Navratra Fasting : Food the healthy way

Navratra – Time to give a break to a lot of things from Non veg to liquor to onion garlic entry in the kitchen etc. Most of us fast to offer prayers to goddess Durga for 9 longs days (precisely 7-8 days of fasting ).

But with the eating out options proliferating across the city navratra menu has grown leaps and bounds and you can probably see almost all outlets coming up with an elaborate Navratra food menu and it’s constantly on a rise. These Menus are very exclusive and are there for only these 9days and just twice a year, so it’s equally hard to miss it.
Most of us have fasted while we were kids less for religious reasons but more for Navratra food.Almost everything is cooked in desi ghee and is super rich in calories, from puris to chaats to those crispy aaloos and what not.

But if you are on a diet or monitoring what you eat then here are few health tips, things which you can follow while fasting during #Navratra , and keep a close check on your weight/ Diet.

#Vegetables to eat during fasting: Eat loads and loads of veggies.Get all the colorful veggies which you can eat during fast like tomatoes, bottlegaurd, pumpkin, radish, cucumber, Spinach, carrot, capsicum, bell peppers etc.Try to consume raw vegetables as many possible, meaning more of salads than cooked vegetables in your diet.Avoid potato completely.

#Fruits: Eat as many fruits as possible for those odd hour craving. Try to pick fruits in a combination, don’t keep eating one fruit over and over again.Fruits like apple, water melon, oranges, papaya are a good pick. Eat banana and pineapple in moderation.

# Dry Fruits and Raisins: Create a routine of having at least 3-5 different kinds of dry fruits in a day.They are great munchies for small hunger or just to refuel while you feel low.But again moderate the quantity, after all, you are fasting.A good trick to eat dry fruits is if you plan to have 3 almonds, eat them one by one.Soaking dry fruits for at least 8-10 hours before your consuming them would help you curb hunger faster than consuming them dry.

# Dairy Products: Milk and milk products like curd, buttermilk, cottage cheese are again a good option.Opt for low-fat like toned and double toned milk. The home-made curd is better than the packaged one.Buttermilk is again low on fat.Cottage cheese ( paneer) can be added to a lot of vegetables to add to the taste and food becomes more palatable.

#Say No to processed Sugar : Try to monitor your sugar consumption, like replacing white sugar with Honey. No sweets would help you achieve your weight goals.

# Keep yourself Hydrated: Drink lots of water that keeps you going and curbs hunger too. Coconut water, all fresh juices are a great way to get that glowing skin during fasting. Avoid colas and packaged juices or drinks.Try homemade juices and mocktails with less sugar.lassi, chaach and nimbu many are best to chill out with

#Eating out Navratra Food :Eating out should be completely ruled out and in case you still wish to explore the awesome Navratra food that most restaurants are offering try it all but only in afternoon. So keep afternoon  for exploring Navratra delicacies but strictly to be had before 4pm may be  lunch or  breakfast,that gives your body a lot of activity time for digestion.

No doubt all this food will tempt you but remember the fasting is a way of cleansing your body not loading it with false calories.

#Sleep : while your body is on detox you need not miss a sound beauty sleep. Follow a good sleeping routine of 6-8 hours and going early to bed and waking up early is better for your body.

# Dinner : Last meal of the day should always be Light and home cooked thats the way to great deal, so while you fasting  feast on a big bowl of your favorite fruits and veggies , soups with a 1/2 glass of milk before bed time.everything else needs to be accommodated in breakfast and lunch.

# Walk – If you hate exercising at least add morning or evening walk to your routine.