5 Mistakes To Avoid During Navratri Fasting

The fall season fills our lives with new joy every year. After all, it’s the season when we enjoy the greatest festivals every year. The festivals are lined up and we are counting days when #Navratri will start. Navratri fasting is very popular, especially in North India. It’s a way through which we show our devotion to Maa Durga. There are no hard rules to observe the fast. Maa Durga bless us anyway.

Fasting has health benefits as science says. When you do not eat solids and rather stay on a liquid diet your system detoxifies. Toxins are eliminated from your system.  But some people really compromise their health while fasting. Especially those who are observing 9 days-long fasts. I am not saying 9 days long fast should not be done but, even one-day fasting can take a toll on someone’s health if few mistakes are made. I am going to talk about some mistakes that you should not make while you observe a fast be it any day. This will ensure that you receive the benefits of fasting in true sense along with Maa Durga’s blessings.

1. Not Taking Enough Liquid

The main objective of fasting is not to show off your will power to resists food but to detoxify your body. You should anyway stay hydrated but if you limit your water intake during fasting, this is a serious offense to your health. This way you are actually making your system work too hard for you to eliminate toxins out of your body.

Do This » You will also notice a lack of energy in the absence of solid food but you can have fruit juices which are nutrition-rich and will quench your thirst.

2. Having Unhealthy Vrat Aahar

You have so many options to replace your regular meals during Navaratri. You can have banana chips, fried potatoes, and whatnot. But these snacks/dishes mainly use rock salt, sugar & oil. It is not a good idea to have more than required in a single day, especially on an empty stomach. You are actually intoxicating your system by taking these oily snacks

Do This » Instead, try having a fruit whenever you feel hunger pangs. Fruit will keep you active & joyful.

3. Having Too Many Caffeinated Drinks

Tea & Coffee are really helpful to kill hunger pangs for a long time, but having them empty stomach or every time you feel hungry is a definite no-no. They can hurt your system badly.  They would leave you badly dehydrated & insomniac.

Do This » You want to drink? You can have green tea. Or Caffeine-free drink. But limit it. Alternate your drinks with homemade fruit juices or detox drinks.

4. Fasting While You Are Unfit

Please do not do this. Maa Durga won’t get mad at you if you are unwell and not able to observe a fast. If you have BP or Sugar problems, then even your doctor won’t advise you to observe fast even for a single day. This will only worsen your condition. After all, it’s all about devotion. You don’t have to prove it to anybody. Even pregnant ladies should check with their doctors before observing any fast.

Do This » If you must observe a fast even while being unfit, please talk to your doctor. Take his advice or get a diet planned.

5. Overeating At Night

The nighttime food offering is special. After resisting food the whole day long, it’s hard to resist at night and we generally eat more than required. The Navaratri food is highly oily & contains a lot of sugar too. That is again unhealthy and really overloads your system. Sometimes you might even get stomach pain.

Do This » Do not resist but enjoy every bite of food and you will notice you are full in no time without overeating. Opt for Sabudana khichadi or similar items which are more nutritious and filling.

 

I hope you are going to take care of your health during this Navaratri days. Have a wonderful time ahead. Please leave your comments below if you have more tips to add to the article.