The Health Logic Behind Diwali's Festive Foods

Festive foods are not random. They reflect what the body needs at the cusp of seasons: warming fats before winter, mineral-rich jaggery, and dry fruits that store energy.

Diwali falls at the turn from autumn to winter, when digestive fire is at its strongest. The tradition of ghee-rich sweets, til (sesame) laddoos and kaju-based mithai is not indulgence for its own sake — it is the calendar's way of front-loading nutrient density before the cold months.