Nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar shares 5 diet and lifestyle secrets to look your best this Diwali (Image credit: iStock)
Diwali mithai will be part of the meal and social gathering in the coming weeks. But the good news is that there are easy ways to maintain a healthy body during this calorie-filled season. In Audible’s Women and the Weight Loss Tamasha, Rujuta Diwekar shares her insights on staying in shape. In the audio, she challenges conventional wisdom when it comes to weight loss and suggests realistic changes to diet and lifestyle that are easy to maintain, even during the Christmas season. she said:
1. Start your day right
Starting your day right sets the tone for the rest of your day. Rujuta recommends eating something within 10 to 15 minutes of waking up. This will help stabilize your energy levels throughout the day and increase your body’s fat burning rate. This way, “you’re less likely to overeat later and your blood sugar levels stay stable throughout the day,” says Rujuta. Eating every two hours allows your body to burn calories more efficiently. It’s a natural consequence of spacing out your meals that you eat less, which can be advantageous for people who want to be healthier.
2. Address nutritional deficiencies
Stretch marks, constant battle to lose weight, love handles, lethargy, insomnia, PMS, and rapid aging are undoubtedly a person’s worst nightmare. These can be traced back to one of the root causes: nutritional deficiencies. Rujuta’s simple steps to combat deficiencies start with eating food within three hours of cooking. Additionally, the fewer people you cook for, the more nutritious it will be. she says: “Eat your vegetables and fruits whole. Stay true to your genes by not cutting or crushing them into juice. Eat what you’ve been eating since you were a child.” With just a few changes, you can significantly improve your nutritional intake.
3. Power up with vitamin B and calcium
The festive season also brings with it changes in meal times, staying up late and overeating. These daily lifestyle changes can lower vitamin B levels, increase cravings for carbohydrates and sugar, and cause calcium loss from bones. The fatigue you feel during the festive season is due to strain on your digestive system. Vitamin B is not only the most energizing vitamin, but also makes it easier for the body to metabolize calories, especially those from carbohydrates, which are abundantly available at social gatherings. Adding to this, Rujuta reveals, “The lower your calcium intake, the more likely you are to gain weight.” To address the root cause of these problems, Rujuta advises adding vitamin B supplements and calcium tablets (calcium citrate for easier absorption) to your diet.
4. Eat local and seasonal ingredients
In the audiobook, Rujuta advises eating more local, seasonal food. The longer it takes for food to reach your plate, the further away you are from your fitness goals. Seasonal foods are your best armor against environmental stressors. Rujuta recommends, “chikhu from Gorvad, santra (orange) from Nagpur, walnuts from Kashmir, apples from Kinnaur, jackfruit from Konkan, guavas from Pune, grapes from Nashik, and bananas from Kerala.” Prunes from California and apples from New Zealand are great, but for better nutrition and improved physique, Rujuta says the majority of your food intake should come from foods grown nearby.
5. Play the Uno Challenge: A fun way to control how much you eat!
Rujuta suggests playing Uno, except replacing the cards with food. Just like you scream “Uno” at the last card to avoid picking another card from the pack, here your stomach screams “Uno” to keep you from eating any more. Being in tune and being aware of your appetite is the starting point for playing Uno with your belly. Rujuta added that the stomach says ‘Uno’ during different stages of growth and the menstrual cycle. Stress levels, socializing during meals, and genetics are just some of the factors that affect the timing of your “Uno.” Rujuta added: “Women should never ‘standardize’ the amount of food they eat (even at the expense of things they know they should never do).” We have active hormones, so it’s normal to want to eat more on some days and less on other days. The important thing is to stop at the right time. ”
