Navratri Fasting: 5 Tips to Revive, Revitalize and Rejuvenate

Navratri is not just about festivities and fasting. It’s a time to rejuvenate your mind, body and soul. Navratri Vrat is an organic way to cleanse your body with the right food. Many abstain themselves from consuming food prepared with onion and garlic as ingredients and non-vegetarian food items. Rather than a way of spiritual cleansing, this Indian festival has its relevance from a scientific point of view. Since the festival occurs during a change of the seasons, avoiding rich foods can help you gain more immunity.

Refresh Your Inner Self

Nine days of fasting can help to detoxify your body with a perfect diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, pulses and unsweetened beverages. It is said that avoiding alcohol, meat, fish and other food items with garlic and onion . A major benefit of fasting is that it makes you self-disciplined from consuming unwanted food items.

Fasting during Navratri is easy for a person who has been used to it for some years. They are aware of the food items they should select and their body’s response to fasting. But for a newbie, it need not be so easy. A healthy diet pattern can help them to have a good time revitalizing themselves. Here goes my easy diet tips that will help you to have a smooth sail during your Navratri Vrat journey. 

Tip#1 Stay hydrated

Drinking plenty of water is essential to maintain an optimum electrolyte balance and flush out the toxins from your body. You can include fresh fruit juices, coconut water, sugarcane juice and other vegetable juices. Drinking herbal tea also helps to ease your fasting experience and soothe the effects of your changed food habits. However, reducing the intake of normal tea and coffee is recommended because it can dehydrate the body.

Tip#2 Include more vegetables and fruits 

Vegetables like sweet potato, pumpkin, raw banana, papaya and bottle gourd are rich in minerals. It is ideal to have your vegetables eaten raw or steamed. Beginning your day with a fruit bowl full of nutrients keeps you energized throughout the day. As in every fasting routine, it is essential to consume fruits and vegetables packed with vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients. These will help to maintain your bowel health.

Tip#3 Nuts, dry fruits and natural sweeteners

Dry nuts and fruits are sources of protein and healthy fats. They are also recommended to have a good start of your day. Dry fruits are healthy substitutes for daily snacks. Dates,  walnuts, almonds, cashews, and groundnut are instant sources of energy. Use organic jaggery or honey instead of refined sugar to sweeten your dishes. Consuming dry nuts and fruits will also keep you full during fasting.

Tip#4  Include healthy traditional Navratri Vrat food items 

Including the right ingredients in your diet is recommended. These ingredients include food prepared with traditional items like sabudhana (sago), buckwheat, and millet. These food items are rich in carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and other dietary fibers. Since gluten-free, they are ideal for your diet plan. In South India, we usually go for boiled pulses like Bengal gram and rice flakes with jaggery , coconut.

Tip#5 Have small meals at regular intervals

Having small meals at regular intervals can help to maintain the glucose level in the body. This will help you to maintain an optimal energy level throughout the day. Fasting reduces the insulin production in your body and hence, steady doses of sugar is necessary. Rather, intermittent meals will never make you feel hungry.

Rituals and wellness fuse for a better self 

However, for some people Navratri  is a time to relish on more fried and sugary food. This also needs immense attention. While breaking the fast, there are chances of overeating. Eating packaged foods and sweets, and eating out instead of home-cooked food can spoil the benefits of the nine-day fasting. But if you can stick on to the aforesaid five diet tips, it can bring you good results and a happy fasting.

The festival of Navratri is rich in traditions. It’s also a time for us to relax and revitalize ourselves with more positive energy. Fasting cleanses our body, flushing out the toxins. Once your body is clean, it cascades to your mind and makes you calm. Thus it boosts your overall well-being fairly fast. 

If you are looking forward to stay fit even after your Navratri fasting, you can reach me for a detailed diet plan. 

Oct 18, 2020

Onam Sadhya -Nutrition Science and Local food promotion Kerala

Onam is an auspicious celebration for Kerala. Keralites around the globe celebrate this festival in a traditional way with a lot of food and celebrations with abundance. This festival is so much connected to the nature.

In 2020, when I think it is the point of view of earth ascension and changes, and after lockdown people got more chances to connect with the truth inside. Whatever be the story behind Onam or the last wish of Mahabali, it is easier to understand that that period of transparency and truth was in a fifth or higher dimension, or a heaven on earth that made everyone jealous of it and could be the next yuga after Kaliyuga will be like that.

Let’s evolve together with our own understanding and I hope that our daily community meditation is helping clients to clear their mind and emotions with discussion and that unity itself is helping each other with overall wellness. Wishing you all a very happy Onam, let’s enjoy with family and friends . Each moment in life is important and be grateful for what you have today.

