The spirit of Diwali is in the air! Lights, friends and family, gifts, pyrotechnics and er…great food.

But with food, there comes a catch. You are extremely vulnerable to putting on pounds as you remain surrounded by gulab jamuns, kaju ki barfi, rasogollas and other such sinful delights.

Festivals have the inevitable happiness attached to them. And food is the quint-essential ingredient of this festive happiness, be it Holi, Id, Christmas or Diwali. In fact, during Diwali one gets to indulge in calorie-rich excesses much more than other occasions. Let’s look at the ways and tricks (yes, tricks) which can help you remain guilt-free as you gorge on your favourite mithai during Diwali:

Eat in Moderation and Eat Slow

Nobody is asking you to turn a blind eye towards all the mouth-watering sweet meats but at least you can cut down on the quantity. Easier said than done? We’ll say yes but it’s certainly not impossible. When you pick up your favourite sweets from the serving plate, make sure that you go for smaller portions. Eat slowly and gradually. Savour the taste instead of just gulping them in.

Avoid Second Helpings

Nutritionists have been saying for a long time that for most people second helpings are the chief cause of putting on weight. However tempted you are, avoid second servings of the sinful foods you’ll come across this Diwali. Sit away from where the food is being served or just give away your plate once you’re done with the first serving.

Use Low-fat Ingredients

If you prepare sweets and delicacies yourself, try using low-fat (skimmed) milk and other dairy-products. You can switch to artificial sweeteners. You can even go a step ahead by natural sweeteners like honey, jaggery, dates etc. Nowadays, sugar-free sweets and ice-creams are easily available in the market. Go for them and stay guilt-free.

Drink Water Before Snacking

Before devouring delicacies and snacks, drink adequate quantities of water. This will help you tame your cravings as you will experience a feeling of fullness.

Bid Adieu to Carbonated Drinks

Aerated soft drinks can undo all the effort you make in the gym. Stay away from them as they add unnecessary  empty calories which are difficult to burn later. A good idea will be to go for juices.

Gift the Gifted Sweets to Others

Sounds cheap? No, it isn’t. If you keep all the sweets which you got as gifts with yourself, you’ll either eat them up (and thus fill in calories) or they’ll get wasted and eventually thrown out which is a terrible wastage of food. Share the sweets and chocolates with your friends, family, neighbours etc. You can also give them to your domestic help or the neighborhood watchman.

Don’t Skip Exercise

This is very important. Just because it’s the Diwali day, it doesn’t mean that you can skip your morning yoga session or your gym. Diwali should give you no excuse for disrupting your daily routine. Instead of lazing around in the house, keep doing some sort of physical activity. In fact, during these days try to do some extra exercise as you know that you’ll have calorie-rich foods waiting for you once you reach home.

Berries

Now who doesn’t like fresh seasonal berries? These power-packed fruits are not only filled with taste but also contain a substance called ellagic acid, which helps in the prevention of breast cancer. Apart from breast cancer, berries also help in reducing the risk of various other forms of cancer. Little did we know that these small tasty berries could be such a fruitful shield for your health, isn’t it?

Pomegranates

Not only is it rich in iron and antioxidants, but it also inhibits the formation of a breast cancer causing substance, like bad oestrogens. The best way to consume pomegranates is by eating the fruit straight away. But if you are one of those who do not like grainy seeded fruits, a glass of pomegranate juice will also do the needful! Also Read: 7 Beauty Benefits of Pomegranates

Fish (Oily Preferably)

Fish, especially oily ones, are great sources of Omega–3 fatty acids. Research shows that this compound plays an important role in boosting the immune system and helps to slow down the growth of tumours that are cancerous in nature. It also reduces chronic inflammation, which is a contributing factor to breast cancer development. Salmon, trout, mackerel, etc. are all good forms of fatty fish. Consuming fresh and properly cooked oily fish even thrice a week can be very beneficial.

Pulses

The risk of breast cancer in women increases when their body produces excess of bad oestrogens. Pulses have in them fibre, which contain such substances that help to remove the bad oestrogens from the body. Thus consuming pulses, rice, oats and other whole grains is very helpful to keep breast cancer away. Also, fibre is useful to the body as it provides for regular and easy bowel movements through improved digestion. High fibre diet shields your body from exposure to harmful toxins.

Walnuts

Walnuts are one such super food whose nutritional qualities are never-ending (Must Know Beauty Benefits of Walnuts). According to a research done for breast cancer prevention on mice, it is believed that the anti-inflammatory qualities of this nut give your body a tumour fighting potential, thus reducing the risks of cancer. You can either include these nuts in your meal by mixing them along with your breakfast cereal or just have them as an evening snack.

Yellow Coloured Fruits & Vegetables

Vegetables and fruits that are either yellow or orange in colour, for example, yellow peppers, melons, pumpkins, etc. have a substance present in them called Beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is a strong antioxidant that helps to fight breast cancer causing agents in the body. Adding one yellow coloured fruit or vegetable in your diet daily will help to reduce the risks of breast cancer. Apart from the yellow ones, even green veggies like cabbage and broccoli are extremely fierce against cancer cells in the body.

At a time when Bollywood potboilers are minting Rs.100 crore, Rs.200 crore and more, filmmaker Rakesh Roshan hopes "Krrish 3" reaches the Rs.1,000 crore milestone at the box office.

The "Krrish 3" team - director-producer Rakesh Roshan and the cast of Hrithik Roshan, Vivek Oberoi, Priyanka Chopra and Kangana Ranaut - was here Wednesday to spread the buzz about the movie which releases Nov 1.

 When a reporter asked what box office record he would like to create with "Krrish 3", senior Roshan said: "Rs.1,000 crore!"  He laughed but the gleam in his eyes expressed his positivity towards his project which stars his son Hrithik as a superhero. The film is the third in the "Krrish" franchise which began with "Koi Mil Gaya".  Hrithik is proud of the project, especially as his father took a decision to use all "Hindustani" artists for the visual effects and action.

"It is great that our cinema has come to a stage where, in one percent of the budget of a Hollywood film, so much can be incorporated," said Hrithik of "Krrish 3" which features mutants.

"It is the first truly home grown superhero film and it is a proud feeling for us. If 'Krrish 3' is a success or rather when 'Krrish 3' is a success, let me be positive about it, it will be great for the sake of our artists. The scope will be so much for them that we will not just be able to match (international levels) but also go beyond it," he said.