Expert Tips For Healthy Celebration

Pallav Bhusal

During the festive season, joy abounds, and we often find ourselves relishing delectable homemade meals more than usual. In Nepal, Dashain and Tihar festivals are closely associated with delightful culinary experiences, and it's only natural for us to indulge in a variety of foods, ranging from meat dishes to sweet treats.

However, we should not enjoy ourselves at the cost of potential damage to our health. To steer us toward mindful eating during the festive season, here are some invaluable tips shared by the Senior Consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist, Professor Dr. Yuba Raj Sharma. These expert insights will guide us in enjoying the festive season to the fullest while maintaining a focus on our health.

Eat moderately

During the festive season, almost all households tend to cook more food than on regular days. Many invite guests during this time and consume more food than other days. The key is to consume a limited amount of food required by the body. Even though it might be difficult to handle the consumption of food during the festive period, it is recommended to be comfortable while eating and not overdo it.

Most of the food items cooked during the festivals of Dashain and Tihar are cooked in large quantities of oil and spices.

Meat is a staple item and is consumed in greater amounts than other foods. Even vegetables and other authentic foods such as selroti and various types of traditional rotis (fini, anrasa, etc.) are cooked and consumed in large amounts. Even the consumption of sugary items increases during the festival period.

This consumption leads to indigestion and constipation. Even some people who are already affected by medical conditions such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes, among others, might have more serious consequences if their food consumption is not controlled properly. Many people gain weight during the festival period. Therefore, it is recommended that people only eat moderately within their comfort zone during the festival.

Stay hydrated

We should drink plenty of water and alternate drinks, which can help us stay hydrated and healthy during the festival. Since Dashain and Tihar are festivals that are celebrated with loved ones, people gather more among themselves during this period. Sitting together and eating food complements the heavy consumption of alcohol and soda drinks.

Alcohol in itself, if consumed in excess, leads to many health risk factors. Consumption of alcohol can lead to a swollen liver and a heart attack. Also, drinking fizzy drinks like Coca-Cola and Pepsi too much will increase the sugar level in the body.

We tend to enjoy ourselves too much during the festival and do not account for overconsumption of alcohol. This is also because people usually get a long holiday during the festival and do not have work responsibilities, which tends to increase consumption of alcoholic items. Therefore, all consumption of such items should be kept in check during the festival.

Avoid stale foods

During the festival, we Nepali households cook more food than on a regular day. It might be because we invite our friends and relatives to enjoy the festive season together. But this leads to an excess of food, which then has to be stored in the proper way and for a specific period.

Most Nepali households in urban areas store their food in the fridge, but in rural areas, it is still a challenge to store cooked food properly. This can lead to serious health hazards, including diarrhoea and food poisoning.

Even storing foods in the fridge may not be enough to prevent health hazards. Also, too much food will lead to waste since it may have to be thrown out, which is also not a good practice.

Exercise regularly

It is always a good practice to exercise daily. But, during the festival, since we consume more than usual, it is recommended that a half-hour of exercise is more than enough to stay moderately fit. A simple walk in the morning or cycling could be beneficial exercises.

Exercise is always good for maintaining a healthy body. During the festival, we tend to add extra calories, which produces an excess of energy in our body. Such excess fat and energy can be controlled by exercising moderately.

Balanced diet

Eating a balanced diet is recommended in our everyday lives. However, during the festive season, we tend to consume more meat, oily breads (rotis), and sweets, which is all an excess of bad composition. Therefore, we should add more fibre, such as salads and fruits, to our diet, which will balance our digestion process and fill our stomachs equally.

Even while consuming a large quantity of foods, if we include a balanced diet, it will fill our stomach while making it easy for our body to digest and feel comfortable throughout the festive season.

We should not challenge our stomachs by eating foods that our bodies cannot tolerate just because it is the holiday season. However, we should incorporate diets that are friendly to our body and health and consume them in a balanced manner.

Enjoy eating

We have to remember that Dashain and Tihar are festivals where many households purposefully cook delicious food in large quantities. It is the time when family members and friends gather to have fun.

It is a festival of food and enjoyment.

Therefore, there should not be guilt in eating a little extra than usual as long as your health permits you to do so. Eating good food is a guilty pleasure for human beings, and only once in a while does an occasion come when people indulge in extra delicious food with their loved ones. The festive season is the perfect getaway to enjoy food and activities that are rarely done in our everyday lives.

Everything should be done to a limit, but we should open our hearts and not feel guilty about enjoying the festival that all Nepalis love so much, that is, Dashain and Tihar.

(Bhusal is a journalist at The Rising Nepal.)

TRN Online

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