Deepatshi Vaid
Since it is the holy month of Shravan/ Sawan and majority of my clients believe in following this ritual of fasting on Mondays (July-Aug), I thought why not pen down certain tips to prevent hypotension as “sodium and chloride” (table salt) is something that needs to be totally avoided for the day.
For some people it is the holy month dedicated to Lord Shiva, however if we look into its significance from scientific point of view, it is a way of detoxifying the body in monsoons when immunity becomes low and the body requires light stews to impair sluggish digestion.
According to the Recommended Dietary Intake, males require 2100mg (1 tsp salt) of sodium in a day whereas for females it is 1900mg (0.85 tsp salt).So when you deprive your body of this essential nutrient on your Monday fasts/ vrat, having some implications such as headache, irritability, confusion, muscle cramps as well as nausea and vomiting may impact your health.
Well, it is a religious practice to cut off salt for that day, but how about including food sources which are full fledged sodium rich? Let’s give those sources a makeover and fast the right way:
Spinach: Pressure cook and splash it into your raitas along with some cumin seeds (zeera) to keep acidity at bay and reload your body with natural sodium for the various channels of your body. You can also stuff them in your roti like the traditional palak parantha way.
Orange: So there is no limit on the intake of fruits right? Then why not energize your body with a refreshing orange popsicle/ orange ice candy which is deep frozen with filtered water at home and does not have those synthetic flavours to paint your tongue. You can also make orange, mint and lime moijto in case you are not a candy person.
Carrot: Like Bugs Bunny, this one is my favourite too. With it’s flexible qualities, you can garnish it in your raitas, stuff it in your rotis, make those lip smacking deserts like gajar ka halwa, gajar ki kheer etc. To make it simple, blend along with some beetroot, mint and lemon to gush that nitrogen in your body.
Milk: It gives me a relief that the saints included this whole food on a fast day. Does it give a relief to you too? Those kheers, milkshakes, smoothies, puddings would have been a waste without this special ingredient. Along with providing essential nutrients, it keeps you full to prevent those hunger pangs knocking at your stomach in between the day.
Potato: No fast is complete without potato being a jury member of it. You need not increase your fat intake for the day by deep frying it in the form of chips, tikkis. Instead mash those boiled potatoes, add cucumber, pomegranate with a dash of herbs in it. Also don’t forget to squeeze in some lime to substitute the taste buds in regards to salt.
Mic over to my readers:
I know how difficult it can be for a hypotension individual to go on a fast on those Mondays. Maintaing those blood pressure levels becomes a strenuous job for the consecutive days. You need not consume extra salt in the form of preserved and processed food as it would disrupt your potassium channels. Instead follow these basic rules, try incorporating two or three above mentioned food on your fast day and sit back to relish Sawan ke somwar.
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