Festival and health do not seem to go hand-in-hand. When one is high on festive spirit, it is undoubtedly difficult to resist the high-calorie sweets and sumptuous meals. But it is also important for all of us to know the dark side of conspicuous consumption.

With numerous media reports highlighting the widely prevalent practice of food adulteration, it is extremely important for all of us to know the various forms of adulteration that can be extremely hazardous.

Some of the common forms of adulteration in milk products involve the use of very harmful chemicals that include detergents and urea powder.

Also, I have always been skeptical of colouring agents being used by most mithaiwalas. Some of these agents are carcinogenic — containing cancer causing agents.

The buck does not stop here.

The fats used in the sweets are of dubious nature. In any case, excessive fat in the diet is never a very healthy option.

Given the nature of the season, practicing austerity in the matter of food would be a futile effort.

All that I propose is to dwell on providing gentle pathways for coping with the deluge of foods and merriment. The taste of a food item is usually directly proportional to its fat content. Not surprisingly, most of these festive foods are high on fat. The downside to this, besides the obvious one, is that of reflux and acidity.

Fat has the tendency to remain in the stomach for a long time, as compared to the other two nutrients — carbohydrates and proteins. Thus, reflux is a common occurrence following a meal high on fat.

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