Eat right to stay fit during 9-day fast
LUCKNOW: Chaitra Navratri has started, marking the beginning of New Year as per the Hindu calendar Vikram Samwat. City temples are decked up for the nine day celebrations.
“With this Navratri, 2047 year of Vikram Samwat will begin. It is believed that Satyug started on this day and Lord Brahma created life. The day marks a new beginning,” said SS Nagpal, an astrology expert.
While for many, nine days of navratri means prayers of goddess Durga, for some, the nine day long fasting is a perfect time for body detoxification. Health experts say that with changing season, change in diet becomes necessary and thus Navratri is a perfect occasion to abstain from heavy diet. Including more fruits, buttermilk in diet is advised.
“It is best to increase intake of liquids during this season. Lot of coconut water, cucumber juice, orange juice etc can be taken to beat the heat and also to keep the body hydrated,” said Mohit Singh, a yoga expert. “It is time to awaken inner strength and thus light exercise, pranayam and meditation can be done to keep the body energized. This would also ensure mental peace,” added Singh. Fasting should not mean feasting on fried foods and potatoes, he added.
HEALTHY DIET TIPS FOR NAVRATRI
Navratri is the time to eat a variety of healthy food. The ideal fasting diet should contain a balance of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
1. Instead of puris or pakodas made from buckwheat flour (kuttu atta), try out its roti or idli. You can also make dosa from the fasting rice (samak rice).
2. Use refined or olive oil instead of ghee.
3. Use skimmed or low fat milk and curd. To make your curd more filling, add bottle gourd, cucumber or tomato to it.
4. Consume fluids like lassi, milk shakes, juices, vegetable soups, herbal tea etc. Besides providing energy, they also maintain the fluid levels and cleanse the toxins in your body.
5. People who wish to lose weight can have following foods during fast: raita of bottle gourd, pumpkin and fruit chat made with papaya, pear, apple, and some amount of potato.
6. Also, avoid sweet potato, kachalu, colocacia and sago (sabudana). Buckwheat roti and fasting rice can be eaten but should not be made with too much ghee.
6. If you have acidity and heartburn problems, make sure to avoid having empty stomach for hours. Eat small portions every few hours daily. Curd and bananas are effective antidotes for acidity.
7. Persons suffering from diabetes must avoid the intake of sago, water chestnut flour (singhara atta), potatoes, sweet potatoes, colocacia, kachalu etc. They should also avoid fried foods and fruits like banana and chikoo. Bottle gourd, pumpkin, apples, skimmed milk, citrus fruit etc. should be taken.
8. Fried foods generate a lot of heat in the body. So fruits and curd act as cooling agents. Choose healthy cooking methods like roasting, boiling, steaming and grilling.
9. Replace fried potato chat with boiled potato chat and kheer with mixed-fruit curd.
10. In case of cramps or colic, put few drops of peppermint oil in water and drink it.
EXPERTS SAY THAT WITH CHANGING SEASON, CHANGE IN DIET BECOMES NECESSARY AND NAVRATRI IS THE PERFECT TIME TO AVOID HEAVY DIET.