Onam sadhya (Food that served in plantain leaves) is special, which consists of more than 8 dishes including payasam. Want to know more about Onam-nutrition?

All the dishes are served with rice. Brown rice is better than white rice because it contains enough B-complex vitamins and fiber whereas white rice is polished.

1.Aviyal: Aviyal is a vegetable curry made from all sorts of authentic vegetables available in the season. In some parts of Kerala, curd is added in this dish. It gives enough vitamins and minerals, fiber including protein (from curd).

2.Sambar: Any South Indian Celebration is incomplete without a Sambar especially an Onam feast. Sambar is prepared in different ways using authentic vegetables, dal, and coconut. So it gives enough protein from dals, minerals, vitamins, and MCT(medium-chain triglycerides) from coconut and fibers.

3.Kootu Curry: Kootu curry is another Onam dish prepared using different types of vegetables. Pumpkins and Carrots (rich in beta carotene) can be used to sweeten the curry.  Sugar or jaggery are also used as sweetening agents. Jaggery is a good source of iron, so prefer that. Also, one can use Pineapple to add a distinct flavor to the Kootu Curry. So it gives all vitamins, minerals, fiber especially iron.

4.Erisshery: Erisshery is a popular Onam dish prepared from Pumpkin and Beans. Erisshery also prepared using Raw Bananas instead of Pumpkin. Beans are a good plant protein.

5.Parippu Curry: This can be made using Moong Dal or Tuvar Dal. In some regions of Kerala, coconut milk or coconut paste is used for flavoring the curry. Parippu Curry is supported by Ghee. It provides enough protein.

6. Lady Finger Khichdi: Although Cucumber Khichdi and Beetroot Khichdi are more popular Lady Finger Khichdi is one unique dish amongst all the Onam Dishes. Mucous in ladies’ finger is fiber and it provides vitamins and minerals also.

7.Morru Curry: Morru Curry is one of the very popular Onam Dishes made using curd with banana, pineapple, raw banana, or ripe mango as an option. It is good for digestion. It gives protein, vitamins, and minerals.

8.Semiya Payasam: Semiya Payasam is a traditional South Indian Recipe that suggests the use of minimal ingredients. Semiya (like noodles) is cooked with milk and sugar. Dry fruits are added to taste. It is an excellent dessert which gives enough calories, proteins, fats, etc. It is mostly liked by the kids and is nutritious also.

Payasam can be made with wheat, rava, or Dal which again improve the protein intake. Pappads are made with Bengal gram powder which gives protein. So better go for this than other types of potato chips which do not contain enough protein, but high carb.

Pickles are made with raw mango(rich in vitamin -c), gooseberry (rich in vitamin -c), and ginger. Ginger is good for digestion and it also helps to reduce the effect of uric acid in high protein food.

Just understand that having one or two Kerala sadhya with the food you love may not results in weight gain, no need to feel guilty about it. If you wish to take 2 glasses of payasam, them reduce the rice portion but have all other curries . Even if you gain a few kilos we can reduce it in the coming days and next follow-up, so don’t worry about it.

Love light peace and Joy

Gayathri

Aug 31, 2020

Diet and Gall bladder stones

Recently a client from Sydney joined with Nutrisolutions after a gallbladder stone surgery and we suggested a diet which helped to maintain better health and overall wellness. As a nutritionist and dietitian, I was just trying to understand the general pattern of diet followed. But he was found to have a normal diet with a bit more carbohydrates than what he exactly needs as a sedentary worker. Maybe the excess of calories converted to fat and get stored in the system, which might have served as one of the major causes of high triglycerides level. This happens in many clients even though they are not taking a high-fat diet. Each person is different and their daily needs also varies. In most cases I just look into their emotions and childhood trauma or the relationships which affect them and the more pain or grudge towards the self or during the growing age could be an impact and inner child healing trauma relaxes the stomach .

Recently a few cases came with IBS and other intestinal disorders who had a lot of emotional and various kinds of abuse during childhood. So an overall analysis may help even though many of them are unaware of these minute things which actually affects the health, mind, and emotional layers. The book which I published on Diet and Emotions gives a better idea about the impact of various emotions on our health and how it affects various organs. Meditation is really helping my clients to heal their PCOS and various psychosomatic illness.

If it is food, go for a normal balanced diet according to your age and work or metabolism. I recommend foods that are high in fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, and pulses. Reduce refined carbohydrates and less sugar and go for complex carbohydrates like rice-based ones. Eat healthy fats, like coconut oil, fish oil, and olive oil, in limits to help your gallbladder to contract and empty regularly.  Avoid unhealthy fats, like those often found in desserts and fried foods.

