'Fasting and Abstinence' - A 'Full Package' for Improving Physical Problems
In our country, the tradition of religious beliefs and faiths like fasting and abstinence has been going on since ancient times. Some people observe fasts and abstinence for religious benefits, while some observe fasts as a lifestyle choice to gain mental and physical benefits. Whatever the reason may be, there is no doubt that while fasting and abstinence by staying without food have a favorable effect on the body and increase the body's immunity, from a religious point of view, along with gaining spiritual peace through the practice of fasting and abstinence, its positive effects are also seen mentally. That is, we can say that fasts and abstinence come with a full package to improve physical and spiritual problems, which we can benefit from by adopting them properly.
If the fast is for one day, 12 hours can be spent somehow without eating or drinking. However, according to Hindu beliefs, Navratri fasts come twice a year, and these fasts are for nine days. During these nine days, along with worship and rituals, some rules and regulations related to food also come under restrictions, which the person observing the fast adheres to according to their religious beliefs. But those who observe the nine-day fast should keep their health in mind along with their religious beliefs, because during the fast, keeping the body energetic with limited food options is also a big challenge. However, in a fast-paced and busy lifestyle where we often become uncontrolled in our eating and drinking habits even in daily life, it is not an exception to become uncontrolled during fasting as well. Because, due to growing consumerism and a busy lifestyle, our diet plan during fasting becomes such that many people have been seen to gain weight along with physical problems and diseases during this period, which is not right from a health point of view.
There is no end to the variety of fasting snacks, chips, papads, sweets, special thalis for fasting meals available in the market, and on top of that, pakoras, tikkis, cutlets, puris, parathas, and sweet dishes that can be easily made at home. But do you know? Most of the things eaten during a fast, such as kuttu, singhara, rajgira, and mordan flour, mordan rice, and sago, are naturally fat-free and, due to their inherent qualities, are also a type of 'superfood'. By using them, you can not only improve your body's digestion but also detoxify the body well during these nine days and gain health benefits. But by frying them in too much ghee or oil while cooking, we make them so heavy that we destroy their properties and, being deprived of their benefits, we only harm our body. Therefore, if you are also observing a fast, do not ignore the process of gaining physical benefits along with religious faith!!
In this article of Dainik Nama, learn about the health benefits of fasting and also detailed information about the food eaten during fasting.
Physical benefits of fasting Along with weekly, monthly, and festival fasts, the nine-day Navratri fasts have their own special and distinct importance. While the one-day fasts on a weekly, monthly, and festival basis improve the daily routine and provide health benefits, the nine-day long fasts during the changing seasons help in preparing the foundation for keeping the body healthy throughout the year.
Body Detoxification By not eating during a fast, the body gets well detoxified, which can reduce stomach-related problems as well as skin-related problems. Because the toxic and harmful substances produced in the body due to food on a daily basis are eliminated from the body by eating fruits, drinking more water, and consuming liquid substances. After the body is cleansed of harmful and toxic substances, you feel light and cheerful.
Helpful in weight loss The food we eat on normal days is used by the body to produce energy for its functions, but by not eating during a fast, our body produces energy from the fat stored in the body, which not only reduces weight but also improves metabolism. Not eating frequently or too much during a fast, and consuming more fruits and liquid substances also helps in weight loss.
Self-healing When the body does not get food for a long time, the body's energy, which is usually spent on digesting food, is not spent on the digestive system but starts focusing on other important activities. The nervous system becomes alert and awakens the body's internal functioning capacity. This strengthens the body's immune system, improves metabolism, and rejuvenates cells and muscles. This keeps the mind calm and the body healthy.
Relief from physical problems and diseases Usually, we can only keep a gap of 4 to 5 hours between one meal and the next. However, during a fast, this gap can be up to 8 hours, which helps in curing 50% of the body's problems and diseases. For example, it controls blood sugar by reducing insulin resistance, boosts brain function, and also increases the secretion of hormones, which is helpful in physical development. The body's increased cholesterol is controlled, which reduces hypertension and improves heart function. The increased amount of uric acid in the body is reduced, which not only cures internal and external inflammation of the body but also provides relief from physical pain.
