Diet & Fasting Tips for Pregnant Women During Navratri

The much-awaited festival of Navratri is here. During this festival, people indulge in delicious foods and many observe fast for nine days too.

When done the right way, fasting has various health benefits like keeping the blood sugar levels in check, lower cholesterol, weight loss and helps control blood pressure as well.

However, pregnant women need to plan it better and take necessary precautions to avoid any complications. Here are a few tips one can follow this Navratri.

Stay Hydrated

It is important to stay hydrated during the fasting hours. You must also be careful that you do not consume liquids at one go. Divide the fluid intake in the form of soups, smoothies, coconut water and normal water.

Eat Foods Rich in Fibre

Constipation is a common problem in pregnant women. Change in eating habits and lack of fluids may make it worse. Therefore, pregnant women must have foods rich in fibre like beans, fruits, vegetables and wholegrains to prevent this.

Eat Small Meals

Fasting may vary from person to person during Navratri. Some people exclude onions, non-veg and garlic from their food while some eat fruits. It is important that pregnant women don't follow a strict diet and have small meals throughout the day.

Eat Complex Carbs

There are two types of carbs in the food, slow carbs and fast carbs. Fast carbs tend to digest faster and makes a person feel hungry frequently. They are high in Glycemic Index too.

Therefore, doctors suggest that pregnant women eat foods with complex carbs that have high glycemic index like beans, legumes, seeds and nuts to produce the energy slowly.

Avoid Fried Food

People enjoy a variety of food during Navratri, which includes plenty of fried food like puris, kachoris, samosas among others.

These foods tend to rise the cholesterol levels, blood pressure and even the blood sugar levels. Therefore, they must replace these foods with grilled, steamed or roasted items.