Finding myself placed in the category of people who 'live to eat and not eat to live', I somewhat surprised myself when I decided to observe fasting this Chaitra Navratri 2024. Call it fate or coincidence, the Navratri arrived just around the time I was constantly failing to go on a little detox and improve my digestion. In an Instagram post, Ayurvedic doctor Dixa Bhavsar Savaliya explains that fasting gives that "much-needed rest to your digestive system. Just the way we need sleep every night to function optimally every day, our gut needs fasting every once in a while to function optimally."
Seizing the perfect opportunity when thousands of people will be fasting as well, I jumped on the bandwagon and decided to take on fasting one day at a time, and see how things fall, or rise, hopefully.
The health benefits of fasting have been shared by several other experts. Previously on Instagram, celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar talked about how Navratri meals, if followed in the right pattern, can empower women with nutrients that can make them physically stronger and also create a hormonal balance.
The first day of fasting is easy for most of us. You get to eat vrat-friendly foods that you probably have not had for months -- sabudana kheer, makhana chaat, vrat wale aloo and so on. While the delicious vrat foods make it easier, the initial 2-3 days can be hard for your body to adjust to. I experienced bloating and discomfort, after which I realised I was eating too much potatoes and revamped my diet.
During the Navratri week, I finally ate an apple that I carried to work, instead of bringing it back home like every other time in the past. Photo Credit: iStock
That's the first positive change I noticed, fasting helped me be constantly aware of what I eat, when I eat and by how much I eat - a consciousness I was previously lacking. I was no longer eating 'just cause' and started developing a clearer awareness of my hunger cues.
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One of the biggest internal battles while fasting is channelling your inner self-control. I was fasting solely on my own will with no external factor, so it was a test of my choice and actions while passing by that momos stall around my office, while sitting next to my friend eating noodles and slurping cold drinks at a party, or while resisting the urge to rip into a packet of biscuits when late-night cravings struck at 2 am. Power of food, am I right?
Moving to the brighter side, fasting helped me shed a little weight daily, and when that scale tipped lower (since after forever), it was one of the biggest motivating factors to keep going. In just one week, I lost a little more than 1 kg, and I am fascinated to think of the progress if I keep following a similar dietary pattern in the future. I owe it to early or small dinners, drinking plenty of water, eating more fruits, eating only when hungry, avoiding packaged foods and eating homecooked vrat food, and getting some workout or movement whenever possible.
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I had heard my share of "tumse na ho payega" [you won't be able to do it] at the beginning of this Navratri and as I ate my first bite of atta (wheat flour) poori with chhole and halwa on the Ashtami, I could taste victory, and of course the fantastic taste that I am yet to decode in the magic of my mother's cooking.
My next challenge is to find more similar healthy ways to continue losing that extra weight without the Navratri diet.
Disclaimer: Results depicted in this personal narrative are individual and not typical. Consult a healthcare professional before attempting any dietary changes or weight loss programs.