Fit & Proper: How to shed the calories gained during Diwali

Festivals in India always include high-calorie, high-carbohydrate and high-fat sweets and snacks like chhole bhature, poori, pakora, samosa and mithai. During Diwali, particularly, we indulge ourselves with sweets and unlimited consumption of aerated drinks, resulting in weight gain. Extra weight is a cause for heart stroke, blocked arteries, high level of cholesterol, acidity and various other ailments.

Avoid those leftover sweets from Diwali. Stay away particularly from sweets that use chemical preservatives and colours as they can damage your lever and kidney and also contain carcinogens.

High consumption of such foods increases your risk for Type 2 diabetes, heart diseases and certain types of cancers.

Snacks like samosas, namkeen and bhujia are made from high refined and processed foods like maida (all-purpose flour), polished rice, refined sugars and refined oils. Many use oils with trans fat. Such foods increase the risk of obesity and are also low in nutrients like minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. This further increases the risk of developing metabolic abnormalities and obesity.

Sonia Narang
Nutritionist and dietitian, Sonia Narang's Diet & Wellness Clinics, New Delhi