Summer is synonymous with mango, watermelon, and other juicy fruits. But do you know there’s an underrated fruit that’s ruling the Indian kitchen for ages? Bael has been a summer staple for our grandparents and parents. This is due to the bael fruit’s natural sweetness, comforting fragrance, and incredible health benefits. Known as wood apple in English and kotha in Gujarati, bael is a good source of vitamins, minerals, iron, potassium, and calcium. It boosts immunity and regulates blood sugar levels. Bael fruit also maintains bone health and aids in digestion, cholera, ulcers and tuberculosis. But it also acts as a secret weapon if you’re searching for the right ingredient to reduce fat naturally. Here’s how bael helps in weight loss.

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Bael for weight loss

Did you know you can sip on some sweet bael juice to lose belly fat? Bael fruit is loaded with fibre that keeps you full for longer hours. This reduces your appetite, resulting in a low calorie intake. Bael or wood apple reduces water retention, an issue that makes you feel heavier than usual. The fruit is also a natural detoxifier. If you drink bael sharbat or have raw bael fruit, you’ll feel less bloated and more energised. It also increases your metabolism, which will help you burn more calories in a short time. The rich antioxidants in bael combat inflammation, regulating your metabolism. Bael fruit is a natural fat-burner you can rely on for a healthier, smarter weight loss journey. But bael is not your regular fruit that you peel off and eat.

How to use bael fruit for weight loss

The outer shell of the bael fruit is quite hard to crack with a regular knife. So, break the hard shell with the help of a rolling pin (belan). Remove the seeds and gel from the bael. It’s important to remove every seed and all the gel to eliminate the bitterness of the fruit. Scrape the shell to collect extra pulp. Now, add the bael pulp and a cup of chilled water to a bowl. Mash the mixture using your hands and separate the extra seeds and fibre. Using a spatula, strain the mixture properly to get a semi-liquid pulp. In Indian households, people use bael to make chutney, sweet paranthas and other delicacies. But the most common way to have bael for weight loss is to consume it as juice or sharbat. Bael is naturally sweet, so you don’t need extra sugar. But if you want it sweeter, try honey, jaggery powder or brown sugar instead. Follow these simple recipes for bael sharbat to burn stubborn fat.

1. Bael sharbat

Ingredients: 

1 cup strained bael pulp

1 glass chilled water

Black salt to taste

1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)

3-4 mint leaves

2-3 ice cubes

Method:

In a bowl, add the strained bael pulp, water, jeera and black salt. Stir well to mix the ingredients. Transfer the drink to a glass, add ice cubes and garnish it with mint leaves. The bael sharbat is ready to serve.

2. Milk bael sharbat

Ingredients:

1 cup strained bael pulp

1 glass chilled milk

3-4 ice cubes

Method:

In a blender, add the strained bael pulp and milk. Blend the ingredients to get a smooth consistency. Transfer the mixture to a glass and add ice cubes. The milk-based bael sharbat is ready to enjoy.

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