Five Nutritional Ramadan tips for you

Hey guys! How are you all doing? Salam Alaikun to our Muslims friends and families. We are a few days into the holy month of Ramadan and I’m certain our body system is still adjusting to the sleep routine as well as the food routine. Today on the blog, we take a quick look into Five Nutritional Ramadan tips for you that can get you through the holy month. Last week we talked about blender recipes that are really helpful during Ramadan, you can catch up here if you missed the post.

Ramadan is a month of heightened spirituality for Muslims across the world. The month however doesn’t emphasize of spirituality alone, it also seeks to purify the mind, body and soul of fasting Muslims. It is usually a time to practice self-control, self-discipline, sacrifice and empathy for the less privileged. Since most of the day will be spent abstaining from food, some people tend to over eat at the start and break of fast. Now while some way get away with it, majority will find themselves dealing with some form of discomfort. So how do we eat right during the month? These nutritional tips are all we need to know.

1. Drink lots of water

During the course of fasting, a typical day goes by with abstaining from eating and drinking once the Suhoor has been observed. This means that during the day, your body slowly becomes dehydrated. Drinking a lot of water during Suhoor and Iftar will help you keep a healthy balance through the day. Also, fruits like watermelon, pineapple, should be included in your suhoor to help you stay hydrated during the day. Stay away from beverages. Avoid drinks with caffeine as it can cause some people to urinate more often that regular which may in turn lead to dehydration.

2. Eat right during Suhoor

The truth is, no matter how large the portion of meal you consume during the suhoor hours, you will most likely still get hungry before iftar. However, eating right can keep you considerably sustained during the hours of fasting. High protein food like beans, moi-moi, can keep you sustained for a considerable period as they break down slowly compared to carb rich foods. However, when taking carbohydrates, be sure to pair them with proteins like egg, meat, beans, etc. Rice, bread and other white meals should be replaced with whole grain and high fat with lean protein.

Five Nutritional Ramadan tips for you

3. Avoid Sugary food and junks

Even when you are not fasting, including junk/sugary foods in your diet is probably nopt the best option you may be choosing for yourself.

Avoid junks and sugary beverages during this period. Instead, replace with a lot of water, mint smoothies, fresh fruits and a whole lot of water. Check out some beverage recipes that are superb for this period here. Stay away from fried and processed foods that are high in fat or sugar, the overall aim is to stick with food options that will release energy slowly into the body.

5. Consume moderate portions during Iftar

Remember fasting doesn’t translate to loosing weight (for those trying to use it as a means to lose weight). Fasting all day reduces your metabolism which means you dispense less energy and burn very little calorie, so why would you want to overeat when you haven’t even released much of what’s still in the body? In general, avoid overeating so you don’t end up adding more weight as a matter of fact after fasting.

Planning is the major key to success. So, most importantly, plan your meals properly.

Happy Ramadan!