Tips for a Healthy Ramadan

HERE ARE A FEW THINGS TO INCLUDE AND AVOID FROM YOUR RAMADAN MENU

Must include	Must Avoid
MEAT AND PROTEIN: ·         Fish ·         Grilled/boiled chicken or turkey ·         Moderate amount of prawns ·         Beans,lentils and peas ·         Egg	·         Fried chicken ·         Fatty meat ·         Cured meat, sausages and hotdogs ·         Large amounts of prawns
MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS: ·         Milk ·         Yoghurt ·         Low fat cheese	·         Ice cream ·         Whipped cream ·         Full fat cheese ·         Creamy and cheese sauces
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES: ·         All fresh fruits and vegetables ·         Vegetables cooked by boiling, steaming, baking and light gravies ·         Fresh fruit juices	·         Off the shelf juices ·         Fried vegetable or vegetable pakoras
BREAD AND GRAINS: ·         Pita bread/Arabic bread/khubs ·         Multigrain/ wholewheat chapattis ·         Plain rice/pasta (moderate amount)	·         Pastries, donuts, croissants ·         Spring rolls, samosas ·         Fried rice ·         Dessert ·         2 minute noodles

HERE ARE A FEW TIPS TO MAKE YOUR IFTAR A HAPPY MEAL FOR YOUR TUMMY:

·         MAKE HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES:

Choose wisely from the wide range of food groups of grains, meat, fruits and vegetables and milk and milk products. For example, choose whole grain bread, brown rice, brown pasta, 2 servings of fruits and vegetables each, low fat milk, leaner cuts of meat and fish. Use oils sparingly.

·         OPT HEALTHY COOKING METHODS:

Go for a baked fatayer than a fried samosa. Go for a non greasy vegetable/chicken curry than fried chicken and pakoras.

Focus on healthy soups as they not only provide adequate nutrients but also replenishes the fluid in the body.

·         PORTION CONTROL:

Keeping small amount of food in your plate, chewing well  and eating slowly is one way to keep your weight in control.

·         INCLUDE VARIETY:

Make the iftar table colorful and different every day. Eating a variety means you take in more varieties of nutrients every day. For example: Make different types of fresh fruit juices for each day.

·         DIVIDE MEAL WITH TIME:

Eat suhoor just before azaan, dates and water after sunset, a well balanced meal after maghrib salah, and a light snack after isha.

Post by Zohra Sada

Basics for a Healthier Ramadan

MAKE A STRINGENT SET OF RULES

EAT SUHOOR JUST PRIOR TO AZAAN: Yes! It can be difficult to wake up if you go to bed at 2. Change your habits. Remember, it’s a sunnah. And that in itself is one of the many benefits of suhoor.

SUHOOR MEAL: You want the food eaten for suhoor to last a longer time in your stomach and you want it to provide you the energy for the whole day. Focus on eating complex carbohydrates, proteins, enough fibre and plenty of water. Eat whole grain or multi grain chapatti, brown rice, dals, lean meat, fresh fruits and salads. Food high in fibre gives a feeling of fullness, satiety, and helps control blood sugar for the day. Stomach secretes its gastric juices even on an empty stomach, which can cause pain and discomfort. High fibre food stays in the stomach for a longer time which can neutralize the acid. Remember, drink sufficient water or you’d be likely to end up with excessive gas J.

IFTAR: Follow the sunnah. Break your fast with a couple of dates and water. To hydrate yourself and bring the blood glucose to normal levels, you could go for juices. But always go for fresh juices which contain less amount of sugar, preservatives and additives. Stop with glass 1 at this point and go for your maghrib salah.

Only after the maghrib salah must you go for a full meal. If you are weight conscious or trying to lose weight, stick to a small meal. If you are eating a large meal, make it your last meal of the day. Keep yourself hydrated for the rest of the day. You could exempt yourself from a second meal/ dinner by having light snacks of nuts/fruits/salads.

Take small portions of meal on your plate. Eat slowly and chew well.  Chewing well will speed your digestion and make you full faster.

Choose lean meats and avoid fat. Bake or grill the food. SAY NO TO FRIED FOOD. High fat and fried foods are high in calories and deficient in nutrition. If you feel heavy, fatigued, sluggish, and miss taravih then your fried pakoras and samosas are to be blamed.

Salt and salted foods like chips and junk snacks dehydrate your body and trigger thirst during the fast. Avoid them.

Eat food which is high in potassium. They retain water in your body and suppress thirst. Dark green leafy veg, beans, yoghurt, fish, avocados, bananas are high in potassium. A banana at suhoor can control your thirst during the day.

