Navratri is the time to fast, relax, detox and rejuvenate. Many people fast on all nine days of the festival while others for a couple of days. People tend to make certain mistakes while fasting that may affect their health or not allow them to reap full benefits of it. Not eating for long gaps, eating only deep-fried stuff, not taking care of your protein requirements can be harmful for health in many cases. While some people hog too much on vrat stuff, others may experience hunger cravings while fasting.
Celebrity Dietitian Rajat Jain, Founder of Health Wealth Diet Clinic, Jaipur, answers some FAQs by people regarding Navratri fasting.
Does fasting help you lose weight or make you weak instead?
Yes, if your fasts are taken care of with an appropriate diet plan that fulfils the necessary nutrition requirements, your weight loss will be healthy and not out of weakness. But, fasting does not mean you just go ahead and binge eat in order to be energetic on light foods. It will all make sense only when you have your calories balanced.
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Are foods eatable during fasts diet friendly?
Foods like makhane, peanuts, sabudana and fruit based sweets, and not to forget that ghee, are all good enough to balance with the diet. And who would doubt the shuddh shakahari sada bhojan to be unhealthy.
How to get enough nutrients from Navratri diet foods?
For carbs you can have sabudana, kuttu ke atta ka stuffs, roasted makhana, peanuts, chiwda, etc. For protein, dairy products such as milk, paneer, are good.
You can use ghee to cook all your foods in order to get healthy fats. And for the vitamins and minerals you can have fruits and veggies that are allowed during fasting. This way you can get all the required nutrition and feel full and energetic throughout the day.
How to manage hunger and food cravings during fasting?
Try to have most of the protein-rich foods as protein helps you relieve hunger and makes you full for a longer period of time, as well as is a crucial element for weight loss.
What foods can we eat while fasting to get protein
Milk and milk substitutes are rich sources for protein and can be consumed while fasting as well. You can have paneer, milk, buttermilk, tofu etc for the protein rich diet. Along with this, some amount of protein can also be found in nuts like almonds, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.
Will fasting have a negative impact on the progress I've made with my body?
You might feel that a change in diet for certain days may affect your diet or fitness regimen but if you stay consistent and just give your body and diet this little break, it wont affect much. You all have cheat days too anyway.
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Navratri fasting: Managing cravings to losing weight, 6 vrat FAQs answered by nutritionist - Hindustan Times
