This year Navratri starts from March 22. Here is a free Navratri diet plan to be followed during this auspicious festival celebrating Devi Durga. People also observe fasts as a mark of showing their devotion for the goddess. While some observe the fasts for all nine days, some keep them in jodas (couple) – first two or the last two. Apart from religious reasons, there is a strong scientific logic linked to these fasts.

During such a period, your immunity tends to be low and your body is more prone to sickness in these intervals. By fasting or following a light and clean diet you can help fortify yourself from within. 

Intermittent fasting during Navratri and following a healthy and gluten-free diet offers many other health benefits. It boosts immunity, detoxifies the body, rejuvenates the digestive system, and improves heart health, metabolism and organ function as well.

Nutritionist Tanvi offers this free navratri diet plan to help everyone who wants to fast this Navratri either for religious purpose or for spiritual purpose.

The following navratri diet plan is not aimed for weight loss but for cellular & spiritual purification.

You can also join our weight loss program by clicking here.

Happy Fasting!

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We have 3 Macronutrients, Let’s talk about these in detail:- 

1. CARBOHYDRATES– They are the main source of energy for our body and are commonly known as carbs.
   
   1g of carbs provide us with 4kcal energy.
   They are further divided into two categories- Simple carbs which are easily and quickly absorbed by our body and Complex carbs which take more time to be digested and absorbed.
   Simple carbs include foods like fruits, milk, candy and sugar.
   Complex carbs include foods like oats, sweet potatoes, brown rice and mostly foods with more fibre.
   Carbohydrates help us fuel our brain, kidneys, heart muscles, digestion etc.
   The Daily Dietary Allowance for carbs is around 45-65% calories. It means that in a 2000 calorie diet, 1000-1200 calories should come from CARBS.

2. FATS– They are the second main source of energy for our body.
   
   1g of fats provide us with 9Kcal of energy.
   Fats are used for energy and are also stored as body fat. Fats are further divided into Saturated and Unsaturated fats.
   Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and are commonly known to raise the bad cholesterol, LDL; eg red meat, butter, ghee.
   Unsaturated Fats are liquid at room temperature and are predominantly derived from plant and plant sources; eg, olive oil, nuts, avocados etc.
   Fats strengthen the immune system, protect our liver and also promote healthy bones.
   The Daily Dietary Allowance for fats is around 20-35 % calories. It means that in a 2000 calorie diet, 300-400 calories should come from FATS.

3. PROTEIN- They are commonly known as the building block of our body.
   
   1g of proteins provide us with 4Kcal of energy.
   Protein sources include eggs, low fat dairy, chicken, soybean etc. Proteins can be further classified as amino acids. We have 9 essential amino acids (EAA) which our body cannot produce naturally and 11 non essential amino acids which our body can produce naturally when needed.
   They provide structure and growth to the body. Protein also help in cell repair, muscle development and in various catalysing reactions.
   The Daily Dietary Allowance for proteins is around 10-35% calories. It means that in a 2000 calorie diet, 300-400 calories should come from PROTEINS.
   Also, it is recommended for an adult to eat 0.8-2.0g of proteins per body weight (kg) daily, depending on the level of physical activity. 
   Read more about protein requirements.

You cannot achieve your fitness goals by eliminating any particular food group. You need to consume all the three macronutrients and need to work on changing your lifestyle and adopting healthy eating habits. 

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1 tbsp (15g) of ghee gives you around 130 calories.

You know about VITAMIN A for good skin, bone and eyes; VITAMIN D for bone density and for absorption of calcium; VITAMIN K for blood clotting and bone health; AND VITAMIN E for good hair and skin? These all are called Fat Soluble Vitamins meaning that they need FAT to be absorbed by our body. So, if you won’t eat the good fats (ghee, here), your multivitamins (which you take religiously everyday) won’t work or simply you’ll become nutrient deficient because these vitamins won’t be absorbed by the body!
Okay? Okay.

