Season guide
Winter and wedding season: a guide for your gut and liver
From November to February, North India eats differently. Wedding feasts run late into the night, parties bring more alcohol, and winter favourites such as parathas with butter, gajar halwa, pinni and gajak are everywhere. At the same time, people drink less water and move less in the cold. These are the months when gastroenterologists see more acidity, constipation, gallstone attacks, pancreatitis after parties and food poisoning from buffets. A few habits keep the season enjoyable.
In short
Eat something light before a wedding or party instead of arriving starving, take one plate and fill half of it with salad and vegetables, and finish eating by about 9 to 10 pm. Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day even when you do not feel thirsty, keep walking in the cold, and enjoy winter sweets in small portions. Avoid binge drinking. If you have fatty liver, gallstones, past pancreatitis, diabetes or liver disease, plan ahead.
Through the season
November and December
Weddings and parties
- Several heavy, late-night feasts a week, often with alcohol
- Long gaps without food on wedding days, then one huge meal
- Eat something light before leaving, and walk after the meal
December and January
Peak winter
- Less water, less walking, more ghee, butter and fried snacks
- Constipation and weight gain creep up quietly
- Keep to 8 to 10 glasses of water and a 30-minute walk a day, even indoors
January and February
Lohri, Sankranti and after
- Gajak, rewri, til ladoo and pinni are rich in sugar and fat
- Seasonal vegetables and fruit are at their best
- Fill up on sarson, methi, carrots, guava, oranges and amla
Common problems and what helps
Acidity and heartburn
Late, heavy dinners, fried starters, desserts, alcohol and lying down soon after eating.
What helps
- Have a light snack at home before going, so you do not overeat at the venue
- One plate, one round: start with salad and dal, then the main course
- Try to finish eating by 9 to 10 pm, and wait 2 to 3 hours before lying down
- Go easy on tea, coffee, colas and alcohol
- If you take acidity medicines regularly, keep taking them as prescribed
See a doctor if acidity does not settle within a few days, or comes with difficulty swallowing, vomiting, weight loss or black stools. Chest pain with sweating or breathlessness is an emergency, not acidity.
Constipation and bloating
Less water in the cold, less activity, more maida, fried food and sweets, and less fibre.
What helps
- 8 to 10 glasses of water a day; warm water, soups and herbal tea all count
- Seasonal fibre: sarson and methi saag, carrots, peas, guava, oranges, bajra roti
- A 20 to 30 minute walk every day, even in the cold
- A fixed time for the toilet, ideally after breakfast
See a doctor if constipation lasts more than 2 to 3 weeks, is new after age 45, or comes with blood in the stool, weight loss or severe pain.
Food poisoning from buffets
Cream gravies, paneer, raita, salads and desserts left out for hours at large functions, and reheated leftovers.
What helps
- Choose food that is steaming hot over dishes that have been sitting out
- Be careful with cut fruit, chutneys and raita at big functions
- ORS after every loose stool, and light food such as khichdi and curd rice
See a doctor the same day for blood in the stool, high fever, vomiting that stops you keeping fluids down, or very little urine.
After drinking
Party drinking strains the liver and can trigger gastritis or acute pancreatitis, especially with fatty food.
What helps
- Avoid binge drinking: four or more drinks in one sitting
- Eat before drinking, and alternate each drink with water
- Never drive after drinking, and do not mix alcohol with painkillers
- If you have any liver disease or past pancreatitis, do not drink at all
Severe upper belly pain spreading to the back, with vomiting, after a party is not 'just acidity': go to the emergency department.
Wedding and party food safety
Large functions cook food hours in advance and keep it warm for a long time. A few checks protect you and your family.
Buffets
Food is safest hot from the kitchen. Paneer, cream gravies, raita, salads and desserts kept at room temperature for more than 2 hours can grow germs.
Water and ice
Drink sealed bottled or filtered water, and be wary of ice and of drinks made with water of unknown source, which can spread hepatitis A and E and typhoid.
Chaat and street food
Pani puri water and uncovered chutneys are common sources of infection. Prefer freshly cooked, hot items from busy stalls.
