Tips To Make Your Durga Puja Celebrations Healthy And Happening

Tips To Make Your Durga Puja Celebrations Healthy And Happening

One of the most awaited and biggest festivals of eastern India, Durga Puja is around the corner and just like any other celebration, Durga Puja too brings with it lip-smacking foods which are served in every nook and corner of the streets. Even though these hard to resist dishes are scrumptious, they certainly increase your calorie count. While we all are aware that it is unavoidable to eat unhealthy food during festive season, certain modifications and tips can still keep you on the healthy track. 

Here are a few ways to ensure a healthy, mindful approach to Durga Puja festivities 

1. Plan ahead, planning is key to every success. Therefore, first and foremost clean your kitchen and pantry from all kinds of fried food items like potato chips, french fries and all those ready-to-eat frozen items like chicken nuggets, chicken popcorns, etc. Restock it with seasonal fruits, salad, and green leafy vegetables so that whenever you’re eating at home you tend to go for healthier food options. 
2. When eating out try to opt for the non fried version of the similar food items, for example aloo dum ,aloo chorchori in place of aloo bhaja, begun er jhaal in place of beguni, fish paturi, etc. Also, avoid buffet dinners and go for a-la-carte dining services since we tend to lose sight of the quantity of food we are consuming when we’re eating at buffets. 
3. On the day of pandal hopping, prepare your body for all the delicious street food by having a rich bowl of salad in the evening and skip dinner on the day of pandal hopping. Keep yourself hydrated throughout the day and carry your own thermo regulated flask to have pleasant or cooler water. You can also carry a cool green tea to prevent yourself from drinking your calories by quenching your thirst on aerated beverages. 
4. The best advice is to avoid alcohol and any kind of alcoholic beverage altogether. But those who enjoy it, regulate your alcohol consumption upto 60 ml or 2 small pegs and stick to it. We tend to eat more junk food than usual when intoxicated. 
5. Start your day with ajwain water or carom seed soaked water to enable proper digestion, Have fibre rich food for breakfast like fruits, sauteed green vegetables, yoghurt with flax seed, oats etc to prevent constipation. 
6. Rather than mindless munching, focus on spending quality time with friends and family. Even though it seems like the smartest solution, DO NOT starve yourself before you go for lunch or dinner because you end up eating more than usual on an empty stomach.
7. Pay attention to the taste and quality of the food item you’re enjoying rather than its quantity. For example when you are having Ilish Mach don’t go for 5 pieces at once, have 1 piece but of the best quality or when you’re having your favourite paturi don’t go for 10 paturis, have 1 paturi and just enjoy every bite of it.
8. n’t compromise on your sleep, try to get a minimum of eight hours of sleep daily. It is proven by several studies that a person makes wrong food decisions and is also likely to overeat when sleep-deprived. If you are entertaining guests at home during puja, keep your pantry stocked with healthy snacking options. For instance, hummus and carrot sticks, kebabs and chutneys are healthy alternatives to chips and dips, french fries, etc.
9. Remember to enjoy your favourite item one at a time, do not crowd your plate with all your favourite delicacies in one go. Have one or two of your favourite items and relish the experience thoroughly.
10. To refrain from having lots of extra calories try to restrict your simple carbohydrates like rice, naan ,paratha , roti, etc, rather have more portions of fish ,kebab ,dal.
11. Most importantly do not go completely overboard with your sweet consumption, take one sweet item a day. We tend to eat more than 1 mishti in a single sitting without paying attention to the amount of calories it contains. 
12. Make smart choices while eating, for example, enjoy your Kosha Mangsho but go for the lean cut meat. Do not indulge more on the gravies rather than the solid pieces so that you can cut on the excess calories.
13. No matter how flushed you feel, do not give up on your workout. Exercise daily and if you find it difficult to carry a full-fledged routine, stick to basics. Try walking more, take out 15-20 minutes in the morning for a quick burnout session.

Pro tip – Plan ahead these 5-6 days of festivities with friends and family and try to have one meal at home so that your daily dose of healthy alternatives are checked. When eating at home, try to cook healthy yet delicious recipes rather than ordering in. Maintain a perfect balance of healthy-unhealthy, eating out-home cooked meals and lastly, always choose the lesser of the two evils whenever confused between two unhealthy meal options.