Ghee is made from milk, by churning it and then by simmering (or heat clarification) the cream formed by it. So, it comes from Dairy and if you are a VEGAN, then you cannot consume it. SORRY!

NUTRITION

Talking about Nutrition, Ghee has Vitamins A, K and E so that means good skin and hair can be achieved by eating ghee. Also, it has calcium and potassium which is beneficial for good bones and for body fluids’ regulation.

HOW AND WHEN TO CONSUME GHEE

It’s best to consume homemade ghee from the milk of a desi cow/buffalo. Don’t use the packed tetra-pack milk to prepare ghee. Half of the nutrition is lost in those packed milks.

You can consume it all around the year in all 3 meals. However, since ghee is made from milk so you may have to see for allergies just in case you are allergic to dairy.

USES AND BENEFITS of GHEE

Firstly, It is very tasty and enhances the taste of any food that we eat. Secondly, it reduces cravings, PMS and hunger. Thirdly, it is very moisturising so can be used to curb the dryness.

In India, ghee is also used for medicinal and religious purposes besides cooking. Ghee along with salt is actively used on burns in Indian households to cure the burning sensation immediately.

Ghee can be used to increase memory, flexibility and healthy digestion. It also actively greases our body joints.

You should eat ghee to lose weight. Yes you read it right. Ghee is fats, so when you combine good fats with carbs, it helps to reduce the GI (glycemic Index) of food. The food is converted to glucose slowly and is not stored as fats which in turn help you lose fat or weight eventually.

In fact, Protein and fat both tend to delay stomach emptying, thereby slowing the rate at which carbohydrate can be digested and absorbed. Read more about fats and GI here.

Ghee has proven to give a very soft and supple looking, radiant and glowing skin, SO EAT THAT GHEE!

BEWARE

It is often recommended that you get 15% of daily fat requirements from ghee. But if you have high cholesterol, then it should be reduced to 5-6% as increased consumption of ghee will increase your cholesterol (LDL, THE BAD ONE) thereby increasing your risk to heart diseases. Read more about it here.

Summary:

So, to conclude, eat your ghee everyday. Add as much ghee in every meal as much as you get its taste but not as much as that you get only ghee’s taste. Our body needs fats, and ghee is a good source of it.

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Not everyone can do “DIETING” and those who can are always starving themselves to lose weight. 

Dieting has been forever demonised by those who don’t do it the right way and thereby in turn scaring the sh@# out of people who want to see a change in themselves- lose weight, gain weight, gain muscle, whatever the goal is.

What does it mean by DIETING? “Dieting is the practice of eating food in a regulated way to decrease, maintain, or increase body weight, or to prevent and treat diseases such as diabetes and obesity.” This is what Wikipedia says. 

“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” ~ rightly said by someone in the most minimal words. Planning your meals ahead of time is very essential if you want to implement healthy eating habits. If the ingredients are missing, you won’t be able to cook the required recipes. Arrange for a trip to grocery store at least once a week and stock up the things needed.

If you want to know about how to really lose weight easily, then continue reading further.

1. Eat every 2 hours to lose weight.

Okay, okay i agree it seems intimidating when you hear (read) this (eat every two hours) but its important! “oh my god, how can I eat itna sara (this much)?” This is the point. See, when you eat itna sara (this much), your portion size gradually decreases and hence overall you either eat the same quantity or mostly less in the whole day. Eating every two hours is important because when you do so, you’re already full by the next meal (because of your previous meal) and hence, you eat less.

Also, the stomach feels secure that you won’t starve it and so it performs its functions at its full efficiency and oh, did i tell you that when you eat every 2 hours, your stomach doesn’t store fats in fat cells (as triglycerides) and in fact uses it up to produce energy because you are giving it small meals = low calories = weight loss? Well, now I did!

