It's a party time but what about my diet?
Whenever any festival time comes or if there is any socializing / parties are planned among friends and family circle or whether its a wedding season, a common question is how to maintain weight or how to avoid over intake of calories and mainly how to keep digestion system healthy.
Before going into further guidance it's important to understand the definition of Diet. It is the kind of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats. That means Diet is not like a medication course which you are on for a certain period of time. It is what we eat and have been eating since the stone age.
So don't think that diets can not be done while travelling or while enjoying a party. You can choose between eating mindfully or just eating randomly on these occasions.
So to correct the above question put it as
It's Party Time..so how I can maintain my Healthy Diet?
Answers are…# Balance is the key
Planning our day/week - If any parties are scheduled in a day or on weekends, we should plan other meals accordingly to create balance in terms of calories, sugar, salad and proteins intake.
E.g. If there is a wedding lunch to attend, enjoy it. And then ask your stomach what it really needs in the evening. Maybe you can give full rest to your stomach then after. And if there is a dinner party, then don’t have your earlier meals, as usual, you may consider lighter to digest food in smaller portions for day time.
# Do Sampling
If there are more than 3 to 4 snacks, sweets and beverages on offer, take 1 to 2 spoons/sips of each delicacy rather than overstuffing our plate as well as our stomach.
This is my funda. What we don’t get every day, relish those special items during special occasions. E.g. at restaurants, prefer to order starters and desserts, as we don’t eat grilled items and exotic desserts every day. Dal rice roti gravies are regular items that we can consider skipping at party time.
# Self Talk
Ask ourselves that do we really need it, because most of the time we overeat in the feeling that we never going to get that taste/food again. Our stomach and mind is our lifetime dietitian, get trained to listen to them.
# Eat Slowly
While eating any food, enjoy its aroma, its taste, identify all ingredients, discuss its recipe and as we are with our friends and family, enjoy this time to chit chat (it is alright to talk during eating at a party. But have a positive and happy conversation). In short, take time to eat food slowly. Enjoy every bite of it because it takes 20+ minutes for our brain to get the signal that we are full.
# Follow the sequence
Start with soups, salads....drink sips of water to reduce hunger which thereby helps to avoid overeating.
(e.g. after enjoying different salads, I sometimes go straight to the dessert counter and ditch other in- between courses)
# Avoid Repetition
Avoid every other day outside food, sweets, deep fry food, alcohol - it causes indigestion, gases, acidity and bloating. This is common during festivals and on four days big fat Indian wedding.
(So then we wonder why newly stitched blouse/trousers/lehenga is not fitting and why looking dull even after that facial and makeup. ) Again refer to the first point, balance is the key. Plan it out. If you are confused about priorities, a nutrition coach can guide you.
# Sharing is the Key
This is the time of coming together. So respect reason of occasion or an event, enjoy being together rather than keeping the whole purpose of attending parties, festival gatherings and wedding to just eat. Sharing a plate between dear ones is the best way to increase love and decrease (calories) load.
Follow Healthy Lifestyle Everyday (Even if it's your wedding)
- Keep it up with daily physical exercise (just 5 to 15 minutes of static and dynamic stretches keeps you energetic full day)
- Stay well hydrated
- Sleep well
- Just 1 to 5 minutes of Pranayama and Meditation strengthens our mind for the whole day.
Disclaimer : This blog is informative, its application must be done under the guidance of a health professional.