Conscious festive indulgence is a big concern today. This is simply because feasting during the festive season can often cause a spike in the blood sugar levels due to increased intake of sugary foods or drinks. A balanced approach with physical activity or a detox diet can help shed those extra kilos.
Fitness expert Meenakshi Mohanty says, “It is imperative to hydrate well during the festive season, while practising proportion control with meals to avoid binging on junk food or sweets. Light walks and morning yoga are effective in managing health and well-being.”
Even the most disciplined people can go on binge-eating as one year of hard work can be undone in two weeks of festival feasting. However, with the rising prevalence of diabetes, and tens of millions of people at pre-diabetes levels, it is crucial to understand how controlling blood sugar levels by curbing cravings and focusing on a healthy lifestyle and detox process can add value to the festivities.
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Dr Arbinder Singal, co-founder and CEO of Fitterfly, a health tech start-up working in the field of digital therapeutics, says, “Measuring and monitoring the impact of a food or a dish you consume, and how it affects your blood sugar levels, is the key to joyful living. Through digital therapeutics, one can not only get real-time updates on blood sugar levels, but know which food is to be consumed in moderation, and what is to be avoided. A holistic management of diabetes through DTx monitoring, physical exercise, consumption of balanced nutrition, and ensuring adequate sleep and hydration is required to stay in control.”
A healthy detox means sticking to low sodium, sugar, spice diet, using only clean label plant-based products coupled with a few minutes of pranayam and meditation, says Jhanvi Tulsian, founder and CEO of health and wellness brand Shistaka, which has detox teas made with organic superfoods like giloy, neem and tulsi. “A detox herbal concoction is a combination of organic herbs like giloy, neem, ginger, tulsi, and green tea sourced from Himachal Pradesh, Munnar and the Nilgiris, which help remove toxins from the body, purify blood and fight bacterial diseases,” she says.
While the body has a natural detoxification system that eliminates toxins and harmful compounds, detoxing tea can be ineffective and unnecessary for weight loss and detoxification. Also, the shortcuts to lose weight can look most effective, but dietitian and nutritionist Anoushkaa Garsa advises not to lose weight with detox diets. “Detox drinks or diets are not for everyone. You should never replace your actual food with these without consulting an expert. If your body is able to lose weight naturally, you should always go for that option because that is the natural way,” she says.
GOING NATURAL
- Cucumber mint detox water: Coupled with antioxidant rich cucumber, mint can really help in boosting the metabolism of your body
- Lemonade: Being rich in pectin fibre, lemon water is one of the best detox drinks recommended to shed those extra kilos
- Jeera water: Jeera water can be the most basic trick you can adapt to detoxify your body
- Fruit-infused tea: Have a tea blend combining berries, blueberries, ginger, orange and mint leaves with chamomile tea
– Avantika Majumdar, dietician, Accord Super Speciality Hospital, Faridabad
MANAGING BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS
- Be aware of what you eat: The food that we eat has a direct impact on blood sugar
- Go for portion control: Diwali is incomplete without good food and sweets. Instead of trying to deprive yourself completely, eat less and smaller portions
- Measure your carbohydrate intake: Carbs have the biggest impact on sugar levels. Therefore, knowing the exact carb intake can help determine the blood sugar level impact. if you take insulin, it can also help measure the intake needed
