Briefly Speaking

SIMPlE WAYS TO BE FIT THIS FESTIVE SEASON

Is it possible to enjoy festivals and holidays and not gain weightIJ Yes it is. Here are a few tips to help you stay fit and glowing this Diwali and in the upcoming festivals:

• look for body signals: Decide that you will eat according to your hunger signals, no matter what. Sometimes your craving for sweets gets to you and you eat despite being full. Remind yourself of your goal, think about how you’ll feel later.
• Never go anywhere hungry: Have an apple or a small serving of food as it fills you up. Always have a little snack before going out for a party. You can also have yogurt, cottage cheese and homemade trail mix like raw sunflower and pumpkin seeds, dried cherries, raisins, etc.
• Have joy foods: Eat whatever you truly enjoy. Don’t eat anything you don’t love. Whatever you’re eating, stop as soon as you stop loving it.
• Just move: Forget formal exercise routine if it doesn’t work for you and simply move. Even a 10-minute walk in the morning or in the middle of the day in your pencil heels counts. Instead of coming up with excuses, turn them into strategies that work for you. Connect with family and friends, move, shake a leg, play and have fun.
• Stay hydrated: Keep your fluid level high; drink water throughout your day. Staying hydrated will help prevent headaches or exhaustion you might normally have during festivals.

— Dr Karuna Malhotra from Cosmetic Skin and Homeo Clinic

SAFETY MEASURES  FOR PREGNANT WOMEN

This Diwali, it is important that we adopt adequate safety measures, especially if you are an expecting mum. There are certain tips you must keep in mind to ensure the health and safety of you and your unborn baby. “Extreme smoke and pollution from firecrackers can be harmful for women, particularly if they are pregnant, as they can cause respiratory problems for both mother and child,” says Dr Shobha Gupta, Medical Director and IVF Specialist from Mother’s lap IVF Centre. She adds, “For pregnant woman, it is significant to know that what you inhale goes into your blood stream and affects the foetus. From the sixth to 12th week, your baby’s organs are formed. So, it is better to avoid the pollutants caused by firecrackers.” Following are a few tips that pregnant women must follow this festive season:

• Dress comfortably and wear flat footwear. It would be better to choose cotton clothes as synthetic ones can catch fire easily.
• loud noises could get extremely disturbing and troubling for the mother as well as for the unborn child, so stay away from noise.
• Do not lift or carry any heavy object.
• Avoid lighting fireworks that require running to a safer distance prior to explosion like anar, rocket or chakri. Go easy with hand-held sparklers.
• As much as possible, try to stay indoors. This way you will have ample rest and can keep pollution at bay.

— Dr Shobha Gupta, Mother’s lap IVF Centre