Food to be eaten during a fast... keep some things in mind
During a fast, along with milk, yogurt, and fruits, a lot of nuts, peanuts, sago, kuttu, singhara, rajgira flour, and mordan or sama rice are used. While milk, yogurt, buttermilk, and seasonal fruits are very useful for health, various types of flour and fasting rice are also very nutritious, which work to provide energy to the body during the fast. The flour and rice eaten during a fast should be used only once a day, as far as possible only in the evening. Eating dishes made from them throughout the day will cause harm instead of health benefits. Only fruits, nuts, milk, and yogurt should be used more in the morning and afternoon. One should also avoid eating too many potatoes. Use sweet potatoes and raw bananas instead of potatoes. Use desi khand, jaggery sugar, or jaggery instead of sugar. Use only green chili, black pepper powder, rock salt, and ginger for cooking. The minimum use of sugar, salt, and spices during these nine days also helps in the internal cleansing of the body.
Let's learn in detail about the special diet for fasting.
Buckwheat Flour (Kuttu ka Atta)
Buckwheat flour is prepared by drying and grinding the triangular fruits obtained from a type of plant. Buckwheat is also called "buckwheat" and is rich in protein as well as magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, and phosphorus. Being rich in fiber, it also has anti-oxidant and anti-stress properties, which help in relieving stress and improving mental health. The phytonutrients found in it also reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. Buckwheat is also gluten-free, so it is a good alternative to wheat for many people. Due to its extraordinary nutritional properties, it is used as a "superfood" all over the world. In Japan, noodles are prepared from buckwheat flour, while in China, vinegar is made from it. In America and Europe, cakes, biscuits, pancakes, and crepes are made from it.
How to eat it? Buckwheat has a warming effect, so buttermilk, yogurt, and milk should be used with it. If possible, it should be used only once a day. If symptoms of dryness or heat appear in the body after eating buckwheat flour, a little water chestnut, amaranth, or barnyard millet flour should be mixed with the buckwheat flour. Besides, it should be used by kneading it with potatoes, sweet potatoes, taro root, or boiled raw bananas. This not only enhances its taste but also reduces the possibility of allergy from it. Roti can be made from buckwheat flour and eaten with pumpkin, bottle gourd, paneer, or potato curry. Puris and parathas can also be made from buckwheat flour. As far as possible, use desi ghee or peanut oil for frying them, not other vegetable oils. Use freshly ground buckwheat flour. Flour older than one month can be harmful.
Water Chestnut Flour (Singhare ka Atta)
Water chestnut flour is prepared by peeling, drying, and grinding the fruit of the water chestnut, which grows in water. Water chestnut contains adequate amounts of protein, carbohydrates, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, as well as vitamin B-6 and riboflavin. Being gluten-free, water chestnut flour also has a very high amount of fiber, which helps in controlling weight by controlling appetite. Being rich in potassium, this flour controls the water level in the body, which is why its effect is considered cooling. It is also beneficial in problems like goiter and thyroid.
How to eat it? Boiled potatoes and taro root should be used to bind this flour. Other flours like buckwheat and barnyard millet flour can also be mixed with water chestnut flour, and roti, puri, and paratha can also be made from only water chestnut flour. Besides this, halwa and pancakes can also be made from water chestnut flour.
Amaranth (Rajgira/Ramdana)
Rajgira is also called amaranth or ramdana, which is considered a very nutritious and healthy food during fasting. Rajgira or ramdana are the seeds of the amaranth green, which puff up when roasted, from which many types of dishes are made, such as laddus, kheer, chikki, and khichdi. Being gluten-free, it is rich in fiber as well as many high-quality nutrients like iron, protein, and calcium. Being a good source of calcium, it not only fulfills the deficiency of calcium in the body but also strengthens them and provides relief from bone diseases caused by calcium deficiency. Consuming it during fasting days also fulfills the requirement of nutrients and maintains physical energy.
