Nupur AgrawalNavratri – the Sanskrit word for ‘nine nights’ is a grand festival in India devoted to the nine avatars of Goddess Durga. Midst all the things that make India what it is, religion and worship is an integral part of celebrations expressed in different ways – one of them being fasting.
Naturally, fasting has changed drastically in the last one decade and people do not want to compromise on their health and energy while fasting. So here goes the list of things as suggested by Priyanka Bhawalkar – one of the leading Nutritionists, that will surely keep your energy up in these nine days :
1. Sabudana khichdi & Sama Rice
Image via Pinterest
Pearl Tapioca (Sabudana) Khichdi is an Indian dish prepared in parts of Western India and stir fried with peanuts, green chillies, coconut, potatoes to make for a perfectly healthy snack 🙂
2. Fruits & Fresh Fruit Juices
Vitamin rich fruits and their juices, preferably fresh and without adding sugar are the best options to stay healthy, glowing and energetic during fasting. Include bananas, an apple a day, grapes, pomegranate (anaar) in your diet every single day and see the great results at the end of nine days 😀
3. Drink Drink Drink
Your mom has been telling all your life to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated for a reason !! The reason is the detox power of a simple colourless and tasteless liquid called water which solves half the problems and also satiates hunger in tough times 🙂 Let’s remove ‘tasteless’ from its adjectives and add to the diet one glass coconut water and lemonade for a yummy energy drink and also add buttermilk (Chaach) for a curdy glow 😀
4. Dry Fruits & Nuts
Pic via NDTV FoodÂ
The best way to stay healthy and happy (really important) during fasts is to not leave large gaps between any two meals. So rather than snacking on unhealthy foods specially when you need something more savoury for your taste buds, keep some salted (sendha namak) almonds, cashews, raisins, walnuts in a box or small packets with you all the time and snack healthy specially during the morning time.
5. Milk and milk products
When in fasts, you got to keep your calcium strong ! Go a little high on milk and milk products for some extra dose of energy during this time and add a large glass of milk to your chart every day either in the morning or at night right before you sleep. Also, adding other milk products like cottage cheese (paneer), Lassi & yogurt adds the important proteins needed by your body and skin right now.
