BE HEALTH CONSCIOUS! Ramadan Can Help Change Your Eating Habits.

Ramadan Can Help

Change Your Eating Habits!

Be Health Conscious,

Use Nutritious Foods,

Fruits & Veggies!

(M. Javed Naseem)

We are half-way through Ramadan and are now on the downhill, which is actually the difficult and challenging part. The last days of Ramadan require Muslims to be more God-conscious and concentrate more on their spiritual cleansing; though Ramadan is generally known for physical cleansing. In some countries the fasting hours are long, some are very long stretching up to 20 hours.

This week, the shortest fasting time (11 hours) has been recorded in Ushuaia, Argentina, while the longest (20 hours 45 minutes) was recorded in Murmansk, Russia. This, almost 21-hour fast (out of 24 hours) is really challenging for the faithful. But the power of faith helps and strengthens their resolve and determination.

Here’s a short list of countries with the longest and the shortest fasting time. The fasting time has been calculated from Dawn – the Adhan of Fajr till Sunset – Adhan of Maghrib prayer.

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 The Shortest Vs The Longest Fast

Argentina (Ushuaia) : 11 hours.

Chile (Santiago) : 12 hours 4 minutes.

South Africa (Capetown) : 12 hours 4 minutes.

Brazil (Rio de Janeiro) : 12 hours 28 minutes.

Kenya (Nairobi) : 13 hours 17 minutes.

Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) : 14 hours 37 minutes.

India (Delhi) : 14 hours 51 minutes.

Pakistan (Islamabad) : 15 hours 14 minutes.

Egypt (Cairo) : 15 hours 6 minutes.

Morocco (Casablanca) : 16 hours.

USA (New York) : 15 hours 38 minutes.

Russia (Moscow) : 16 hours 23 minutes.

France (Paris) : 17 hours 9 minutes.

UK (London) : 17 hours 51 minutes.

Denmark (Copenhagen) : 18 hours 12 minutes.

Norway (Oslo) : 18 hours 43 minutes.

Sweden (Lulea) : 19 hours 43 minutes.

Russia (Murmansk) : 20 hours 45 minutes.

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While fasting, we should pay special attention to our food. We should use more fruits and vegetables. Beans and lean meat is also recommended. Nutrition experts recommend Lentil soup. In India-Pakistan, this means ‘Masoor ki Daal’. Avoid spicy food in the Suhoor because it will make you thirsty during the day. Milk and yoghurt are very good at both ends (Suhoor & Iftar times).

The nutrition experts from the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) have recommended the following foods during Ramadan. You can keep the same regime even after the month of Ramadan.

What foods should you have during Suhoor?

For Suhoor (pre-dawn meal)

When deciding what to eat during Ramadan, remember that Iftar and Suhoor help sustain your fast the following day, so consuming the right food is important,” says the Department of ​Dietetics at Singapore General Hospital (SGH), a member of the SingHealth​ group.​

Suhoor needs to be wholesome to provide enough energy to last during the long hours of fasting. Suhoor should include the following foods:

Fruits and vegetables
Rich in fiber, fruits and vegetables are essentials during fasting as they increase the feeling of fullness and help prevent constipation. They also contain vitamins, minerals and phyto-chemicals that are vital for good health.

Health Promotion Board (HPB) recommends 2 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit per day. Make sure you have 1 serving of fruit and 1 serving of veggie at each of your two meals. Traditionally during Ramadan, dates are eaten at the start of Iftar to symbolize the breaking of the fast. Besides being an excellent source of energy, dates are also rich in potassium – helping muscles and nerves to function well. But don’t consume too much as dates are high in sugar!

Rice and alternatives
High-fibre carbohydrate foods like brown rice and wholemeal bread take longer to digest, helping to sustain energy levels longer.

Whole-wheat bread, brown rice or wholegrain noodles are complex carbohydrates that provide the body with energy, fiber and minerals. Compared to sugary foods and desserts that burn quickly, they provide more stable and sustainable energy levels.

