Navratri 2020: Fasting For The First Time? 6 Navratri Fasting Tips For Beginners

Navratri 2020: One of India's biggest festivals Navratri is just around the corner and the preparations have begun in full swing. This year Navratri begins on 17th October and ends on 25th October 2020. Markets are filled with vrat items right from sabudana, makhana, kuttu and what not. Now for people who have been fasting for a while, these nine days are easy. They know exactly how their body reacts when they change their diet drastically, and they know all the things they need to cook and everything they can snack on, and the things they need to avoid. However, if you are fasting for the first time, your mind is filled with confusion.  One must remember that it is not the time to be anxious, these fasts are supposed to be a means to pay obeisance to the deity and not an affair to put yourself in some kind of deep suffering difficult to recover from. Navratri fasts are not meant for pregnant women, children or elderly people.

If you happen to be a first-timer and are feeling kind of jittery about your decision already, here are some tips that may help sail you through.

Navratri 2020: Here Are 6 Navratri Fasting Tips For Beginners:

1. Go Easy On Yourself
Try not to go for stricter fasting or vrat like 'nirjala vrat' where devotees do not even consume a drop of water until the fast is over. Many devotees go for phalahar vrat where light items such as fruits and milk are allowed.

(Also Read: Navratri 2020: Here's What You Should Eat In Phalahar Vrat (Vrat Meal Plan By Nutritionist)

2. Keep Yourself Hydrated
Make sure you keep hydrating yourself throughout the day. You are already not eating according to your daily pattern; passing out due to dehydration is one of the last things that should be on your agenda.

Keep yourself hydrated with natural drinks like chaas or nimbu paani.

3. Eat Nuts For Energy
A handful of nuts are really good for energy and allowed during fasting too, so do not forget your daily dose of almonds, walnuts, raisins et al.

4. Pick Right Vrat Foods/Ingredients
It is advisable to pick the right kind of vrat ingredients for your fasting - kuttu, sabudana and makhanas are Navratri superfoods that are rich in complex carbs that give you energy, and that energy does not die down too soon either. Here's all that you can cook using these ingredients.

Sabudana is a very versatile ingredient

5. Practice Moderation
Eat small meals at regular intervals, do not overeat just because you are worried that you may feel hungry soon.

6. Choose Natural Drinks
Opt for drinks that give you instant energy and also nutritious such as buttermilk, lassi, sherbet or fruit juices. Try to steer clear of aerated beverages and sodas it may cause gas and flatulence.

Follow these tips, and do let us know of your experience in the comments below.
 

Here's a list of Sharad Navratri 2020 days, with date and colours (Source: Drikpanchang.com)