Today, we welcome the auspicious festival of Maa Durga- “Navratri”. The literal meaning of this word comes out to be ‘nine nights’ (Nav-nine, Ratri-night). It’s celebrated in that time of year when there is going to be a season change-from autumn to winter. Enjoy the positive aura of these days and cleanse your body, mind and soul by fasting and praying!

The Navratri fast, if followed correctly, without overindulging in sugary, fatty, calorie-dense foods, is a natural way to detox and cleanse the body.

Tips for detoxifying the body this Navratri!

1. Don’t fry up everything!

Our generation is drifting away from the essence of fasting. Navratras are all about markets flooded with various processed foods from the ingredients allowed- potato Chips, banana chips, ready-to-fry chips etc. Is the fasting all about this? Change the way you cook! Let the vibe of Navratras be alive.

• Kuttu i.e. buckwheat is used to make pooris; make rotis/uttapam or dosa instead.
  
• Makhana i.e. foxnuts need not be fried before consuming; roast them and enjoy the delicate crisp flavour!
  
• Make a kheer out of makhanas or vrat wale chawal i.e. samai rice using low fat milk.
  
• Use samai rice and kuttu to make steamed idlis.
  
• Use quinoa pulao or amaranth rotis for adding fibre and protein to diet.
  

2. Swap with healthy options!

Use healthy alternatives wherever you can. Switch to gur or honey from sugar. Prefer spices as they come loaded with antioxidants and also have therapeutic properties. Have cumin seeds, coriander seeds and cardamom.

3. Eating out should be a healthy affair!

Restaurants enjoy this period as they try to offer Navratra thalis to helpless people who can’t relish the tasty food in the fasts! This is the current picture. And people blindly go and have them, irrespective of the fact that they contain all the fried stuffs. This doesn’t help to lose weight, as should happen in a fast, but you end up gaining a few pounds. Choose wisely what you eat. Also, try to prefer simple dish over thalis to control the portion sizes. Have samai rice, pulao or upma with a bowl of raita. You can relish baked potato and grilled paneer tikka as well.

4. The Snack attack!

People who go on a fast are very comfortable till afternoon, until the evening strikes! The result- they tend to eat more calories in the evening snack than consumed the entire day. In order to keep yourself away from hunger pangs and cravings, go for small frequent meals. Have nuts and fruits in the snack time. They will add fiber to the diet and add on to satiety.

5. Hydration is must!

In the middle of the chaos between what to eat and what not to eat, don't forget to have water! Your body needs hydration. You can go for lemon water, to get vitamin C. Coconut water is a key element to replenish the electrolytes. Green tea, loaded with catechins is a perfect detox drink.

6. Heal with regular meals!

This is the key principle to keep your body under good condition. Small frequent meals at regular intervals improves the digestion of body, keeps the energy levels up and prevents from binge eating.

7. Satiety with variety!

Don't worry if you feel that this fast is boring and monotonous. Include a different super food each day-one day buckwheat, another day water chestnut, etc.

The final word

Maintain a natural balance of healthy lifestyle- seasonal food, regular exercise and adequate sleep. Body will naturally detoxify you! Give your body a break from its routine by fasting. This will prepare your body for the coming month seasons of festivals and partying!

Happy navratri 2019!