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Healthy fasting: the ultimate guide to eating right this Navratri

The auspicious festival has begun and you are all set to venture into the enchanting journey! Fasting is good for your body but you must plan your meals to stay energized whole day.

Here’s a list of foods to eat during Navratri.

● Rajgira – Amaranth grain, also known as rajgira, is high in protein, manganese, iron, and phosphorus. During the fast, it is either puffed or used as flour. Rajgira chikki is a popular sweet dish that can satisfy your sweet tooth. As a filling breakfast, try making a roti with rajgira flour or puffed amaranth porridge with nuts.

● Kuttu Atta – Kuttu atta, or buckwheat flour, is high in fibre, which aids in detoxification. Proteins, B-complex vitamins, and minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, and manganese are also abundant.

Buckwheat’s fatty acids help to regulate blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Puris are traditionally made from Kuttu flour. Make rotis out of these puris by giving them a healthy twist. You can also add boiled and mashed sweet potato for binding.

● Singhara Atta – Water chestnut flour, also known as singhara atta, is made from ground water chestnuts that have been dried. Singhara ka Atta is high in minerals and vitamins. It contains vitamin B and potassium. It also has a high concentration of antioxidants. The best way to consume singhara atta is to make rotis with it. Dhoklas can also be made with singhara atta.

● Samak Chawal – Barnyard millet or Samak chawal can be used in place of rice because when cooked, it tastes almost identical to broken brown rice. It gives you energy and is high in fibre, B-complex vitamins, and minerals like iron and magnesium. It is also said to be high in phytochemicals, which aid in cholesterol reduction.

● Makhana –  lotus seeds or makhana is high in antioxidants and functions as an anti-aging food by preventing white hair, wrinkles, and premature ageing. Its high fibre content prevents constipation, aids in waste removal, and prevents the buildup of toxins. These nuts are low in fats and sodium, but high in magnesium and potassium, which aid in the management of hypertension, diabetes, palpitation, and insomnia.

● Dry fruits, nuts and seeds – Dry fruits are packed with health benefits. During fasts, almonds, pistachios, cashew nuts, and raisins are eaten. A handful of nuts can be eaten as a snack or for breakfast to provide you with energy throughout the day. Add some seed powder to your milkshakes or smoothies for a more healthy and filling snack.

● Fruits & vegetables – A bowl of fresh fruits provides sumptuousness while adhering to your fasting regimen. Vegetables commonly consumed during Navratri include bottle gourd, potato, pumpkin, colocasia, yam, sweet potato, cucumber, raw plantain, carrot, raw papaya.

● Sabudana – tapioca pearls or sago or Sabudana is a high-carbohydrate food that provides a much-needed energy boost during fasts. It also has a cooling effect on the body and is easily digestible.

● Milk & dairy – During Navratri, milk and dairy provide protein, as well as vitamins and minerals.

A few essential tips for you to follow during these nine days.

Eat sattvic food

Fasting during Navratri is one way to detoxify your body. Avoid complicated, unhealthy recipes in favour of sattvic foods like fruits and healthy greens. Water-rich vegetables such as bottle gourd, pumpkin, cucumber are among the best choices. Meanwhile, snack on watermelons, bananas, or papayas. The diet will not only keep you full, but it will also help you cleanse your body from the inside out.

Hydrate yourself!

It is critical to maintain hydration. In addition to water, there is coconut water, lemon juice, and buttermilk. Although many people consume caffeine during Navratri, they replace it with green tea. During the fasting period and the scorching heat, these healthy drinks will keep your digestive system intact.

Avoid overeating

Overeating is a common mistake that people make when fasting. Avoid eating in between meals and avoid bingeing. This can have a negative impact on your health as well as lead to unhealthy weight gain. As a result, consume small portions throughout the day, such as fruits, nuts, and healthy snacks like makhana, to avoid overeating at mealtime.

Make a meal plan

People often take their eating habits for granted during Navratri, a 9-day fasting festival. This can cause an abrupt change in your physical health. Instead of snacking at random, try to plan your meals for the day.

Kanupriya Khanna is regarded as one of the best dietitians in Delhi because of her unwavering commitment to making a difference in people’s lives by instilling good eating habits and lifestyles.

