Holi hai! Celebrate festival of colors, with goodness of almonds

Great food, family get-togethers, exchanging gifts, and a riot of colours—what’s not to like about Holi? While sharing gifts with loved ones does not require any occasion, the festival of colours is certainly an inspiration to pick gifts that are warm, cheerful, and thoughtful. Given the year that has gone by, we should be more mindful of how we choose to celebrate the festival and what we gift our loved ones.

This year, replace the stereotypical way of celebrating Holi and instead of applying water-based colours and throwing water balloons, we can be more mindful by opting for organic colours, being less wasteful, and even gifting our loved ones healthy and nutritious food items. While the family gatherings will be limited and smaller in number, when visiting them, instead of taking along the regular sweet delicacies and gujiyas, take an assortment of flavoured nuts like almonds. Almonds are also known to be the gift of good health, making them a great gift to share with friends, family and loved ones.  

Leading Bollywood actress, Soha Ali Khan said, “Holi is one of my favourite festivals, and this year I look forward to celebrating a quiet, safe and socially distant one, with my friends and family. For me personally, Holi is also a great time to share meaningful gifts with people who I care about, and this year my go to choice is almonds. I love having almonds around the house, as they make for a convenient, tasty and satiating snack. Besides that, regular almond consumption is known to provide benefits across heart health , weight  and diabetes management  as well as skin health , which makes them a thoughtful gift which will surely add to the receivers overall wellness.” 

According to Well-known Fitness and Celebrity instructor, Yasmin Karachiwala, “For all the dancing and fun that Holi celebration entails, it’s important to keep the energy levels up to power through the festival. Before you head out to immerse yourself in colour, eat a filling breakfast and supplement this with a handful of almonds. They are known to provide energy and will fuel you to enjoy the festivities.”

Ritika Samaddar, the Regional Head-Dietetics, Max Healthcare – Delhi, “As we continue to stay safe during this pandemic, taking care of our family and relatives’ health has become of utmost importance. This current situation has highlighted more than ever the need to invest in our health and strive for a better lifestyle. Almonds are a good gifting choice as they are known to have immunity supporting nutrients like copper, zinc, folate, iron and vitamin E , which makes them the perfect gift which add to the receivers’ wellbeing. This Holi, be sure to share almonds with your near and dear ones, to make a small yet impactful investment in their overall health.”

Sheela Krishnaswamy, Nutrition and Wellness Consultant, said, “Sharing of gifts during Indian festivals is a long standing custom, which has sustained over ages. But as we all embrace more modern lifestyles, it’s important for that thinking to also reflect onto our gifting choices. Instead of choosing mainstream gifts, look for gifts that will supplement the receiver’s health. Almonds are a good gifting choice for promoting heart health. According to recent research from King’s College London in adults with above-average risk of CVD, snacking on almonds every day improved endothelial function of the arteries and also lowered “bad” LDL-cholesterol - both key indicators of heart health.  So be sure to share this gift of good health with your loved ones, this Holi.”  

Madhuri Ruia, Pilates Expert, and Diet & Nutrition Consultant said, “For many, Indian festivals feel incomplete without fried food and mithaai or sweets. But festivals are also a time when a lot of us experience unwanted weight gain due to the excess consumption of oily food and dessert. To avoid this, make sure that almonds are a part of your food and gifting plans. Almonds are known to have a good shelf life and can be stored for long durations, which make them a great gift. Besides this, almonds are a source of several nutrients including vitamin E, magnesium, protein, riboflavin, zinc etc. that makes them a nutritious and tasty food which in the long run, will also add to the health of your loved ones.”