Maintain Optimal Health this Ramadan

As tempting as all those Iftar goodies look on the table, staying aligned with the objective of fasting means eating healthy during both Iftar and Suhoor. Incorporate the following healthy habits from day one to start.

  • A healthy Ramadan means an intake of a balanced diet as well as an active lifestyle. Organize your time wisely and follow good time management practices for prayer and other religious activities.
  • Be sure to adapt a solid sleep routine from day one as after a few days of fasting, the body adapts to a new routine and the metabolic rate lowers.
  • Limit your intake of caffeine-containing beverages. Caffeine is a diuretic and will not provide adequate hydration.
  • Never skip Suhoor no matter how sleepy you are. Eating breakfast not only provides essential nutrients and energy needed to keep hunger symptoms like headaches and fatigue at bay, additionally it also gets our metabolic rates up.
  • Iftar should begin with dates for potassium, soup, and cool salads for hydration. The main part of Iftar should consist of carbohydrates and protein. Always consume some vegetables and fruits to ensure you are taking in sufficient amounts of fiber.
  • Eat a wide variety of foods, especially now, when your daily intake is limited to two meals per day, you need to put extra effort into including foods from all the food groups. Meat and beans are a good source of protein, minerals, and certain vitamins while whole wheat bread and cooked rice are a good source of complex carbohydrates, protein, minerals, and dietary fiber.
  • Try as much as possible to avoid intake of high sugar through sweets or other forms. Fats and sugars actually contain very little nutrients; instead use low glycemic foods at Suhoor and Iftar time to help control blood sugar levels.
  • Remember to include low GI foods at each meal, and to avoid eating high GI foods on their own, but rather to mix them with low GI foods, which will give an intermediate GI overall.