Hindu women observe Navratri vrat and fasting for nine days as a part of puja procedure and rituals. The eating habits during Navratri can make you gain more weight or make skin loss the glow. In order to maintain the glow of your skin and to loss a couple of kilos weight loss, a Delhi based dietician gives some suggestions, eating habits and tips to follow. An article published in The Times of India gives glimpses of Navratri eating habits.
This isn’t an advertisement of a weight loss clinic, nor a promotion of a weight loss pills prescribed for the nine days! Then what is it? Well, we are talking about simple alterations in your eating habits which will help you weigh lighter on the scale on the ninth day of fasting. Wasn’t this on your mind before you pledged to go fasting?
Fasting or feasting?
Amid the entire hullabaloo of going lighter and eating less during the Navaratris, we often go overboard and stuff our lunch packs with all the wrong stuff. The perception that substituting roti (carbohydrate) with endless servings of vrat ka khana, characterized by fried potatoes, sabudana papads, crispies, sweets, fruits etc will help in losing weight is a myth. Explains Delhi-based dietician Aishwarya, “Navratri food is generally starchy and needs a lot of oil to be cooked, which leads to constipation, since the body is not used to so much of starch. So, the solution lies in changing the way you cook. For instance, potato can be taken as a mash rather than in fried form.”
No food, no weight!
Apart from eating wrong stuff, another common crime is ‘not eating at all’. In the greed of knocking down a few kilos, people usually go for just one big meal in the evening, which is an absolute no-no, says dietician Shikha Sharma, adding, “It is detrimental to metabolism and in the bargain you only get fat, a bloated feeling and constipation.”
As a solution, “One should keep having light and watery fruits and vegetables like cucumber, watermelon etc to keep hydrated rather than being on an empty stomach.”
Here are some cool tips to follow to feel lighter by the end!
- Substitute fried potatoes and chips with grilled potato cutlets, potato mash and aloo chaat. One can add veggies like cucumber, tomato, mint and coriander to add taste and volume.
- Kutu or singhara is the most favoured food of the season. Rather than having it in the form of those oil dripping puris, make vegetable chillas (pancakes) out of the same. This will require far lesser amount of oil.
- Soups can be prepared out of vegetables allowed during the fasts and taken as a small mid meal. Soups are considered to be natural diuretics so they’ll help you ward off constipation.
- Sitaphal is not only mean to make halwa but can also be tried as soup.
- Vrat rice made in desi ghee tastes yummy but are a big source of calories. Instead, try eating them cold with curd and they can be a oil free treat for the season.
- One can also powder them to make pancakes.
- Avoid sweets.
- Sweet potato can be roasted and eaten as chaat.
- Paneer is another healthier option if taken grilled rather than fried.
- Keep a track of your water intake. Remain hydrated with water in different forms like soups, nariyal pani, butter milk, nimbu pani and fruit shakes.
Follow these simple steps and enjoy the benefits of the nine days of detoxification!
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