After the break of pandemic/lockdown, people are excited to celebrate all the festivals with their near and dear ones.
One of the most significant Hindu festivals, Navratri is here, where we worship Goddess Durga.
Many people fast on Navratri and this encourages them to try and work out on different recipes which can be eaten during this festival.
It’s a challenging job for those who are diabetic and they need to be extra careful about their meals and meal timings.
Fasting has importance in spiritual aspects but is also a great way to detox our body. Detoxing body means cleansing our body.
Fasting aids weight loss by limiting calorie intake and boosting metabolism. People with diabetes need to take special precautions while planning to fast.
So Here Are Some Points That Need To Be Taken Care Of :
1. Keep hydrated by having water regularly at intervals and milk during the day.
2. Sugar levels should be monitored throughout the day to avoid being hypoglycemic.
Patients need to adjust their insulin doses depending on their glucose levels after consulting their treating doctor.
3. Diabetic patients should have small meals during the day at a gap of 2-3 hours as empty stomach for a long time may lead to acidity, hypoglycemia.
4. High carbohydrate foods such as potatoes should be avoided and replaced by healthier alternatives such as amaranth flour, singhara or kuttu aata as they are loaded with fibre.
Fibre take time to digest and enable slow release of sugar in the body ensuring the sugar levels don’t rise abnormally.
5. Too much of coffee or tea should be avoided as caffeine can cause acidity and can also disturb sleep pattern.
6. Sugary treats and fried foods should be avoided and replaced by power packed healthier foods like fruits, nuts and seeds, paneer or makhanas during the day.
7. Strenuous exercise or heavy exercises should be avoided during fasting as this would cause hypoglycemia.
While fasting people always desire to taste something different rather than having the same usual food.
To avoid overeating, a sudden burst of flavour should be consumed which will help in stopping from overindulging in food and at the same time satiating our cravings.
Mixing lemons, oranges, berries with water can accomplish this with ease.
This adequately suffices the hunger pangs and can help feel refreshed at all the times.
While breaking up the fast most people have heavy meals and this may actually add more calories into the system.
A great way to curb this desire is to have small frequent meals with healthy food the whole day.
Things That Could Go Wrong If Not Taken Care Of Are
1. Not consuming adequate quantities of fluids can lead to dehydration. It is therefore essential to be properly hydrated during the fasting period.
2. Fasting may lead to feeling of tiredness and weakness, may also lead to hypoglycemia therefore it’s very important to keep an emergency sugary snacks handy.
3. Watch out for signs like dark urine, headache, nausea and vomiting. This can be due to extreme dehydration. If anybody experiences these signs the person is advised to stop fasting.
Hope these tips help you in staying well during the festival. Everybody likes to enjoy the festivals without health issues. So take care of your health and enjoy NAVRATRI…….
