Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Published : August 2, 2020 9:13 AM IST
Sugar is as addictive as cocaine, say researchers © Shutterstock
Sweets are an integral part of any Indian festival. Even if sweets are not your weakness, it's hard to stay away from those mouthwatering delights during festivals. Tomorrow is Raksha Bandhan, the Hindu festival that celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters. After tying rakhi to their brothers, sisters offer them sweets as a token of love and to add more sweetness to their relationship. The Hindus also consider the ingredients in mithais - sugar, milk, and ghee to be pure and that is why no Indian festival or celebration is complete without boxes of mithai.
But refined sugar/ white sugar in those mouth-watering mithais is your body's worst enemy. Consuming too much sugar can increase your risk of health problems such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, tooth cavities and more. Excess sugar can also accelerate skin aging and aggravate conditions such as acne and eczema. This doesn't mean you have to forgo mithais this Raksha Bandhan. Instead, opt for healthier versions. Here's how you can give a healthy twist to your favourite mithais this Raksha Bandhan.
Replace refined sugar with jaggery (gud) while making sweets at home. The sweets made with jaggery will taste even better and offer various health benefits. Jaggery is packed with antioxidants and minerals like zinc and selenium, which help prevent free radicals that can damage cells, causing illness and aging. It helps boost immunity, cleanse the body, prevent constipation by aiding digestion, and combat PMS symptoms like mood swings, menstrual cramps, and abdominal pain.
If you're decorating your rakhi thali with a variety of sweets, replace that sugar and oil-laden jalebi with roasted chikki, which is equally mouthwatering but healthier. Usually, roasted chikki is made of sesame/peanuts and jaggery, which are good for your health. Sesame seeds are rich in several nutrients including fiber, protein, magnesium, B Vitamins, antioxidants, etc. Studies suggest that regularly eating sesame seeds may protect against heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis and thyroid problem. Sesame seeds are a good source of zinc, selenium, copper, iron, vitamin B6, and vitamin E, which are crucial for your immune system. Are you using peanuts for making chikki? Not a bad idea. Peanuts are an excellent source of plant-based protein, fiber, various vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds. Its fibre and protein content can make you feel full for longer and help in promoting weight loss. Eating peanuts may also reduce your risk of both heart disease and gallstones.
Love gulab jamuns? But think of the oil used while frying them. On the other hand rasgullas taste heavenly and are not that bad for your health, if you use jaggery syrup to soak them. So, instead of deep-fried gulab jamuns, offer your brother non-fried rasgullas this Raksha Bandhan.
Chocolates have taken over traditional Indian sweets on many occasions. If you're also buying chocolate for your brother/sister, go for the dark ones, which is way healthier. Dark chocolate has a higher percentage of cocoa solids than milk chocolate, and much lower sugar content and less calories. Dark chocolate also contains up to four times the fiber than milk chocolate.
