Navratri fasting tips

One of the most awaited festive seasons of the year, Navratri is beginning on September 21. Each of the nine days of this festival is devoted to the worshipping of the nine forms of Goddess Shakti.

Navratri is a time of fasting, to rinse out the body and build its immunity for the coming winter season. While at this time most people refrain themselves from eating grains, pulses and meat, on the other hand, they end up indulging in unhealthy food to satisfy their cravings.

People may be thinking that fasting during Navratri will serve their motto of fitness and wellness, but it may actually do harm to their body by consuming fried snacks and greasy food. Hence, just to keep up with the seasonal changes, a good and healthy diet is a mustand this is exactly where fasting during Navratri plays a vital role.

Here are some expert tips to remain healthy while you fast:
1. It is better to have small meals at regular intervals as it helps in maintaining the blood glucose levels and keep the body fuelled up to go through the day.
2. It is always recommended to have proper consumption of water to keep the body hydrated. Other fluids that can be added to the list like coconut water, green tea, buttermilk and lemon water are also great.
3. Although a lot of fasting recipes include fried food items but it is better to replace them with baked, roasted or grilled vegetables to make the meal healthier.
4. Pairing foods rich in carbohydrates and fibers is a good option for a healthy diet. The food items like potatoes and sabudana (extensively used in fasting) are a high carbohydrate source that can be clubbed with fibrous vegetables like capsicum, tomatoes, spinach and cabbage. Kuttu, a kind of flour used abundantly in Navratri, is also a wonderful combination of carbohydrates (70-75%) and protein (20-25%).
5. Amaranth (Rajgiri grains) is an incredible source of protein that can be included in the menu during fasting. You can whip up an amaranth porridge with milk or even stir it up as savourydaliya with lots of vegetables.
6. Focus on concentrated sources of energy like nuts and dry fruits to keep getting the energy throughout the day. Eating whole fruit is always better than juice as it will give you the required fibre and make you feel full. Add extra serving of dairy product especially curds and cottage cheese in the form of buttermilk or lassi to your diet.
7. Adding samak rice to the diet makes it tasteful and is easy on the digestive system. People having a sweet tooth can curb their craving by indulging in samak rice kheer along with fruits.
8. The "special salt" also known as ‘Sendha Namak’ taken during Navratri is very beneficial to health as it helps in the absorption of nutrients.
9. Stay off refined sugar and substitute it with healthier alternatives like jaggery or honey.
10. Exercise is a must thing to do even while a person is fasting. A session of yoga in the morning and brisk walk for 40-50 mins in the evening helps the body to remain fit and prevents lethargy. (The writer is Preventive Healthcare Specialist, Indus Health Plus)

By Kanchan Naikawadi