FOOD / DIET SPECIAL .....Eat Smart this Diwali

Eat Smart this Diwali

In a land where food is an emotional affair that our relationships thrive on, can we fulfill our obligation to eat without weighing down the scale?

Starving is Stupid! Don’t starve yourself during the day, or you’ll be ravenous by dinner time and will overindulge.  Never go for a party on an empty stomach. A clear soup, salad, fruit or buttermilk will keep hunger pangs at bay and ensure you don’t overeat party food. The Gravy Trail Steer clear of gravy; pick the chicken from the curry, the paneer from the makhani, and the vegetables not the gravy. Drinking Buddies  Choose nimbu paani, jal jeera and chaas (buttermilk), over aerated, alcohol-loaded or sugar-based drinks. Don’t forget to hydrate with that miracle elixir, H2O. Nutty Endeavours Dates, almonds, cashews and pistachios rolled in coconut are as tasty as they are nutritious. When presented with a platterful of choice, pick nuts over mithai. Sugar Cravings Pacify sugar cravings with natural sugar from dried fruits, dates and raisins. Even if these do not satiate your sweet tooth, you’ll end up eating less mithai. Steam, Bake, Grill and Roast Choose steamed, baked, grilled and roasted snacks over fried stuff. Bengali sweets such as sondesh and rasgullas tend to be more nutritious and lower in calories. Tech Talk Invest in an air fryer, which uses hot air to cook anything that would traditionally be dunked in oil over its head. Love it or Leave It If you don’t love it, don’t eat it. Save the calories for food you love. And, when you’re stuffed just say No! (Politely, lest you offend the more traditional amongst us). The Substitutes Replace maida (flour) with gehu (wheat), nachni, jowar and bajra. You could try using low fat milk and avoiding full cream, but this may result in a sweet treat that does not taste as good as you remember. Instead eat what you love, just a little less. Keep Moving If you don’t work out for the recommended 30-45 minutes daily, Diwali’s a good time to start. If you do work out, increase the duration to take care of those yummylicious extra calories heading your way. Plate Up This will help you avoid the thoughtless hand-to-mouth munching that piles on calories. Using a smaller plate like a dessert plate for dinner, should help you keep your portion servings reasonable. Quantify (One a day, two a day, three a day) Decide how much you think your body can take, pick your favourites and enjoy. You can compensate by reducing your total intake or burning a few extra calories while exercising. Go lean protein Boosting protein consumption with lean meats, skinless poultry, low-fat dairy, seafood and beans will keep you feeling full longer. Complement this with high-fiber grains, fruits and vegetables. Don’t Skip Breakfast Several studies have proven that people who eat breakfast end up eating fewer calories throughout the day. A Pauper for Dinner Follow that old saying, an emperor’s breakfast, a prince’s lunch and a pauper’s dinner and keep your dinner light with vegetables, salads and fruits. A Right Time for Sweets?  Eating sweets with meals will cause your blood sugar to spike sharply. Instead, enjoy sweets as a snack in themselves or after some activity. Nibble, Don’t Gobble  If you love new tastes, satisfy cravings with a bite (or two). Savour the flavour, texture and aroma. Eating slowly will give your brain time to receive your stomach’s ‘happy and satiated’ signals. Ayurveda Says This is the best season to digest farsan and faral (Diwali savouries) that increase bone and joint strength, boost the nervous sytem and enhance vitality, as long as you use homemade ghee, don’t use short-cut recipes and avoid over indulging. @AverilNunes With inputs from: Rupali Mehta, Nutritionist; Vinod Channa, Celebrity Fitness Expert; Rakhee Todankar, Nutrition Expert, Gold’s Gym; Dr Malvika Tambe, Ayurvedic Physician, Atmasantulana Village: Dr Amita Dhar, Chief Dietician, Seven Hills Hospital