Navratri 2020: 8 Fasting Tips for You

Navratri is a nineday long Hindu festival which is celebrated twice a year with the change in seasons Upcoming Sharad Navratri will commence on October 15 Followers of Goddess Durga indulge in festive revelry which involves offering prayers to the nine forms of Maa Durga and fasting Fasting during Navratri is a great way to detox and rewire our bodies Vrat meals are marked by a host of dietary restrictions and minimal use of spices The significant change in diet can be overwhelming for some and it is important to ensure that we get the nutritional balance right Here are a few useful tips on fasting during Navratri1 Foods to AvoidA wide range of foods are to be avoided during fasting these include lentils whole wheat flour allpurpose flour legumes corn flour semolina eggs Nonvegetarian food onion garlic and regular salt are not to be consumed You may opt for glutenfree flour such as Kuttu and Singhara Sendha Namak can be used in place of regular salt 2 HydrationIt is essential to keep yourself hydrated while fasting in order to ensure the proper functioning of the body Water also helps to keep you fuller throughout the day and aids in detox Aerated beverages are to be skipped but you can opt for coconut water milk buttermilk and fresh fruit juices3 Do Not OvereatWhen we eat a restrictive diet we might end up overlooking our portion sizes It is easy to be tempted by the festive delicacies but we must keep in mind that overeating may have an adverse effect on our digestive systems Avoid excessive fried food and have balanced meals4 Fibrerich foodFibrerich foods take longer to digest meaning they keep you full longer This is especially handy when yoursquore fasting because not only does it prevent you from overeating but also aids your digestion Eat a lot fruits such as such as apple banana pear and orange since they are an excellent source of fibre as well as antioxidants Good fastingfriendly fibrous foods include Rajgir samak ka atta singhara cauliflower colocasia arbi and pumpkin5 Dairy ProductsDairy products such as curd paneer buttermilk ghee and dishes with khoya and milk can be consumed during Navratri fasting Curd and Paneer are excellent sources of protein and the former helps to keep your gut healthy Ghee can be your goto for cooking your meals while khoya can be incorporated in many desserts6 Limit SugarThe festive season in India always includes a wide variety of sweets Processed and refined sugars have been proven to be unhealthy and are to be avoided as much as possible Skip the sweets from the market and make your own at home using healthier alternatives such as jaggery and sugarcane7 Light Meals to break fastIf you opt to keep a single day fast it is advisable to eat something light to break your fast A whole day of fasting is similar to a cleansing process and it is beneficial to consume small portions of digestible food8 Use Healthy Cooking MethodsNavratri fasting will not do any wonders if we keep on eating fried food However tempting those pakoras might seem we must be moderate in our consumption Healthier cooking methods such as boiling steaming roasting and grilling can come in handy when preparing Navaratri dishes You should avoid using refined oil or seedbased oils and instead opt for desi ghee and peanut oilCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news