It’s impossible to avoid binge eating Diwali delicacies. Friends, family, neighbours and festive mood don’t allow us to stay away from mouthwatering snacks, sweets, spicy dishes. In recent times, with growing awareness on the role of healthy eating in preventing and managing obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases, some of us surely try to make Diwali a bit healthy by making a few modifications in cooking or choosing foods.
However, we can only hope that we have figured out how to eat sensibly during Diwali given there is an abundance of advice out there. All these tips, tricks and hope evaporate within seconds of sensing the caramelised aroma of halwa or munching the crisply fried shankarpali for the first time. We eventually get convinced that it’s just a matter of three days’ grand feast and nothing much can happen even if we overindulge.
Wrong.
Once the festival is over and we are back to reality, that’s when binge-eating-induced trauma hits us hard. Many people start panic fasting, go for severe calorie restriction, vigorous exercises, or eat only fruits or lemonade, consume so-called ‘detox’ drinks to shed off that extra kilos and inches. But those efforts hardly work. What works? Consistent effort in making gradual changes, getting back to exercise routine, adding essential nutrients back to the plates, not being anxious or stressed, and most importantly, not punishing yourself. Chronic stress will not do any good but delay the results.
What happens when you binge eat?
Gastritis and constipation are the most common complaints following any festival. Festival special foods that are extremely spicy, greasy, sugar-loaded are often responsible for acid reflux or heartburn. Health-conscious or not, everyone indulges in binge eating during festivals. Consuming extra calories and not burning them leads to putting on extra weight. High sugary and calorie-laden delicacies shoot the blood sugar up and increase the risk of insulin resistance, pushing people who are already living with prediabetes one step closer to developing diabetes. Additionally, refined sugar and trans-fat cause inflammation that leads to fatigue and tiredness.
Also read: Diwali sweets and snacks are on their way. Here’s how you can ‘health-ify’ them
How to recover?
Getting over Diwali delicacies and starting normally is tough but not impossible. Here are some guidelines to bring you back to a normal lifestyle.
First, stop feeling miserable. There are many people like you who binge ate, gained weight, and felt lethargic. A sense of guilt may lead you to chronic stress and you might end up eating more to get over the guilt of binging. In that case, it will be impossible to escape binge eating and start normal again. Keep a positive attitude and forgive yourself for enjoying all those Diwali delicacies. After all, it was one of the most awaited festivals that India celebrates with true spirit.
Make a sensible plan that involves regular physical activity and eating healthy. Do not punish yourself with extended gym hours and an empty stomach. An emotional response to lose weight quickly may deprive you of getting essential nutrients, causing protein deficiency and drowsiness. A mix of guilt, anger and hunger may lead you to binge again. Additionally, extra hours at the gym might cause muscle and bone injury beyond repair. Start your normal routine by eating light, small meals, adding protein and green vegetables to all your meals, adding fiber by including whole grains, leafy veggies, and legumes. Restart physical activity as part of your daily routine and not as a punishment. Don’t look back and get on with your daily life.
Be realistic with your progress. There is no way you can lose those extra kilos overnight. It’s sensible to aim for losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week. You need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume each day to achieve this weight loss. A healthy calorie deficit can be achieved either by eating a low-calorie diet or by burning calories. The healthiest calorie deficit can be obtained by combining both.
Drink a lot of water to restore hydration. Eight to ten glasses of water daily help you stay satiated, minimise cravings and flush out toxins. Homemade fresh juices, lemon water, salted lassi, buttermilk, cucumber or fruit-infused water are good options to bring varieties.
Don’t go ‘detox’. Post-festival times are the best times for the detox scams to trap you in their lucrative health claims. Diet fads like juice and vegetable cleanses are often sold as great ways to detox your body. Fundamentally, these diets don’t vanquish any ‘toxin’ from your body rather promote prolonged fasting, or severe calorie restriction. Short-term fast makes you feel fatigued, irritable, and lethargic.
On the other hand, long-term fasting with detox juices can be detrimental to health, because it causes energy deficiency, vitamin, and mineral deficiency, and even electrolyte imbalance. Most of the time, detox foods and supplements lack scientific foundations as the detox industry is not regulated or monitored by competent authorities. A serious overdose can be fatal if you are not careful.
In the end, moving on from past mistakes and starting fresh is the key to overcoming Diwali or any other festival binge eating. Focus on what you can do today, and put efforts to avoid such circumstances in the future. Cherish the priceless, delightful moments Diwali brought to you and get back on track by eating well, exercising regularly, sleeping well, and looking after your mental and social wellbeing.
Subhasree Ray is Doctoral Scholar (Ketogenic Diet), certified diabetes educator, and a clinical and public health nutritionist. She tweets @DrSubhasree. Views are personal.
(Edited by Prashant)