Watch Your Food Habits During This Dashain!

Last updated on October 3rd, 2022 at 08:16 pm

Dashain and Tihar, the biggest festival of Nepal are celebrated with joy and jubilation throughout the nation.

Rejoicing the great victory over evil, Nepalese celebrate these festivals with their family and friends with great enthusiasm.

People travel miles to reunite with their families and indulge themselves in delicacies throughout the month.

However, the triumph of good over evil is celebrated with a variety of unhealthy foods while drinking alcohol has become a tradition for many at the yearly family gathering.

During these festivals, people tend to overdo the celebration while overeating various meat delicacies and carousing till the alcohol runs out. This will turn out to be hazardous to people suffering from chronic illnesses while also serving as the initiation of an unhealthy lifestyle for many people.

Keeping in mind that prevention is always better than cure, you should prioritize your health first.

Therefore, eat healthily and mindfully during this festive season.

Here are some ways that can support your food habits during this Dashain for diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.

1. Limiting your meat consumption

Meat is a nutrient-dense food that contains 14–20% protein. Additionally, it includes potassium, zinc, and vitamin B.

These nutrients are crucial for our body. However, during these festivities, meat delicacies are cooked with plenty of oil and spices.

Hence, overconsumption of these meat delicacies results in you feeling bloated or suffering from either constipation or diarrhea, from poor digestion.

In a long run, high consumption of meat will lead to heart disease, obesity, and high blood pressure.

2. Correctly storing meat

During Dashain, many households have a tradition to butcher at least 2 to 3 goats. This means that there is plenty of meat to store.

Not storing the meat in the correct way leads the bacteria in the meat to multiply to a dangerous level which contaminates the meat. Consumption of this meat results in severe food poisoning. 

Therefore, making sure that the meat is not stored for a longer time is necessary. Rather than storing meat in big bulk, you should consider storing them in smaller packages, at 2-4 degree celsius for 48 hours. If it is being stored for a longer time it is advised to use a deep freezer.

3. Avoiding unhygienic meat shops

The majority of meat shops in Nepal are contaminated with bacteria and worm larvae, and as a consequence, various diseases are spreading through the meat as a result of negligence.

The number of patients admitted to hospitals after participating in various festivals has dramatically increased due to these and related factors.

4. Practicing a balanced diet

An abrupt diet change can be harmful to someone’s health, especially if they already have conditions like high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, or other non-communicable diseases.

During Dashain-Tihar many individuals’ eating habits change completely. During this time of the year, people are only seen having oily, packed with spices and immensely sugary food and drinks. This leads to indigestion and diarrhea.

You should include green vegetables and fruits to balance the palate. This fulfills your demand for nourishment. You can get the nutrients you need from a diversified, balanced diet to prevent nutritional deficiencies.

For patients with any kind of chronic illness, such as diabetes and underlying heart conditions, consider following a diet chart with a proper doctor’s consultation.

Following the chart helps you manage your weight, blood sugar (glucose) levels, and risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure and blood fat levels.

Not eating mindfully during the festive season could be detrimental to your health.

5. Drinking responsibly

Many individuals believe that drinking a beer or a glass of wine on special occasions is not particularly harmful. But consuming alcohol at any level has the potential to have negative effects on your health.

Although you might not immediately feel the effects of alcohol on your body, they begin as soon as you take your first sip.

Many people tend to drink throughout the festive season which can have a noxious turn on their liver and leads to alcohol poisoning.

Clearly, heavy drinking—having more than 10 to 12 drinks per day—should be avoided by diabetic patients because it can lead to hypertriglyceridemia and ketoacidosis.

Furthermore, binge drinking while fasting can result in hypoglycemia, which raises the risk of noncardiovascular death among diabetics.

6. Limiting sugar intake

Without ‘mithais’ and sugary carbonated drinks, Dashain-Tihar feels incomplete. These sweets confections are low in nutrients and high in calories and carbohydrates.

They may significantly contribute to weight gain, which raises the danger of developing diseases including diabetes and heart disease. Festivals are a time to exercise tremendous control when it comes to sweets for those who already have these conditions.

We should drink homemade beverages like lemonade, lassi, buttermilk, hot lemon, and lemon mint instead of sugary beverages. And for mithai, try switching it for fruits, or else you can control your portion size.

Controlling portion size is really effective to keep your blood sugar level in the right place. Hence, diabetic patients should look after their portion to maintain healthy food habits especially during Dashain for their diabetes. 

People must remember that “health is wealth” and pay attention to their health, especially while taking part in celebrations. Being mindful during these times will ensure your good health for a very long time.