Festivals and food go hand in hand, and with celebrations going on almost throughout the year, it would be quite difficult for anyone, regardless of age group, to resist the urge for some delicious sweets and fried food. One tends to overindulge when they have an extensive and mouthwatering selection of holiday meals staring them in the eye.
This doesn’t mean you restrict yourself but rather make wise decisions. Lavleen Kaur, Head Nutritionist & Founder, Diet Insight, a nutrition and wellness clinic says that depriving yourself of satisfying meals at this time might hurt your mind and can cause you to lose motivation. But if you still frequently experience health problems like indigestion, burping, and bloating after eating something outside the home, dietician Lavleen Kaur has some simple advice that may be helpful.
- Eat slowly and in portion
The tried-and-true method of eating slowly promotes mindful eating. Eat slowly and taste your food. You will feel satisfied with relatively less food if you eat more slowly and appreciate your food more. Don’t put everything on your plate at once. Work on little portions at a time. If you still feel hungry, then only take more.
- Do not try to indulge in every item on the menu; your stomach is not a trash bin
Choose alternatives to the calorie-dense Gulab-Jamun and Rasmalai if you are trying to consume fewer calories. Make fresh kheer, lauki ka halwa, coconut, and besan laddoos, as well as suji ka halwa. In place of sugar, use jaggery for making homemade sweets. It won’t necessarily reduce calories, but it will mitigate the negative consequences of too much-refined sugar
- Fill your stomach by 80 percent, not 100 percent
Controlling portions is always essential. Always know where to stop and when to take a break, whether it’s during the holiday season or in everyday life. We refer to this as mindful eating. Do you need to eat that extra poori? Or even that extra jalebi that you could later regret eating? Enjoy all of your favorite treats, but keep them in moderation.
- Share the dessert with someone
Find a friend or family member to share the desserts and sweets with to lessen or eliminate sugar consumption. In addition to lowering your sugar intake, doing this will make you feel more content while giving it to someone else. Make small pieces of any large portions of sweets that are given to you, such as a large ladoo, and share them with others before eating any yourself. . So you share those 150 calories with your loved ones, so increasing their level of warmth, enjoying the sweet, and consuming fewer calories. That’s not a bad deal at all.
- Have plain lemon water after meals
If you eat mindfully, you won’t feel bloated; nevertheless, if you do, slow down. You can opt for sipping on liquids that promote digestion, such as lemon water or ajwain. Resuming your healthy routine will help. “There is no need to torture your body by increasing your exercise or missing meals the following day. That is not the way our body functions, give it time and it will be back to routine.
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Some other tips that might be helpful:
- Before going out, have one of these foods or beverages. It will guarantee that you don’t overindulge in the feast and can take pleasure in the festivities: Fruit or a fruit smoothie, raw vegetable sticks, curd or yogurt with flaxseeds, a few paneer cubes, two boiled whole eggs, or a whey protein shake.
- Out of sight, Out of reach. Keep the sweet and savory containers out of sight and at a place where you need the effort to retrieve them, rather than on shelves where they are easily visible and available. This will prevent one from habitually munching unconsciously. This will also prevent indigestion and flatulence.
- Monitoring water intake is required. One can easily misunderstand hunger and thirst signals, which may lead to consuming extra needless calories. Carry a bottle of water with you and make an effort to drink two of them throughout the day. Avoid sodas and other aerated beverages.
Festivals are joyful occasions. One of the things that people look forward to at this time is exquisite food. However, these suggestions can be beneficial for those who are attempting to maintain their weight at this time. Keep up your exercise and water consumption as well. This time, you won’t feel guilty about anything.
Happy Holidays!
