Navratri Diet

The most auspicious festival of India, Navratri, has already begun. It's the best time to treat your body and soul and take it to the next stage. Fasting during the nine days of Navratri, is considered to be the best practice of devoting your time to the ultimate divine. Also, fasting ensures numerous benefits to your body. But preparing a plan for your fasting can be a little tough task. Here we have listed a day routine that includes gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar free foods to make your fasting easy without damaging your health.

BREAKFAST:

Spinach, kale or Collard greens smoothie

A good smoothie is recommended for breakfast , as it is quite filling and you don't need to snack in between. Green smoothie ( Spinach) is highly nutritious and healthy when consumed raw. And green smoothies can be taken during fasting also. Spinach is a green leafy vegetable that has numerous benefits. It is extremely rich in iron content and cures constipation. Spinach controls hair fall and calcium present in the spinach can be easily absorbed by the body.

LUNCH

Quinoa chilla with chutney/Amarnath/Chestnut roti With bottle gourd

Quinoa is a nutritious lunch with all the essential amino acids present in it. It is gluten-free and so it can also be taken by people who are sensitive to gluten. It helps in blood sugar control of the whole body. Considerably, it has beneficial effects on your body's metabolism.

Benefits of Quinoa: It contains plant compounds Quercetin and Kaempferol that have high fiber content. It provides important minerals such as iron and magnesium. Aids weight loss

SNACK:

Nuts are rich in protein and good fats which can be taken to balance the cravings. You can go with Brazil nuts, walnuts, peanuts and almonds.

DINNER:

Soup and fresh veggies

If you have been taking potatoes for dinner, try to avoid it. Replace it with carrot/pumpkin soup and a bowl of fresh vegetables. Soup and veggies go smoothly on your stomach and support the digestion process. Vegetables are loaded with soluble fibre, that maintains blood sugar on track. Adding to that, intake of veggies reduces the risk of heart disease and hypertension. Most vegetables have low calories which is very helpful in losing weight. End your dinner with a glass of warm almond milk.

Important tips to follow during fasting:

• Don't take potato tikkis, rather go with vegetable tikkis.
• Take only 1 low carb fruit once a day.
• Keep your vegetable portions larger as they are the best sources of Vitamin C.
• Try to avoid sweet potato and makhane or consume it once a day.
• Stay hydrated throughout the day with normal water, warm water , coconut water and fresh juices.

Fasting can do wonders on your health, if done properly. Infact, fasting is not only meant for spiritual purposes, but also recommended by doctors for the improvement of health. Try out this plan and strictly avoid fried and packed snacks.

Navratri Diet Plan