Practice portion control and keep yourself well-hydrated to enjoy the festive season guilt-free, without worrying about weight gain. Read here to know more tips that can help you.
Make sure you sleep well during the festive season
HIGHLIGHTS
- Try to stay physically active and exercise
- Practice portion control in whatever you eat
- Limit alcohol intake and do not compromise on your sleep
We all wait for the festive season for the joy it brings in with of course our favourite sweet delicacies. This is also the time when people binge eat desserts, snacks, and fritters without any guilt. But, while your taste buds are having all the fun, your body is getting loaded with the amount of unhealthy ingredients and toxins put into it. While it's okay to indulge into your favourite foods sometimes, it is also important to know when to stop and not over indulge. Hence, having a predominantly healthy and balanced lifestyle is non-negotiable. So to understand how you can enjoy your festival feast without guilt, read on for some lifestyle tips to follow.
Follow these tips to enjoy festivities guilt-free
1. Stay physically active
Around this time of the year when the festival mood has swept in, keeping up with your fitness regimen can be challenging. But this is also the time when your body most needs it. Try for some gentle walk after a meal, include some morning yoga, skipping rope, or simply some jumping jacks. If you skip your workout and eat sugar and oil laden foods, your blood sugar levels will get strongly affected and it may also lead to unhealthy weight gain.
2. Keep yourself well-hydrated
Many times in the day, you might misunderstand the need of having water for hunger. Hence, it is essential that you keep yourself well-hydrated throughout the day. But remember to not opt for too much of caffeinated beverages like black tea or coffee, and completely avoid sugar laden drinks like soda or packaged fruit juices to quench your thirst. Instead include buttermilk, green tea, lemonade, coconut water, infused water, or cold-pressed vegetable juices. Target at drinking at least 2-3 liters of water each day for better digestion and natural detox.
Drink sufficient water during the festive season
Photo Credit: iStock
3. Practice portion control
Another huge mistake that people do at this time is to overeat. If you eat more than what's needed to fill your stomach, the stomach lining widens up. This will result in overeating, hence weight gain. So, eat in right portion sizes. Instead of having heavy meals in one go, eat every 3-4 hours and keep it light. This will also have a positive impact on your metabolism, your weight and you will not feel too hungry to binge on unhealthy foods.
Also read: Portion Size: Does It Matter?
4. Switch to healthy swaps
Instead of pouncing on the sweets and savouries of choice, try sticking to healthy options. Swap aerated drinks with infused water, sweets made out of sugar for jaggery, fritters with baked foods, desserts with any fruit of choice, processed oil with ghee, milkshakes with smoothies, and packaged foods with fresh, home-made food items. This will help in keeping your body light and in good shape.
5. Have a sound sleep and limit alcohol
Amidst the hustle-bustle, your sleep schedule gets haywire. And a sleep-deprived body gets irritable, lethargic, fatigued, and tired. This will also lead you to gain weight. So if you aren't able to sleep at night, make sure that you clear that debt with a good afternoon nap. Along with this, limit the consumption of alcohol, as it dehydrates your body, which further leads to nausea, fatigue, and indigestion. And if you can, avoid alcohol all together.
Point to note
Festivals and indulgence are like hand in glove. But it's important to keep certain things in mind so that your body isn't all of a sudden loaded with unhealthy food and drinks. So this time when you celebrate with your loved ones, let your body and mind have fun too with these essential lifestyle tips and enjoy guilt-free!
(Nmami Agarwal is nutritionist at Nmami Life)
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