Holi is a festival of colours, and your gut thrives on colour and variety too! Instead of extreme post-festival detoxes, your digestive system needs diversity, nourishment, movement, and rest. However, supporting gut health is not about cutting out foods but bringing more variety into your daily diet.
Bring Diversity to Your Plate
Your gut microbiome flourishes when it gets a wide range of nutrients from different foods. Unfortunately, most of us eat the same set of grains, legumes, and vegetables daily without realising how limiting this is for gut health.
Think about it! Are you eating moong dal every day? Only white rice? The same paneer sabzi or aloo every day? While these foods are nutritious, your gut bacteria need diversity to thrive. When we spoke to Nandini Kumar, Registered Nutritionist, Certified Health Coach, and Founder, of NourishKind, she said that different fibres, polyphenols, and resistant starches help beneficial microbes grow and support digestion.
How to Add Diversity to Your Diet:
- Switch Your Grains: If you eat only wheat or white rice, start incorporating millets (ragi, bajra, foxtail millet) and traditional rice varieties (red rice, black rice, hand-pounded rice).
- Rotate Your Legumes: Instead of eating the same dal daily, try a new one each day—toor dal one day, masoor dal the next, then rajma, chole, urad dal, or kulith (horse gram).
- Eat a Variety of Vegetables: One-day bhindi, the next pumpkin (kaddu), then turai (ridge gourd), arbi ke patte (colocasia leaves), baingan (brinjal), or parwal (pointed gourd). This ensures a balance of different nutrients and gut-friendly fibres.
- Include More Fermented Foods: Rotate between homemade pickles, kanji, curd, buttermilk, and fermented rice water for a natural probiotic boost.
Tip: A simple trick? Challenge yourself to eat at least 30 different plant-based foods in a week. The more variety, the stronger your gut!
Prebiotic-Probiotic Pairing: Feed Your Gut Right
Your gut bacteria thrive when you combine prebiotic-rich fibre with probiotic foods. This naturally restores gut balance post-Holi.
- Curd + Rice – A simple, cooling meal to reset digestion.
- Homemade Buttermilk + Roasted Sweet Potato – Supports gut healing after festive indulgence.
- Homemade Pickles + Whole Millets – Strengthens digestion and gut microbiome.
- Fermented Kanji + Sprouted Moong Salad – A powerful gut-friendly combo.
Tip: Try curd rice with a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, and ginger, one of the best meals to calm your gut.
Early Dinner: Give Your Gut Time to Rest
One of the simplest, most effective gut-healing habits is finishing dinner by 6-6:30 PM. This gives your digestive system time to rest and reset overnight.
- Improves gut motility and digestion after festive eating.
- Reduces bloating and acidity.
- Aligns with the body’s circadian rhythm, enhancing overall health.
Tip: If you feel hungry later, sip jeera-fennel tea or chamomile tea instead of snacking. Your gut will feel lighter and healthier every morning!
Gentle Movement: The ‘10-10-10’ Rule for Digestion
Post-holi, movement can prevent sluggish digestion and bloating. Try this simple movement ritual:
- 10 deep belly breaths before meals to activate digestion.
- 10-minute post-meal walk (even around the house) to support gut motility.
- 10 seated spinal twists (Ardha Matsyendrasana) to aid digestion.
Tip: Try the Indian squat (malasana) after meals. It is an age-old habit that naturally supports digestion!
Restore Digestion with Spiced Water
Instead of extreme detox drinks, simple Indian spiced water can gently cleanse your gut.
- Jeera-Fennel Water – Reduces bloating and supports digestion.
- Cinnamon-Cardamom Infusion – Balances gut bacteria after sweets.
- Ginger + Rock Salt Drink – Helps break down heavy meals.
Tip: Sip jeera-ajwain-saunf tea after meals, a tried-and-tested digestive booster.
Sleep: The Most Overlooked Gut Healer
Most people focus on food but forget that deep, restorative sleep is essential for gut health. Your gut bacteria follow a sleep cycle, and poor sleep can cause digestive issues, bloating, and inflammation.
- 7-9 hours of quality sleep helps gut bacteria flourish.
- Avoid screens 30 minutes before bed to prevent gut-brain disruption.
- Deep sleep repairs the gut lining and reduces bloating.
Tip: Wind down with a warm cup of banana tea or chamomile tea, both support gut relaxation and deep sleep.
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