Diwali is the time when families and
friends come together to celebrate the festival of lights. Apart from the fire
crackers, sweets and snacks are an indispensable part of this festive season. It can be a trying occasion for you
as you battle between indulging and abstaining from the festive treats. With
all the binge-eating and ghee-infused diet you end up doing quite a bit of harm
to your health. Here are a few tips that will help you enjoy your Diwali
guilt-free without compromising on your health.
·
Prefer home-made sweets
When there are plenty of colourful ladoos and kaju katlis of different shapes and sizes
everywhere, it becomes very difficult to resist them. According to nutritionist
Sneha Sadhwani,
in India where most of us are genetically prone to diabetes, it especially
becomes very important to restrict our sugar intake. Sweets found in the
market are high in calories. You cannot modify the caloric content of sweets
when you buy them from outside, but you have the option of giving them a
healthy touch at your home. Sneha advises to avoid the use of artificial
sweeteners and use natural sweeteners such as dates, jaggery and figs when you
prepare them at home. Choose to make your home-made desserts with skimmed milk
and honey.
·
Stay hydrated
With so much going on during the
Diwali, most of us forget to drink enough water. Low fluid intake can make you
feel weak or tired as it inhibits the absorption of other macronutrients in the
body. Many a times people replace water with sugary beverages or aerated
drinks. Hydration does not mean having such drinks. Sneha Sadhwani advises to
include healthy beverages such as nimbu pani with less sugar, iced green tea,
buttermilk, and infused water. Also, serve your guests these healthy beverages
rather than the sugary ones.
·
Distribute healthy gifts
Gifts are a symbol of friendship and
hospitality of this festival. Choose sensible gifts for your family and friends
this Diwali. Try gifting them low-calorie sweets and snacks instead of
ghee-laden sweets. Set an example by sending hampers of fruits and dry fruits
to your relatives. Fruits are less calorie laden and dry fruits make a good
option as they are good sources of protein and minerals such as zinc, potassium
and magnesium which are not present in those sweets.
·
Eat healthy snacks
Sneha adds, ‘During Diwali not just
the consumption of sugar is high, but the intake of salt and fat in forms of namkeen and farsan is high too. A very healthy way to
modify these snacks is to bake them rather than frying. Baked chaklis and puris, low-fat khakras and roasted chivda are all healthy snack options which
are low in fat as well as calories as compared to our traditional deep-fried
snacks.’
·
Say no to food colours and preservatives
Select your food wisely and stay away
from artificial food colours, preservatives and chemicals. Sneha suggests
opting for a dry
fruit barfi rather than a mawa or coconut barfi. Both are high in calories, but a dry fruit barfi will be more nutritious. Also,
avoid eating sweets with silver-coating as these coatings are adulterated with
aluminium and can affect your health.
