Diwali is all about illumination – enlightening people from ignorance. Your wellness and wellbeing are never as boosted as they are during this fantastic festival of light. It is an extremely important event in every Hindu household, and there are lighted lamps, exploding firecrackers, sweet treats to eat and all kinds of celebrations and good cheer.
Preparations for Diwali often start months in advance and there are pressures and stresses at every turn. This kind of stress can be exciting, but it can also cause damage to the body as the stress hormones cause damage to the system, leading to cramps, nausea, acidity, constipation and loose stools.
There are five things that you can do, however, to make sure that you look after your body and put yourself in the best place to be able to enjoy the celebrations.
First of all, always make sure that you rehydrate. Drink plenty of water as this will rehydrate your body and flush out all of the toxins in your system. It also dilutes your stomach acids. Coconut water, clear soups and other clear fluids can also help.
Antioxidants are the second way to help protect your body. These are contained in fruits, fresh fruit juice and colourful vegetables.
Make sure that you do not skip meals as your body needs adequate energy to fuel the mind and body and perform all of the metabolic functions that you need. Skipping meals will simply lead to fatigue and stress, and this will make you feel moody and cranky.
Steer clear of caffeine, too. This means avoiding chocolate, coffee, coke and tea.
Make sure that all your snacks are healthy, too. Munching on high fat and high sugar snacks will only lead you to feel more tired in the end, but will also help you to gain weight. Snack on healthy, slow-burning foods instead like oat bars and nuts.