Also Read: Anti-acne diet: everything you need to know

Intermittent Fasting: What You Need to Know 

Fasting has been practiced since the dawn of time. Ancient hunter-gatherers couldn’t find anything to eat for days. As a result, humans evolved to be able to survive for extended periods without food.

In the modern era, people avoid food for hours on purpose. Scientifically, it is a good thing to give your gut a break therefore it is essential to know about intermittent fasting.

What is intermittent fasting? 

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that alternates between fasting and eating periods. It does not specify which foods to eat, but rather when to eat them. In this regard, it is not a diet in the traditional sense, but rather an eating pattern.

How does intermittent fasting work?

There are several approaches to intermittent fasting, but they all revolve around establishing regular eating and fasting times. For example, you could try eating only eight hours a day and fasting the rest of the time. You could also choose to eat only one meal per day two days per week.

Intermittent fasting works by extending the time between when your body has burned through the calories from your last meal and begins to burn fat.

Body types

Physical characteristics:

Physical characteristics

In addition, people with a mesomorph body type will usually have an easier time putting on and keeping muscle. They have a faster metabolism and a lower body fat percentage. They can generally lose weight easily.

Physical characteristics

People with an endomorph body type can easily put on muscle mass, but have an overall slower metabolism, higher tendency for fat accumulation and more difficulty with weight loss.

Methods 

There are several ways to do intermittent fasting.

1. 12 hours a day – The guidelines are straightforward. Every day, a person must choose and follow a 12-hour fasting window.

2. Fasting for two days a week – On two non-consecutive days of the week, you consume 500-600 calories but eat normally on the other five.

3. 24 hours – This involves fasting for 24 hours once or twice a week, such as not eating from dinner one day to dinner the next.

4. 16/8 – This method entails skipping either breakfast or dinner, and limiting your daily eating period to 8 hours, such as 1-9 p.m. You fast for 16 hours in between. Endomorph people must follow 16 hours of intermittent fasting because they can quickly add muscle growth.

5. 14/10 – Mesomorphs can easily benefit from following intermittent fasting for 12-14 hours. Ectomorphs may have difficulty gaining weight and muscle no matter what they eat or do in the gym. They don’t gain weight easily so fasting for 12-14 hours is suitable for them as well.

What are the benefits of intermittent fasting? 

Intermittent fasting is more beneficial than other diets for reducing inflammation and improving inflammation-related conditions like:

● Alzheimer’s disease

● Arthritis\sAsthma

● Stroke

Some other health benefits of intermittent fasting are:

● Memory and thinking – Intermittent fasting improves verbal memory in adults.

● Physical ability – Fasting for 16 hours results in fat loss while maintaining muscle mass in young men.

● Obesity and diabetes – Intermittent fasting prevents obesity.

● Tissue well-being – Intermittent fasting reduces tissue damage and improves surgical outcomes.

Please note: This diet is not suitable for children, pregnant women, people suffering from eating disorders, and some diabetics.

Takeaway 

For some people, following an intermittent fasting diet that recommends eating 500-600 calories on fasting days may work and be healthy. Talk to an expert to clear your doubts. 

Kanupriya Khanna is regarded as one of the best dietitians in Delhi because of her unwavering commitment to making a difference in people’s lives by instilling good eating habits and lifestyles

Also Read: Emotional Hunger VS Physical Hunger: What’s the difference?

Gut Health: Everything You Need To Know  

All health issues begin with your stomach. It is critical to keep your gut in good shape so that it keeps the rest of your body healthy. You can do this by eating a healthy diet, detoxifying yourself regularly, and taking a gut health supplement.

There are various approaches to maintaining good gut health, and you can choose whatever works best for you. The emphasis should be on doing whatever you do accurately and regularly.

What is gut health?

The stomach is only one of several organs in the gut that processes what we eat and drink. The mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and anus are part of our gut. Along with the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder, they work together in the to digest what is put into your body.

To improve your gut health, we must concentrate on the gut microbiome. The gut microbiome is home to trillions of microorganisms that collaborate to keep us healthy. The majority of them in the small and large intestines. The microbiome is made up of good and bad bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses.

When the gut is healthy, all of these work well together, and the body runs smoothly. When there is an imbalance between the good and the bad, you will notice issues.

How do you know if your gut health is poor?

If you have any of the following symptoms, something isn’t quite right in your gut.

● Bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, or excess burping, are all symptoms of an unhealthy gut.

● Unexpected weight changes – losing weight indicates bacterial overgrowth in your small intestine, and gaining weight indicates a decrease in nutrient absorption, leading to overeating or insulin resistance, which is associated with diabetes.

● Sleep disturbances – Insomnia and poor sleep are linked to an unhealthy gut.

● Eczema and other skin diseases – A poor diet or allergies cause gut inflammation, which leaks specific proteins into the rest of the body, causing or exacerbating these skin conditions. It can also cause spots, acne, dry skin, and a variety of other skin problems.

● Illness – Our immune system is influenced by the health of our gut. If the gut microbiome is out of balance, the immune system may be forced to attack and bring down the inflammation in the gut. While the immune system is busy here, it has less time to focus on foreign invaders, which can lead to more frequent illness.

● Food intolerance – Reacting to foods to which you are not allergic can be caused by poor quality bacteria in your gut. You may have difficulty digesting these foods, resulting in an upset stomach.

What can you do to improve your gut health?

● More fibre!

Fibre can be found in a variety of foods that are widely available in supermarkets. Adult women should consume 25 grams of fibre per day, while adult men should consume 38 grams. Fibre is vital for normal, healthy bowel movements. If you have symptoms of an upset stomach, increasing your fibre intake will most likely help. It softens and increases the weight and size of your stool, making it easier to pass and lowering the risk of constipation. It solidifies our faeces by allowing them to absorb water and making them bulkier, lowering the risk of diarrhoea.

● Flavonoids

Flavonoids, which are antioxidants that our guts love, are found in fruits and vegetables. They interact with gut microbes and help to balance the microbiota in the gut, reducing inflammation. They lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases.

Adding a favourite fruit to your breakfast is a great way to start incorporating more flavonoids into your diet while also increasing your fibre intake. Including a wider variety of vegetables at dinner or snacking on fruits and vegetables can help you get all the nutrients you need.

● Hydration

It is crucial to gut health; when we are dehydrated, our gut simply does not function properly. Water aids digestion in our guts and slow digestion can lead to constipation. It is critical not to wait until you are thirsty to begin drinking water. Feeling thirsty is a sign of dehydration because our bodies send a signal to the brain telling it we’re thirsty, indicating that the effects of dehydration have already begun.

Dehydration can result in headaches, kidney stones, fatigue, confusion, and weakness. To avoid these symptoms, get in the habit of drinking fluids throughout the day and avoiding the sensation of thirst altogether. Starting your day with a pint of water before anything else can be a great way to boost your digestive system right away!

● Eat slowly!

The food you consume travels down the digestive tract into our stomachs, and when we’re full, the stomach sends a signal to the brain to let us know we’re done. We may overeat if we eat too quickly. Weight gain can result in increasing the risk of diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.

If you eat too quickly, you may develop digestive problems such as indigestion, excessive gas, and bloating. Because the digestive system requires time to process food, slowing down the process and chewing your food can help alleviate this issue.

● Probiotics to the rescue!

Probiotics are live microorganisms that aid in the regulation of our gut microbiome. They feed the good bacteria, which keeps the gut healthy. Probiotics can help you achieve a diverse range of good bacteria, which is essential for gut health.

They can be obtained from fermented foods such as yoghurt, kefir, kombucha, etc. Probiotics are also found in some cheeses, such as cheddar and mozzarella. If you don’t like these foods or find it difficult to incorporate them into your diet, there are supplements that balance your gut microbiome.

● A nice walk in the garden!

A nice walk after a meal can help improve your gut function. Physical activity increases blood flow to the muscles of the digestive system, which aids in the movement of food through the digestive system and the absorption of nutrients while preventing the growth of harmful bacteria.

It can also help lower blood sugar levels, which is especially beneficial for diabetics.

Takeaway

Maintaining a healthy gut is crucial to our overall health. It’s not always easy, but taking small steps and making gradual changes can make a big difference in our lives. When it comes to changing your life, having the assistance of a nutritionist can be extremely beneficial. Kanupriya Khanna is regarded as one of the best dietitians in Delhi because of her unwavering commitment to making a difference in people’s lives by instilling good eating habits and lifestyles.

Also Read: 12 Healthy and Tasty Snacks Under 100 Calories