The Pre-Festival Diet: How to Prepare for Your Next Party

A great festival experience doesn’t start when you get to the grounds; it starts in the days and weeks leading up to the main event. One way comes really naturally, and that is to spend some time looking forward to the party, which builds up anticipation and makes you more likely to remember it for life. Another and more vital way to help ensure that you have the best possible festival experience is to take care of your body inside and out. Perhaps you’re already operating at optimum health levels with both diet and exercise. You’re a star! The rest of us could probably use some tips from someone who understands the festival lifestyle.

Enter Nutritious, a DJ, producer and graduate of New York City’s Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts. He has a passion for beats, as well as for food’s impact on society. If you’ve got a week or two, or even just a few days, to make some healthy food changes before the party, Nutritious suggests first cutting out as much caffeine and sweeteners as you can. While coffee can give you the temporary illusion of having more drive, “excess sugar and caffeine can stress the system and zap your energy,” he says. Your sweet tooth might not like to hear all that, and if you are not ready to go totally cold turkey on sugar, Nutritious suggests using dates to sweeten smoothies and dressings.

“I like a vegetable-focused regimen in general,” he shares. “Green juices, superfood smoothies, raw, steamed, baked vegetables. Everything natural, local, organic, non-GMO and non-processed, plus plenty of water.”

In other words, try to ignore the boxes of processed food and snacks that may seduce you every time you peek in your pantry; go for fresh produce instead. If it’s local and organic, that’s even better, but just do your best to eat fruit and green things.

The day before the festival, you can go a bit bigger. Now’s the time to load up on a few extra calories, which you can do by having a more traditional meal. Nutritious suggests either considering some quality seafood, or heading in the other direction and keeping it vegan. It’s also a wonderful time to be social.

“Break bread with friends,” he says. “Gear up for a great weekend of dancing and sweating!”

Now that you’re eating well and drinking plenty of water, don’t forget to get outside for some fresh air and, if it’s happening in your part of the world, sunlight.

“Food, air, water and sunlight are our sources of energy. Taking in the highest-quality, most high-vibrational of each of these keeps our energy high.”

You’ve heard the motto, “Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat”? Well, Nutritious has a healthy new remix to help us keep in mind when it’s time to go do what you’ve been preparing to do.

“Remember,” he advises, “breathe, hydrate, moderate. Repeat.”