Water, pure, unadulterated H2O, is the best beverage on the earth for excellent health and weight loss, as you already know.
Water helps you lose weight by suppressing your appetite. Because the same portion of your brain interprets both hunger and thirst signals, it is easy for your brain to mix them up and cause you to confuse hunger with thirst.
A comprehensive study published in the Annals of Family Medicine based on the National Health Examination Survey (NHANES) identified a tangible link between inadequate water intake and obesity, suggesting that hydration is essential in weight management.
So, drink up and lose weight. Is there a technique to speed up weight reduction when drinking water, however?
Trista Best, RD, MPH, a registered dietitian, recommends cumin water.
Cumin water can be easily made at home using dried cumin seeds. The antioxidant-rich spice has shown potential to enhance the immune system and gut health, reduce inflammation, and decrease cancer risk.
Cumin as a fat decomposer
"Cumin has been studied for its fat-burning properties, and it has been shown to increase metabolic rate in people who have lost weight," explains Best. "A faster metabolism implies the body burns calories more quickly."
In modest clinical research, an experimental group of 88 obese women ate yoghurt laced with cumin at two meals daily for three months. Over the same period, the control group ate the same amount of yoghurt but without the cumin powder. Only those women who consumed cumin saw significant reductions in their weight, BMI, waist circumference, and fat mass. They also had lower total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels in their blood, while raising the beneficial HDL cholesterol.
Cumin water, according to Best, also benefits blood sugar regulation by assisting cells inappropriately responding to glucose and insulin. When your blood sugar level is high, your cells can store more glucose than you require for energy, and this glucose can be turned into fat.
How to make cumin water
Cumin water (also called jeera water) can be drunk hot or cold, says Best.
To make it, follow these steps:
1. Overnight, soak a tablespoon of cumin seeds in a cup or two of water. (Some people prefer to smash the bases with a rolling pin to release the natural oils.)
2. Boil the mixture for around five minutes in the morning.
3. Strain the seeds out after the water has chilled and serve over ice or reheat at your desired temperature.
"Cumin water has a mineral/woody flavor," Best says. "To increase the flavor, I recommend adding a pinch of natural sweetener or cinnamon to the drink."