Depending on the festival, we burn almost as many calories as running a marathon (read here: Attending Festivals Lose Thousands of Calories). It takes physical fitness comparable to that of an athlete to endure hours of walking between stages or those moments when you think about doing nothing but dancing.
Pay attention to these precious tips and start preparing now!
Considering that we walk an average of 9 to 14 km per festival day, besides dancing and standing for hours, a festival is almost a marathon. How to prepare?
Keeping healthy habits, such as regular physical activity and a balanced diet will help us to face the marathon without major complications.
Recommendations for the night before and the day of the festival, before leaving home?
Avoid alcoholic drinks the day before the concert. After all, nobody wants to have a hangover during the festival, right? Increase your intake of water, which besides refreshing, will help keep your body hydrated and nourished to endure the marathon.
The night before the festival, avoid eating out to minimize the chances of getting an intestinal infection from improperly prepared food on the street.
Eat foods that are part of your eating habit. Never try something you have never eaten or drunk the day before the show! Maybe nothing will happen, but there is a risk that your body will not accept the different food very well.
Before leaving home, it is important to have a reinforced lunch, with vegetables, legumes, carbohydrates, and lean proteins.
Avoid eating fatty foods and fatty meats, because fat slows down digestion and takes time to turn into energy, hindering one’s mood at the festival.
The energy we will expend throughout the day and at the show must come from our food, especially from carbohydrate-source foods. However, not just any carbohydrate. In the meals before the show, it is interesting to include carbohydrate source foods that are rich in fiber, whole, because the energy is absorbed and released little by little, and you will be in the mood to face the day.
Avoid foods with a high glycemic index, such as simple sugars, sweets, chocolates, etc. These foods raise blood glucose too quickly, stimulating the release of insulin. High levels of insulin can cause “rebound hypoglycemia. In other words, the person will become weak and unwell.
What to bring to eat and drink at a festival?
Hydration is primordial to sustain many hours of jumping under the sun and also at night. Drink plenty of water and, if necessary, make use of isotonic drinks, which replenish the water and mineral salts we lose through sweating. This type of drink also helps prevent cramps.
At these festivals we must think about practicality, after all, nobody wants to carry a super heavy backpack all day long. The tip to avoid overstraining your shoulders is to take only what is necessary and choose foods that don’t take up too much space.
It is also worth remembering that some foods should be avoided, because as they will not be refrigerated, they may turn sour. Bread with eggs, sausage and mayonnaise for example.
Invest in fruit, dried fruit mix (e.g. apricot, raisin and banana raisins), nuts, cereal bars, whole wheat crackers, etc.
If it is not possible to enter with food and drinks, pay attention to the hygienic conditions of the stores that will be selling food. See if the food is packaged correctly, if the employees sanitize their hands, if their uniforms are clean, etc.
Any tips regarding alcohol consumption?
Of course, drinking alcohol should always be avoided. But if this is not possible, drinking water in the same proportion as the alcoholic beverage and eating every 3 hours are strategies to try to minimize the effects of alcohol.
What kind of food to avoid eating and what to prefer? For example, in Rock in Rio there were several food options, but people crowded Bob’s… What is better in these cases? Bob’s, Spoletto or a Bibi (natural juices and sandwiches)?
Although everyone ends up opting for the hamburger, the ideal is to avoid this type of food.
As said before, foods rich in fat have a slower digestion and hinder the energy and mood of the person at the festival.
Opting to take a natural sandwich is much healthier and cheaper. However, avoid using mayonnaise and prefer standard cheese (which has a longer shelf life than fresh cheese).
The most critical: the next day! I always feel the urge to eat pasta, a macaroni… What to eat after this marathon of hours on my feet and kilometers walked? Is it worth escaping from the diet a little? Any supplements?
The urge to eat carbohydrates after such a marathon is normal, since your stores were probably over-consumed the day before. But it is not worth overdoing it.
Prefer complex, whole grain, low glycemic index carbohydrates, such as whole grain breads, sweet potatoes, cassava, etc. Always accompanied by vegetables and lean meats.
In addition to water, use and abuse coconut water, a natural isotonic, which will help replace all the electrolytes lost during the marathon of the festival.
What about the following days, until you get back to your routine?
Maintain a balanced diet for the next few days, and your body will take care of getting back on track. For a more individualized diet, seek advice from a nutritionist.
