The most health conscious of us allow ourselves to be carried away by the giant Indian festival wave, with that one phrase, ‘after-all-it-comes-once-a-year’. The irony is that come September and the next few months are a slew of festivals, right upto Christmas and ending with the harvest festivals mid-January, each posing more temptation than the previous. So, it’s a given that we do end up binging on fried food, sweets, cocktails. In short, too much processed and not-so-good-for-us food. The hectic activities of these festive days also throws our regular eating and exercise schedule totally out of gear.
The upside to this is that festivals help break the monotony of a humdrum daily life, infusing a liveliness of spirit and merriment. These are days to be enjoyed with near and dear, over good food and conversation. It is definitely not the time for bowls of steamed broccoli or quinoa.
So how we not go overboard and still stay sane without turning into social outcasts this festive season? Here are a few things you can easily incorporate in your routine.
Stay hydrated. There’s so much happening around us that we forget to drink water. Make sure you reach out for a glass every once in a while. Keep a glass jug of water infused with rose petals, cardamom and a couple of saffron strands on the table. Your guests will love it.
Get your heart buzzing. If your city is besieged by poor air quality, do a spot of indoor yoga or a quick 20-minute brisk walk in the gym.
Eat your probiotics. Grab a cup of yoghurt as an in-between snack. The protein keeps the stomach filled up and the good bacteria keep the gut happy.
Apply mindfulness. Whenever you reach out for a piece of mithai or fried snack, be in the moment and enjoy it thoroughly. It is easy to go through a box full of sweets without even realising it. What a waste!
Master the buffet hacks. Do a quick survey of the entire menu and fill up on stuff that is good for you, such as salads and soups, then there won’t be much of an appetite left for the rest. Taking a smaller-sized plate automatically reduces the portion size.
Chase alcohol with water. Whatever your tipple of choice, after every drink, linger over at least 2 glasses of water. This ensures that you stay hydrated and alcohol consumption is much reduced.
Try intermittent fasting. If you have a big lunch or dinner, try this around that meal. Intermittent fasting is eating within an 8-hour period in a day and fasting for 16 hours. During the fasting hours, you can have calorie-free beverages like herbal tea or green tea. This helps balance out the big meals and is a sure-shot way to prevent post-festive season weight gain. Check with your doctor if you have a medical problem, before you do this though.
Don’t let Deepavali linger on. The sweets and savouries can easily stay on for a week and they most definitely will call out your name. Give everything away as the festival ends, when they are still in good condition. Bounce back to your regular schedule and lifestyle quickly.
These two healthy-ish recipes have no sugar, no refined flour and no frying involved. If you are a last-minute person, these low-effort recipes will have your approval for a quick pre-Diwali rustle up.
Date-cashew truffles
Ingredients
1/3 cup cashew nuts
12-14 seedless dates
2-3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp oats-based granola
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Method
Soak the cashews and dates in hot water in two separate bowls for 1 hour. Drain and keep aside.
In a mixer jar, grind the soaked cashews to a coarse paste. Add the dates and continue blending until it forms a coarse mixture.
Add 1 tsp of cocoa powder and use the pulse function of the mixer to bring the contents together. Use 1/2 to 1 more tbsp of cocoa and blend in similarly until the mixture is not overly wet to touch.
Scrape this out into a bowl and mix in the vanilla extract. Keep the uncovered bowl in the freezer for 20 minutes or so. It will be less sticky to handle now.
Divide this into 12 portions. Sprinkle some cocoa powder on a plate. Roll each portion into a ball between palms and roll it over the cocoa to coat all over.
Once all truffles are ready, keep on a plate in a single layer and put into the freezer for 15 minutes.
Remove into an airtight container and store in the fridge. This will stay for 4-5 days.
Roasted chivda
Ingredients
1 tsp ghee or coconut oil
4 cups thin poha (from unpolished rice)
1/2 tsp salt for tempering
1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp split roasted Bengal gram
2-3 sprigs curry leaves
1/4 cup peanuts
1/4 cup broken cashew nuts
1/4 cup dried coconut bits (copra)
2 tbsp raisins
4-5 red chillies, broken into pieces
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
Method
In a large, heavy-bottomed fry pan, heat 1 tsp ghee or coconut oil and add poha with salt.
Roast for 8-10 minutes on a low-medium flame until it becomes translucent. Then spread in a large dish and keep aside.
Heat the remaining oil/ghee and fry the mustard seeds, gram and curry leaves until the mustard seeds start popping. Add the peanuts, cashew nuts and coconut bits and fry. Add and fry the raisins. Stir in turmeric, red chilli powder and salt.
Return the roasted poha to the pan and fry to combine everything together.
Cool to room temperature and store