Hey, I didn’t say eat BIG MEALS every 2 hours, NO. Eat 2-3 BIG meals and 5-6 SMALL meals in a day. Small Meals could be like: 1 Cheese block, Fresh Coconut water, 20-30 Peanuts (or a handful), Bhelpuri, 2 Dates, 1 Katori Cucumber and Tomato Salad, 1 Katori Curd, Nuts and Seeds, 1 Peanut Butter Toast etc. 

2. Always carry your food when you go out.

As Cliche as it may sound, but Yes, you should always carry your “dabba” when you go out. If Akshay Kumar can do this, you can do it too.

Carrying your dabba with you has multiple benefits like firstly, you won’t be forced to eat outside food (no matter how healthy it is, bahar ka kana is bahar ka chana).

Secondly, you or someone in your family is cooking it so be ensure that it is hygienic, and is cooked with clean hands and good ingredients and oils.

And mostly, you know what you are eating, you have properly portion sized it according to your needs.  Furthermore, some of you may complain about your travelling job. The ONLY way out is to carry food with you which you can like nuts (almonds, walnuts), a piece of fruit or Nariyal Pani is available mostly everywhere.

3. Eat loads of Fruits & Vegetables.

Fruits & Vegetables are super important and rich in nutrients. Why are they important? Because they have lots of fibre in there, can be used to beat up your Sugar Cravings and are also rich with various micro nutrients. Also, they are low in calories and make a perfect snack!

How and When should you eat your vegetables?

You like them raw, eat them. You like them cooked, eat them. Just eating them is what matters. Eat loads of green leafy vegetables like spinach, cabbage, cauliflower etc. Eat what is available locally and please don’t go after “exotic vegetables” simply because they are grown and suitable for people living in those “exotic areas”. 

What is the right time to eat fruits? 

WHENEVER THE HELL YOU ARE COMFORTABLE EATING THEM. However, it is recommended to eat it the first thing in the morning, within 30 minutes after waking up as they help in increasing your blood sugar levels and thereby increasing your energy and hence your metabolism speeds up (simply means flatter stomach). And also, you then don’t depend on other stimulants like tea, coffee or a cigarette for that matter. Also, eat them as raw as possible- without touching the knife, without chopping it; simply by just peeling and eating it or by directly taking a bite. This so, because when you peel your fruit, they oxidise (by coming in contact with air).

{Okay, but please don’t soup or juice your fruits and vegetables. It just ruins the nutrition they hold. When you juice it or smash and soup it, it loses the fibre and its true essence. That’s what I recommend. I have linked a few articles below so that you can read and decide for yourself.} 

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/juicing-good-or-bad#whole-fruits-and-veggies

https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/fruit-juice-versus-whole-fruit-which-one-should-you-choose-1781956

4. Make small changes to lose weight fast.

Take small steps every day- make small changes like PORTION CONTROL, SMALLER DINING PLATE. Start by using a small plate. A smaller plate means less food. Most of the times what happens is that when we have a bigger plate we tend to fill it more than we actually need. So, a smaller plate helps to lose weight!

Next, you can start by doing portion control simply by taking half of what you want to eat. READ THE NEXT POINT. 

Another small step that you can take is by simply starting to eat your dinner 2-3 hours before your bed time.

PS: You cannot be perfect from Day 1. It will take time to make habitual changes, so keep it realistic and keep it simple.

5. Eat half at a time.

Eat half of what you feel you want to eat. Suppose you feel the need to eat 2 rotis, take one and finish it. Still feeling hungry and want another roti? Take half of the one roti. Still feeling hungry? take half of the half. What this does is, it helps you to eat slowly and thereby consciously. It also helps in reducing your portion size and decreasing your overall calories. 

Also, after eating one serve wait for 10 minutes before you take another. Chances are, you won’t feel the need to take the second serve.

6.Take enough sleep to lose more weight.