Avoid eating foods containing too much sugar, heavy desserts and mithais. These food contain negligible nutrition, and empty calories. They spike the blood sugar levels and leave you with energy that does not sustain through the day or night. If you must have dessert, opt for healthier options like yoghurt and fruits, plain mixed nuts.

For those of you who exercise or workout regularly, keep up with the practice. For those of you who don’t, walk for 30 minutes everyday. But all of it should not be immediately after iftar. After 2-3 hours of iftar exercising or walking will help your metabolism and help you clear your mind.

Drink 8- 12 cups of water during the non fasting hours.

COFFEE AND TEA ADDICTS:  Both coffee and tea are diuretics. Drinking in large quantities can cause the body to lose the much needed valuable minerals, salts and fluids from the body. Reduce your coffee and tea consumption.

Ramadan is the best time for SMOKERS. To, quit smoking.

Post by Zohra Sada

Ramadan and Eating Right

Praise be to the Lord. Muslims all over the globe have been waiting for this blessed month .With the sighting of the moon of the month of Ramadan, the days of fasting begin.

It’s been forever since I started fasting. Earlier the suhoor (the meal at dawn) and iftar (the meal at dusk) were always meal tables decorated by mom. Past 3 years it’s me doing the job. But every year is different. Every year I feel the importance of Ramadan and I try my best to put my food science skills to test.

We all have the same complaints - Not hungry enough to eat suhoor, lazy to wake right before azaan (the call for prayer), super hungry before iftar, desire to see a table laden with greasy, super fat and sugar packed food and then you want to gulp down the entire table at once, drink water like a glutton and then not being able to even walk from the iftar table to the prayer mat; forget about taravih (night prayers).

Where has the sunnah (the way of life as per the life and teachings of Prophet Mohammed) gone?

With the long hot summer days and our present lifestyles, eating a well designed complete nutritious meal is a distant dream. But, it’s not all that difficult and impossible. Armed with a fresh fervor and the correct guide to eating healthy it’s quite easy to keep your mind and soul happy along with your weighing scales.

COMMON HEALTH COMPLAINTS DURING RAMADAN:

During fasts, many a people complain about different health problems. Most of these are after effects of our own faulty eating habits. Here is a list of few of them and why it happens and how to reduce such issues:

• CONSTIPATION: During Ramadan or any normal days, constipation, feel of  indigestion, gas, bloated feeling are caused by intake of excessive refined foods, drinking less water and absence of enough fibre in the diet. To avoid constipation, avoid white bread, white pasta, noodles, refined foods like custard sauces and sweets.  Eat more amount of daals, 2-3 servings of fruits and vegetables, whole grain bread and chapathis.
• INDIGESTION: GAS, HEART BURNS are caused by over eating, eating too much of fried food, extreme spice and less intake of water and fluids. Acidity is a common symptom during fasting which can be neutralized with water and fibre rich foods.
• DIABETES: People who regularly take insulin are advised not to fast as there is a potential risk to health. People with moderate diabetes and who have diabetes under control with tablets can fast with a guidelines prescribed by their family doctor. Regular self monitoring is advised for these patients.
• HEADACHES: This is a common complaint and caused due to dehydration, poor rest, stress, absence of addictives like tea,coffee or tobacco. Keeping a balanced diet, eating a healthy suhoor, adequate intake of fluids, mild painkillers in difficult cases, avoiding direct sun and stressful activities can reduce headaches.
•  DEHYDRATION:  School going kids, working in the hot sun increases the chances of dehydration.  As the body continues to lose water by breathing, urinating and sweating the risk of dehydration increases if you do not take sufficient water during suhoor. If you  are dizzy, disoriented, unable to stand , break your fast and drink water urgently with salt and sugar as electrolytes. If one faints due to dehydration, their legs must be raised  higher to head level and immediately rehydrated.
•  WEIGHT CONTROL: The goal of Ramadan and fasting is not to gain or lose weight. But a disciplined eating habit can keep your weight in check.

AND yeah!! All you ladies out there:

Don’t waste your time in the kitchen preparing elaborate meals. Ramadan is a spiritual journey. Observe your fast without mulling too much time on planning your everyday menus. Plan the kitchen meal for the 30 days prior to Ramadan. Stock your fridge so you don’t have to shop later. If you could then prepare and freeze recipes that can be instantly defrosted and cooked. Be energetic for your ibaadah (worship) yet rest well. Bring the family together for a healthier Ramadan.

Post by Zohra Sada