With the beginning of the month of Ramadan every year, people are confused regarding what is the appropriate healthy food to eat for breakfast, as well as what is the appropriate healthy food for Suhoor, so that it prevents thirst and gives the body energy to withstand the hours of fasting.
Most importantly, the fasting person wants to know the type of food that is healthy and beneficial to the body, which compensates for the lack of nutrients that occurred as a result of fasting, and what to start his breakfast with. People with chronic diseases also need to know the effect of fasting on them and whether they fast or not.
Breakfast on the water
Clinical nutritionist Amal Haddad indicated that “the fasting person must break their fast with water, then soup and salad, and then eat a portion of fruits or dates.”
Regarding the healthy food suitable for the Suhoor meal, Amal told Arabi 21: “The best is to eat a sandwich with cheese, eggs, or beans with milk and vegetables, and focus on unroasted nuts and salads.”
With regard to people with chronic diseases, nutritionist Amal Haddad advised them, “to increase the number of meals, but the quantities should be small in each meal, while reducing fat and reducing salt, and of course each case differs from the other, and for this it is preferable to consult the attending physician and nutritionist to determine the diet.” The most suitable for each case, and determining whether the patient fasts or not.
Diversify food groups
For her part, nutritionist Ayat Shatara emphasized “the need to focus on the Suhoor meal on a variety of major food groups, such as proteins, carbohydrates and beneficial fats.”
Ayat explained, during her interview with “Arabi 21”, that “the suhoor meal must contain legumes, as they are rich in proteins and provide the body with various amino acids, and for this reason chickpeas and beans must be eaten, as they are also full of dietary fibers that make us feel full for a longer period.”
And she continued: “In order to supply carbohydrates, you must eat bread and breakfast cereals that contain an ample amount of fiber, which helps the hormone insulin regulate the level of sugar in the blood, with the necessity of adding Qamar al-Din to the suhoor meal, as it protects us from thirst during the day, and it can be eaten with slices of bread.”
And she warned, “The Suhoor meal must contain fresh and leafy vegetables and a glass of milk or yogurt, so that it becomes a complete and integrated meal with all the elements, and we are saved from hunger throughout the day.”
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With regard to breakfast, Ayat Shatara, a nutritionist, said: “It is recommended to start drinking water with a few dates, then go to prayer so that the digestive system can return to work without the occurrence of intestinal “cramps” as a result of the food passing through it all at once, then start eating soups to compensate. The resulting deficiency throughout the fasting period during the day, and finally completing the rest of the meal, especially proteins, to prevent the occurrence of wasting in the body and to strengthen and protect the health of muscles and bones.
And she stressed that “food items must be diversified, in the sense of relying on the type of food, not the quantity.”
doctor consultation
With regard to people with chronic diseases such as pressure, heart, kidneys and diabetes, Shatara cautioned that “the need to consult the treating doctor before fasting, so that he can explain to them whether they should fast or not, and to regulate their medication doses to prevent the occurrence of serious health complications, and of course every disease has its own.” Her own diet prescribed by her attending physician and nutritionist.
Children fast
Some children often want to fast, either in imitation of their parents, or a desire from the parents to get them used to it so that they do not find hardship in the coming days when they grow up, but what is the appropriate age for children to fast and what is the appropriate healthy breakfast for them?
Clinical nutritionist Amal Haddad says, “It depends on the daily effort that the child makes. For example, if he is on vacation at home, sleeps enough time, drinks water, and his food is diversified, then there is nothing wrong with fasting, but dehydration in children must be monitored.”
In turn, nutritionist Ayat Shatara believes that “the seven-year-old child prefers not to fast, but rather he should start training him to fast, for example, in the middle of the day, or get used to it gradually, for example by refraining from eating their favorite foods and reducing the number of meals during the day, but the most important thing is that they participate.” The family should eat breakfast and eat the whole meal, and it should be varied so that it includes all the nutrients that are beneficial to their health.
Drinking water and kidney patients
People used to drink large amounts of water at the suhoor meal, thinking that they would not feel thirsty during the day. Kidney patients and those suffering from kidney stones also need to drink plenty of water.
However, health experts always emphasize that drinking a lot of water during the Suhoor meal has the opposite results, as it increases thirst during the day, according to Bahaa Al-Radawneh, Consultant Kidney and Urologist.
Al-Radawneh explained during his interview with “Arabi 21” that “drinking fluids, including water in abundance, contributes to increasing the work of the kidneys with a feature called diuresis, and this contributes to thirst during the day, and therefore it is better to drink a glass or two of water at the suhoor meal.”
Regarding the appropriate amount of water to be drunk from the start of Iftar until Suhoor, and which types of juices are suitable for kidney health, Al-Radawneh said: “It is preferable not to drink any type of juice, specifically at the beginning of Iftar, and to be satisfied with only water, by drinking one to two cups at the beginning of the meal, then cup every hour until the pre-dawn meal.
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With regard to whether kidney patients and those suffering from kidney stones can fast, he said: “It is better not to fast, but if they have to, they should drink plenty of water following breakfast, and focus on eating bananas, dates and dried apricots for the pre-dawn meal, because they contain a high percentage of potassium, which keeps the body healthy.” The hormone aldosterone, which helps prevent thirst.
He added, “Also, patients who install a urinary or ureteral catheter are not advised to fast, as well as patients with kidney failure who suffer from kidney weakness and whose creatinine level is high, i.e. higher than 1.5 milligrams. It is preferable not to fast, and in general it is better to consult a doctor before The beginning of Ramadan, and he decides for each case whether or not to fast according to her health condition.
Al-Radawneh advised all fasting people, especially those with kidney disease, to avoid “eating foods that contain salts and sugars during the pre-dawn meal, such as pickles and sweets, because they increase thirst.”