Leftovers
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat until steaming hot. Throw away anything that smells sour or has been kept for more than a day or two.
Get help straight away if you have
- Severe upper belly pain spreading to the back, with vomiting
- Vomiting blood, or black, tar-like stools
- Vomiting that does not stop, or passing very little urine
- Chest pain with sweating or breathlessness
- Yellow eyes, or confusion and sleepiness in someone with liver disease
- Severe pain under the right ribs after a heavy meal, with fever
Call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department. Do not try to manage these at home with antacids.
Who should plan ahead
Most people can enjoy the season with a little care. Some conditions need extra attention.
Diabetes
Several rich meals a week and winter sweets push sugar up. Keep sweets to a small piece after a meal, check your sugar more often, do not skip medicines or insulin, and keep up your walks.
Fatty liver and other liver disease
Avoid alcohol completely. Winter weight gain worsens fatty liver, so keep portions and activity steady. With cirrhosis, keep salt low and avoid long gaps without food.
Gallstones and past pancreatitis
Large, fatty, late-night meals are the commonest trigger. Keep feast portions moderate, avoid alcohol, and do not skip meals before a big function.
High blood pressure, heart or kidney disease
Function food and namkeen are salty. Pick plain rice, roti, dal and vegetables over pickles, papad and rich gravies, and keep to any fluid limit your doctor has given.
Older adults and IBS
Cold weather means less water and more constipation. Keep fluids up, eat at regular times, and choose smaller portions at functions.
What to eat this winter
Winter brings some of the best gut-friendly produce of the year. Build everyday meals around it, and keep rich foods for occasions.
Eat more
- Sarson, methi, palak and bathua saag, with less ghee on top
- Carrots, peas, radish, cauliflower and sweet potato
- Guava, oranges, amla and apples
- Bajra or makki roti with dal or saag
- Soups, haldi milk with little sugar, chaas, warm water and herbal tea
Cut down
- Butter or ghee on top of every paratha
- Gajar halwa, pinni and gajak every day
- Fried starters at every function
- Alcohol and late, heavy dinners
- Packaged soups and namkeen, which are very salty
Good to know
- One small portion of a winter sweet after a meal is fine; large daily portions add up
- Walk indoors or climb stairs on very cold or smoggy days
- Morning sunlight and outdoor walks also help mood and vitamin D
- Carry water to functions: thirst is weaker in the cold
A simple wedding day
- Morning
- Water first, then tea with a fruit or a few soaked almonds
- Breakfast
- Besan chilla, poha, oats or a stuffed roti with curd
- Lunch
- A light home meal: roti, dal, a vegetable and salad
- Before leaving
- A small snack such as roasted chana, a fruit or a glass of chaas
- At the function
- One plate: salad and dal first, then the main course, one small dessert, and water through the evening
- Night
- Finish eating by about 10 pm if you can, and do not lie down for 2 to 3 hours
After the season: reset your gut
After weeks of rich food, go back to simple home meals for a while: dal, roti or rice, seasonal vegetables, curd and fruit, with plenty of water and a daily walk.
Do not 'detox' with juices, laxatives or fasting. The liver and gut recover on their own with normal, balanced food.
If acidity, bloating, constipation or a change in bowel habit continues for more than two weeks, or you have gained weight and have fatty liver, get checked.
Common questions
Why do I get constipated in winter?
People drink less water when it is cold, move less and eat more refined and fried food. More water, seasonal vegetables and fruit, and a daily walk usually fix it.
Is gajar halwa healthy because it has carrots?
The carrots are healthy, but halwa also has a lot of sugar, ghee and khoya. Enjoy a small bowl now and then rather than every day.
Can I drink alcohol at weddings if I have fatty liver?
It is best not to. Alcohol and fatty liver together speed up liver damage. Choose nimbu paani, coconut water or soda with lime instead.
Should I skip lunch before a big wedding dinner?
No. Arriving very hungry leads to overeating and acidity. Have a normal light lunch and a small snack before you leave.