For most of us, nine day long Navratri fasting is only a religious practice but if we look at it closely, there is a scientific reason behind it. During Navratri, we witness a change in weather and the changing climate lowers our bodys immunity, this is why we fast to keep our diet healthy and to protect our body against infections. But there are some rules that we must follow to have a healthy fasting.Here are a few tips by Deepti G Dua, Dietician at Mutation Diet Clinic, Gurugram, for smart eating during Navratri.Eat small meals It is important to eat small meals at regular intervals. It will keep your metabolism intact. Also, try to have heavy-meals in the first half of the day for easy digestion.Avoid sabudana Try to avoid sabudana or other fried foods, and include more of yoghurt, smoothies, lassi and fruits, in your diet. This will not only keep you full but maintain the optimum fluids in the body.Keep sipping on liquids such as sattu and coconut water to avoid dehydration. (Shutterstock)Avoid oily food Instead of kuttu poori or pakodas, have boiled aloo chaat, air fried paneer tikki,makhana kheer, or mixed fruit curd.Say yes to samak rajgira Samak chawal is a common fasting food. It is gluten free by nature and is ground separate from all other grain products. So try idli and dosa from samak chawal atta or samak chawal pulao. You can also use singed flour or rajgira flour instead of using kuttu flour.