Golden Eating Rules to Follow this Ramadan

Diet during Ramadan should not differ much from a normal healthy, balanced diet and should be as simple as possible. Usually, most health problems at this time are likely to arise from inappropriate diet or as a consequence of over-eating and insufficient sleep.

There is no need to consume excess food at iftar (the food eaten in the period immediately after sunset to break the fast), dinner, or suhur (the light meal generally eaten about half an hour to one hour before dawn).  The reasons are, of course, firstly it contradicts the spirit of Ramadan …over-eating can be seen as a reflection of weak discipline and irresponsibility. Secondly the metabolic rate of the body is reduced and also people assume a more sedentary lifestyle while fasting. The net result is that a balanced diet, which consists less than the normal amount of food intake, is sufficient to keep a person healthy and active during the month of Ramadan.

Medical problems like constipation, muscle cramps, peptic ulcer, heart burn, gastritis, kidney stones are all a result of too much fried and fatty foods, too much refined foods, too little water and not enough fiber in the diet.

MORE 'TRAPS'

Be aware … there are more “traps” during Ramadan than any other month.

For many it helps to keep a food diary for a reality check. For those who think they are eating less, the food diary helps them to find out otherwise when they write things down.

Ramadan is often the time when women like to display and share their cooking abilities.  The best way is to eat the right proportions from the various food groups to ensure good health. Think of vegetables as the main food. Treat meat, milk and grains as condiments. Start thinking of carrot sticks with hummus instead of pita bread. Don’t give up eating breads and meat, just de-emphasize them.

DRINK LOTS OF WATER

You should not ignore your water consumption. It seems obvious but drink lots of water between Iftar and sleep, to avoid dehydration. Drinking too much tea will increase urine output and inevitably cause the loss of valuable mineral salts. Avoid caffeinated drinks such as coke, coffee or tea four to five days before Ramadan, gradually reduce the intake of these drinks since a sudden decrease will result in headaches, mood swings and irritability.

Smoking is a health risk factor. If you cannot give up smoking, cut down gradually starting a few weeks before Ramadan. Smoking negatively affects the utilization of various vitamins in the body.

Discontinuing exercise is not necessary for most people. You need to have a good twenty to thirty minutes of non-stop brisk walking. Keep in mind that you should not overwork and that moderate exercise will be just right.

MEAL PLAN

Your meal plan should include:

Bread/ Cereal/ Rice, Pasta Group – 6-11 servings/ day

Meat/ Beans/ Nuts Group – 2-3 servings/ day

Milk & milk products – 2-3 servings/ day

Vegetable Group – 3-5 servings/ day

Fruit Group – 2-4 servings/ day

Added sugar & fat – use sparingly.

(Iftar) 

2-3 dates, a serving (4 oz) of unsweetened juice, a cup of light vegetable soup with some pasta or Graham crackers.

The body’s immediate need at the time of iftar is to get an easily available energy source in the form of glucose. Dates and juices in the above amounts are sufficient to bring low blood glcose levels to normal levels. The juice and soup also helps to maintain water and mineral balance in the body. An unbalanced diet and too many servings of sherbets and sweets with added sugars have been found to be unhealthy.

Dinner: Consume foods from all the food groups. Include salads, chicken or fish or lean meat, some grain as rice or bread or pasta, a small tub of low-fat yogurt, and a serving of fruit.

Try out good healthy choices such as:

Whole-meal bread roll without butter (choose herbs instead), filled with egg and tomato, chicken and salads, low fat cheese and salad, or tuna with cucumber and tomato

Whole meal pasta with tomato based sauce with a large salad

Salad with grilled / baked fish or chicken or lean meat along with a small portion of rice or wholemeal bread.

Baked potato with tuna or low-fat cottage cheese.

Pre-dawn Meal (Suhur)

Consume a light suhur. Eat whole wheat or oat cereal or whole wheat bread. Have a salad along with 1-2 servings of fruit. In view of the long hours of fasting, the so-called “complex carbohydrates” or slow digesting foods should be consumed at suhur, resulting in less hunger during the day. These complex carbohydrates are found in foods that contain grains and seeds like barley, wheat, oats, millet, semolina, beans, lentils, whole meal flour and unpolished rice.

Golden rules to follow during Ramadan

Avoid too much fat / sugar / salts and caffeine.

Always have fresh food available

Stick to a low-fat diet. Cut out fried foods.

Choose fresh fruits and vegetables when possible.

Don’t worry if you are tempted by rich desserts which can’t be avoided during this month. Just try to eat them in moderation.

FG10: A Daily Eating Plans to Lose Weight this Ramadan

FG10 has decided to make this month of Holy Ramadan a month where you can also improve your health by eating well while losing weight at the same time. We have decided to commit to you our beloved readers for over a period of one month to provide you with a healthy plan of:

- What you can eat

- Timing of meals

- What to avoid

- Desserts

- After Ramadan Tips

Ramadan is an excellent opportunity to shed some extra pounds. You are already resetting your metabolism by the protracted, long overnight fast, as well as the daily fasting. Your metabolism resets and your body begins to change the way it does things.

