India is the land of festivals…. we’ve been learning this since 2nd grade…and aptly so!Each festival has its own charm, rituals and significance… eg: Deepavali or Diwali, the festival of lights is celebrated to welcome victorious lord Ram, his brother Lakshman and wife Sita from their 14 year “Vanvaas” or “exile in the forest” …..after defeating Ravan. People light lamps and decorate their homes and also worship Goddess Lakshmi to welcome prosperity into their homes.)
Holi, the festival of colors, also signifies the victory of Bhakti/devotion over evil. It is celebrated to mark the death of demoness Holika, sister of king Hiranyakashyapu, who ordered her to sit with his son Prahlad on a pyre so as to kill him because he was a Lord Vishnu bhakt. Holika was gifted to be unaffected by fire and hence it was expected that she would come out unscathed but the power of devotion is such that she burnt to death while prahlad came out unharmed!
How we wait for these festivals…and not just because it’s a holiday 
….these rituals and celebrations also give us a reason to…. Heheheh…. gorge on scrumptious, mouth watering sweets and savouries!!! 28th October is Diwali and just the thought of all the traditional delicacies made either at home or brought from outside….makes me droooooool 
Imagine how torturous it is for us nutritionists to have all those super oily+ salty savouries, ghee & sugar saturated mithais and sweets (High-cal is probably an understatement!) placed in front of us….which smell, look and obviously taste out of the world??
The mind can instantly split into two personas not only for us but for every health conscious soul….one which wants to dig into the food, to lick the plate so clean that it needn’t be washed and the other constantly reminding you of the “prosperity” (in waist size) that choosing the former will bring to u!
That is precisely why…..i thought of some tips to help us indulge, and yet be watchful…. Hopefully it should work for you too not only if you’re the guest but the host too, pitch in your ideas, I’m sure they’ll also be of use….
- Have a bowl of sprouts/salad/yogurt/soup etc before going out to wish someone. Since your tummy would be slightly full, you won’t gorge as much as you would on an empty stomach.
- You could even munch a fruit or two before leaving home.
- Even when you do visit someone, have a glass or two or water before pouncing on the feast laid in front…. Cuz I know it’s soooo difficult to resist!
- Don’t gobble the food up…. Take time while eating….chew well, savour the taste… the food isn’t going anywhere…don’t be in a rush!
- Keep interacting with people…just don’t keep saying that the sweets/ savouries are fabulous… heheh the host may end up forcing you to eat more… talk about things other than food too;)
- This one’s for the hosts…. Try making sweets which are either steamed or try the traditional recipes using lesser ghee. sugar ( or oil, salt if savouries)…..try baking savouries instead of frying…eg: baked mathris/kachoris/cutlets/tandoori veggies,paneer/steamed dhoklas/cocktail veggie idlis etc
- When buying, choose sweets like rasagolla, sondesh, chenna murki,peda (Ps:you don’t have to buy them, you could make them too) puranpoli, petha burfi, low fat laddoos, kheer or halwas made with skimmed milk, caramel custard, fruit custard etc are other options which you could make. Try recipes with jaggery.
- Share and care…and in this case, also spare….yourself a calorie overload. A lot of people gift boxes of sweets, nuts, savouries, chocolates etc. If you want, keep a small share and share the rest with neighbors or better still, with the less privileged ones…bring a smile on their faces and you’ll feel the festive spirit as happiness exudes from within!
- Restrict the alcohol consumption while “celebrating” in festive spirit.
- Cut down wherever you can, for eg: opt for fresh lime/fresh fruit juice/green tea etc instead of an aerated drink.
- Since it’s well accepted that you will probably go a tad bit overboard in calories, don’t give up exercising, you could also workout a little more to compensate…but don’t exert yourself so much that moving even a muscle becomes difficult!:)
- All said and done, prepare yourself by eating right and light….both before and after the festival!
Well having said al this, wish you all a very joyous and prosperous Diwali…. I’m off to raid my amamma’s (”nani” in Konkani) kitchen for some home-made chiwdaa (namkeen made of rice flakes)…. It’ll be difficult limiting myself to just half a bowl, but then I myself have to follow my tips right? I’ll test my will power…. I hope you have a jolly time too! enjoiii folks!!
Ps: Due to space constraints…I may not have written the significance of the festivals too articulately…. But they are truly fascinating…go ask your mum-dad or grandparents if you wanna know more!
a good article on how to enjoy the Festive Occassion and keep healthy.
Keep publishing such enlightening Articles.
Happy wishes for Fesitival of Lights!!!
S Jain