How to eat it? Roti, puri, paratha, halwa, etc., can also be made from the flour prepared by grinding its small seeds. This flour is also used by kneading it with boiled potatoes or boiled taro root along with buckwheat or water chestnut flour. Besides this, jaggery laddus and chikki can also be made from roasted amaranth grains. Delicious amaranth kheer can also be prepared by adding its roasted grains to milk.
Barnyard Millet (Mordan or Sama ke Chawal)
Mordan or sama is a wild grass whose small, round seeds are known as sama rice or mordan. Being easy to cook and digest, it is a delicious food eaten during fasting. Being gluten-free, it is rich in vitamins A, C, and E, as well as protein. Its consumption does not put extra pressure on the digestive system. Due to low calories and high fiber, it reduces appetite, which helps in weight loss. Due to low sugar content, diabetic patients can also consume it. Being rich in antioxidants, it is also anti-aging.
How to eat it? Besides cooking and eating mordan or sama like normal rice, it can be used to make a pulao during fasting by adding tomatoes, roasted peanuts, and paneer, and a delicious khichdi can also be made by adding tomatoes, pumpkin, and bottle gourd. Besides this, kheer can also be made by cooking it with milk, makhana, coconut powder, and other nuts. Puri, paratha, roti, cheela, papdi, and dosa are also prepared from the flour made by finely grinding its seeds. Besides this, it can also be used by mixing it with buckwheat, water chestnut, and amaranth flour.
Sago (Sabudana)
Sago is prepared from the starch produced from the pith of the stem of a juicy plant called the Sago Palm. It is a long process to prepare sago, which looks like white pearl grains, from the pith obtained from a tuber like sweet potato. It is not any kind of grain, nor is it prepared from the starch of any grain, so it can be eaten 100% as a fruit-based food during a fast. It has a high amount of carbohydrates and protein and a low amount of fat. Being a good source of calcium and magnesium, it is also beneficial in strengthening bones and their development. When feeling weak and lacking energy during a fast, sago should be consumed because it is an excellent source of energy.
How to eat it? Sago is generally used during a fast by making a sweet kheer with milk or a savory khichdi. The sweet kheer prepared with makhana, coconut, and dry fruits, and the khichdi prepared with peanuts and pomegranate seeds are so delicious and nutritious in themselves that people like to eat them not only during a fast but also as a light and nutritious breakfast in their daily routine. In Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, especially in Indore, it is a favorite breakfast of the people. Sago is available in two types, thick and thin, which can be used to make many delicious dishes after soaking them in water for at least 1 hour to make them soft. The vadas and tikkis made by mixing sago with boiled potatoes, coriander, chili, and ginger are very much liked by those who are fasting. Besides this, its puris and pakoras made by mixing it with buckwheat flour and boiled potatoes are also very tasty with green chutney and yogurt. Sago papads can also be made and eaten.
Fruits and Dry Fruits
Fruits are most useful for maintaining better health during fasting and abstinence. Their consumption fulfills the body's requirement of minerals, vitamins, protein, and fiber, which keeps the digestive system healthy and also provides adequate energy to the body. Apple, papaya, banana, orange, pear, custard apple or sharifa, pomegranate, and guava are some fruits that everyone can eat according to their capacity. By consuming fruits, the toxic substances accumulated in the body are easily expelled, which detoxifies the body and also keeps the body hydrated. For this reason, many problems related to the body are also cured. Those who are fasting should consume fruits in the morning and afternoon, not in the evening. Similarly, dry fruits should also be used in the morning and afternoon. Eating some almonds, walnuts, raisins, and figs in the morning, besides soaking raw peanuts in water, makes you not feel hungry for a long time. Similarly, when you feel hungry and want to eat something, you can roast makhana in a little ghee and eat it with salt and black pepper instead of chips and papads. Similarly, peanuts can also be eaten by lightly roasting them in ghee and adding jaggery and black pepper. This gives instant energy to the body.
Besides this, plenty of water should be drunk during fasting and abstinence. This not only keeps the body hydrated but also maintains strength for the daily routine. In addition to water, coconut water, lemon water, buttermilk, and fruit juice can also be taken.