Dussehra - A symbolism of the victory of the good over the evil. The symbolism of the power of Knowledge (Goddess Saraswati) is for the mental strength and abilities to be victorious in everything we do.

Yes! Dussehra symbolizes the power of the Goddess - the Divine Feminine.
This blog addresses that feminine energy, and woman power and calls out to every woman to awaken, empower and hold her inner light strong, keep her inner Goddess bright in this world. It also addresses the Divine Masculine who can use these thoughts to support the women in their lives!

Every woman symbolizes grace and elegance coupled with strength and power.
She bends and flows
She does not break
She rests and climbs and grows and rests and climbs...
She does not give up
She cares and nourishes and nurtures
She is mother and daughter and beloved and sister and a leader and a creator.
She is the embodiment of the Goddess!
Why search for the gifts of the Goddess in idols and in temples, whilst she resides in every woman?

So, this Dussehra, dear Sisters, we at Nutritionwithvibha call you to stand resplendent in your power and to rise to all your might.
Wear the flowers and the silks and smile of course, but know behind the gentle, around the beauty, and in between the festivities is a spine of steel.
A steel that needs nourishment too
A steel that needs to be taken care of
So dear Beautiful Goddesses, while you take care of the world, take care of yourself too!
Nourish yourself
Nurture yourself

This Dussehra the festival of the Devi after an auspicious nine days and nine nights, Nutritionwithvibha identifies NINE things that the Goddess within must nourish herself with.

Are you ready Dear Goddesses, to unfold some gentle loving care on yourselves?
If Yes, here goes...

1. Nourish your body from within:

All the radiance outside has to begin inside. Before the skin shines, the cells have to.
Let's make a commitment to ourselves and say it out loud -

I will nourish the Goddess within. I will choose my food mindfully because my body deserves good.
I will eat a hearty breakfast, eat the dals and the meat and enjoy the fruits and vegetables. I will feed my body nuts and seeds and milk and curd.
All are in the correct portion of the course. I will eat well, and not overeat. I choose to honor and nurture my body temple.

2. Let your body experience movement:

The body is meant to move. Let's allow the body to do its job.
Could there be one form of movement that you enjoy...if Yes... you could gift your body that.
Increased physical activity and exercise are important pillars of good health.
May it be dancing or walking or yoga or swimming or gymming - let's just do it.
We start small and keep it easy and sustainable.
We do not sit for more than 30 minutes at a time without movement - even small flexibility and stretching exercises will do.
Our beautiful limbs and torso and our glorious lungs and heart ask us for some movement so that they can experience this wonder of life.
Let us move more!

3. Eat for Radiance:

Radiance - the mark of a Goddess. She stands there with the most beautiful light emanating from her.

Let's explore meals that can help increase our radiance:

A walnut banana curd smoothie

with the wondrous benefits of immune-boosting Omega 3 and energy-giving magnesium and the gut healthy curd.

A mixed chilly berry salad

A beautiful mix of all kinds of capsicums, some peanuts, and a handful of dried blueberries and raisins with a drizzle of olive oil, lime, and honey. Oh! Delectable and perfect for a Goddess.

Roti paired with the traditional Red Amaranth vegetable,

with some sharp garlic in it, it mixes beautifully with the tempered mustard seeds, curry leaves, and red chilies with just the right amount of coconut to make it a bit gentler. Served with hot piping rotis and a bowl of curds - the vitamin and mineral and magic phytonutrient quotient is super high

A treat of a small portion with mixed flour and nut halwa.

Chickpea flour, rawa, and ragi flour are roasted to perfection with some ghee, the addition of walnut and almond bits, and cooked to perfection with milk and some jaggery. Just right and just hot and just right - protein and vitamins and minerals and deliciousness...
The silk for the Goddess's soul!

Vegetable tikkies with a protein pop

Mix potatoes and some of your favorite vegetables, add some bread crumbs and shape it into a Tikki. Add a coin-sized amount of grated paneer with chopped raisins in the center and close the Tikki around it. Shallow fry this and have it with the Goddess's attitude. But sure that it's protein and calcium and fiber that are touching your core.

Juice it up

No! No more only straight fruit juices for the Goddess. Let's try the new and the different. Let's do a mint, cucumber, and mosambi juice. With just a dash of salt and a touch of red chili powder - this will tease the tongue and nourish the cells. The Goddess has to glow!

You have got the picture right - unleash the creativity and whip up some thunderbolts for health.

4. Choose food for the brain

The Goddess thinks, analyses, is creative and alert, and can concentrate well. She is intelligent and articulate and knows the brain needs to be fed.

Three things that are imperative for the health of the brain

Glucose

Eat well and not be refined, do not miss meals. Eat that good whole cereals and pulses with vegetables so that the brain gets enough glucose for action

Iron

Crucial for the function of the intellect. Eat grains, whole pulses, nuts, some garden cress seeds some leafy greens daily

Omega 3 to better cognition

Let flaxseeds or walnuts or chia seeds be present daily

5. Be the leader in your kitchen in the following three ways:

Be a Role Model.

Show that we are serious about health and we are mindful of nutrition
Show that we are serious about taking care of ourselves and that we are committed to good health. Let the family and children see that there is no other way to lead our lives. The family will watch and the family will learn.

