Being a fit father

Diwali is one of the biggest festivals in India, and is celebrated across the length and breadth of the country. Like most Indian festivals, it reaffirms the familial bond through moments such as lighting of firecrackers and gorging on sweets. During Diwali, fathers have an increased responsibility for ensuring their children’s well-being, especially with lights and firecrackers flying around at all times.

Fathers are often the first role model children have, regardless of gender. A father’s good health is something every family prays for and often devotes hours towards ensuring. It is essential for fathers to realise this and work in tandem with their families so that their good health is not compromised. Buying the best life insurance is another way of ensuring the family’s continued well-being, even in the absence of the father.

Well into his mid-30s, Rohit kept up his fitness routine. Along with brisk runs of 4kms each in the morning and evening, he also made sure to eat fit and maintain his good health through a balanced diet. One rainy day, despite his care, he slid on a wet patch of land and ended up with an injury to his spine. He was rushed to the hospital at once, where the medical staff informed him of how close he had come to becoming paralysed for life. Watching his children hover over his bedside, with identical worried looks on their faces, upset Rohit even more than he let on to his wife Maya later that evening. With Diwali around the corner, he felt even more keenly the need to look after his children in a better manner.

While Diwali is fondly called the ‘Festival of Lights’, its major charm lies in the array of sweets and foodstuff that are offered by friends, family and neighbours. Though it is still possible to avoid gorging on sweets made at home, it is next to impossible to refuse sweets while visiting others. However, staying fit is more crucial to the entire family’s well-being, which is why it is necessary to keep the following tips in mind while celebrating Diwali.

  • Eat Homemade Sweets

    Sweets are made by the thousands across every sweet shop in every city of the country. Spurred on by the competition, halwais attempt to outdo each other by adding generous amounts of ghee, sugar and a host of other high calorific ingredients. Sweets made at home, on the other hand, can be directly supervised to ensure that they are healthier while retaining their taste and flavour.

  • Eat in Moderation

    In cases where it is not possible to politely refuse, it is better to taste everything in moderation. It not only satisfies cravings for tasty foods being passed around, but also ensures that indulgence doesn’t come at the cost of fitness.

  • Maintain Regular Meal Timings

    During Diwali, when tempting snacks are all around and there are several other households to visit, all of which will have laid out the best fare; it is often tempting to miss a meal. However, this is an extremely unhealthy habit since it messes up the meal timings. It is important to maintain the regular meal timings that the body is accustomed to, as it will not only prevent gorging on high calorie foods at different parties but the brain will also be able to signal the body to not overeat.

  • Stick to the Exercise Regime

    During Diwali, offices provide employees with holidays which often results in the entire family taking a trip away from home. However, regardless of whether the family stays home or goes on a long-distance outing, it is important to stick to the exercise regime that is being routinely followed. This will also help work off the calories picked up during the festival.

  • Take Care to Stay Hydrated

    Drinking water is the one of best ways to remove toxins from the body, and the festival of Diwali does provide the body with more toxins that should be removed. Drinking 10 to 12 glasses of water a day is the best way to ensure that the body is relieving itself of toxins at periodic intervals and thereby maintaining its good health.

With Diwali around the corner, children everywhere are gearing up to spend quality time with their fathers in lighting firecrackers and gorging on sweets for four days in a row. However, a father’s good health and wellbeing is the greatest gift for any family; and the duty of the father to ensure that their wishes are complied with. Apart from the regular precautions taken for maintaining good health, it is also advisable to opt for a life insurance policy, which can safeguard the family’s interests long into the future.