation, pranayam and positive self-talk
• Get enough rest – Min 8 hours of sleep is essential
• Avoid processed and fried foods – You have to keep eating light all along
• Stay hydrated – Coconut water and herbal drinks
• Choose light and nutritious fasting meals – Sabudana, fruits and vegetable soups
• Eat immunity boosting foods – Amla, citrus fruits and ginger

Give yourself some self love.

The post Navratri Tips for Day 6 – Maa Katyayani first appeared on Healthy life with Manju Mohan.

Choose Wholesome & Balanced Meals

• Eat fresh fruits and vegetables – Choose colourful fruits and seasonal vegetables.
• Include nuts and seeds – For good fats and energy.
• Try light & wholesome fasting foods – Sabudana, singhara and rajgira.
• Stay hydrated – Water, coconut water and herbal drinks.
• Manage stress – Pranayam and short breaks.
• Get enough rest – To help the body with better energy and immunity.

The post Navratri Tips for Day 5 – Skandamata first appeared on Healthy life with Manju Mohan.

To achieve this you need to choose natural, nutrient-rich foods that give you sustained energy and keep you active throughout the day.

Fuel your body with goodness

• Include seasonal vegetables & greens – Lauki, tori and spinach
• Add nuts and seeds – Almonds, walnuts, chia seeds and flaxseeds
• Enjoy fresh fruits – Banana, apple and pomegranate
• Stay hydrated – Water, Coconut water and herbal drink
• Avoid junk food – Fried, packed and sugary food
• Keep your energy up – Light meals, short walks and positive thoughts

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Eat Simple, Stay Strong

• Include leafy vegetables and leafy greens – It is time to build up those vitamins and input the fiber. This will help with gut cleaning and easy digestion.
• Have light and easy to digest fasting foods – Since ancient times we have been consuming fasting foods which have been tailored for our needs. Examples are Singhara and Sabudana.
• Add nuts and seeds – for healthy fats and saturated energy.
• Stay hydrated – Fasting needs your body to be hydrated and full of electrolytes.
• Avoid junk, processed and fried foods
• Keep your mind calm with exercises like pranayam and meditation.

The post Navratri Tips for Day 3 – Chandraghanta first appeared on Healthy life with Manju Mohan.

Health Tips for Day 2 of Fasting

• Have light easy to digest food – Continue with eating fruits and sabudana but also include moong and some vegetables.
• Include Nuts and Seeds – Continue with almonds and walnuts but add chia seeds. They have the complete protein and good amount of fiber. It contains all the nine amino acids required to build protein block.
• Drink plenty of water and herbal detox drinks – Use lemons on Day 2 and continue with the coconut water.
• Avoid processed, heavy and fried foods – After the detox of Day 1, you body might crave for oily or fried items.
• Get enough rest – Do not indulge in any strenuous activity and take lots of rest.

Day 2 represents flow of energy. It boosts immunity and inner strength. Hence it is important to choose light but nutritious foods.

The post Navratri Tips for Day 2 – Brahmacharini first appeared on Healthy life with Manju Mohan.

For the first day of fasting we shall focus on clean eating to get the body ready for nine days ahead.

Choose Nutritious and Light Fasting Foods

• Fruits – Banana, Apple and Pomegranate gives the right amount of fiber and energy to begin with. The immunity boost is provided by apple and the antioxidants are pushed in the body by the dark and rich juices of pomegranate. Also do not forget the pomegranate seeds which are themselves a rich source of nutrients and trace minerals. Eat small pieces or as a salad without dressing.
• Sabudana – This power food gives you the energy for the day and keeps you full for a longer time. There are many interesting recipes out there, but remember keep it simple.
• Curd – It is always good to begin with curd since it will help with the gut bacteria. Curd also has lots of nutritional benefits and will keep you hydrated.
• Dry Fruits – Almonds, walnuts and dates should be the dry fruits that you should choose for the first fasting day. These contain large amounts of fiber also.
• Herbal Water – You need to keep well hydrated if you are planning for a fasting day.
• Stay Hydrated – Along with herbal water you can substantiate fluids with coconut water.

The post Navratri Tips for Day 1 – Shailputri first appeared on Healthy life with Manju Mohan.

Although we call it a stress hormone, it does not damage anything inside. In conventional terms we understand stress as pushing something to the limits. In case of cortisol it is a signaling system just like other hormones.

Also just like any other hormone, too much of cortisol does damage your body.

High cortisol can lead to

• Weight Gain – The fat starts accumulating at the belly area first.
• Fatigue & Low energy – You will feel lazy at the start of the day and also at the end.
• Anxiety & Brain Fog – Cortisol pushes anxiety levels.
• Poor Sleep – Ever woken up in the middle of the night. That is high cortisol.
• Skin Issues – Say goodbye to soft and glowing skin.
• Weakened Immunity – You are more vulnerable to infections.

How to keep it in balance?

• Manage Stress – Start breathing exercise, meditation and self-care.
• Get quality sleep – At least 7-8 hours a day. Put all measures in place for a sound sleep.
• Stay Active – Exercises help a long way to remove stress. Walking, Yoga and Strength training works.
• Eat Balanced Diet – Your diet should have mix of proteins and healthy fats. Eat Whole Foods.
• Get Natural Sunlight – A boost of Vitamin D helps lower cortisol levels. Go out for a walk in the morning sun.
• Choose Joy and Happiness – Connect with loved ones, laugh and be in the present.

Your health matters. Stay balanced. Stay you.

– Manju Mohan

The post What is Cortisol? first appeared on Healthy life with Manju Mohan.