Dussehra 2017: 10 Bad Food Habits to Banish This Dussehra

On 30th September the nation would be celebrating Dussehra with fervour and enthusiasm. It is said that Lord Rama defeated the 10-headed demon Ravana in the epic battle of Ramayana to rescue his wife Sita from his hostage. On the occasion of Dussehra, people build large effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna (Ravana's brother) and Meghanad (Ravana's son) and burn them, depicting Rama's victory of Ravana, which in itself is a symbol of the triumph of good over evil. It is said that as you set fire to the effigy of Ravana you demolish the demons and evil residing within you and come out as morally righteous and a good human being.On the pious occasion of Dussehra, here are 10 bad food habits that you must kill for the good ones to prevail:
 1. Skipping BreakfastIn a bid to make it to office or school in time, have you been guilty of skipping your breakfast? Or do you think skipping breakfast can help you shed weight faster? There can't be a bigger blunder than this. Breakfast, literally means break the fast. Since our body doesn't consume anything after dinner till we wake up the next morning, it is necessary to provide essential fuel to the body in the form of breakfast. If you start your day hungry, you get tired fast. Since your blood glucose levels haven't been restored to the normal levels, you are low on energy. Also when you get hungry, you grab anything available, sugary or fat laden thereby inviting a few more extra pounds than shedding them.
 
2. Randomly Removing Food Groups To Follow a Diet
Heard proteins are good for weight loss? Planning to increase its intake? Good move, but cutting down on carbs and fats completely to lose weight may not be that great an idea. There are three macro nutrients essential for survival: proteins, carbs and fats.  You need to know that not all carbohydrates are the same and it is the type, quality and quantity of carbohydrates in our diet that plays a crucial role. There are three different types of carbohydrates found in food: sugar, starch and fiber. If you are aiming to shed those extra pounds, you need to cut down on the carbohydrates particularly derived from sugars. One can do that by limiting the intake of simple carbohydrates. Similarly, certain types of fat are beneficial and necessary for your health, it helps in nerve sheath coating and smooth functioning of your hormones Instead of cutting out fat completely from your diet, consume foods rich in unsaturated fats. Eliminating a whole food group is never a sustainable option. 
 
3. Falling For Quick Fixes For Weight LossBeen thinking Gluten free is the way to weight loss, turns out only those who have been diagnosed with Celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity need to exclude gluten from their diet. Similarly thought a liquid diet was a quicker way to shed the excess pounds? Beware as experts have said that it may result in weight regain and loss of essential nutrients. Rem,ember, there are no quick fixes to weight loss, it is a combination of good and balanced food choices and exercising and there is no escaping the two .
 _{Dasara -there is no quick fixes to weight loss.}4. Not Drinking Enough WaterDid you know that our body is made of 70 percent water? Yet nutritionists and health experts keep reiterating the importance of drinking water and staying hydrated through the day. Ever wondered why? that's because water is an important tool in keeping the skin nourished, maintaining heart rate and blood pressure. By keeping our body hydrated, our heart is able to pump blood through the vessels and to the muscles smoothly. It also helps keep you energised, active and healthy.
 
4. Eating on the Run or Distracted EatingWhile we understand that you could be pressed for time, but that doesn’t mean you let your diet take a backseat. Snacking at your desk while working, eating in the car or eating while walking could lead to many problems. Hurried eating can prompt you to eat more, and lead to excess calorie intake without you even realising it. Similarly, eating while watching TV or using your phone or computer, takes your attention away from food, making you overeat and sometimes under eat as well. As you take your mind away from food, you can miss to take into account your satiety levels, prompting you to binge more, which can lead you to eat more than you’re really hungry for, either now or later. Slowing down and savoring your food can help you control your craving or excess intake.

_{Dasara - slowing down and savoring your food can help you control your curb your excess intake.​}6. Midnight SnackingIts time you bid goodbye to the late night munching. At night your metabolism is at its slowest so food does not digest as quickly or as efficiently as it should. So if you tend to eat a lot at night, especially food that is high in sugar, salt or fat, then it's bound to add to your weight. Experts recommend keeping a  window of two to three hours between your last meal of the day and bedtime. 7. Not Keeping Portion ControlEating when you are not hungry or right after a large meal can wreak havoc on your health. It is always essential to maintain portion control. Another eating habit that you must check is emotional eating. Had a bad day at work? Or coping with some emotional upheaval? Resorting to food may seem as the only silver lining to all the miseries in your life, but that is definitely not a  sustainable diet strategy.  This is a coping mechanism set by your mind to feel good. These reward foods may induce a sense of positive emotions, but they can also invite a few extra pounds than required. Take a walk or talk to your friend to distract yourself - this would be a better strategy.8. Taking Aerated Beverages or Sugary Drinks During Meals:  According to Macrobiotic Nutritionist and Health practitioner Shilpa Arora, “ Pure Carbonated acid with influx of unnatural sugar gives diseases like hypertension, arthritis, metabolic stress, sleep disorders, loss of nutrients and bone weakness. 
 _{Dussehra - it is always recommended to avoid these carbonated beverages especially during meals.} 9.  Buying Food Items Without Reading LabelsFood manufacturers have been using misleading tricks to convince people to buy their products since a long time, which is why the food regulation department  has set certain guidelines that they must adhere to. To make things transparent, food authorities insist on putting everything out on labels. So be careful, is all we have to say, and purchase the food only after reading the label properly. Usually the first three ingredients, form the the largest part of what you're eating.If the first ingredients include refined grains, some sort of sugar or hydrogenated oils, there are strong chances of the food being unhealthy. Also, if the ingredients list is longer than 2–3 lines, you can assume that the product is highly processed. Don't fall for eye-grabbing ingredient labels like, ‘no sugar added’. Foods like fruits, milk, cereals, and vegetables naturally contain sugar, therefore, these products may not have added sugar, still they may contain a high amount of natural sugars. Also, don’t be fooled by terms like fructose and sucrose, they are again only the forms of sugar and not healthier alternatives to it.10. Taking Fruit juices Instead of Whole FruitsWhile fruit juices make for a healthy beverage option over  a carbonated one, having  a whole fruit is always a better and healthier option for its high roughage and fiber content. Also the packaged fruit juices are full of added sugars, that may end up doing more harm than good. 
 This year as you pledge to put an end to all the demons within while setting fire to the demon king ravana, lets makethese 10 promises to ourselves and try to stick to them all year round. 

Happy Dussehra 2017!