Take Care of your Health during Festive Season

Take Care of your Health during Festive Season.

Neeraj Mehta

After a long, stressful year the tendency is to just let go and enjoy the indulgences of the festive season. The season of festival is beginning with Diwali (day of lights and lot of sweets) in India. And according to Indian tradition, in all the festive season people celebrate with lot of get together and distributing and exchanging lots of sweet meat.

During festival season your diet routine goes upside down.  One also starts missing their exercise routine because of parting late in the night and getting up late in the morning.

Eating high calories sweets at night or drinking alcohol leads to unnecessary consumption of   unwanted calories, which are the major reasons of health issues.

Some major reasons for health problems such as stress, high bleed pressure, insulin imbalance, weight gain are increased intake of salt and sugar during the festival period. There are studies which have found that heart related deaths are on a high during the festive season because of high consumption of alcohol and sugar which puts lot of strain on heart.

One can still enjoy the festival season and holidays by just getting little creative and innovative with their recipes and gifting ideas once these healthy food options are adopted it will help you and your family rest of your life.

How to enjoy the festival season without paying a price of one’s health.

As everybody knows our body is made up of 70 % water. Try to consume as much water as you can flush out toxins from your body. Water helps in enhancing your metabolic process, you can easily digest food and become energetic, one thing need to remember don’t have water right before , during and after any meal, just give a break of at least 30 minutes.

Avoid canned juices and extra table sugar in your brewages, tea and coffee. Consume a small healthy meal before leaving for a party, so that once you reach your stomach is full and you automatically avoid eating or consuming high calories food.

Look for healthy food like grilled, tandoori, steamed instead of fried. Start your meal with a serving of salad so that there is a less intake of unwanted calories, look for healthy alternatives in terms of sweet like frozen yogurt for deserts, fresh food salads, sugar free chocolates made with oats and if you are sleeping late and missing your workout routine try doing exercise in home like spot run, jumping jacks, abdominal crunches, surya namaskar, pushups, climbing stairs etc. at least 15-20 minutes a day. And also you should know time spent in exercise does not mater, but the level of intensity matters a lot. It is not important that your consume 2 hours in the exercise routine, can easily cop up this regime, spending lesser time without giving much break in your exercise, you can try circuit training, in your gym or home, that includes mixing 4-5 exercise of aerobic and anaerobic exercise together, without break or with very less break, see your fitness level. You also can take out time for 10 minutes 2-3 times a day when ever you get the time, morning or evening time for workout doesn’t matter. 

Key points to follow:

•          Don’t have heavy meals late nights, which is the major cause of weight gain and other medical problems.

•          Cut down alcohol intake or other heavy food like non veg. , lot of gravy in food, can which is also a major cause of health issues.

•          Avoid concentrated juices, aerated drinks, sodas which will cause lot of water retention in your body causing your stomach to blot.

•          Can add a variety of fruits those are filling in nature.

•          Can also cut down one meal during the day if you can’t avoid the party unhealthy eating and drinking.

•          Having nuts is also a good option to keep away hunger.

•          Bounce more on healthy food in the party, grilled or other dry food is better in absorption.

•          Try not to drink water before, during or right after any meal.

•          Moderate to low or according to your fitness level, one can add exercise.

Written by NEERAJ MEHTA, (Nutrition and Fitness professional, Educationist, GFFI Fitness Academy)