Diwali brings in feelings of excitement, enthusiasm, and being overwhelmed with activities associated with this festival. We are busy cleaning, scrubbing our homes, and rushing to different stores to get the best deals available. But in spite of all the adrenaline rush, there is one reason your heart sort of sinks. Now is that time of the year when there are heaps of sweets and other dishes, and once again, your heart forgets all about the diet regime, the calorie counts and you gobble down everything you set your eyes on.

Honestly, it’s good that our heart forgets and our mind stops thinking about the calories, true enjoyment in fact does come from being in the moment. But what about the guilt that sneaks up as we end our meals. What is the reason we worry about all the changes on our scale and inches on our hips? 

Is it possible to not worry about these changes, the acidity, the bloating, and the guilt, while also enjoying the food we cannot take our eyes off? Yes! All we need to do is adapt mindful eating, have well-balanced meals, and some skills for managing our portion sizes.

Below are some Diwali delicacies that we go on munching for 5 days straight:

Consuming these dishes for so many days in uncontrolled amounts are bound to give us health challenges. For example, if we sum up the calories of all the things we have during Diwali, it comes to around 4000 kcal per day, and for five days totals up to 20000 kcal. Since 1 kg is 7700 kcal, 5 days will make us gain around 2.5 kg to 3 kg. Now in order to shed this, one has to run on the treadmill at the speed of 5.5 kmph for 1 hour 45 minutes for 1 month.

Now rather than running on the treadmill for hours, isn’t easy to control the portion sizes and eat mindfully? So, if you are hogging on those Kaju Katlis, wait up. Eat just one or two. 

Keep a check on your calorie intake from your first meal in the morning. This doesn’t mean you starve the whole day it backfires by increasing our cravings, binge eating and adding extra calories. Be sure to eat in moderation throughout the day.

If there is a choice between dry fruits and sweets, opt for dry fruits. It's true that dry fruits are high in calories but at least they are not "empty calories" unlike nuts which contain many nutrients. Most snacks and sweets, on the other hand, are made of refined flour, which hold very little nutritive value.

Below are few healthy choices that you can make this festive season:

These are simple rules to follow, but will help tremendously in keeping your weight under control. So, go out and enjoy the Diwali celebrations with a positive attitude towards the festival and its food.

We hope you think about healthy eating as you enjoy this festive season with your friends and family.

These drinks can be had up to 3 times a day.

1. LEMON MINT WATER 

INGREDIENTS:

• Lemon juice - 1 tsp
• Mint leaves - 10-15 leaves
• Water - 250ml
• Black salt - as per taste

DIRECTIONS:

 Step 1   Take chilled water and add 10-15 mint leaves in it.

 Step 2   After 8 hours, induced water will give a refreshing taste of mint.

 Step 3   Pour lemon juice in it and add a pinch of black salt and a teaspoon of honey

2. CORIANDER AND CARDAMOM DRINK

INGREDIENTS:

• Cardamom - 4-5 pieces
• Coriander leaves - few
• Water - 200ml

DIRECTIONS: 

 Step 1   Heat the water in a vessel until it boils.

 Step 2   Roughly chop the coriander leaves and add them to the boiling water along with cardamom pieces.

 Step 3   Turn off the flame and let the flavor of the coriander leaves steep into the water.

 Step 4   Let the mixture cool and filter out the leave and cardamom pieces. Your tea is ready to be served!

3. MINT TEA WITH GINGER

INGREDIENTS:

• Mint leaves - 10 leaves
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Honey - 1 tsp

DIRECTIONS:

 Step 1   Take a glass of water and put it on the flame to boil.

 Step 2   Add mint and grated ginger to it.

 Step 3   Let it boil for 10-15 minutes.

 Step 4   Add one teaspoon of honey, filter, and sip while warm.