Since the most anticipated and auspicious 15 days long festival ‘Bada Dashain’ has begun before now, Nepalese people around the globe has already started to regale with much revelries. So much of shopping, vacations, get together, partying and renewal of community ties are common agendas in their planning lists. Whilst these are just prime plans, eating and drinking are must have to make these plans more delightful. Balancing the intake of food and drinks is the only wisest idea to save oneself from health hazards that might occur after celebrating such festivities.
Celebrated for the victories of the god and goddesses over the demons, Mahisashura and his army, Dashain revelers pay homage to different avatars of Supreme Goddess Durga on each and every day of the longest festival. People believe that they will be showered by good luck if they worship the Goddess Durga properly but if not, misfortune is sure to follow.
With this belief, thousands of animals and birds including buffaloes, ducks, goats, billygoats etc are sacrificed in tune to appease the goddess, especially on Asthami and Navami. Such sacrifices are done in the name of feasts as well. Since there are so much to eat in this festive season, a responsible drinking and balanced eating is mandatory for health reveling.
Meat cooked in varieties- roasted, dried, stewed, barbequed definitely looks tasty and tastes delicious as they are prepared with lots of oil and spices but reveling under different functions, you might not know the amount of meat being eaten. It is wise to remember that such spicy food cannot be digested all of a sudden and causes abdomen swelling, belching, indigestion, vomiting and gastritis.
Moreover, overeating produces psychological, emotional and physiological side effects forcing an individual to compromise in his/her quality of life and living. Overeating also causes stroke, kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, major depression, arthritis, bone deterioration, sleep apnea (breathing while sleeping) and others.
Dashain is the time where there is a high time while shopping. Adulteration in food items can be found in abundance during such season. We should not ignore that different sweet and confectionaries found in the open market can be adulterated with colors and harmful sugars. Such addition of non-permitted colors can cause liver damage, hyperactivity, cancer, allergies and birth defects.
Adulteration might be done with mixing mineral oil with edible oil and are highly responsible to cause cancers. Anaemia can be caused by the consumption of turmeric power if some amount of lead chromate is added to it. Drinks or food (both natural and processed) can be adulterated with lead responsible for lead poisoning that can causes insomnia, anaemia, mental retardation, foot drop and constipation. If we consume mercury added with fish then it can cause paralysis, brain damage or death.
Drinking alcohol has become a prerequisite during the festive season but responsible drinking is advisable. Too much of alcohol drinking affects the brain communication pathways, functions of heath that can cause stroke, high blood pressure, liver inflammation, cirrhosis, cancers (esophagus, throat, liver, breast etc), pancreatitis (swelling of the blood vessels) and others. Too much drinking weakens the immune system and heavy drinkers are liable to contract diseases like tuberculosis and pneumonia.