Sleep is the most important and the most UNDERRATED aspect when it comes to weight loss, fat loss or muscle gain. IT IS A NECESSITY and not a choice. Your body needs a good sleep of around 7-9 hours. Sleep is when your body rests and repairs itself. And you know what? YOU BURN CALORIES WHILE SLEEPING! Yes, you read it right. 

Don’t engage yourself into sleep patterns wherein you are sleeping for just 4-5 hours, no, trust me, you won’t be able to achieve your goals. Sleep is important for every cell, organ, tissue, joint, nerve etc. of our body. You can also take 30 minute power naps in a day but ensure 7-9 hours of sleep in day. Getting too little sleep triggers hormonal changes that lead to an increased appetite. Also, sleep deprivation will cause your body to have more cravings for foods high in sugar and fat. And, if you’re tired often you won’t have the energy to work out. So be sure to get enough sleep everyday.

Also, make sure to have quality sleep while ensuring good conditions like a soothing music, lavender candle, cosy socks etc. And hey, ditch the alarm, let your body rise up itself. You’ll feel empowered. 

7. Eat Slowly and Fill your plate RIGHT.

When we eat unconsciously, we simply eat too much! Consider the following menus we routinely eat when we eat out. In just one sitting we can easily cross 1000+calories: A Mc Donald meal, Indian Buffet, or any 3 to 4 course meal in any fancy restaurant. For some people, it could be an intake for almost the entire day!! 

When we eat slowly and consciously, while using all our senses- eyes, nose, skin, tongue and ears- our taste buds can savour the flavours longer, our food is assimilated efficiently and effectively. Also chewing our food will help our body to digest it properly.

Another important thing is to fill our plate right in a way that no food group is eliminated. Make sure to fill 50% of your plate with Carbs, and rest 25% proteins and 25% fats. No hard and fast rule though, but an ideal plate. NO, CARBOHYDRATES ARE NOT BAD. 

8. Track it right.

Another important guideline is to TRACK OUR FOOD everyday and to TRACK IT RIGHT. Tracking your food is extremely important. Make a set of 1 katori, 1 bowl, 1 tbsp, 1tsp and always use the same to measure your food. This ensures correct tracking of your food. Write down whatever you are eating, whenever you are eating. Track you weight everyday for the first two weeks so that you can look back and see what i working for you and what isn’t. You can also Meal Plan for the week as to what will you eat and when will you eat. This will help you plan the grocery shopping ahead of time.

Use various fitness tracking apps like HealthifyMe or Myfitnesspal. Here is a code for you to use on HealthifyMe-

Join me using my code TAN4S2TAP and earn  ₹ 150  credits. https://hme.app.link/A9w3weX8gaB

9. Water is the most important. 

Another Cliche point, but yes it is important! 70% of our bodies are made up of water ( a nutrient) . So drink enough water, yaar. A human body can survive without food for 5 weeks but without water for only 5 days. So? DRINK THAT WATER. It is mostly recommended 1litre water/ 20Kgs. Do the math and drink water. On an average, 2-3l water everyday is good. Also, you can take reference from the colour or the odour of your urine-as far as it is transparent and odour-free, you are good to go.

More the water, more is the urine= cleaning of toxins (detox) because kidney does that= you will lose weight. (No, No detox juice will help you as much as drinking water will.)

10. Say No to JUNK to lose weight. 

Yes this is my last point, but not the least important one. Don’t eat Junk Food too much. Junk simply means FAST FOOD like Pizza, burgers, fries, deep fried items like samosa, pakodas etc. 

Now, why no? Because they have a lot of added preservatives, trans-fat, sodium, MSG, etc. Also, they are just empty-calorie meals which offer no nutritional value whatsoever. Don’t eliminate them completely but indulge into your favourite food only twice a month, at the most. 

If you really want to eat, cook it and eat it. But, don’t order takeaway or delivery. Simple, No to FAST FOOD. 

