Moubarak 3alaykom el chaher!
Fasting in Ramadan is simply a detoxification to our body. It cleans our digestive system, and flushes out all the toxins.
The concept of Ramadan and healthy fasting during this month seems to be misunderstood by some people. They tend to binge on food from the minute they start eating until they stop. This is what makes them feel abdominal discomfort, constipation and and weight gain.
Accumulation of food at one raw can cause headache, indigestion, reflux and lack of sleep as well.
How can we get rid of that and how should we eat during this month?
Because we are fasting for more than 8 hours, we need to watch out for the food we consume.
Consuming slow-digesting foods like fiber, vegetables more than fast-digesting food like juices, white bread, sweets, sugary drinks, can be a good way to start. Fast digesting food make us feel hungry again after 2 to 3 hours of eating.
Fried foods cause heartburn, indigestion and weight gain.
Why do we tend to gain weight easily during this month, even when our food quantities are still as same as before??
When we are fasting for more than 8 hours, our metabolism slows down. Introducing food after these 8 fasting hours makes us gain weight easily. So imagine when we eat big quantities at one shot! Our body is no longer burning enough calories, our metabolism is very low and we tend to gain a lot of weight!
So…How should we break the fast to avoid all the problems mentioned before??
Start by:
– 1/2 cup of low-fat yogurt and 2 dates.
Dates contain iron, magnesium, potassium, which is perfect for dehydration.
– 2 glasses of water ( don’t forget that you weren’t drinking water for hours, so you need fluids!)
– 1 small plate of fattouche or green salad
– 1 small bowl of broth or non-creamy soup.
These items contain essential and enough vitamins and minerals to compensate for the fluid loss and dehydration!
These food choices are long-digesting food, which give us satiety for a longer time.
Now that you finished from the first food part, go pray, exercise or rest for a bit.
After an hour:
– Eat a plate of the main meals: Tachriba, hariss, jerish, Steamed rice and lean steak, chicken or fish.
– You can have a piece of sweet, but let it be twice a week.
– Instead have a piece of fruit or a fruit salad, rich in fiber and vitamins.
On souhour:
Don’t let your main dish be your souhour! This meal is usually very late. So the metabolism is even slower than before.
Take light food on souhour, food that don’t make you feel thirsty the next day.
For example, a small plate of steamed rice and yogurt.
Rice retains water in the body ( so won’t make you feel thirsty), gives you energy, and makes you feel full for a longer time. Yogurt is refreshing, and the best choice is to have the low-sodium yogurt.
Avoid salty food because you gonna feel thirsty the next day.
Avoid juices, these are simple sugars, easily absorbed in the body, and won’t make you feel satisfied.
Avoid tea and coffee at night. These are diuretics, will flush the water out of your body, making you feel more dehydrated, besides their caffeine content, which prevents sleeping.
– A fruit platter is a good option. It contains minerals which you need to prevent dehydration.
– A bowl of foul is also a good option, add fresh tomaoes to it..
– Baked potatoes topped with low- fat labne is a great option with cucumbers and fresh lettuce
And of course don’t forget to drink a lot of water to compensate for the fluid loss.
And again Ramadan Moubarak everyone:)
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