EXCLUSIVE: South actress Nisha Ganesh shares how to eat healthy during the festive season

It is that time of the year when friends and family celebrate together while ushering in the festive spirit. In the process, we all gorge on lots of unhealthy or fatty food, right? We must never forget that our body can be affected by eating processed foods, sleeping and waking up late, and consuming a lot of sugar than usual. Additionally, it can be very challenging to find time to exercise and maintain daily routines. South actress Nisha Ganesh in an interview with Zee News Digital shared her healthy diet during festivals. 

She offers tips as we prepare for the festive season this year so that we don't stray away from our healthy eating habits:

Pre-plan your fitness game 

Almonds are a great healthy alternative to traditional festive snacks. Traditionally, any festive spread includes fatty foods and unhealthy snacks, most of which aren't known to be good for us. My first tip for avoiding snacking on oily and fried foods is to replace them with healthier alternatives such as almonds. Almonds are a delicious snack that is also beneficial for one’s health. They are a good source of energy and help one stay active during the festivities. Exercising and eating a nutritious diet are two sides of the same coin. While trying to replace traditional festive snacks with healthier alternatives, one should also try incorporating some basic forms of exercise into one’s routine. I regularly practice yoga, which is deeply ingrained in my daily routine. 

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A post shared by Nisha Ganesh (@prettysunshine28)

Avoid guilt-tripping after splurging on sweets

When shopping for Diwali snacks, remember to include almonds in your cart for a healthier Diwali. Even for Ganesh Chaturthi, we had prepared Almond modaks – it was innovative, and the family also loved it. If you also enjoy experimenting, try making a batch of Rasam Spiked Almonds or Channa Masala Almonds by combining your favourite flavours to create healthy and tasty snacks for your guests and yourself. Diwali isn't Diwali without sweets – homemade or not; sweet sugary dishes are a must-have during the celebrations. Instead of consuming traditional desserts like barfi or gulab jamun, I tend to eat a small piece of dark chocolate when I get cravings. I might even melt the dark chocolate in a saucepan and dip nuts like almonds, which are delicious yet healthy!

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A post shared by Nisha Ganesh (@prettysunshine28)

Gifting good health

For Indians, almonds make an auspicious gift during festivals and special occasions. Gifting almonds is gifting good health. Instead of gifting high-calorie-laden sweets and snacks, we as a family enjoy giving our guests and family friends a trousseau of almonds. I enjoy cooking, so I typically prepare almonds in various ways - roasted/ salted/flavoured almonds. They are easy to prepare and come out extremely crunchy and delicious; you could also store them in a container. Almonds are excellent additions to festive snacks; you can give your unique twist and come out with an innovative dish too!