Eat that sweet before your meal : Dr Manisha Bandishti

October 28, 2016

Diwali is the time when we spread joy and happiness amongst our loved ones by fattening them up with laddoos, mithais and other sweet and savoury snacks. It is a time when most of us binge on unhealthy foods since they are within our reach and visibility. But, this is also a crucial time period that we can use to get healthier instead of allowing our bodies to resemble the laddoos we ate.

Dr Manisha Bandishti, a leading city-based dietician, answers some key questions and gives some useful tips on how we can use this festive period to our advantage and get fit.

How can we make use of Diwali to get fit instead of getting unhealthy?

Special occasions and festivals often center around food. As a result, many people gain a little or a lot of weight during this festive season due to which we never really attain our health goals.

So, when it comes to getting fitter we must work on three things:

Exercise
Stress Management
Diet

Firstly, when it comes to exercise, our only excuse is lack of time. However, during Diwali we have ample amount of time so one can exercise more. Similarly, one can go hiking or trekking.

Secondly, stress can be reduced by doing yoga, meditation and spending some quality time with family and friends. During the festive season, people are so busy with preparations, parties, etc. that it disturbs their biological clock. One must get enough sleep, at least for seven to eight hours.

Lastly, diet can be well-organised as you are with your family. One can also maintain perfect meal timings at regular intervals and make healthy food choices.

By applying these simple and easy tips one can get fitter instead of getting unhealthy.

Is there a way to transform the milk-based sweets into healthy sweets?

One can use cow’s milk or skimmed milk instead of normal milk. Cow’s milk can be boiled twice or thrice and the cream can be removed. Also, one can also add a healthy and natural sweetener in less quantity in place of sugar.

What are the sweet yet healthy options for diabetic patients during Diwali?

It is always advisable to avoid sweets when it comes to diabetic patients. If one feels the need to have sweets then one can add a natural sweetener in very less quantity.

What are the common mistakes that people make with their eating habits during Diwali?

During Diwali, people think it’s the festive season so they cheat all the meals, which is wrong! One can fix a meal of the day that he or she wants to cheat on and only cheat on that meal of the day and not on all the other meals.
One does not think of portion control. Portion Control is the key to loosing and maintaining weight.
Sweets are consumed after a meal, instead have them before a meal.
Do not go on diet chaklis or chivda. You tend to eat more and though they are low in fat, they are loaded with refined carbohydrates. You might as well have the fried ones where you will automatically try to control your portion.
Do not leave home on an empty stomach. Have a bowl of soup or salad before going for a party.
Binging on food is the most common mistake that people make, so instead of binging on sweets, choose healthy options like nuts.

Is there a way to control the urge to gorge on sweets?

The biggest problem when it comes to gorging on sweets is in its availability. Because they are available, people feel the urge to have them more and more. The best way to overcome this is to prepare sweets as much as required for distribution purpose only. There is no need to keep them stocked up.

The lesser they become available it automatically controls the urge to gorge on sweets.