Chhat Puja 2014 -- healthy diet tips to observe the fast - TheHealthSite

Chhat Puja involves women observing a 36-hour-long fast for religious purposes. Since it is a very long period of not eating or drinking anything, there are certain precautions that must be taken to survive the same. Note that it can also have medical implications on your health so only if you are fit and fine should you observe it. Nutritionist Priya Kathpal lists down some tips to observe this fast in a healthy way. Here are a few of them:

Hydrate before the fast: Keep yourself well-hydrated till the fast begins not just with plain water. Adding fluids like buttermilk and lemon juice would help as they pack in more nutrients and energy.

Eat healthy carbs: Load up on complex carbohydrates in a regular pattern two days before the fast - add food items like sweet potato, brown rice, oats. Couple them up with protein sources like low-fat cottage cheese, curd, etc.

Go easy in the last meal: Having a simple last meal would help keep your gut low on acidic flow. Do not overeat sugar and sweets. Keep it light with some plain flat breads or chapatis, curds, dal and lightly sugared milk preparation like kheer.

Break the fast with something healthy: Do not eat a huge meal immediately after the fast, you can have some prasad (religious sweets) to break the fast but try and have some fluids like fruit or fruit juice to hydrate back and get some energy too.

Eat slowly: You can follow this with a home-made full meal consisting of celebratory food. Try and eat slowly, savour the food and keep it low on oil to avoid heavy meal post a long fast. This will help the gut get back to normalcy with ease.

Who should avoid the Chhat Puja fast

It should totally be avoided by women who are pregnant or lactating.

Women suffering from any medical conditions especially diabetes or blood pressure should also abstain from observing this fast.

Ideally, it should be observed only by those who are medically fit and or have a medical clearance to do so.

Image source: IANS

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