Rajkumari Sharma Tankha
As Vasant navratri begin on March 28, 2017, utilise this period to boost your immunity levels. Yes, fasting is an effective way to help your body develop resistance to fight against diseases. So, keep fast, but do it in a scientific manner. Do NOT make it the usual feasting festival, as most people out there do.
If you keep the fast in a scientific way, it will surely improve the immunity level of your body and make you healthy and active. Unfortunately, many women end up eating unhealthy and that too in excess amounts during these days. They won’t consume the normal wheat and rice portion, opting for kuttu/sighada atta instead but since it is in the form of pooris and fried potato chips, the food consumed during the fasting days does more harm to the body than the normal days.
I reiterate, do not consume any fried/spicy food. Do not, for God’s sake, eat the so called Phalahri foods prepared from kuttu, singhara/rajgira atta, saboodana etc. Do not eat sweets made from milk or above mentioned attas. Instead, drink a lot of water, at least three litres a day. And stick to your normal routine of physical activity and exercise. If you are among one of those who does long hours of Pujas and have no time for exercise during the Navratri days, add 40 minutes of walking to your daily routine.
I spoke to a couple of nutritionists and have brought for you here a scientific way of fasting, following which you will not only be able to keep fast and fulfil your religious rituals but also maintain health. Not just this, following these methods you can also lose weight. Isn’t that exciting?
Depending upon the body constitution, I have divided the Navratri fasting procedure into four sections. Read on:
Obese and Non Diabetic
- Do not consume any food item during these days.
- For the first seven days, consume a mix of plain water, lime water and coconut water.
- During the eighth and ninth day, go for fresh fruit juice.
- On the tenth day take a light meal and then gradually come back to normal food in two to three days time.
- If you follow this routine, you are likely to lose about 4-5 kgs in these nine days of Navratri.
Obese and Diabetic
- Stop all food.
- Consume fresh or sugarless fruit juice, preferably citrus, during all the nine days of Navratri.
- Take a light meal on tenth day.
- Come to normal food in two to three days time.
- Following this routine, you can lose about three to four kgs easily.
Normal constitution
- Stop all normal food.
- For first three days consume a mix of water, lemon water or coconut water.
- From the fourth day onwards start taking fresh or sugarless fruit juice.
- Take a light meal on the tenth day.
- Come to normal food in two to three days time.
- You can lose about two to three kgs in this manner.
Under weight and first timers
- Stop normal food.
- For all the nine days, consume four to five medium-sized bananas and one liter of pasteurized cow milk each day.
- Take a light meal on the tenth day.
- Come to normal food in two to three days time.
