Have you binged this Diwali?

Don't worry. You can still follow these healthy tips, says Sunita Roy Chowdhury.

With the Diwali festivities in full swing, it’s easy to give in to temptation and gorge on the mithais and chocolates that keep pouring in.

While we may pledge to go easy on the sweets during this festive season, many of us make dietary errors that can take a toll on our health and leave us battling those bulges.

Here are some of the common diet mistakes that people make during the festive season and tips on how these can be avoided:

White sugar and white flour

Instead of white sugar, opt for brown sugar or jaggery when making sweets at home.

White sugar contains traces of sulphur that enter during the refining process. That is why sweets with white sugar can be worse for your health.

One should prefer sweets made of wheat flour, milk and jaggery.

Reusing oil

The biggest blunder many sweet shops make is that they reuse oil while frying sweets.

Reusing the oils creates free radicals, which harm the body by clogging the arteries, causing acidity and heartburn.

One should opt for baked or steamed options such as dhokla or khandvi.

Skipping meals and fruits

One of the most common mistakes during the festive season is going to parties on an empty stomach.

The overeating that follows is a major reason for weight gain.       

Not having enough water

Sipping cold drinks can make one even more dehydrated while increasing the calorie intake.

Drinking water at regular intervals is important to detox.

Coconut, watermelon juice, etcetera are good options to keep fluid levels up during festive season.

Portion control

Practising portion control is important as overeating puts a strain on the liver and can lead to high cholesterol, high BP and sugar.

Small and frequent meals are advisable.

Alcohol consumption

Alcohol has empty calories and causes dehydration.

Cocktails which are a combination of alcohol and juices should also be avoided as they contain a lot of calories and cause dehydration.