With the advent of the month of Ramadan, Muslims throughout the Islamic world began the ritual of fasting, which is one of the pillars of the Islamic religion, and requires abstaining from eating and drinking from dawn until sunset throughout this month.
Despite the health benefits included in fasting, some may find it difficult to adapt to the change in their eating habits during this month, or a kind of fatigue and exhaustion as a result of abstaining from food and drink for relatively long periods, and some may be associated with health problems such as those suffered by people with high in sugar or blood pressure.
Here, we try to highlight some important tips provided by nutrition experts for a better healthy fasting.
BBC Arabic spoke to a number of people to shed light on their personal experiences that may benefit many to plan how they spend their time in the month of Ramadan, as well as nutrition experts to highlight the most effective methods and ways to be followed for better health.
What should and should not be eaten in Suhoor?
The fasting person begins his first day of Suhoor, and what he eats at this time will determine whether or not he feels tired, thirsty or hungry during his fast.
The nutrition expert, Fadi Abbas, recommends that people follow the following tips, which he believes will ensure easier fasting, less dehydration in the body, and greater health benefit:
Abbas told the BBC: “The Suhoor should focus on foods that contain regarding 70% water, and eat the meal in three stages, five minutes apart, and start with a plate of salad (especially cucumber, lettuce and celery) and only one type of food. Provided that it does not contain a large percentage of salt, as is the case with materials such as cheese and nuts, which despite their rich benefits, will cause the body to need more water following a few hours.
He adds: “The sugars come in the second stage, and it is preferable to eat two pieces of fruit that are also rich in water (such as strawberries, watermelon and oranges) or a glass of fresh juice, and then finish the meal by drinking water.”
The British National Health Service advises avoiding tea and coffee because they are diuretics because they contain caffeine (especially for those who suffer from urinary incontinence). The loss of fluid from the body leads to the need to replace it, and dehydration creates health problems such as headaches, low blood pressure, kidney problems, and others.
So, how do you avoid these problems and what regarding feeling tired or lethargic following breakfast?
Ramadan tables – regardless of the financial level of each family – are characterized by the multiplicity of dishes served every day due to the habit of relatives and neighbors exchanging their dishes with each other during the month of fasting, and therefore everyone enjoys a variety of dishes on their tables every day. Therefore, a person eats more than he should and more than his need. He does not feel the damage until shortly following finishing breakfast.
It starts with problems like stomach pain, feeling full, lethargy, wanting to sleep, etc. However, for some, the problem may become more serious, when it causes high blood pressure or sugar.
The first days of fasting are the most difficult at all, “because the body’s need for fat as an energy source begins following four days” of fasting, according to Fadi Abbas.
Abbas says that iftar should be eaten in three stages, with a difference of six minutes between one unit and the other, just as it is in the case of suhoor. The reason, he says, is that the brain needs 18 minutes to receive the signal of satiety.
He added, “It is recommended to drink a glass of water in the first stage in three batches and in a sitting position. After six minutes, you start eating sugars to supply the body with the energy that it lost during the fasting period, provided that it is not manufactured but rather natural, such as dates or fresh fruit juice.”
He adds, “After waiting another 6 minutes, it is recommended to start with a plate of finely chopped salad to not strain the stomach, and the fiber in the vegetables is very necessary to supply the body with vitamins and also to prevent constipation.”
And he continues: “After the salad dish, one or two types of foods that contain proteins and carbohydrates should be eaten as a maximum.”
For example, potatoes, rice, pasta, bread and pastries all contain carbohydrates, so “it should be sufficient to provide only one type of the above, along with only one type of protein (such as legumes, eggs, lean meat and dairy), taking into account the duration of the chewing process that takes from 30 seconds for soft foods, to 60 seconds for tough foods (such as meat and nuts).
Despite the body’s great need for water, drinking a large amount of it at once and in the wrong way may affect the work of the intestines and kidneys, so, “a healthy method must be followed, and not to drink more than two cups of water at once before an hour has passed following breakfast, You should not wait to feel thirsty, but should drink it every hour or hour and a half, even if it requires you to set an alarm to remind you when to drink water,” Abbas advised.
