During the Holy month of Ramadan, healthy adult Muslims practice daily fasting from dawn until sunset. Traditionally, one breaks the fast at sunset with a meal called Iftar and then eats again pre-dawn at Suhoor.
Benefits of fasting
Stimulate weight loss, decrease inflammation from chronic conditions, improve blood pressure, and decrease cholesterol.
Here are 5 ways to stay healthy during the fasting period.
Eat food packed in fibre & Protein at suhoor
In our previous article, we listed healthy meals that should be eaten during iftar. Your meals should contain a healthy amount of protein and fibre. Consuming fibre-rich foods during Ramadan is also ideal as they are digested slower than processed foods so you feel full longer.
Hydrate as much as you can
Drinking as much water as possible between Iftar (breakfast) and Suhoor (pre-dawn meal) reduces your risk of dehydration during fasting.
Make every effort to drink a lot of fluids before dawn and after sundown. Fluids include juices, milk, beverages and soups but water is the best choice. Ideally, you should also cut down on caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea and colas as these have a diuretic effect and promotes fluid loss.
Don’t skip Suhoor (pre-dawn meal)
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially during Ramadan when it becomes even more important.
Although skipping Suhoor to have uninterrupted sleep may sound appealing, you should not.
Avoid the sun
While you are hydrating remember to avoid the sun so as not to lose all your fluids and energy quickly.
Avoid eating fried foods, salty foods and junk food
Aside from the unhealthy weight gain, consuming fatty and sugary foods also cause sluggishness and fatigue, be sure to limit your intake of salt.
Try incorporating foods from all the major food groups including fruit and vegetables, rice and alternatives, as well meat and alternatives.
A well-balanced diet is the key to healthy fasting during Ramadan.
