With the onset of Chaitra Navratras, from 8th April it’s again the time to fast. Many a times, people follow all 9 days of fasting. Some families fast in paired days, where they fast either on first 2 days of Navratris or the last 2 days of Navratris or either first day and last day (7th or 8th day) of Navratri.
“Instead of fasting, most of us end up feasting on high-calorie food. A lot of people who have just one meal a day tend to overeat. If one eats one heavy meal in the entire day, it doesn’t get converted into energy instantly but accumulates as fat in the body,”
Following are a few tips which should of help:-
1. For those who fast all nine days, it is important to eat small meals at regular intervals like fruits, nuts, dry fruits, coconut, makhanna.
2. Try to use more of rock salt.
3. Use spices like cumin, black jeera, turmeric, choti elachi, saboot kali mirchi, khuskhus and water melon seeds.Fresh coriander, mint, green chillies and ginger wil help in keeping stomach well.
4.Milk products like milk, yoghurt and paneer will give necessary proteins.
5.Flours used are — Singhare ka atta, kottu ka atta, rajgiri ka atta, saboodana, arrowroot and samak will provide energy.
6.Limited amounts of oil and ghee can be used to cook food
7. Vegetables like – potatoes, raw papaya, sweet potato,bhopla,arbi,raw banana will benefit.
8 . Hydrate well with lots of water, coconut water, lemon water, herbal tea.
Most important thing to follow during Navratri is the purity of heart and thoughts. THINK GOOD! DO GOOD! SPEAK GOOD! BE CALM AND PEACEFUL!