Sharad Navratri

Sharad Navratri runs from 2026-10-11 to 2026-10-19, observed mainly in North India, West India, all of India. It's a fasting observance — Navratri phalahar (9 days, no grains/pulses/onion/garlic/non-veg/alcohol; sendha namak only). Nine days of phalahar. Protein drops sharply unless paneer, curd, milk and peanuts are planned. Keep 2-3 strength sessions but cut volume by ~30 % and avoid new PRs; garba nights in the west count as 45-90 min of cardio, so drop separate cardio those days. Train after the evening meal or after the morning fruit + milk, never fasted in the afternoon heat. Users who fast only on days 1 and 8 (common) get the protocol on those days only.

Sabudana, potato, kuttu puri and fried snacks in ghee make fasting calorie-dense; a 'fasting' day can hit 2,500 kcal. Rules: sabudana khichdi max 1 katori/day, kuttu as roti/cheela not puri, fruit chaat without sugar/honey, 1 tsp ghee per dish. Set calories to maintenance minus 10 % (not the usual 20 %) and keep the calorie floor. Sendha namak still contains sodium; do not add extra. On protein: Target 1.2-1.6 g/kg (not the usual 1.6-2.2) using: 200 g paneer (36 g), 400 ml toned milk (13 g), 200 g curd (7 g), 50 g roasted peanuts (13 g), 30 g makhana (3 g), 30 g almonds (6 g) = ~80 g/day. Vegans have no good fasting protein source: hold 0.83 g/kg via peanuts/almonds and accept maintenance, not deficit, for the 9 days. Whey is grain-free but many devotees exclude it; treat as user preference.

A one-day protocol-compliant menu built from the allowed list lands at about 1039 kcal and 61.5 g protein, clearing the 60 g protein floor.