Everyone looks forward to celebrating a fun filled Diwali with parties galore. With all the eating and drinking the fitness routine of most people go for a toss.
Snacking and Weight Gain during Diwali
The regular meal time and sleeping routine gets disturbed during Diwali celebrations. Moderation in eating should be practiced especially towards fried food and alcohol. Fresh fruits, curd dips, raw salads, roasted pistachios should substitute the oily snacks generally served during the festival. Detoxification after Diwali is also important . It can be done by replacing carbohydrates and proteins with fibre and vitamins. Increase the intake of water. Enjoying a few sweets on Diwali will not adversely affect one’s health if one is careful all the year round and maintains a regular routine of exercise.
Regular Meals Should not be Replaced with Savouries
Sweets have little or no nutritional value and they should therefore replace the snacks or extra cups of tea or coffee rather than regular meals.
Don’t Overdo
Eating right and exercising regularly should be a part of one’s everyday routine. During Diwali, one is surrounded with different kinds of tempting sweets . It is alright to indulge one’s taste buds once in a while but going overboard has long lasting bad results.Portion control is absolutely necessary whether one is eating sweets or munching the dried fruits is a better option. Moderation in eating all the mouth wateringsavouries is important. Keep oneself hydrated at all times without aerated drinks. Goodies with longer shelf life like chocolates etc should be kept away from direct vision so that they may be savoured at a later date. Share the mouth watering stuff with family and friends. To counterbalance the Diwali partiesone is obliged to attend, one should roast, bake or grill the food one is eating at home. Sweets made of low fat milk and natural sweeteners like honey and dates should be preferred over the ghee laden ones. Diwali can be enjoyed fully without adding to the weight by making sensible choices which include serving size and meal timings.
Diet Hacks to the above Diwali Food Frenzy
Pre- Party Preperation
Skipping meals and staying hungry is actually the worst thing one can do for both health and weight. Being hungry increases the risk of overeating foods that one would normally avoid. Therefore, it is advised that one should have healthy drinks like coconut water, buttermilk, vegetable juices and plenty of water before going to the party.One should have fruits , soups before leaving home so that the chances of overeating is reduced.
Party Diet
Controlling portion size of any eatable is most important. Choose salads, steamed and sautéed vegetables over high calorie tasty treats being served at the party.
Post Party System Cleaning
Concentrate on healthy eating once the Diwali parties are over. Increase of water intake helps in flushing out the toxins as does substituting herbal tea instead of regular tea. Also increase the intake of dietary fibre by eating whole grains and fresh fruits which will clean the digestive system by increasing the elimination of wastes from the body. Restrict eating out and intake of processed and packaged food. Eating limited portions of freshly home cooked food is a healthier option.
Cravings for sweets and unhealthy snacks after the festive season is over can be kept at bay by having regular routine. One should have small and frequent meals through out the day besides exercising regularly. Healthy snack options to munch in between main meals should be handy.
One should definitely enjoy the festival of lights more by being aware of what one is eating and how much. By going berserch in the parties, one may have to pay a heavy price due to weight gain and accompanying ailments. So be safe and enjoy Diwali without feeling guilty.
written by Avni Kaul – Nutritionist and Wellness Coach
