Holi hai!!

March is the month of receding winters and the hint of the coming summers. It’s also the season of a major festival in Northern India - "Holi". This is a fun filled festival in which practical jokes and people playing with colors are seen everywhere. As with every festival in India, this is also characterized with special dishes and drinks which are shared with everyone in the community.

Some of these are: Thandai (a cool milk based drink), Gujiya (a khoya & coconut filled sweet), Mathri (indian chips of refined wheat flour), Shakkarpare (a fried sweet), Kanji ke vade(fried dumplings of green gram dal), Kachori (packets of dal & onion filling in refined wheat flour), and Besan burfi (a chickpea fudge). All this food is yummy enough to shake any dieter’s will. Note that all of these items are fried and some are sweet as well.

It’s alright to refuse them completely, but then we don’t want to be spoilsports. There are just a few things which we need to keep in mind:
1. Eat a normal meal – don’t starve yourself before the festival.
2. Go easy on the sweets – take very small chunks for yourself and share the rest
3. Drink a lot of water and other fluids, e.g., Thandai & Kanji
4. Play a lot – it ensures that you are busy coloring people instead of indulging in snacks. It’s fun too!
If you are the one doing the cooking then:
1. Avoid going overboard with the amounts to be cooked
2. Share your homemade sweets with colleagues, neighbors, morning walk friends, etc.
3. Don't stock them up as you are liable to consume them yourself instead of serving it to someone
4. Avoid Hydrogenated vegetable fat (like dalda) for frying. It has unhealthy trans fat
5. You can use sugar substitutes in moderation for making sweets

Don't forget to work-out an extra 15-30 min everyday for next 3 days (minimum) to account for your binges.

Most importantly, have fun, avoid guilt syndrome and enjoy yourself.

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