Festivals come, Festivals go.....some people have this habit of procrastinating important jobs when occasions and events come around...if its time to go see a Doctor, they say, let Dassera go, i will see a Doctor.. let Diwali come, i will visit relatives and  then plan to visit a Hospital. These festivals should not be an excuse to stay health conscious and active...most of us convince themselves and others around, come Ganesh Chaturdhi and let me eat some sweets, after this festival i will think of my Diabetes control plan..and then the other festivals follow and the blood sugar readings climb high.

Dont you see this kinda mentality almost in every family..in your family, in my family ! It is true that festivals reflect traditions and bring celebrations and family reunions, sametime they should not be the reason for a health decline or a shocking medical report. We can cook healthy even if it is a festival day ! Also Dandiya and Garba can be considered to be a healthy festive workout.

Avoid deep fried dishes, gravy curries, more than one sweet recipes and try to make sweets with brown sugar or jaggery instead or think of mildly sweetened savories. Follow some food replacement tricks

Ike Instead of using Bombay rava, use Wheat rava, replace Maida ( All purpose flour ) with unbleached Whole wheat flour, replace whole milk with low fat milk etc. Let festivals be the beginning to a healthy life, similar to the feeling of festivals being an auspicious start to a wedded life or a successful business or construction. Can we all change our festive attitude for good ?!

--pratyusha