Party with heart, eat with mind

The wedding season is in full swing and there is a whirlwind of parties to attend. Everyone is hopping from a sangeet to a ring ceremony to a mehendi, and then to a wedding reception. Every event is an excuse to binge on food.

Only when the roller coaster comes to a standstill do we get to think about our health. All the excess carbs, fats, sugars, salt and alcohol leaves us bloated, stuffed, tired and guilty for having consumed way beyond the demands of the body. The trick lies in intelligent eating and not mindless binging. But this should begin much before the damage has been done. We would recommend that one should act proactively and follow the given pointers throughout the wedding season. This would ensure that one’s body stays happy and healthy despite all the “unavoidable” indulgences.

Begin early

One should have a small healthy meal just before heading for a party. This could be in the form of a supper option like soup or roasted tofu or egg whites with salad. A fuller tummy is always less greedy. Also, when hungry, we tend to make bad food choices.

Pick your food wisely

Once at the event, one should take a call based on what is on offer. It is better to start with healthy food options like sautéed mushrooms, paneer tikka, grilled chicken, fish, sprouts, fruits and salads. These options are usually not fried and are low on heavy dressing. Besides, the protein rich nature of these foods makes us feel fuller. This helps us limit the portion size of the unhealthy snacks, if we still feel like indulging.

Manage your portions

We should be firm in our mind on ‘how much to eat’. We should have smaller portions so that we can enjoy a wider spread without feeling stuffed. Also, it is better to nibble on the food, eat slower and chew longer to trick the brain into feeling full. It is advisable not to combine rice and wheat. Since wedding foods are served late, combining the two cereals leads to higher water retention resulting in weight gain and a bloated feeling. Also, one should avoid heavy gravies like butter chicken and daal makhani that are loaded with cream and oil.

Stay away from the usual devils

One should not waste one’s appetite on calorie rich and fattening sauces, dips, dressings, mayonnaise or fried snacks. And one should steer far away from fizzy drinks and sugar loaded cocktails and mocktails.

Keep a count

This is applicable to the intake of alcohol. Wine is preferable over hard liquor. But, if one must have hard liquor, then it is advisable to take smaller measures, hold the drink and avoid mixing soda (empty calories) or fruit juices (too much sugar).

Hydrate well

Water is the best way to stay hydrated. One should consume water as often as possible - between snacks and the main meal as well as before and after an alcoholic drink. During winters, one might also use green tea or kahwa, the Kashmiri tea.

For the sweet tooth

Sweets are inevitable at Indian weddings. And while it is easy to say one should not have any sweets, we know it is tough to implement. So, go ahead, indulge yourself a little. Just be careful about what to eat and how much. Fruits are the best option. One should avoid all fried desserts and opt for rasgulla over gulab jamun, frozen yogurt over ice cream and hot badaam milk over any form of halwas. While we do not want you to miss out on all the fun and festivities, please do ensure that the pre- and post-event meals are well planned to negate the ill-effects of all the binging.

Here is a small detox plan you may want to try:

• Early Morning: 1 Cup lemongrass or mint infusion
• 8:00 am 1 Bowl papaya + 5 almonds + 1walnut + 2 dates
• 9:00 am Fruit yoghurt smoothie with 1tbs. chia seeds
• 11:00 am 1 Banana
• 1:00 pm A bowl of fruit + vegetable salad, mixed with 1 cup curd + 1 tbs. pumpkin seeds (no salt)
• 3:00 pm 10-15 roasted phool makhana and coconut water
• 4:00 pm 1 Banana
•  5:00 pm Fennel infusion +10-15 roasted peanuts
• 6:00 pm Any fruit of your choice except banana and chikku. (preferably pomegranate)
• 8:00 pm 1 Cup milk. Add 4 tbsp puffed amaranth, 5 soaked almonds, 1 whole walnut, , 10-12 sunflower seeds, ½ apple, 1 fig (cut into small pieces)

(Ruchi is a Chandigarh-based dietician)