Festivals In The Time Of Social Distancing

2020 may not be the best of years but that doesn’t stop the festive season from making an appearance. We give you a handy guide from experts on enjoying the festivals while social distancing and staying safe.

The festive season is just around the corner. With Dussehra and Durga Puja coming up this week and Diwali next month, it is a time of celebration for all of us. But add Covid-19 to the mix and things are certainly not the same this year, especially for seniors. Be it the food that they consume, the plans they make to invite people home or the mandatory pandal visit, social distancing, sanitisation and hand hygiene are extremely crucial for their well-being. While festival organisers are adequately focusing on maintaining safety protocols, it is one’s individual responsibility to take care of their personal hygiene. Here is a handy expert guide about the things that you should keep in mind before indulging in the festive spirit for guarding yourselves against the virus.

Dr Ananya Das, Consultant, Geriatric Medicine in Manipal Hospitals, Bangalore believes that seniors must be cautious because it is essential for older adults to work on enhancing their immunity to tackle the Covid-19 virus. According to her, keeping social distancing in mind, taking safety measures to prevent the community transmission of Coronavirus, avoiding crowded places and large gatherings, being cautious about the food taken and being mindful of air and noise pollution should be on top priority for seniors to remain healthy and safe during the festivals.

Stay masked and safe. Image courtesy: Alexandra Koch/Pixabay

Be cautious about sanitisation and social distancing: “Wear a face mask and face shield while stepping out without fail. Wash hands well with soap or sanitiser especially after having been to a public place or sneezing and coughing. Maintain a social distance of at least 1 metre while meeting someone. Stay away from public transport. Do not go to crowded places and try to stay at home as much as possible. Instead of meeting in person, use different apps for video conferencing with relatives and friends. Order ingredients for home puja ceremonies online. You can also look for virtual pandal hopping and darshan options which most organisers are offering for free this year to avoid extra gathering,” says Dr Das.

Keep the food as healthy as you can, even with sweets. Image courtesy: Shantanu Kashyap/Pixabay

Watch what you eat: The food that you consume during the festival this year is important as it plays a vital role in keeping up your immunity, believes Edwina Raj, senior dietician at Aster CMI Hospital, Bangalore. Here are some special festive food tips for you based on what you are celebrating and how:

During fasting hours it is necessary to sip non-calorie fluids like fruit-infused water with a pinch of rock salt or normal water throughout the day to stay hydrated.

You can break your fast with fruits or dry fruits initially. Cereal, vegetables and lentil-based light meal with curd/buttermilk/yoghurt can be consumed to prevent fatigue and weakness.

Food preparation from sago (sabudana) which is rich in carbs but low in protein is ideal to choose post fasting with a combination of lentil /daal with vegetable and oil. Buckwheat or millets can be preferred which are healthy to prevent a surge in blood sugar levels.

Continue to involve yourself in light physical activity rather than heavy exercise which demands more hydration and nutrients.

Do not indulge in heavy meals on the day of Dussehra celebration if you have been fasting for nine long days, Start with short frequent meals to prevent bloating or indigestion.

If you have not followed fasting but would prefer to enjoy the festive season treats with family then it is necessary to keep a close watch on what you eat. Limit the use of salt, sugar, maida and soda-based preparations.

Try some healthy festive treats along with regular routine preparation to bring a balance and prevent overload of unhealthy carbs or fat in your diet.

Avoid consuming excess caffeinated drinks such as coffee, fizzy drinks, tea, green tea. Caffeine makes you more dehydrated.

Beware of air pollution: Bursting crackers during the festivals produces smoke leading to air pollution which can be hazardous to those with pre-existing lung diseases like Asthma/Interstitial Lung Disease. And this could be especially harmful to senior citizens this year. Keep inhalers handy so that it is easily available whenever the need arises.

Wear comfortable clothes: Everyone should wear loose, cotton clothes to avoid sweating and especially to avoid any fire hazard while lighting firecrackers.

Beware of noise pollution: Loud noise-induced hearing loss due to bursting of crackers is pretty common. Wear earmuffs or cotton balls.