Are women more patient than men?
Not everyone is skilled in thinking and planning in advance for this month. Some suffer a lot, due to a sudden change in food and social habits, so they face great problems that affect their social communication with those around them or the quality of their work, as is the case with the two brothers Saeed and Othman Youssef, who work in Construction work in the city of Aleppo.
Saeed says: “Although I know very well that I must be patient and broad-minded in this holy month, I have become a man of nervous temperament and irritable by midday, and I do not control my behavior and shout at the workers, and I quickly regret it and apologize to them, But the situation is repeated a lot with me.”
His brother Othman says, “I can stand hunger in the first days, but following a week, I feel very thirsty and this gives me headaches and I become an unbearable person, but I cannot control my nervousness.”
Facing such a problem may not be limited to Saeed and Othman only, but also affects many men. Therefore, it is recommended to follow the advice of nutrition experts in this regard, because what you eat has a big role in your behavior.
In this regard, Mohamed Fayed, an expert in food science and nutrition in Morocco, says: “Women in general are better able to withstand fasting than men because the percentage of fat in a woman’s body is higher than that in a man’s body, and the muscle mass of men is greater than the muscle mass of women.” .
According to Fayed, there are scientific reasons behind this, which is that there are hormones that are active in women; More than men, and some are more active in men.
“Estrogen helps women endure hunger and stay in a calm mood for as long as possible, which helps them challenge emotions and feelings of anxiety, while testosterone in men stimulates feelings of irritability, anxiety and tension.”
Fayed adds: “A woman’s body needs less food than a man in general, and eating meat, poultry and cheese in abundance stimulates the production of hormones that affect a person’s nervous state, because estrogen intersects with cholesterol, so a lot of meat leads to high cholesterol and thus excites The person’s nervous state.
working woman
Men tend to move more than women in general in eastern countries, because of the nature of their work or responsibilities outside the home, and this means that they may lose more energy and calories than women, but the situation is different with working women, who have great burdens and responsibilities from child care and housekeeping. and career work. In this case, she is similar to the man, but sometimes she even makes a double effort.
Fayed believes that the type of food a person eats affects his mood, as people who eat a lot of meat tend to be more irritable and tense than vegetarians.
He says that a woman who eats the same amounts of meat and cheese as a man, will suffer from the same cases of agitation and nervousness that men suffer from.
Sports… What is the best time to do it?
Tarawih prayer is not enough exercise to rid the body of excess calories, as some believe, so it is necessary to practice some types of sports that would increase the heart rate, as advised by the London nutrition expert, Aison Kfang.
“The stomach must completely rest from the digestive process before starting any kind of sports, that is, starting to exercise at least three hours following breakfast,” Kafang says.
She added, “It is preferable not to overburden the body in the first days and to practice light sports such as walking, carrying some weights in the house or climbing the stairs several times, and then increasing the period every day until it reaches an acceptable degree according to each person’s ability and health.”
Kafang explains the importance of water and its great role in maintaining public health, especially during Ramadan, and she strongly advises drinking the recommended quantities, each according to his age, while staying away from soft and artificially sweetened drinks and replacing them with herbs such as chamomile, green tea and other herbs that are available in abundance all over the world.
Planning how to spend time while fasting
Angham, a housewife with two children, resides in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, believes that her pre-planning of Ramadan makes this month for her a month to improve health, develop skills and feel self-satisfied.
She told the BBC: “I started intermittent fasting a week before Ramadan, because I prepared my body to withstand hunger and avoided the sudden change in my daily routine during Ramadan.”
She adds, “Every year I set a goal in front of me that I strive to achieve, and this year, I planned to complete the Qur’an twice during this month, memorize some verses of the Qur’an for my children, take care of my children and do my homework, and so the time passes without me feeling it.”
Nadia, a 25-year-old woman who lives in Aqaba, Jordan, says: “I fight hunger and thirst by reading, so I spend my time reading all the books and delayed novels, and I watch some TV shows and improve my English language skills. hunger.”