There is really no need to invest in an expensive cleanse diet or buy tonnes of detox supplements to help your body get cleansed and free of toxins and wastes. Chaitra Navratri 2019 is here, and it’s the best time for you to be smart and go for a balanced and nutritious Navratri detox diet making sure your daily meal has a little of every dish you can rustle up so that you get all the goodness from the saatvik ingredients.

Of course, if you end up having fried potatoes, sago fritters and deep fried stuff like kuttu pakodas, you will end up doing as much harm than Taamsik food items could do. So choose the foods which can detoxify your body and have lots of water without which your detox will be incomplete. Stay away from feasting on kuttu pakodas and sago vadas. Do not gorge on high-fat, sugary and calorie-dense foods.

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Read on for this list of the best Saatvik Navratri fasting foods and beverages to help keep yourself on a natural detox diet.

Water: The best way to boost your body’s detoxification is to drink enough water. Water is an essential part of a healthy metabolism. Drinking water gives your body the energy it needs to cleanse itself of toxins. Your kidneys depend on water to help them eliminate waste from the body. Water also keeps your blood vessels open so that blood can move freely. A general rule is eight glasses of water per day, but the intake may increase according to your requirements. You can add fresh lemon juice to your glass of water. It would not only enhance its taste but also support your liver and kidneys in their cleansing process. To increase detoxification, start each morning with a warm glass of lemon water throughout Navratras. Also, make a large pitcher of water filled with sliced whole lemons, and make it a point of sipping your way through at least eight glasses before bed time.

Green tea: Green tea is a rich source of antioxidants. It washes toxins from the system via its liquid content. It also contains a special type of antioxidant called catechins, which is known to increase liver function. Try to consume three to four cups of green tea every day during Navratras. It is time to say goodbye to caffeine in tea and coffee. It can be the most difficult step if you have been a big tea or coffee drinker. Although, green tea also contains a small amount of caffeine but this is balanced with other beneficial properties of this tea.

Lassi: Lassi has probiotics which are extremely beneficial for your health. It cleans your system and removes all the harmful toxins which disturb digestion process. Consume it thrice a day daily during Navratri to promote the growth of healthy bacteria and reduce the growth of bad bacteria in your gut. Just add some Cumin seed powder, black pepper powder and little rock salt. This lassi keeps you away from all types of stomach problems. Being a good source of Vitamin D and lactic acid, it can help boost your immunity to a great extent and can simultaneously boost your metabolism. In breakfast, you can have a large bowl of natural yoghurt mixed with one tablespoon of Chia seeds and served with a large bowl of berries.

Fresh Coconut Water: This real beverage is light on stomach and replenishes fluids and electrolytes.

Seeds and nuts: Pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds and walnuts are all easily digestible seeds and nuts. Incorporating them in your Navratri diet is an excellent option while detoxification. However, avoid nut butter and added sugar or salt in these seeds and nuts. Have a handful every day to stave of hunger prangs and load up on probiotic fibre of raisins and polyphenols of dry nuts and seeds.

Sweet potatoes: When putting together your detox plan, consider including the cleansing and nourishing healthy sweet potatoes. They are fully packed with antioxidants, fibre, complex carbohydrates, manganese, potassium and Vitamin C. With only 90 to 150 with skin on, sweet potatoes are easy on calories. Eat baked sweet potatoes as a healthy and satisfying dinner during Navratras to keep things light on a simple detox diet plan.

Fruits: Being high in water content, fruits help body to wash out toxics. Also, fruits are easy to digest and high in antioxidants, nutrients, fibre and important vitamins. Do not forget to incorporate citrus fruits like oranges and berries because they aid the body by flushing out toxins and jump starting the digestive tract with enzymatic processes. A breakfast smoothie made by blending berries with banana, a teaspoon of chia seeds, a splash of apple and orange juice and one tablespoon of natural yogurt can be eaten every day.

Grilled Paneer tikka and baked potatoes: If your detox diet is getting monotonous and boring, you can try having grilled paneer tikka and baked potatoes. They are delicious snacks that would not hurt your detox plan. You can opt them for low fat versions of food available in Navratra diet.

Amaranth: Light yet nutritious whole grain, Amaranth is an excellent Navratra food ingredient that helps in flushing toxins out of the body. It is highly nutritious – rich in fibre and protein, as well as many micro nutrients. In particular, amaranth is a good source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorous and iron.

Samak Rice: Steamed idly of samak rice or vegetable samak upma or samak pulao is a healthy snack option having a whole lot of fibre and quality proteins. You can add a power house of anti-oxidants in this Saatvik food ingredient by adding goodness of spices like cumin seeds, cardamom and coriander seeds. These spices will add health and taste to your detox diet. You can have them with cucumber riata and green coriander chutney during lunch time. Using samak rice, you can make samak kheer with low fat milk for a bed time snack.

If you are having one meal a day during the Navratras, break your fast with something healthy and light, incorporating lots of vegetables and curd.

You should go for a full body cleanse at least twice a year. So, nothing is better than Navratra time to detox. Navratri comes twice a year – Chaitra Navratri and Sharad Navratri. The festival also marks the season change, when our immunity becomes weak. Fasting gives us a chance to do this full body detoxification to fight this weakness.

To support your body’s natural detoxification, drink a lot of water, do something every day that makes you sweat and eat foods that support your body’s ability to detox. Incorporate these pure and natural foods in your Navratra diet to help you detox naturally during this nine-day festival. Avoid stress and give your body its best chance for a successful cleanse.