Weight loss during the first few days is just dehydration. It may be exciting to see that you lost 2-3 pounds in the first day or two, but that's all water loss and dehydration. No human can lose 2 pounds of fat overnight. It's just water. But it's still exciting!

So how can we maximize weight loss during Ramadan?

The most important factor is to avoid gorging or "binge eating" at night. We have found that gorging once a day is the fastest way to gain weight. Your body thinks it's in a state of famine, and will store everything you eat as fat, because it is worried about food supply. Further, eating once a day scares your body and your body starts to shut down and slow down your metabolism. You don't want to slow down your metabolism or you will gain weight.

Eating small meals through out the evening and morning (after sunset) is the best way to maintain an adequate metabolism level and avoid the highs and lows of blood sugar associated with eating one massive meal. After eating a large meal, our blood sugar level increases. In response to this, our pancreas secretes a ton of insulin to bring the levels back down. That extra sugar is stored as fat. That is very bad. We want to eat small, well proportioned meals and snacks throughout the evening to avoid the sudden rise in blood sugar. We want to maintain an even and balanced level of blood sugar. Certain foods raise blood sugar levels more than others, and we will discuss that thoroughly.

FG10 keeps you FIT this Ramadan!!

"Fasting is good for one's health because it has spiritual, physical, psychological, and social benefits. However, man-made problems may occur if fasting is not properly practiced," says Priya Rao, Dietician, Al Rafa Poly Clinic.

She advises that the diet during Ramadan should not differ from the normal one. "There is no need to consume excess food at iftar or suhur," she says.

"Fasting also improves blood cholesterol profile, reduces gastric acidity, prevents constipation and other digestive problems,"

"Benefits of fasting appear only in those who maintain their diet, avoiding the high calorie and highly processed foods prepared during this time," explains adding that as fasting may last for as much as 18 hours, the best things to eat are those which release their energy slowly and are rich in fibre. "These foods can last for up to eight hours, while foods which release their energy quickly last for only three or four hours," she says. Priya says that slow energy releasing foods include grains and seeds like barley, wheat, oats, millet, semolina, beans, lentils, whole meal flour, unpolished rice.

"It is very important to have a pre-dawn meal. This helps reduce the time of food deprivation and prevent ketosis. Ketosis is a stage in metabolism occurring when the liver has been depleted of stored glycogen and switches to a chronic fasting mode during long periods of starvation. This is the same reason why breakfast is considered as an important meal of the day," they both advise.

Priya advises people to consume a light suhur. "Preferred foods to be taken at suhur are whole wheat bread, milk, vegetable salads, fruits, tea or coffee..." she adds.

"Dates, juices and soups are good sources of sugars and helps bring low blood glucose to normal levels.  They also help maintain water and mineral balance in the body..." she says while explaining the benefits.

"Have your meal at suhur at the proper hour before sunrise, not at midnight, as this will spread out your energy intake more evenly and result in more balanced blood glucose levels during fasting, She also says that one should drink as much water as possible between Iftar and bedtime, include fruits, vegetables, dal, and yoghurt in the meals at Iftar and at Suhur, limit the amount of sweet foods taken at Iftar, limit the intake of fried and fatty foods.

Here's a SAMPLE MEAL for you ;)

FOR Iftar, 2-3 dates, a serving (4 oz) of unsweetened juice, a cup of light vegetable soup with some pasta or Graham crackers would be ideal.

For dinner, consume foods from all the food groups,  including salads, chicken or fish or lean meat, some grain as rice or bread or pasta, a small tub of low-fat yogurt, and a serving of fruit. She also says that a light suhur should be consumed.

 Avoid caffeinated drinks such as coke, coffee or tea four to five days before Ramadan.

"Gradually reduce the intake of these drinks since a sudden decrease will result in headaches, mood swings and irritability. The dieticians say that constipation (too little fibre and water in the diet) is among the main complaints during Ramadan. Other problems include indigestion (from over-eating, especially of fried, fatty or spicy foods), muscle cramps (not enough vegetables, fruit, meat, or dairy products in the diet) and headaches (due to caffeine and tobacco withdrawal). 

"If you have diabetes the additional problems you may experience are a ‘hypo’ attack  (low blood sugar), dehydration, high blood glucose levels that can lead to ketoacidosis (‘diabetic coma’) if not treated," says Priya, adding that it is very important to break the fast at once if you are feeling unwell.

"Smoking is a health risk factor. If you cannot give up smoking, cut down gradually starting a few weeks before Ramadan. Smoking negatively affects the utilisation of various vitamins in the body.." 

FG10 recommends Malek AlJamal's Blog "Feel healtier #BODYMIND" for tips and tricks on eating well.