During the Holy month of Ramadan, healthy adult Muslims practice daily fasting from dawn until sunset. Traditionally, one break the fast at sunset with a meal called iftar and then eats again with a pre-dawn meal called suhoor. There is evidence to suggest that fasting can have positive effects on your health.
Ramadan is often seen as a time to practice self-control, self-discipline, sacrifice and empathy to those who are less fortunate, it is encouraged to try to maintain these practices even outside of fasting hours.
How Fasting Affect your Body:
During fasting hours when no food or drink is consumed, the body uses its stores of carbohydrate (stored in the liver and muscles) and fat to provide energy once all the calories from the foods consumed during the night have been used up. So it will help you to reduce weight to.
Recommended Nutritional Rules:
Dates:
Dates traditionally eaten to break the fast since the time of the Prophet Muhammad, dates are a great way to break the fast as they provide natural sugars for energy, provide minerals like potassium, copper and manganese and are a source of fiber. You could also try other dried fruits such as apricots, figs, raisins or prunes, which also provide fiber and nutrients.
Water:
Drink plenty of water and eat hydrating foods during Ramadan: drink plenty of water between iftar and suhoor meals. High temperatures can also make you perspire more, so it is important to drink fluids to replace what you lose during the day (at least 10 glasses).
- Increase water intake by eating hydrating foods.
- Add watermelon to your suhoor meal or eat it as a sweet treat after iftar.
- Green salad contains plenty of hydrating cucumber and tomato.
- Avoid caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea and cola, because caffeine can make some people urinate more often, which may lead to dehydration.
- Drinks water, milk, fruit juices or smoothies
Prime Recommendation which need to be follow during Ramadan:
Suhoor needs to include
- vegetables,
- a serving of carbohydrates such as bread/bread roll made from wholewheat
- protein-rich food such as dairy products (cheese that is not salty/labane/milk) and/or egg, avocado side dish.
During Iftar
- Avoid too many sweets after your iftar Sweets commonly eaten during Ramadan contain large amounts of sugar syrup. The recommended sweet for consumption is cold water-containing fruit, such as watermelon/melon or any other seasonal fruit, such as peach.
- Avoid eating fatty food, especially fatty meats, foods made with puff pastry, or pastry with added fat/margarine or butter.
- Rather than frying, it is recommended to use other methods of cooking, such as steaming, cooking in sauce, stir-frying in a small amount of oil and baking.
- Avoid foods containing large amounts of salt, e.g. sausages, processed and salted meat and fish products, olives and pickles, snack foods, salty cheeses, various types of ready-made crackers, salads, spreads and sauces (such as mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup).
- It is recommended to curtail the use of salt as far as possible, and of course it is recommended to remove the salt shaker from the table. Use various herbs to enhance the flavor of foods being cooked.
- Eat slowly, and in amounts appropriate to the needs of each individual. Big meals cause heartburn and discomfort.
- Try to move as much as possible and to be active in the evenings, for example, by going for a regular daily walk.
Signup With IGI