The festive season has begun, and so have the festivities. While festivals are a good break from the monotony, it is important we consciously make an effort to eat healthy, sleep well, and exercise every two days at least.

Navratri especially may get a little hectic for both men and women who fast through all the nine days.This may cause them to eat either too much, or too less, depending on what and how much they are eating. What most people fail to realize is, while fasting is a very good opportunity for people to lose some extra calories, one needs to be very particular about the timing and the calories they are consuming.

Here are a few tips for you to make the most of your Navratri fasting.

1) Have fruits as much as possible:
Fruits are energy-giving as well as filling. If you are too tired to make yourself a meal, You can have various fruits such as apples, bananas, pomegranate, papaya, dragon fruit and kiwi. Note that milk and fruits when combined can make you feel very heavy and bloated as it’s not a healthy combination. Hence one should refrain from consuming milk and fruits together in the form of milky fruit salad or milkshakes.

2) Stay hydrated!:
Carry a tall water bottle with you wherever you go. In fact make it a point to leave your house only with a bottle of water in your bag. Drink between 8-12 cups of water every single day. If you don’t feel like it flavour it with lemon juice or mint leaves.

3) Keep some dry fruits handy:
Unsalted nuts like almonds, pistachio, walnuts cashews and dried fruits like dates , prunes and raisins are the best source of instant energy. Though one should make it a point to consume these only in small amounts and not more than once a day.

4) Use Sendha namak:
Sendha namak also known as rock salt is the most natural form of salt. Not only during Navratri, you can consume Sendha Namak otherwise too as it is extremely healthy for it is free from chemicals. It cools your body from within and is low in sodium and high in potassium. It helps keep a balance of electrolytes in the body without affecting the blood pressure levels. Note iodized salt is important too for your body .

5) Switch to rajgira aata:
Rajgira (Amaranth) a great source of calcium, proteins, and amino acids. In fact Rajgira is the only grain that contains vitamin C. Rajgira parathas are a healthy source of energy and taste delicious too.

6) Also some other healthy food options for Navratri are Samak Chawal (Samai) , Buckwheat ( kuttu) , Singhara (water chestnuts ) ,potato, sweet potato, pumpkin and Dudhi and curds .

Please make a note that starving yourself to exhaustion is not the ideal way to fast. Detox yourself well, meditate, and introspect as much as possible.