HEALTH TIPS FOR RAMADAN!

Ramadan is the one month per year where Muslims fast from dawn until sunset every day by refraining from food, water, smoking, medications, and even gum. Pregnant and breastfeeding women, children, seniors, and those on important medications or requiring nutrition care (such as people with diabetes, renal failure, or patients on tube feeds) are exempt from fasting, but if still they want to perform fasting that following are the health tips.

HEALTH TIPS FOR CHILDREN

1. During suhoor, children should consume a lot of proteins, such as peanut butter, low fat cheese, yoghurt or milk. They should also consume beans, lentils, lean meats, nuts, oatmeal, and eggs. They should increase their fiber intake and eat a lot of vegetables, whole wheat bread, legumes, wheat cereals and dried fruit.
2. It is very important that children break their fast with dates, soup and milk, juice or water. Dates will provide them with dietary fiber and soup, for instance, will provide them with a lot of nutrients and it is rich in hydrating ingredients and fluids
3. When breaking their fast, children should also eat a lot of salads, since they are rich in fiber, minerals and vitamins and they will help keep their bodies hydrated, as well as prevent constipation.
4. Children must avoid carbonated drinks, since they can cause bloating and negatively affect their digestion.They should also avoid salty foods in order to prevent thirst. Other types of food children need to avoid during fasting are spicy and fried foods.
5. A common mistake made by parents is to encourage their kids to overeat during Suhoor or Iftar. This is an extremely unhealthy habit which causes indigestion and bloating. Overeating can also lead to vomiting and nausea. To avoid indigestion, it is recommended to split your child’s Iftar into two or three smaller nutrient-rich meals.

HEALTH TIPS FOR ADULTS

1. Don’t skip Suhoor (pre-dawn meal):Skipping Suhoor prolongs the fasting period as your body will need to rely on the previous meal to provide you with all the nutrients and energy until Iftar (dinner). Due to the longer hours of fasting, you are more likely to feel dehydrated and tired during the day. Furthermore, skipping Suhoor also encourages overeating during Iftar, which can cause unhealthy weight gain.

2.      Don’t overeat during Iftar: Iftar should be a well-balanced, nutritious meal and not a feast! Overeating and excessive consumption of high-fat foods in particular may result in indigestion and weight gain. 

3.      Avoid eating fried foods, salty foods and high-sugar foods:  It is not uncommon for fasting individuals to reward themselves with rich, greasy, fried and sugary dishes come meal time. While these foods make you feel good in the short run, they can make fasting the next day more difficult. Aside from the unhealthy weight gain, consuming fatty and sugary foods also cause sluggishness and fatigue. In addition, you should limit your intake of salt, especially during Suhoor (pre-dawn meal), as this increases thirst,

      4. Drink as much water as possible: Make every effort to drink at least 8 glasses of fluids daily before dawn and after sundown. Fluids include juices, milk, beverages and soups but water is the best choice, you should also cut down on caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea and colas as these have a diuretic effect and promotes fluid loss.

       HEALTH TIPS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN

1. At suhoor, eat foods that keep you fuller longer. Complex carbohydrates and high fibre foods, like oatmeal and sweet potatoes, will stave off hunger.  Add protein foods, like meat and lentils, and healthy fats, like nuts and peanut butter, to keep you fuller even longer.
2. At iftar, choose foods that quickly turn to sugar to give you energy right away, like dates, figs, yogurt, and fruits.
3. Drink about 10 cups of fluid/day from sunset to sunrise. Choose water, milk, and 100% fruit juice. Keep water with you to sip throughout the night.
4. Pace you meals between iftar and suhoor. It is important not to under-eat or over-eat. 
5. Continue to take your prenatal vitamin with water every day in the non-fast hours

Ramadan provides a chance for Muslims to “cleanse” their lifestyle from bad eating habits and junk food. Since the time for eating is so small, it is important for those that are fasting to cut out nutrient poor foods and focus on eating nutritious ones.