Festivals and food go hand-in-hand in Indian culture. As we are about to welcome the festival of lights, festive food awaits us. However, festivals can be stressful with all the shopping, making gift baskets, hosting card parties, having friends and family over. Nothing beats stress than the rich food that we share with our loved ones. Diwali food such as karanji, barfi, samosa, kachori, kaju kathli, laddoos, gajar halwa, gulab jamun and much more. Watch out for all the delicious high calorie food coming your way. Enjoy the festive food but avoid over indulging those calories.
Here is how you can enjoy the festive food and stay emotionally in shape.
30 minutes of exercise – It is important to workout especially if you want to enjoy some calories. Morning walks will keep you active and in shape. However, if there is high air pollution level you can always do some exercises at home where the air quality is good.
Get enough sleep – Sleep deprivation is linked to binge-eating. Sleep has an impact on hunger levels and appetite hence a good night’s sleep is essential. So get enough sleep before you begin with the festive celebration.
Savour the festive food don’t gulp it – One of the things that lead to binge-eating is eating fast. When you eat fast, you don’t taste the food and end up eating more without realising. Instead you should sit down and enjoy it mindfully. This will help satiate your cravings.
Practise portion control – It is all about preparing your mind about how much you are going to eat. When you create a mind map of how much food you are going add to your plate you tend to eat mindfully and less than usual. This practice will help you keep your calorie count in check. It is said that one should always eat until you are 80% full.
Keep your hands occupied – It is easier to binge on finger foods when your hands are free. So if your hands are occupied you will tend to eat less.
Drink plenty of water – Always keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. It will not only curb your cravings but also stop you from overeating.
Don’t skip your meals – Skipping a meal contributes to cravings hence one should never skip meals. Rather plan your meals. If you have three large meals in a day break it into five small meals. This way you would be able to enjoy variety of food without feeling guilty.
Snack before you head out – Have a light snack before you head for a Diwali party. Nibble on some safe comfort food such as dark chocolate, handful of nuts, fox nuts or corn chips.
Spend quality time with family not with food – Catch up with your friends and family. Spend some quality time with them. This would be a good distraction for you. If you really want to have the sweets just have one and stop there otherwise you will be left feeling overwhelmed and that may lead to binge eating.