Drink enough water and it helps in overall wellness and better mind or utilization of water-soluble vitamins and finds the type of stone. Each kind of stone has a specific diet to be followed. Regular follow-up is essential to understand the condition.

Jul 10, 2020

How nutrition quacks and poor supplements affect your health?

The first quarter of 2020 started with more COVID pandemic issues in India. There were more discussions regarding the health and wellness of people in Kerala and India. Since many of my clients and friends were dealing with similar issues and with the aim to see a healthy nation, I wanted to spread the right information as recommended by the Health Department and the National team India to focus on Eat Right Movement and food plate.

Nutrisolutions Global Community

A couple of years ago I had the privilege to meet our Union Minister of State, Agriculture and Family Welfare Mr. Parshottam Rupala. I am proud to let you know that Mr. Parshottam Rupala inaugurated Nutrisolutions website.

Mr. Parshottam Rupala inaugurating Gayathrinutrisolutions website.

During the visit I could also hand over the first copy of my book “Diet and Meditation for Emotional Eating” to our honorable Prime Minister. I hope that the research and experience of thousands of clients’ emotions, various other socio-economic factors and the importance of mental health compiled in the book will be considered by the team. It’s a worldwide report of clients from different parts of the world, which forms the Nutrisolutions Global Community. We help people to support and evolve in all areas of life than giving them just a Diet Plan. Many of my clients who are affected during lockdown are more peaceful and they are better aware of the ascension process happening on the earth right now.

The blessings in disguise

The last 20 years of meditation and blessings of masters from the Himalayas and abroad helped me to understand the metaphysical phenomenon of changes in the human system. This enabled me to make people aware of their own energy to heal their cells and evolve. No wonder that those who joined our community for infertility issues are conceiving with the right nutrition tips of organic local food or the way they understood their inner voice than listening to their external limited issues.

A healthy balanced diet can help heal or nourish and helps to cure infertility. Many of them have experienced the healing from illness and a life with abundance. So we continued the meditation sessions at 10:00 pm, which gave inner peace to the public. This is helpful to retain positivity when so many negative news like the surging rates of depression and suicide due to COVID reaches us on a daily basis.

Yes, it’s difficult to make people understand in a limited knowledge of three-dimension. However, spiritual science research in various parts of the world including that of Joe Dispenza and Heart Math Institute helps people to understand other layers of the body. Our masters in India and the 10,000-year-old Veda also mentions it. The power of sunlight in healing and curing deficiencies are also being successfully studied across the world.

To make people understand the healing power of Vedic mantra and Rigveda, we started another free session on Gayathri Mantra Chanting Meditation. I have been  chanting it since my childhood. It helps me to understand the hidden truth of this world.

Nutrition quacks and supplements

People who do not have enough knowledge in Nutrition Science are spreading awareness on supplements. Weight loss products sales from nutrition quacks are at higher rates now. Recently a friend who is a doctor in a renowned hospital in Kochi referred a patient who was suffering organ damage. Long hours for exercises in gym and wrong advice on supplements damaged her organs. Heavy metals and weight loss products recommended by the gym expert contributed to her illness. This made me think and understand the relevance of watching the nutrition quacks and their sales through foreign agencies and other business associations. Their aim is mere profit. Spreading wrong information they promote thousands of immune boosters even through reputed health professionals in Allopathy, Ayurveda or Homoeopathy.

A majority of the fake news about COVID healing is spread by nutrition quacks without any solid background in nutrition and dietetics. These information are not recommendations of any authorized bodies like ICMR, WHO or FSSAI. If you check FSSAI for the right information on COVID, there is no prevention or cure with supplements or food. Rather they recommend a normal balanced diet without interrupting the food chain. It is also informed that many supplements which are banned in other countries are being circulated in countries like India. My recommendation is to always ask the qualification of the person who suggests a diet plan. It is always more important to share the right information than a wrong diet plan.

Our take on nutrition quacks

Since I completed my Masters from College of Agriculture Vellayani, and studied with a scholarship, our focus is always on community. There were only three seats plus one ICAR candidate for the project. Our project work and research was equal to a Ph.D. thesis with much effort, than adjustments. I later understood how easy it is to submit a project in normal colleges while I was teaching or helping students in their research work. 

While working as a Dietician, I understood the various degrees of applied knowledge in the clinical cases. It was surprising to find that in Kerala or India anyone with a quick certificate on nutrition or a supplement sale agent can act as a Dietician. But they can harm our nation and people by killing the Indian Food Culture. We are not illiterate to be cheated. A normal homemade diet with different food groups adds enough proteins and nutrients for a day.  If planned wisely with the right portion and follow up, in three months you can stabilize the essential nutrients in your body.

Think and act with brain and heart together.

More light, love, peace and joy

Gayathri

Jun 24, 2020