Navratra is one of the most important traditional festivals in India. It is associated with the worshipping of goddess Durga and her nine incarnations. It occurs two times a year for nine days each day representing one incarnation of the goddess.
Fasting during Navratras has a definite religious belief that it connects the soul of the worshippers to the god. And since the fasting goes on for the whole nine days, it can even cause a lot of health issues such as stomach bloating, headaches, irritability and tiredness because of change in the food habits.
If you're one of the people who fast for all nine days during fasting and you're worried about your health, here is the solution. Given below is literally the best 8 days diet plan that will keep your religious sentiments sacred and your nutrient value up!
Start your day with a cup of tea and walk for 30 minutes. Try to consume nuts every day during Navratri. Having Soaked almonds, cashews, raisins, peanuts and walnuts in the morning will make you feel fuller and will also deliver a lot of nutrients for your body.
Breakfast at 10 a.m.
● Day 1: A Bowl of Cucumber, Tomato, and Carrot salad
● Day 2: A bowl of muskmelon
● Day 3: Apple shake
● Day 4: Two small bananas
● Day 5: One bowl of Fruit Salad
● Day 6: Two bowls of cucumber curd.
● Day 7: Fruit salad with honey and milk
● Day 8: Kesar Milk and 1 Katori of roasted Makhana
Lunch at 2 p.m.
● Day 1: One Bowl of Sabudana khichdi with one Bowl curd
● Day 2: One Bowl of Bhagar ( Sama rice ) with one Bowl of curd
● Day 3: Mix Kuttu atta roti with curd and green chili chutney
● Day 4: Bagar atta roti with a bowl of veg and curd
● Day 5: Jeera potato with a bowl of curd
● Day 6: Singhara atta roti with a bowl of curd and veg
● Day 7: One bowl of Sabudana khichdi with curd
● Day 8: Kuttu atta roti with veg and a bowl of curd
Evening Snack at 5 p.m.
Nutrition flow is significant all day long. A quick, healthy snack break is significant during Navrata. A healthy and refreshing drink can do this without taking a lot of space in your stomach and fulfills the necessity of essential nutrients in your body.
● Chaach (ButterMilk)
● Almond Shake
● Cardamom tea
● Banana Shake
Any one of them in the evening will work as the best evening snack during your Navratri fast.
Dinner at 7 p.m.
● Day 1: One Bowl of fruit salad
● Day 2: Two bowls of Bagar kheer
● Day 3: 50 g of low fat paneer ( grilled / sautéed ) with mint chutney
● Day 4: One bowl of Sabudana Kheer
● Day 5: Two small bananas with milk
● Day 7: A bowl of fresh muskmelon
● Day 8: One apple and a glass of milk
Best Tips to Stay Fit during Navratri Fast:
Stay away from the so called baked Navratri special chips and Namkeens available in the market. Bingeing on such packed food items ( which are usually high in salt ) can kill the very purpose of fasting. Eat light. Give your body some rest from the high calorie packaged and processed food.
Make sure you drink at least eight to ten glasses of water in the whole day. Staying hydrated during fasting is very important. Sometimes, it happens that you focus more on solid food and ignore the requirement of water in your body. If your body remains dehydrated during fasting, it can cause fatigue, dizziness, and lightheadedness.
If you think that we've missed something important, do let us know in the comments section below.