SUMMARY:

I can only recommend, it’s you who has to follow. Make sure to adopt these guidelines and TAKE ONE STEP AT A TIME. When we talk about Fat loss, weight loss, muscle gain, CONSISTENCY is what matters. NOT GIVING UP is what will get you results. So, just be consistent and keep showing up every day, every week and every month. Eat your fruits, Sleep well, drink water and see your life changing.

Consult us today!

The post Guidelines on how to Lose weight the Right Way! appeared first on THAT NUTRITIOUS GLOW.

What is Nutrition? Why is it important? Why do we need a Nutritionist?

Wikipedia says, “Nutrition is the science that interprets the nutrients and other substances in food in relation to maintenance, growth, reproduction, health and disease of an organism. It includes ingestion, absorption, assimilation, biosynthesis, catabolism and excretion.”

And WHO says, ” Nutrition is a critical part of health and development. Better nutrition is related to improved infant, child and maternal health, stronger immune systems, safer pregnancy and childbirth, lower risk of non-communicable diseases (such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease), and longevity.”

In simpler words, NUTRITION is related to the NUTRIENTS (some healthy substances) present in our food and their absorption by our body. Nutrition is important for our growth and development. It also includes the process of selection of foods that we consume and how we consume. Nutrients provide NOURISHMENT.

Nutrition is important because if people do not have the right balance of nutrients in their diet, they have an increased risk of developing many health diseases like diabetes, coronary heart diseases (CDH), hypertension, cancers and various other deficiencies.

Our Nutrients are broadly divided into two categories-

1. MACRO NUTRIENTS- Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats.
2. MICRO NUTRIENTS- Vitamins, Minerals, Fibre, Water etc.

Broadly talking about

CARBOHYDRATES:

Carbohydrates are the best sources of Instant Energy. It includes Fibre, Sugar (simple carbs) and Unprocessed Starch (complex carbs).
1g of Carbs give us 4 calories.

Proteins:

Proteins are the building blocks of our body. They are of two types- DISPENSABLE AMINO ACIDS (DAA) or INDISPENSABLE AMINO ACIDS (IAA). We have a total of 22 amino acids.
1g of Proteins give us 4 calories.

Fats:

After carbs, Fats are the largest and the cleanest source of energy. They help in reducing mood swings and cravings. We have Saturated and Unsaturated fats.
1g of Fats give us 9 calories.

Vitamins:

We have around 13 vital Vitamins broadly classified as Fat-Soluble and Water-Soluble Vitamins. We have Vitamin A,B,C,D,E,K.

Minerals:

Another important substance that our body needs to function. They are divided into two categories- Macro Minerals (needed in large quantities) and Trace Minerals (need in small quantities). We have various minerals like, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorous, Sodium, Copper, Chromium, Iron etc.

Water:

Water as you must know, 70% of our bodies are made up of water (hence, the daily weight fluctuations). A human body can survive without food for 50 days, but without water, it can only survive for 5 days. It’s often recommended to consume 1litre/20kgs of body weight everyday.

Now to answer the last question:

Who is a Nutritionist? Why do we need a Nutritionist?

A Nutritionist or Nutrition Consultant is someone who has studied about nutrition through self-study or formal education, but they do not meet the requirements to use the titles RD (Registered Dietician) or RDN. Nutritionists often work in the food industry and in food science and technology.

A Nutrionist can also help the clients develop better eating habits, achieve their weight-loss and fitness goals and ultimately maintain healthy and fulfilling lifestyle changes.

Nutritionists primarily work with individual clients. As an expert in food and nutrition, Nutritionists advise people how to live a more healthy lifestyle and achieve health-related goals. 

I promise, this journey is going to be very exciting and full of foods you love.

SUMMARY

NUTRITION IS A PART OF OUR WELL BEING AND IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. IF YOU WANT TO LEAD A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, YOU DEFINITELY NEED A NUTRITION CONSULTANT TO ACTIVELY PLAN YOUR MEALS AND WORKOUTS.

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