Celebrate holi and get back on track It's Holi Time! And no one can stay untouched by the vibrancy of this festival as its all about colours, food and loads of masti. Apart from all the excitement it brings, Holi is also known to be one of the most dangerous festivals. Well, worry not, all you need to do is follow our step to step guide for making your holi enjoyable without worrying about handling fast colours and binging on lots of unhealthy calories. A week before Holi, avoid any procedure that involves damage to the barrier of skin like threading, waxing, peeling, laser etc. because these procedures leave the skin pores open which can prove to be harmful as the residue of colours can easily seep into these pores and make their way to inner layers of skin. Before playing Holi· Try to make your whole body slippery by applying thick layers. of coconut/vit E oil right from hair to toe, this would reduce absorption of colours into your skin & also prevent dryness. Do the oiling part at least 20-25 minutes before you start.· Wear cotton clothes that cover most of your skin. You will have less of skin to battle with while removing colours. Cover your head with colourful scarf or cap to prevent your hair from getting coloured. · Do not forget to apply moisturizer behind your ears and ears lobes as these are the areas one tends to neglect.· Put sunscreen on all exposed parts and also apply lip balm generously.· Do not wear lenses.· Remember to drink lots of water, thandai, juices but keep away from alcohol as it dehydrates your skin further. After playing Holi: Dust all the dry colours away with your hands gently without rubbing your skin.· While bathing, first wash away all the colours from hair and skin with running water, followed by application of shampoo. Rub the skin gently to remove colours, do not overdo because the friction of rubbing would aid in penetration of colours into your skin.· After the shower, pat dry your skin to leave it slightly damp and apply thick body lotion to trap the water on the surface of skin. Repeat moisturizing each time your skin feels dry. The colour gradually fades in a day or two, if you are not able to do so satisfactory, rub sliced lemon over the skin to remove the stains. Put a paste of besan, curd, turmeric and rose water on the face and dry it. Scrub the dry pack to remove stubborn stains and finish off with some moisturizer. The face needs some post Holi love too, after all!! Do not use scrub, bleach or skin lightening creams.If you did follow your oil champi the previous night, the colour needs just a through wash to slide out of your scalp. But all these chemicals will rob your hair of its natural shine. In order to get that back, here is the recipe of super hydrating hair mask, the ingredients for which your will easily find in your kitchen. Mix together egg yolk, tablespoon honey and 2 tablespoon olive oil and apply the mixture from your scalp to tips after you have shampooed out the colour. Keep it for 15 minutes and rinse with water. Once the colours get washed away and the day comes to an end we all get fidgety about the way we feel as it's bit uneasy due to the overeating we did whole day. Well the colours are still quite manageable but the most irritating aspect is the bloated feeling and a strange heaviness. Endless gabbing of Ghunjiyas, bhang, malpuas, jalebis and much more leads to an upset stomach which ruins your next few days or may be more. With so much cheating, it becomes difficult to stay within our calorie budgets also when there is so much good food around us so not to worry as we are here to pull you out of your Holi-hangover and assure that you get back into the health and fitness track. Use the following tips after you are done with holi mania and say goodbye to your bloating, heaviness and those extra pounds.Focus on what you are eating for a few days right after Holi. Come back to your sensible eating habits, without starving yourself. Do not try to skip meals as leads to binge eating later on. Consider eating well portioned, well balanced healthy meals which are packed with protein, dietary fiber, fruits and vegetables.Holi is the day where everyone says "Bura na mano Holi Hai" which actually becomes a national license to get away with anything and everything. Do not let the festival become an excuse for indulging in too much bhang, it's important to know your own body capacity and not follow others blindly. Never mix it with alcohol. Unlike alcohol, bhang kicks you up slowly and lingers on for much longer. Do not have it on empty stomach. Have a solid meal before it. And it you are already under a bhang hangover, have a glass of lemon or orange juice with water or eat fruits such as kiwi, strawberries and apples.Here's what you should be eating once the holi celebrations all over so as to get back to the track-Eat low fat breakfast e.g. a bowl of low fat curd mixed with seasonal fruits or a bowl of healthy oats with skimmed milk. For mid morning snack consider eating only a piece of fruit with green or herbal tea. For lunch try eating whole wheat bread or bran chapati with mixed vegetables and lots of salad. For evening snack eat fruits with tea/coffee without sugar. For dinner eat a piece of fish with plenty of vegetables seasoned with herbs or sprouts. Since consumption of sweets during Holi is common, ensure you have lots of salads and sprouts so that it will keep you healthy and curb your appelite. Consumption of lemon water and coconut water is not only good for your tummy but its effects on skin are also impressive.Set a short term caloric goal for yourself and stick to it. Stop checking the weighing scale again and again. Even if you don't put any weight during holi, your body will experience some 'false' weight gain as it might be undergoing water retention due to intake of extra self and preservatives consumed in all the rich food. So don't weigh yourself next day. Try again after 3-4 days and you might even be surprised to see that you didn't put on any weight at all. Just simple little steps and you are back on your track of healthy weight. So, this time Holi is going to be fun, safe and healthy. Now eat whatever you like and then go for our recommended died regime. Go ahead and enjoy the festive spirit with food and drink with your loved ones. Share how this plan worked out for you in our next issue. Happy Holi!!!