2020 has been pretty bad so far, but everyone’s favourite festival is ready to ease the pain. Diwali is finally here (yes, it is November already and we are just as shocked as you)! Diwali is all about bringing in the new year with light, positivity, colourful clothes and mithais. Many of us overdose on the Kaju Katlis, Mohanthaals, Halwas and Laddoos. We wake up after a night-long binge-fest feeling bloated, heavy and extremely satisfied. However, Diwali binge eating is extremely common and not the best for our bodies. Hence, we asked Malini’s Girl Tribe on Facebook for their tips to avoid bingeing this festive season and got some very interesting answers.
Here are 8 interesting ways to deal with binge eating sweets during Diwali:
1. Don’t Eat Sweets On An Empty Stomach
If you eat mithais on an empty stomach, you are sure to eat lots of it because you’re more hungry. Instead, eat sweets after a meal or a snack. Some members even suggested, eating a salad or drinking a glass of water before indulging in sweets.
2. Don’t Eat Sweets During Or Post-Dinner
This one is the sole solution to all those late-night cravings and midnight binges. For me personally, the need to eat sweets peaks around 1 a.m., so I will be surely following this. A pro-tip to avoid eating post-dinner is to brush your teeth right after. The sheer laziness to brush your teeth again is a stronger deterrent than you think.
3. Don’t Accept Sweet Boxes Larger Than 250 Grams
Repeat after me, “I DO NOT NEED ONE KILOGRAM OF KAJU KATLI“. While we may not realise it, we tend to binge when sweets are more accessible to us. If you keep a large box lying around, you are more likely to constantly snack on it and even wipe it clean by the end of the day. The simple solution is to accept smaller boxes and leave them in one place, preferably away from you.
4. Eat Your Body Weight In Mithais For A Day
This was a rather interesting solution to Diwali bingeing. One tribe member suggested overdosing on mithai in a single sitting. Literally eating your body-weight in halwa and peda’s in one go. By the time you’re done, you will be so sick of them, that the very thought of the mithai will traumatise you. And this will keep you away from sweets for the rest of the festive season, and maybe even the rest of 2020.
5. Go For A Walk After Eating
Isaac Newton stated that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, and it is true when it comes to eating sweets. When you eat mithai, you should go for a walk after. Simple! This is the classic action-reaction solution.
6. Don’t Think Of It As Binge Eating
It has been scientifically proven that the more guilty we feel after eating, the more we tend to put on weight. It’s because of the stress and hormonal releases that come with it. So if we think of it as a dirty binge, our bodies are more likely to digest it as a dirty binge. It’s better for us (and our bodies) to simply enjoy it and to not overthink it. A minute on the lips will most certainly not lead to a lifetime on the hips.
7. Give Some Mithai To Your Help
This is something we can all do, and we should do. By giving your household help, lift-men, security guards and other staff, boxes of sweets, you’re not just helping yourself, but also making others happy. It’s an easy, feel-good solution to your Diwali binge eating. Plus, it’s a karmic overload.
8. Use The Rest Of Lockdown To Recover
Diwali is one of the rare occasions we can look forward to in 2020. It’s that time of the year we can celebrate and actually feel good about ourselves, so why not experience it to the fullest? Eat as much as you want and savour the sugary delights. You can use the rest of this lockdown to eat salads and soups.
While these tips are unusual, they might just be helpful. Just remember, eating sweets is what Diwali is for, and berating and cursing yourself for indulging in them is cruel. Enjoy them mindfully and don’t overthink it!
How do you deal with your Diwali cravings and binges? Share it with us in the comments below.
Join Malini’s Girl Tribe on Facebook and Instagram to be a part of more fun conversations!