Contributed by: Healthians Team
Introduction
It’s that time of the year again when we celebrate, have fun, and enjoy our days with our loved ones more than any other time. YAY! It’s the festival season.
With Dussehra and Diwali around the corner, these auspicious days are full of excitement and happiness but also prove to be the time when we end up neglecting our daily commitment to our overall well-being, i.e exercising, nutritional diet, and an adequate sleep cycle, just to name a few. Do we not? We certainly do.
Health should be our topmost priority at any point, especially during the festive season. Though the season is full of immense happiness, yet the celebration without restraint can hinder the joy by harming our bodies. Such a scenario can arise due to:
- Consuming too many sweets, high-fat foods, or fried foods that are commonly made in every Indian household during festivals
- Having foods without following any specific schedule
- Not drinking enough water
- Not following a healthy lifestyle
If your festive lifestyle includes such habits, it can potentially give rise to health complications such as bloating, burping, indigestion, acid reflux, and may even trigger the symptoms of diabetes due to excessive sweet consumption.
To avoid the occurrence of such obstructions in your celebrations, we bring you the top 8 tips to help you stay healthy and enjoy the festivals to the fullest.
Top 8 tips towards a healthy body during festivals
Start your day by working out
Staying physically active is tremendously beneficial for everyone’s health. During festivals, the intake of food increases (sweets and fried foods specifically) and causes stomach ailments. Starting the day by working out can promote digestion, reduce the chances of uneasiness due to an upset stomach, and increases the ability to stay active throughout the day.
Add more fruits and vegetables to the diet
During the festival season, the foods we eat are mostly oily, fried, and loaded with calories. Fruits and vegetables, especially seasonal fruits are rich in nutrients like fibre, vitamins, minerals, zinc, magnesium, etc, and incorporating them into the diet is a great way to reduce the side effects of festival foods.
A healthy breakfast is also crucial in maintaining the overall well-being of the body. Try not to skip it, as breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Drink more water
Drinking water helps in staying hydrated and flushing the toxins out. As the intake of unhealthy foods is high during the festivals, ensure that every family member is drinking enough water. Adding lemons and mint leaves provides flavour to the water and aids detoxification.
Control the food portions
The mood during the festive season is celebratory, which makes it difficult to avoid sweets and overeating. To protect the overall well-being and enjoying the festive treats, one must always try to control the intake and not binge on food during festivals.
Visiting relatives during festivals is also very common, where several delicious dishes await. To avoid any adverse effects of festive foods on the health, it is important to control the amount of food we consume. Eat small portions and enjoy the delicacies.
Eat before leaving
Visiting friends and relatives for lunch or dinner is a common ritual during festivals where the availability of sweets and savouries are high. It’s wise not to leave the house on an empty stomach. Consuming a healthy snack before heading out will reduce the hunger and chances of overeating.
Health monitoring
Health monitoring is important for everyone, and since the chances of overeating and unhealthy food consumption are high during festivals, implementing steps to acknowledge any changes in the body functioning becomes crucial.
If a person suffers any illness like diabetes, blood pressure, respiratory problems, or any other ailment, he/she should ensure that medication is not skipped and the medical condition is continuously monitored.
Avoid eating late at night
Being in a celebratory mood and chatting with friends or family often tends to cause a delay in eating a meal, especially at night. This can affect the digestion process and give rise to acid reflux and weight gain. Make sure you stick to the meal timings. It only takes a few minutes and will keep you charged up for the festivities.
Maintain sleep pattern
The excitement of the festival season can disrupt the sleeping pattern and cause sleep deprivation, due to long nights of celebrations. The condition can negatively impact the digestive, respiratory, cardiovascular, and endocrine systems, as well as, various other functions. To avoid the development of such ailments, try to get at least seven continuous hours of sleep every night.
Final thoughts
The festival season is full of excitement, happiness, and different treats. But to ensure that the health does not go for a toss during this time and the festival mood remains uninterrupted, following the above-mentioned tips can be very helpful.
If a person with any health complication experiences changes in the condition or symptoms, he/she should immediately consult the doctor and get checked at the earliest. Also, it’s best to get regular health screenings to ensure that your health is in optimum condition, and to take preventive measures if any concern crops up.
