Tips to Celebrate Diwali in a Healthy Way
Tips to Celebrate Diwali in a Healthy Way
Diwali, the festival of lights, is a wonderful time for fun and celebrations with family and friends. It is a time for decorating homes with rangolis, flowers, and diyas, preparing delicious treats and bursting crackers, all done with great enthusiasm throughout the country. However, the festive spirit often leads to overindulgence in unhealthy foods and expensive decorations, which may negatively impact your health, budget, and the environment. If you are looking for ways to celebrate Diwali while prioritising well-being, the tips in this article can help.
Tips to celebrate Diwali in a healthy way
The following are some simple tips to celebrate Diwali in a healthy way:
1. Go green:
One of the best things you can do is choose eco-friendly decorations to reduce waste and harm to the environment. For example, you can use flowers and leaves for decorations, opt for clay diyas, and choose reusable LED lights instead of plastic ones. Moreover, you can use flower petals, rice, turmeric, and other natural options for making rangolis instead of synthetic colours.
2. Recycle:
Instead of buying new decorations, you can add a personal touch to the old ones and reuse them. For example, you can clean and repaint old diyas, add ribbons and flowers to old decorations, reassemble old garlands with fresh flowers and leaves, and paint old mason jars and place candles or tealights inside. Recycling is a smart way to reduce waste and conserve resources while celebrating the festival.
Additionally, you can get creative by making lovely Diwali decorations at home using materials like old newspapers, colourful sheets, and leftover fabric.
3. Opt for personalised gifts:
Instead of gifting items made of plastic and other non-recyclable materials, choose personalised gifts for your loved ones and friends. You can create beautiful wall hangings using jute, cloth, dried flowers and leaves, paint diyas, or make colourful scented candles and tealights. Personalised gifts always hold a special meaning, and your family and friends will cherish receiving them.
4. Mindful eating:
Diwali is a festival when we love to indulge in sweets, savouries, and other lip-smacking delicacies. While it’s great to soak in the festive vibes, it is important to practice mindful eating to prevent associated health issues. Paying attention to portion sizes and going slow on sweets and fried foods can help you enjoy the festival without overindulging. Additionally, it is important to consume high-fibre foods and soups to prevent gastrointestinal discomfort.
5. Choose healthy homemade delicacies:
Instead of buying sweets and savouries from outside, you can prepare them at home. For example, you can bake samosas and other savouries instead of deep frying, choose natural sweeteners, like dates, honey, and maple syrup, to prepare sweets, and use healthy ingredients like whole grains and vegetables to cook meals. Moreover, instead of unhealthy snacks, you can serve guests dry fruits, roasted nuts, fruit chaat, masala popcorn, and baked savouries.
6. Avoid firecrackers:
Although firecrackers are a part of the celebration, they harm your health and the environment. They lead to air and noise pollution and cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems. Firecrackers also contaminate the soil and water, affecting local ecosystems. Therefore, if you are looking to celebrate Diwali in a healthy way, it is wise to avoid firecrackers or choose soundless, eco-friendly ones made of recyclable materials.
7. Health insurance:
In addition to being mindful about food, decorations, and firecrackers during Diwali, it is crucial to stay covered under health insurance for medical emergencies. The air and noise pollution associated with the festival can lead to health issues afterwards, including respiratory conditions, digestive discomfort, skin problems, and eye injuries. Therefore, if you are not covered under health insurance, consider investing in a suitable plan without delay.
Reasons to buy health insurance before Diwali
The following are significant reasons to invest in a health insurance policy before Diwali —
1. Risk of health issues and accidents:
During Diwali, there are heightened risks of health issues and accidents due to firecrackers, unhealthy foods, and various festive activities. Keeping the potential problems in mind, it is wise to stay covered under health insurance for those uncertain times. If there is a medical emergency, you can reach the nearest hospital and opt for timely treatment without worrying about the bills.
2. Financial security:
A health insurance policy provides financial security and peace of mind, especially when unexpected medical expenses arise. With a healthcare plan in place, you can fully enjoy the festivities without any worries.
3. Festive deals and discounts:
Insurance companies often offer discounts and promotional deals during the festive season. Therefore, if you are not covered under health insurance, purchasing a policy during Diwali can help you take advantage of these festive offers.
4. Wide coverage:
A comprehensive health insurance policy offers wide coverage to policyholders. It covers hospital bills, pre- and post-hospitalisation expenses, home healthcare, daycare procedures, organ donor expenses, road ambulance bills, AYUSH treatments, and more. Thus, staying covered under this insurance product will save you from paying huge healthcare bills from your pocket.
5. Coverage for family:
Insurance companies offer various health plans for individuals and families. Instead of investing in separate health insurance policies for yourself and your loved ones, you can choose a family health insurance policy that covers all household members under one plan. This will ensure comprehensive coverage for everyone and save you from the hassles of managing different policies.
6. Cashless treatment facility:
When covered under health insurance, you can opt for cashless treatment at any network hospital of the insurance provider. This saves you from the hassles of settling the bills from your pocket and filing a reimbursement claim later.
7. Tax benefits:
Under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act, 1961, you can claim a tax rebate of up to INR 25,000 or INR 50,000 (senior citizens) on the premiums paid toward health insurance. Therefore, investing in this insurance product can help you save on taxes as well.
Conclusion
To sum up, celebrating Diwali in a healthy way allows you to enjoy the festivities without compromising your health or the environment. You can achieve this by choosing eco-friendly gifts, reusing decorations, consuming nutritious meals, eating mindfully, and limiting the use of firecrackers. Moreover, high pollution and overexertion often lead to health issues after the festival, making it crucial to stay covered under health insurance to manage healthcare expenses. Many insurance companies offer attractive discounts and promotions during this time, providing a good reason to invest in health insurance before Diwali.
Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to the policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.
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