Tips for a Healthy Holi

Colour and craziness usually mark the festival of Holi for most of us. With big parties, lots of booze and even some bhang.

Many of us tend to overdo the indulgences and use the festival as an excuse to eat in excess.

Here are our 4 tried and tested tips for a healthier- happier- Holi!

1. Breakfast with a Bang:

Starting your day with a solid meal that includes a complex carb, healthy fat and protein has multiple benefits. A complex carb such a poha, broken wheat daliya (bulgur wheat), upma, whole wheat rotis, besan (gram flour) keep the body on a slow but steady release of energy allowing you to play for longer, with a more level and upbeat mood.

When you put down a solid carb for breakfast your filling fuel in your tank for the ride to come helping you go longer and stay stronger in the long day full of fun to come!

Healthy fat goes hand in hand with making our breakfasts both tasty and nutritious opt for oils rich in MUFAS ( monounsaturated fatty acids) and PUFAS ( Polyunsaturated fatty acids) such as sunflower oil, peanut oil, rice bran oil and even whole nuts and seeds like flax seeds powder in your chapattis, peanuts on your poha, sunflower oil to Sautee your upma and so on to keep you not only topped up on those youth giving omega’s but also feeling fuller for longer as fat slows down digestion and gives more bang for the caloric buck ( with 9 kcal of energy for every 1 gm. of fat!)

Protein the last but never least favourite macro in today’s day and age comes in many varieties, shapes and forms. We all know the obvious options such as eggs for breakfast but did you know that vegetarian sources of protein are equally good? The myth of vegetarian sources of protein is still doing rounds today with a lot of today kids and youngsters loading up on non-veg to meet their “protein goals” with little regard to their liver and more importantly kidney health. The body, on the other hand, breaks down all proteins into their fundamental building blocks –amino acids and when compared side by side- plant protein sources have many added health benefits such as lower risk of heart disease, better LDL levels, reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and so on. So Enjoy your green moong, besan chilas, upma knowing you’re going to live longer for it. You can increase protein content by experimenting with beans and lentils such as Green moong dhokla, buckwheat upma, paneer stuffed parantha etc.

2. Hydration + Celebration = Liver Preservation

With dancing often comes drinking and while it’s easy to get carried away with the crowd its important to remember that the added load of fatty foods today from the mithai, gujias, ladoos and kheer not to mention the calorie bomb combined with the toxic effect of alcohol on the liver are really going to stress your body out.

The liver is the detox centre for the body and while its working away on alcohol most of the added calories coming its way are also going to need to be converted to fat- again by the liver in an attempt to deal with the lack of storage space and the excess calories.

Drinking a tonne of water won’t save you from the fat the storage in the liver but will lighten the load of having to detox the system. Drinking water between drinks also helps to fight hunger pangs, keep your sobriety up and even help you avoid unnecessary temptation by helping stomach sensors feel full.

With the scorching heat of March staying hydrated also helps your skin maintain its proper function and boost your recovery period from the heat by helping cool down the internal organs.

3. Go Green Later:

We can’t stress the importance of giving your system a green boost from the day’s fun and festivities with the help of a vegetable juice to keep your liver light. Green vegetables, fresh herbs and certain spices can greatly help to fine tune the livers functioning back to track.

Good vegetables to opt for are: cucumbers, tomatoes- deseeded of course, bell peppers in every colour, hara-bara veggies like spinach, kale, broccoli are also liver lovers.

Try mixing it up with fresh herbs such as parsley, coriander, mint for an added zing.

We saved the best tip for last.

4. Put a Halt on the Salt:

After a day spent eating, drinking and of course being merry- the time to balance is at night. Take an opposite approach by eating a light meal, only drinking water and also giving the system the rest it deserves with a good night’s sleep.

Your evening lighter meal should be comparatively lower in sodium. If you can why not cut back altogether with the salt? A lot of the processed foods and drinks you consumed in the day probably gave you more than your fair share of sodium for the day in any case! Choose simple easy to digest options like a bowl of papaya, 2 whole wheat toast and a glass of milk or a fruit with milk. Remember too much salt causes water retention and will leave you feeling bloated tomorrow.

Have a healthy happy love and colour filled holi!

Harpreet Pasricha