Chocolate brownies are stuff that happiness is made of. These gooey, fudgy treats are absolutely sinful but they can often leave you worrying about the weighing scale tipping on to the wrong side. Loaded with refined flour (maida), sugar and butter, the cost of a piece of brownie we consume is about 145 calories.
While many nutritionists recommend that it is alright to consume a snack with 80 to 100 calories in between meals, a delicious brownie sadly lacks the nutrition that you might be seeking from healthy snacking. "A piece of brownie does contain some amount of protein in the form of egg, so you can give it to your child once in a while or it can serve as a pick-me-up for pregnant woman, but it may not fit into your weight loss plan," suggests Dr. Rupali Datta, Consultant Nutritionist at Fortis Hospital in New Delhi.
We often don't realise the unnecessary calories picked up on the go; not just that, even the effort that would be required to get rid of them is underestimated. The good news is that you don't have to devoid yourself of an occasional treat. If you ever give in to temptation, here are 6 super-effective ways to work off the calories gained from eating a piece of brownie as suggested by experts.
1. Cycling - Cycling is one of the best exercises you can do to burn off calories but a lot depends on how fast you cycle. Cycling at the speed of 15 km/hr for 25 minutes can help you burn off 145 calories from a portion of brownie.
2. Surya Namasakar -Surya Namaskar, which comprises of 12 yoga poses and is considered a full body workout, uses up approximately 14 calories for one set. So, 11 rounds should be the target in order to burn 150 calories for an average weight person.
3. Walking - Not in the mood for a heavy workout? Just walk at a pace of 4-5 km/hr for at least 55 minutes to burn off those unwanted calories. Up the pace and increase the duration and you could burn even more!
4. Running - Running is an incredibly effective exercise for burning calories. Running at the speed of 12 km/per for 12 minutes can use up the calories gained from a brownie.
5. Sports - We know that certain sports make for a really great cardio workout but how many calories do they help you burn? Playing badminton or tennis for 25 minutes or simply dancing for the same time can help burn off 145 calories for most people.
6. Cleaning/Mopping - You thought all that work around the house doesn't help you burn calories? 42 minutes of doing household chores is what you need to do if eating that piece of brownie is making you feeling guilty.
It's important to note that the amount of calories you burn also depends on your weight. These suggestions are based on dietary guidelines for Indians as per the National Institute of Nutrition - reference man 60 kg while women with reference weight of 50 kg will spend 5% less calories.
So go ahead, indulge a little this festive season. A good brownie is worth 11 Surya Namaskars, surely!
