<div style="text-align: justify; "><b><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Winter is a season that's looked forward to by many. Not only is the weather pleasant and bright on most days in India, the cold months also promise a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that are exclusive to the season.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">From carrots, oranges, turnips, mustard leaves, fenugreek leaves, spinach, peas, guavas to pomegranates, all sorts of colourful fruits and veggies adorn the push-cart of your neighbourhood vegetable vendors nowadays. Red and juicy carrot is a root vegetable that's much in demand in winters.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">From gajar ka halwa, salads, carrot juice to gajar ka achaar, many tasty delicacies can be prepared with carrot that is a storehouse of antioxidants, fibre and other wonderful nutrients.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Benefits of carrot: Why you should eat carrot in winter</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Your appetite goes up in winter and you crave for all kinds of fried and sugary snacks when your stomach is rumbling. Stocking on healthy ingredients and planning your mid-meal snacks using seasonal fruits and vegetables is the perfect way to keep hunger pangs at bay during winters.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Carrots have carotenoids that help with weight loss and also lycopene and lutenin. All these antioxidants help in reducing inflammation caused by hormonal fluctuations and also insulin resistance," says Dr Anumiita Pathakk, Senior Executive Nutritionist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Gurgaon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Additionally, carrots help in maintaining better optic health and restricts age related macular degeneration.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The high concentration of carotene, zeaxanthin, lutein, vitamin c, potassium, fibre and minerals make carrot a skin tonic. Carrots are rich source of hyaluronic acid. Consuming carrots on regular basis naturally helps your skin to become tight and supple," says Dr Pathakk.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Carrots are great for heart health as the fibre and antioxidants present in them reduces plaque accumulation in arteries while carotenoids and vitamin C in carrots helps in building strong immune system.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Carrots have an undeniable role in cultivating medium for the good bacteria. Good bacteria plays a vital role in overall health. Sufficient supply of healthy bacteria in your gut will lead to anti-inflammatory domain that causes less inflammation in the body.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Carrot fibre is good culture for the good bacteria. Water soluble polysaccharides arabinogalactan from the carrot fibre is a prebiotic that directs healthy bacteria in gastro intestinal tract. Carrots are very good probiotic too. Kanji water made up with black carrots is very good medium of Pediococcus Acidilactici bacteria and high in antioxidants," says Dr Pathakk.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><b>Healthy carrot recipes</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">To boost immunity, heart health and promote digestive health, here are some healthy ways to have carrot in winter season.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">1. Carrot candies: The sweet and sour taste of carrots loaded with nutrients are very helpful in preventing morning sickness during pregnancy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">2. Kaanji water: Kanji is an excellent probiotic drink made with black carrots. This promotes good bacteria and make your digestion better.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">3. Carrot pickle: Prepared with less salt and without oil pickle can be a very good appetiser and taste enhancer in your plate.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">4. Carrot chutney: Carrot chutney is very nutritious and good source of fibre too. It’s good for better digestion and eases bloating too.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">5. Carrot baked samosa: Carrot baked samosa can be a healthy evening snack loaded with many nutrients.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">6. Carrot seeds tea: Carrot seeds tea is very helpful in lactation. As it’s lactogenic in nature, it helps in the production of milk in lactation period. Carrot seeds tea is also very beneficial in regulation of menstruation. It is helpful in PCOS too.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">7. Carrot chips: Carrot chips are ideal snacks for them health freaks. They are high in taste and less in calories. Air frying them is a healthy way to add them to your diet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">8. Carrot rolls: Baked carrot rolls can be a healthy option for your kid’s tiffin and for your taste buds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">9. Carrot sticks: You can relish carrot sticks as a snack with hummus and low-calorie curd dips. HT</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>