Diwali 2018: An essential part of Diwali celebrations is Diwali sweets, nuts, matthri, chakli etc. Read below to know some quick and simple shortcuts to cut down sugar and calorie intake during Diwali festivities.
Diwali 2018: Exercise regularly during festivities to avoid compromising on your health
HIGHLIGHTS
- This Diwali, make sure that you are well hydrated
- Get 8 hours of proper sleep for good health during Diwali
- Eat lots of healthy nuts during Diwali
Festivities during Diwali and high calorie and high sugar foods go hand in hand. An essential part of Diwali celebrations is Diwali sweets, nuts, matthri, chakli etc. Such high calorie food in the festive season may be unavoidable, but you can outsmart the temptation by indulging your sweet tooth with a different and healthier form of sugar, suggest experts.
Celebrity nutritionist Pooja Makhija gives some shortcuts:
Sugar, not fat: Not all sweets are born equal. Some, like rasgullah, are high on sugar while others like gulab jamun are high in sugar and fat. While it's best to control sweets of all kinds, if you must, indulge in only-sweet-based desserts like dark chocolate, plain sandesh, mishti doi, rasgullah, jellies and custards to reduce the impact on your health post season.
There are several options available in the market today - sugar free, gluten free, organic, dry fruit and more. You can pick up these desserts which are based on natural sweeteners like stevia or use stevia to make your favourite desserts at home - it gives your desserts a 100 per cent sweetness without the calories.
Also read: 5 Reasons Why You Must Eat Kaju Katli Guilt-Free This Diwali
Following are quick and simple shortcuts to cut sugar during festive season:
1. Low fat does not mean low calorie: Just because something is low fat, doesn't mean that it is low calorie. A sweet is a sweet and should be treated as such, unless it is sweetened with healthier alternative sweeteners.
2. Dry fruit bears fruit: If you have the option, choose the offered dry fruit instead - although try and give cashews a miss entirely if you can. Moderate amounts of dry fruit (say, a small handful a day) contains loads of good fats and are good for you.
3. Exercise: Step up the workouts this season, because your body will thank you for it in the New Year. Fight the instinct to stay curled up in the comfort of your inertia.
Also read: 6 Healthiest Varieties Of Nuts You Should Be Eating This Diwali
4. Hydrate: With water, that is. And lots of it (about 2-3 litre per day). Your hunger and thirst centres are set very close together and sometimes we eat because we're thirsty. And while we're here, don't forget that alcohol adds tons of liquid calories, so a glass of wine once or twice a week is really the healthiest way to drink your calories.
If drinking water straight up gets a bit boring, you could alternatively make some infused water by adding some fruit to it like strawberry or orange with a pinch of a natural sugar substitute.
Get your eight hours of sleep: Best for health and weight management, don't underestimate the power of a good sleep. It has proven benefits for weight loss and health management. In other words, you can snooze to lose.
Also read: Too Many Late Night Diwali Parties? Here's You Can Manage Your Meals And Health
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.
