Author: Pooja Singh

Navratri, one of the most auspicious festivals in the Hindu calendar is celebrated with zeal and enthusiasm and observing fast is synonymous with the festival. Since ancient times, fasting has been a holistic spiritual practice in the Hindu mythology. Religiously, it has numerous beliefs, but scientifically, it is believed that during the change of season, you should indulge yourself into a natural and high nutritional diet.  Thus, it’s very essential that you consume the food that is nutrient-dense and also goes with your fasting customs. So remember, fasting for nine days, that too during a changing season, goes a long way towards good health.

During the nine sacred days of Navratri, we worship goddesses and fasting in symbolises sacrifice. Let’s worship of goddess Durga and her avatars while detoxifying your bodies at the same time. During Navratris, you certainly don’t have the vast pool of food option but still, there are plentiful to satisfy your hunger pangs in the healthiest way. Fasting detoxifies your body and fills it with the right amount of energy helping in strengthening your immune system. With eating in a balanced amount, the digestive system works in an upright manner. A perfect fasting diet should have an ideal balance of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Eating healthy and choosing the right kind of foods becomes really important even during the festival season. Let’s make your Navratri game strong with best healthy advice:

• Navratri is dedicated to fruits; one can have any fruit in different forms. Since fruits are flooded in the market, they should also be flooding your house during this festive. So make sure your fruit intake is at its best.
• Hydration is the key during fasting! So add revitalizing coconut water, buttermilk, lemonade or a colourful milkshake prepared from your favourite fruit such as Mango, strawberry, kiwi or banana.
• Roasted and boil potatoes can be a filling snack while fasting.  At the times, they can be served as a hot pot meal too. However, in order to avoid immensity associated with fried Navratri foods, try and adopt healthier cooking alternatives such as roasting, boiling, steaming and grilling.
• Why have simple curd when you can sizzle it with cucumber, bottle gourd, potato or tomato? With such literally two minute recipes, you can enhance any boring meal. Further, milk and curd can be used to prepare milkshakes, lassi, raitas, porridge and kheers.
• Rock salt, which is used as a substitute of table salt, is another healthy move as helps in detoxification of the body and keeping a check on blood pressure levels.
• Go for stuffed roti or plain roti made from kuttu or singhadekaaata instead of fried puri or fritters. Another delicious and healthy recipe you can try is kuttukadosa which tastes great and offers essential nutrients such as Vitamin B-complex, phosphorus, iron and zinc.

These healthy Navratri fasting food options bring a noticeable transformation in your body. Order Farmer’s family exotic fruit baskets to binge eat your favourite fruits and keep your family healthy.

An ingenious vegetarian meal is paramount to meet your nutritional needs. Remember your childhood days when parents would run after you to feed healthy greens? Not only certified nutritionists but even our Indian homemakers are ambassadors of a balanced vegetarian diet. With rich traditional delicacies and global cuisines enchanting us, vegetarian diet has become more eminent with gazillions of exotic recipes.

Vegetarian diet is a powerhouse of vitamins, proteins, fat and everything good. Plenty of health benefits such as reducing heart problems, fighting diabetes, obesity, few cancer treatments,etc. make it a very important component of our lives. The key is to be aware of your nutritional needs so that you plan a diet that meets them. Plan your diet adequately so it meets the dietetic essentials that you need in daily life.A lot of people are shifting towards vegetarianism as there are a lot of valid reasons to opt for it. It could well be their concern for sustainable use of resources, love for animals or ethical opposition but nonetheless it has met with striking results.

Leave health problems at the door

Vegetarian diet is a low-fat diet which is the most effective way to stop the movement of coronary artery disease and prevent it in the future. It helps in averting other heart ailments, reduces the risk of cancer and it refills our body with healthy vitamins, fats and protein. A balanced vegetarian diet contains less fat and cholesterol and more fiber and anti-oxidants which makes it inherently a healthier option.

Say bye to obesity

Over-weight leads to various indirect ailments such as heart diseases, diabetes, stroke, etc. Studies have shown that overweight people who followed a proper vegetarian diet lost weight at a faster rate without counting calories, carbs, measuring portions and satisfying their hunger at the same time.

Full of energy

Decent nutrition produces more operational energy to keep pace with life at work. Additional fat in our bloodstream disturbs our artery functioning and this further stops oxygen to enter appropriately in our muscles, making us feel lethargic. Vegetarian diets are cholesterol free; whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes are extremely high in complex carbohydrates and give plenty of revitalizing fuel to our body.

Better ingestion

Vegetable and fruits contain high amount of fiber which accelerates the process of digestion in our body. On the other hand, meat contains no fibre which leads to constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulitis

Easily available

You’ll find fresh healthy and tasty vegetarian food options in every nook and corner of local, supermarkets and an increased distribution through online platforms off-lately. Even if you can’t cook, eat it raw or simply go on the internet and look for great recipes. It’s time to add those delicious salads, sandwiches, entrees to your diet now!

Sustainability

Along with health benefits, plant-based diet is more ecological, as it causes a reduced amount of harm to the environment than a meat-based diet.