Garlic is known for its immense health benefits. Starting from boosting your metabolism and fighting the common infections, it can also be a great food for maintaining a better cardiovascular health. In Ayurveda, garlic is used as a medicine and the list of health benefits that these tiny bulbs can offer is actually long. The latest addition to this list is the weight loss benefits of garlic. According to a latest study, garlic can be actually helpful to lose weight, when combined with the right diet and exercises.
The weight loss benefit of garlic is credited to the same compound of garlic, which gives it the pungent smell and taste. Allicin is a sulfur based compound which has been found to promote the fat metabolism in the body. It might also be effective in restricting the fat storage in the body by limiting the formation of the fat cells. However, for revealing the exact process through which garlic controls fat formation or boosts the metabolism rate, more studies are needed.
Garlic can be actually effective to boost your weight loss regimen by giving you quick results for minimum effort, but it can never replace the need of a proper diet and regular exercise to lose unwanted kilos. So, when you are including garlic in your diet for getting the weight loss benefits, also make sure, that you take a proper diet as well as follow an exercise regimen that can give you the best weight loss effects.
How to use garlic for weight loss
Now we will get into the details of how to use garlic for losing weight. The best thing about garlic is that, you can have it in many ways. You can take it raw or you can use it in cooking your dishes. Garlic can be ideal to go with any salty dish and you can even make a garlic pickle to get the weight loss benefits. If you love non-veg foods, simply add garlic in your chicken stew and if you prefer veggies more make it an ingredient in your vegetable soup too. So, as far as including garlic in your diet is concerned, you have plenty of options.
When you are using garlic to get its weight loss benefits it is best to start with eating a few raw garlic cloves in the morning, in empty stomach. This will help in detoxifying your body and will also boost your metabolism. Here is how you should have it in the morning,
Morning drink with garlic
Take a few cloves of garlic and smash them lightly. Keep them aside for at least 10 minutes, before you take them. It is believed that some particular enzymes of garlic are secreted only after you have smashed the cloves and it takes some time for these enzymes to become active. Hence, it is best suggested to not to take the garlic as soon as you have smashed it.
Once you have smashed the garlic and kept the pieces aside, now take a glass of warm water and add 1 spoon lemon juice to this water. Take the smashed garlic pieces, chew them and as soon as you push them down drink the glass of warm lemon water, this will aid in the fat burning process and will also relieve you from the smell of raw garlic. Take a raw garlic everyday in the morning in the exact way mentioned, to get the best weight loss effects.
When you are looking for the weight loss effects of garlic, having it only in the morning is not enough. You should include it in your every meal so that you can get more of it. One of the best ways to include garlic in your weight loss diet is to use it in your soup. Here is how you can make that,
Pre-lunch soup with garlic
You can easily prepare a pre-lunch soup with garlic. Take the vegetables of your choice and sufficient amount of garlic. Prepare the soup as usual with the vegetables and then add chopped as well as smashed garlic to the soup along with a sufficient amount of pepper. Pepper is also an effective ingredient for weight loss, and when added with garlic it can offer you the best results.
Garlic bread
Garlic bread is the other tasty preparation with garlic that can give your weight loss effects. You can easily prepare garlic bread at home by adding the garlic extract with the whole grain bread and then baking it for a few minutes in the oven.
Garlic in your vegetable smoothies
You can also include garlic in the vegetable smoothies and enjoy its weight loss effects. A smoothie made from vegetables like spinach and bottle gourd is highly regarded for their weight loss effects. Just add some garlic to these ingredients before you smash them to make the smoothie and do not forget to add sufficient pepper to it. You can also add a dash of ACV in the smoothie to enhance the taste and also to increase the weight loss effects.
Garlic in your regular dishes
Garlic paste, smashed garlic, chopped garlic as well as garlic extract, all can enhance the taste of your regular dishes. No matter if you prefer, vegetarian or non-vegetarian preparations, you can always include lots of garlic with all the dishes that you love to get the weight loss benefits of these bulbs.
Garlic supplements
Currently, garlic supplements are also available in the market that claims to offer all the best health benefits of garlic sans its pungent smell or taste. However, many of these supplements come with different additives that might or might not be ideal for your body. So, it is best suggested that to get the weight loss benefits of garlic you stick to the natural raw garlic and prepare it as you like to have it. If you are opting for a garlic supplement, always make it a point to discuss with your doctor first, before you start taking it, because the additives mostly used in the supplements might not be suitable for you.
