Mommy Shilpa Shetty Reveals The Four Secrets To Her Toned Tummy

How can there be side-effects to motherhood? It is the most beautiful feeling you have known and the joy reaches your heart whenever you see your little one smiling. But truth be told, becoming a mother does come with a set of challenges and repercussions, probably the biggest of which is weight gain. The skin on your tummy, especially, starts to sag, and getting back to a healthy weight and a slim figure seems to be a dream. Yet there are some moms like Shilpa Shetty who are doing it beautifully. And no, the secret to her toned body isn’t anything complicated. Recently, on World Heart Day, Shilpa opened up about the four main secrets to her weight management…

One look at this Bollywood diva and a thousand thoughts cross your mind. It is easy for celebrities to bounce back after delivery.They have expensive workout and diet options. They have a lifestyle that cannot be supported by the regular woman.Not true! The reality, at least in Shilpa’s case, is actually very simple. She believes in four very strict rules to maintain her and her family’s health.She is very rigid about these rules and following them religiously is what has given her the enviable figure she has.

Here’s what Shilpa recommends you must do to manage your weight:

Secret #1: “Whatever you eat, chew well.”

How often do you overlook this basic fact we learnt in school? There’s the washing to be dealt with, diapers to be changed, the living room to be cleaned.Meal time for you is a quick affair and you gulp it down as fast as possible. With time, this shows up as unwanted fat in your abdominal area! Chewing is the process that helps your body release digestive enzymes in the stomach.These enzymes break down the food into energy and also communicate to your brain when you are full. This stops you from overeating. Shilpa reveals from experience – chewing and eating can help you lose 12 more kilograms than you would otherwise!

“People simply gulp down the food which is wrong. You have a set of 32 teeth so ideally one should chew 32 times but trust me people don’t even chew 15 times. It’s said that if you chew your food and eat you nearly lose 12 kgs as food mixes with your saliva and digests faster that way!”

Secret #2: “Stay away from aerated drinks!”

Whether we feel thirsty after doing our chores, have an upset stomach, or need something to serve to our kids with their fast food, aerated drinks are our go-to option.They have become such an intrinsic part of our lifestyle that we don’t realize how the calories in such drinks translate into layers of flab on the tummy!A part of Shilpa Shetty’s fitness secret lies in emphatically avoiding cold drinks and not letting her family consume them either.Not just that, she is also worried about the many cases of cancer in her own family – something that research is underway for its linkage to aerated drinks.

“People think acidity hogayi toh gulp down a glass of aerated drink to release gas and you feel batter. But believe me that aerated drinks simply screw your system, so better them.”

Secret #3: “Just do 20 minutes of workout”

Here comes the dreaded bit – exercise! Does Shilpa recommend vigorous workout in the gym and is that her real secret?No! The mommy has revealed that working out for 20 minutes four times a day is enough to maintain a healthy weight.And this workout can simply be walking or taking the stairs! She also believes in yoga, especially the pose Vajrasana after every meal.This asana helps boost the digestive process and is quite easy to do. All you have to do stand on your knees with your legs together and then lower yourself to sit on your heels.

“It is important to exercise. Workout four days a week and see the change. You can simply do brisk walking and take the stairs and you will be much fitter.”

Secret #4: “Go Indian!”

Finally, Shilpa strongly recommends Indian food and Indian cooking to stay healthy. Surprised? Here’s more.She consumes ghee whenever she eats rice and often uses coconut oil for cooking. Even for her son, she cooks Indian meals and stays away from packaged meals or frozen foods.Her only consideration is this: “Eat right food at right time and in the right way!” Eating seasonal produce and sticking to traditional desi cooking, she believes, is a great way to maintain good health.

“Respect our local produce. Madonna eats ghee, Victoria Beckham uses coconut oil.Now ghee and coconut oil are an Indian produce and we should respect those instead we are busy cooking food in olive oil! I personally eat food cooked in ghee.Ghee has unnecessarily become an evil. I consume at least 1 to 1.5 tablespoon of ghee every day. As a matter of fact, I never eat my rice without ghee”

Thank you for those amazing tips, Shilpa! They are little things that we mothers know in the back of our heads but fail to follow in our chaotic lifestyles.But now that you know just how effective they can be in keeping you fit and energetic, make it a point to follow them starting now.The secret to a happy, fit and confident you lies in some simple eating and lifestyle fixes!