Navaratri is finally here. This year, 2018, Navaratri starts from the 10th of October and ends on the 18th of the same month. Many people observe a 9-day fast on Navratri which is a celebration of Nine nights in the devotion of Goddess Durga. Fasting has always remained an integral part of Indian festivities and Puja. In the Hindu culture, Navratri is probably the longest time fasting period. Mostly seen in the religious frame of mind, fasting has actually been known to do good to your weight loss regimen. There has also been a trend of losing weight with various fasting diet, you might want to know of 4 types of Intermittent Fasting diet that can help burn fat.

However, like everything else, there is also a downside to fasting. If not done in the right way fasting can cause more harm than good. We spoke to Ms Priya Maisa, an expert nutritionist from Complete Nutrition about the health issues that one may face while fasting. She said, 'The importance of fasting is to cleanse both the body and as well as the mind, moreover fasting for one or two days is rarely a problem if you are healthy. It can be dangerous if you are not having a healthy diet or if you have some health issues.'

Health risks related to fasting suggested by the dietician-

  1. You may lose the wrong type of weight.

  2. You may become dehydrated.

  3. You may experience hypotension.

  4. Fasting may worsen several medical conditions like diabetes, hypotension, liver and kidney conditions.

The dietician also spoke about a few food groups that one mustn't exclude from the diet. She said, "Food groups like Grains called amaranth( Rajgeera) and flour of it can be used to make khichdi or Upma if one meal can be taken during fasting. Fruits, Raw banana, sweet potato, Milk and milk products, Dry fruits, seeds and nuts. Coconut and coconut milk preparations can be included."

What are the rules to keep in mind while fasting?

Priya Maisa listed down a few points one must keep in mind while fasting for Navratri.

  1. Drink lots of water

  2. Take naps if possible. Good sleep is needed.

  3. Avoid a lot of caffeine intake

  4. If you are on some medication breaking the fast with food as well as with medicines would be important.

  5. Don’t break your fast with lots of carbs. Try to eat a normal sized meal and in the last its okay to break the fast if your health is in danger Nothing is more important than you.

Since the nutrition intake is low, exhaustion becomes a common issue with people who are fasting. Even following a normal routine sometimes becomes a problem while fasting. The dietitian laid down a few ways that can help you prevent exhaustion during Navratri fasting.

Here are few healthy ways to detox the body without getting exhausted in nine days:

  1. Don’t feast: While fasting the capacity of your stomach to take excessive food lowers down. Moreover, eating too much may make you feel lazy and tired so make sure you do not a feast but to eat in required proportions.

  2. Choose the right foods: While fasting, you should not eat unhealthy foods that are junk and fried. Instead, have low-fat foods instead of whole Navratri thali which is loaded with lots of fried dishes. Try Sama chawal Pulav with some fruit raita or pumpkin Sabji and sago khichdi.

  3. Resort to fruits and juices: To stay healthy have fruits and fruit juices in ever 3 hrs to avoid acidity. Banana and apple will help you keep full for a longer time.

  4. Yoga: Try doing yoga or meditation to make you relax your body and mind.

It is important that you realise the value of your body and health while fasting and not starve yourself. Starving is only going to make your condition worse. Are you fasting in a healthy manner? Let us know in the comments section below.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 10, 2018 03:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).