Manifest the eight hands depicted on the Goddess.

The message is the success with teamwork. Create a team to make nourishment easier. It can be family and/ or household help. Plan and schedule and get most of the pre-preparation done. Let things be ready and on hand so that anyone can whip up things in a jiffy - tasty and nourishing.

A leader delegates...

so does a Goddess. Let the entire family take part in food preparation. Do not feel guilty in assigning work - train them well first of course! Then let the family take turns in the kitchen, while you get a chance to put your feet up and paint your nails. Goddesses are very smart women!

6. Eat to honor the Divine Feminine - the Reproductive System

Honoring the reproductive system in girls:

Keep the stress low
Eat some saturated fat - ghee, butter, and coconut oil
Eat omega-3 fats - flaxseed s, walnuts, or fatty fish like Salmon, Sardines, Mackeral, or Tuna
Eat nuts(rich in magnesium) to reduce menstrual pain
Exercise and be active
Avoid exposure to plastics
Choose happiness

Honoring the reproductive system in women with menstrual issues:

Eat a good nourishing breakfast. ( Check out our blog on Breakfast for more information)
Use 1 tbsp of flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds in the first half of the menstrual cycle and sesame and sunflower seeds in the other half
Use 5 gm or 1 tsp methi seeds to better reproductive health
Eat adequate protein
Get enough sleep and rest
Honoring the reproductive system post menopause

Eat well and hearty and nourishment of course
Exercise - both aerobic and strength training
Eat 20 - 30 gm soya daily
Avoid too much salt, sugar, and caffeine
Use the goodness of turmeric, garlic, methi seeds, nuts, berries, and fresh fruits

7. Empower, Indulge, and Relax - Four crucial ways to self-care:

Sleep well

Get eight hours of sleep
Organize your day to optimize your sleep schedule
Avoid distractions from the screen before sleeping
A 10-minute relaxing guided meditation will do wonders to nudge you gently to sleep (headspace.com has brilliant tools available)
Avoid late evening tea or coffee
Have a cup of warm milk at bedtime
Empower yourself with Health literacy

We should know enough about the body we live in
We should know enough about how to be healthy
We should be empowered with the right mindset and correct information and the right tools to learn to walk the path of health and fitness.

That is exactly why we at Nutririonwithvibha are curating health literacy content. (Follow and subscribe to Nutritionwithvibha.com for health empowerment and wonderful tools like recipes and resources)

Indulge and let’s gift ourselves some ME time.
A time for us to explore our heart's desires.
May it be a hobby or some TV watching or reading a book or a luxurious bath or just being...that is our gift to our bodies.
While we do that let us lovingly tell ourselves – You, my dear Vibha (use your names dear Goddesses) are a beautiful person, inside out. I love you and treat you as a sacred gift from the Divine. You are the best. All good things are in your life. I promise to keep you at your resplendent best.
Goddesses are strong and self-reliant and incredibly kind to the world and to themselves.

8. Feed your mind with the light

It is but the light within that radiates out
Let us allow the positive to flood our mind
Let us fill our minds with knowledge
Let us introspect and churn the wisdom out.
Like experiences are beautiful and let us use them to the advantage of ourselves and the world.
What light do we want to be lit in our minds....which lamps do we keep oiled and burning...
Love
Optimism
Positivity
Gratitude
Hope
Resilience
Trust
Kindness
Goodwill
Prayer
Inspiration
Enthusiasm

And which lamps must be put out...

Dear
Guilt
Shame
Anxiety
Envy
Dejection

Goddesses know which light to flick on and which lamps to shatter because they don't serve our purpose.

9. Protect your heart

The heart - the seat of our emotions. This is a most inspiring place because it is emotions that make us human

We need to shelter our hearts from negativity. Some of the negativity may be coming from ourselves - a constant commentary of why we are not good enough.
And we say ENOUGH!
We are enough.
We are strong and kind and good
We are doing our best
We are Goddesses and we are powerful

We also can protect our hearts by keeping them healthy.

Eat well and nourish with whole foods cooked with love
Keep processed food to a minimum
Eat good fat (Read our blog on Which Oil is the best choice - for more information)
Take care and moderate the salt in the diet
Eat nuts and fruits and vegetables.
Let's love our hearts - in all ways

We at Nutritionwithvibha wish to take this moment to acknowledge your presence in this community. Thank you for being you. The fact that you are here is no accident. We have a lot of work to do together as a tribe.

In the current times, health is our crucial asset. The enemy of disease and ill health is not always "out there", but "within us". .We only need to focus on conquering ourselves on a day-to-day basis. The more we become a better and healthier version of ourselves, the more we will be able to create an impact in our lives and in the world.

We at Nutritionwithvibha aspire to use our knowledge to bring more health abundance into our lives so that we can help more people achieve their health and life goals. Whatever we do and aspire to do, we do as an offering to our mentors, masters, and to our community – inspired by the spirit of service

Write to us with your comments and suggestions and questions,

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May you be victorious!

More power to you!

Please reply back to this blog if this inspired you! Always there to serve you,

Just for you, we have curated Four delectable recipes for better health. Download it and cook and enjoy!

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Stay Blessed!

Stay Nourished!