Avoid overeating during Ramadan
JISHY SEBY
Health is the key to happiness, and what we consume directly affects our health. The month of Ramadan is a great opportunity to focus on bringing back a balanced and healthy lifestyle in our life. Ramadan fasting has spiritual, physical, psychological and social benefits. Fasting during Ramadan can be good for one’s health and personal development.
This year fasting becomes tougher as the holy month falls during the hot, long days of June. Good hydration, fruits, vegetables, and low fat foods should be the main source of energy for those fasting.
Metabolic function slows down during fasting. Body and dietary fat is utilised during this period. The body has regulatory mechanisms that activate during fasting. A diet that has less than a normal amount of food but is sufficiently balanced will keep a person healthy and active during the month of Ramadan. The diet should be simple and not differ too much from one’s normal everyday diet. It should contain foods from all the major food groups (cereals, pulses, meat and fish, diary and fats).
Overeating or feasting should be avoided during iftar, dinner or suhur.
The body’s immediate need at the time of iftar is to get easily available energy source in the form of glucose particularly for brain and nerves. Therefore, it is always good to break the fast in the traditional way with dates and fruit juice. Dates provide the energy in the form of sugar. Juice helps to maintain water and mineral balance in the body. Soups and cereals can follow it. Oily, spicy and deep fried foods can be avoided and it prevents acidity and bloating which are the most common com- plaints during fasting.
Dinner can be with carbohydrates that are more complex, vegetables, yoghurt or laban, fish and chicken and with reduced red meat and refined foods. Fruits can be taken as a snack after dinner but not immediately and it keeps bloating away. Fibre rich foods like fruits and vegetables helps to prevent constipation during Ramadan.
Drink sufficient water between the iftar and suhur to avoid dehydration during the fasting time. Avoid caffeinated drinks like tea, coffee and cola. These drinks to be reduced one week prior to fasting. This helps to reduce headache during fasting. After dinner, it is always good to engage in light exercise like stretching or walking which aids in digestion.
Slow digesting foods with fibre like wheat, oats, unsalted nuts etc., should be consumed for suhur. Refined carbohydrates like sugar rich and white flour based foods should be avoided. This meal should never be missed since this provides sufficient energy needed for the daytime. (The writer is the diet consultant at Kims Oman Hospital, Muscat)