Overview

• India Today and Times Now detail Rujuta Diwekar’s list of rajgira, cashews, bananas, and legumes or sundal as must-haves for Navratri fasts.
• She urges balance in typically carb-heavy vrat menus and reframes fasting away from a detox toward diversity, digestion, and de-stressing.
• Cashews are flagged for magnesium that may ease leg pain, gas, and sleep issues, while bananas provide vitamin B6 linked to mood support and digestive ease.
• Legumes such as chana, lobia, and rajma, soaked and cooked with minimal spices, are recommended for protein that supports muscle and bone health, and rajgira is highlighted for iron and versatile use.
• Dietitian Amreen Sheikh tells Financial Express to add fibre-rich choices like sweet potato, pumpkin, raw banana, buckwheat or water chestnut flour, plus fruit, nuts, seeds, and fluids to prevent constipation, stabilise blood sugar, and feed beneficial gut bacteria.