If you plan to fast this Navratri then make sure that it is done the healthy way. it can help you lose weight and will leave you feeling great! 

Tips to follow fasting in good health:

  • Drink lots of water 2-3 litres per day and liquids like lemon water, coconut water, green tea & buttermilk.
  • Eat in less quantity but frequently and do not get hungry yourself. This will help keep blood sugar levels and stop you from getting faint and low.
  • Combine high carbs foods like sago and potatoes with veggies like bottle gourd, spinach, capsicum, tomatoes and cabbage etc. Also, try to roast / grill/bake instead of deep-frying them.
  • Control strong desire for sugar by eating dates, fruits raita and raw fruits. Replace kheer with mixed fruit raita.
  • Do not overeat namkeen packets as they are high in salt and fat content. Instead pick for roasted makhana / mixed nuts / baked chips / roasted peanuts.
  • Replace sugar with honey/jaggery
  • Use skimmed milk instead of full cream milk. Drink milk twice a day.
  • Amaranth is the best protein origin you can take during the tasting. Make amaranth porridge with milk or cook it as namkeen daliya with lots of veggies.
  • All the traditional flours and grains that are part of the Navratri diet – buckwheat (kuttu) flour, water chestnut (singhara) flour, amaranth (rajgiri atta) and millet (Samak) flour are all gluten-free and are healthier alternatives to wheat flour so should be consumed during fasts but in limited quantity. 

Sample diet for Navratri:

  • Breakfast options (choose any one) —Fruits (mix) shake with wet almonds/amaranth porridge with nuts.
  • Mid-morning options (choose any one) —Green tea/lemon water/coconut water with fruits.v  Lunch options (choose any one) —Baked sabudana tikkis with veggies and curd / grilled vadas with mint spicy chutney / kuttu chapatis with vegetables and salad with raita / samak rice with vegetables, salad and raita.
  • Evening snacks options Green tea with baked chips/roasted makhana / baked namkeen.
  • Dinner options Paneer tikka with veggies/milk with fruits / A bowl of vegetable and salad/pumpkin or bottle gourd soup with veggies.

OR

If you have decided to go for a nine-day DETOX during this time, (Detoxing doesn't mean starvation, it means drinking lots of liquids so that the toxins are flushed out) plan is as follows: 

  • Early morning: Two glasses of lukewarm water with lime or aloe vera and amla juice added to water. 
  • Breakfast: Mixed fruit smoothie with coconut water or green tea with almonds and walnuts. 
  • Mid Morning: Either one apple or one orange or mixed fruit juice but don't consume packaged juices. Aroid banana and cheeku. 
  • Lunch: Mixed fruit chaat with a glass of lemon water without sugar with Evening – Green tea with some mixed dry fruits but restrict on figs and raisins. 
  • Dinner: Sautéed vegetables/clear veg soups. The whole structure of Navratri fasts supports the idea of a healthy lifestyle and if followed properly, it's a good detox programme. So this Navratri, be smart and go for a balanced and nutritious Navratri diet.