Meat and alternatives
Skinless chicken, fish and low-fat dairy products are a great source of protein while limiting your fat intake. Furthermore, they help repair and build body tissue, and build up your immune system. Consuming high-calcium dairy products also helps maintain strong bones. Those that are lactose intolerant can choose lactose-free milk or calcium-fortified soybean milk.​

Incorporate protein rich sources such as lean meat, skinless chicken, fish, eggs, legumes and low-fat dairy products.

To keep your meals healthy, limit the use of oil and opt for steaming, grilling, baking or shallow frying instead. When choosing oils, you should also pick those that are high in unsaturated fats such as canola oil and soybean oil.

British Nutrition Foundation recommends:

What to eat and drink at iftar and suhoor:

Iftar – when first breaking the fast go for plenty of fluids, low fat, fluid-rich foods and foods containing some natural sugars for energy (avoid consuming a lot of foods or drinks with added sugars). Below are some examples:

Drinks – water, milk, fruit juices or smoothies – water provides hydration without any extra calories or added sugars. Drinks based on milk and fruit provide some natural sugars and nutrients – these are also good to break the fast but avoid drinking a lot of drinks with added sugars after breaking the fast as these can provide too much sugars and calories.

Dates – traditionally eaten to break the fast since the time of the Prophet Muhammad, dates are a great way to break the fast as they provide natural sugars for energy, provide minerals like potassium, copper and manganese and are a source of fibre. You could also try other dried fruits such as apricots, figs, raisins or prunes, which also provide fibre and nutrients.

Fruit – a traditional way to break the fast in South Asian cultures, fruit provides natural sugars for energy, fluid and some vitamins and minerals.

Soup – traditional in many Arab countries, is a light way to break the fast and provides fluid. Traditional soups are based on a meat broth and often contain pulses, like lentils and beans, and starchy foods like pasta or grains, providing nutrients and energy.

After breaking the fast – meals vary between different cultures and traditions but try to make sure the foods you eat provide a balance of starchy foods, including whole-grains where you can, fruit and vegetables, dairy foods and protein-rich foods like meat, fish, eggs and beans. 

For example you could have a range of curries including fish, meat, vegetables and pulses, served with rice, chapattis and yogurt.

After a long fast it’s natural to want to treat yourself but try to keep the amount of fatty and sugary foods and sugary drinks you have to a small amount. Remember that you only have a relatively short time each day to eat and drink to provide your body with all the essential nutrients and fluids it needs to be healthy, so the quality of your diet is especially important during Ramadan.

If you can, once you have had a chance to digest your food, you could try doing some light exercise such as going for a walk. If you attend Taraweeh prayers (special night-time prayers for Ramadan) in the evening, perhaps you could walk all or part of the way there.

Suhoor – drink plenty of fluids, choose fluid-rich foods to make sure you are well hydrated for the day ahead and go for starchy foods for energy, choosing high fibre or wholegrain varieties where possible as these can help keep you feeling fuller and can aid digestion, helping to prevent constipation. Below are some examples:

Oats - these are whole-grains and you could choose porridge, which will also provide fluids as it’s made with milk or water, muesli with milk or yogurt or overnight oats. You could experiment with fresh or dried fruit, nuts or seeds as toppings.

 

High-fiber breakfast cereals – these provide plenty of fiber and are often fortified with vitamins and minerals, providing extra nutrients. Because they are consumed with milk, you also get fluid and nutrients like calcium, iodine and b vitamins from the milk.

Starchy foods like rice, or couscous – you could try rice pudding with fruit or experiment with couscous or other grains with dairy or fruit. If you go for savoury dishes at suhoor then it's a good idea make sure these are not too salty or they may make you very thirsty during the fast.

Yogurt – this can be a good food to include at suhoor as it provides nutrients like protein, calcium, iodine and b vitamins and also contains fluid. You could combine it with cereal and fruit as in the examples above.

 

Breads – go for wholegrain options as these provide more fiber, for example whole-meal toast or Chapattis. Avoid combining bread with salty foods like hard cheese, or preserved meats. You could try nut butters (without added salt), soft cheese, or banana. As bread is fairly dry, make sure you drink plenty of water or other fluids alongside or you could have fluid-rich foods such as a lentil soup, which is a traditional food at Suhoor in some countries. 

(Courtesy: https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/seasons/ramadan.html)

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