The month of Ramadan is a period of long-term hunger when our metabolism is confused and we go out of our nutritional routine. The key point during Ramadan is to provide optimal nutrition. Our primary goal should not be to lose or gain weight, but to maintain our weight in the healthiest way possible. However, another important point is to meet our increasing water needs as it coincides with the summer months. In order not to lose water and electrolytes, we should include enough water in our diet. Nutritionist and dietitian Zehra Bora, who is known for her successful results in especially sports nutrition and obesity cases, wrote about ways to keep our fasting healthy in Ramadan.
Our body starts to send us signals in case of hunger. We may experience symptoms such as headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea. In order to minimize such situations, it is very important to plan our nutrition from iftar to sahur. I would like to briefly talk about the title without boring you. So let’s start!
Situations that we should pay attention to while fasting;
– Suhoor and iftar meals must be made
– At least 8 glasses of water should be consumed between sahur and iftar
to maintain fluid electrolyte balance – In order to prevent dehydration (fluid loss), 1 bottle of mineral water must be consumed
– Correct food and sufficient portion should be chosen
– Attention to the choice of complex carbohydrates from foods containing carbohydrates
– Various and rich meals including all nutrients should be planned
Now, if we go into a little more detail and open the items…
General recommendations for sahur
Slowly digested foods that stay in the stomach for longer and prolong satiety should be preferred. At this point, complex carbohydrates, quality proteins and unsaturated fats come into play. Maybe a classic breakfast with 2 slices of whole wheat bread will help us to have a full and quality diet throughout the day.
– Especially simple carbohydrates and sweets should be avoided. At this meal, we must fill our stomach as accurately as possible so that we do not lose our energy during the day, and we do not experience weight gain due to malnutrition.
– We should stay away from foods with high salt content due to the feeling of thirst during the day, and we should eat mainly fresh seasonal foods to meet our daily vitamin-mineral needs.
– Eating breakfast at sahur is important in terms of being both healthy and light enough not to disturb your stomach.
Sample menu for sahur
– 1 whole egg
– 30 g light white cheese ie 1 KK of feta cheese (both omelets can be made)
– 1 handful of parsley or seasonal greens such as dill or cress
– 1 tomato in season
– In season 1-2 cucumbers
– 5 washed olives
– 1-2 slices of whole wheat bread
– 1 glass of lactose-free milk or regular milk / those who cannot drink milk can eat yogurt
– 1 date / 1 apricot / 15-seeded black raisin
– 1 whole walnut kernel
General recommendations for iftar
– Open your iftar with water and then with dates and olives must be continued. After this stage, if you can stand it, it is useful to wait 5-10 minutes.
– After breaking our fast, the first meal should be started with a light, not very hot soup.
– After drinking our soup, it would be good to take a break before starting the main course, in order not to tire the stomach that has been hungry for long hours. After taking a break, you can consume a salad for your daily vitamin-mineral needs in addition to the main meal containing protein.
– We should prolong the meal time as much as possible, and continue to eat by chewing for a long time.
– If in season, 1 slice of pineapple or 5-6 strawberries
– 10 raw hazelnuts or 10 raw almonds or 2 whole walnut kernels
– 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
– You can add all the ingredients to the yogurt in order and consume.
– A 30-minute walk 2.5 hours after iftar will help you digest the food you eat.
To sum up
we should consume at least 8 glasses of water between iftar and sahur, maybe 1 glass of mineral water that we will consume after iftar will also reduce the electrolyte loss we lose during the day. It will help us put it in its place.
– We should take care not to sweat in order to minimize water removal from the body.
– We should avoid overeating in order to prevent weight gain and not tire the stomach.
– We should reduce the consumption of fatty and sharp flavored foods.
– We should eat the food as slowly as possible, chew it thoroughly.
– Instead of heavy desserts with sugar, syrup and cream, we should turn to lighter milk desserts or consume seasonal fruits.
– Since caffeinated beverages will create a diuretic effect, consumption should be limited and instead we should increase the consumption of herbal teas.
– We should take care to get up for sahur, and we should eat a breakfast-style meal that includes every food group as much as possible.
– We should definitely move after iftar and help our digestion with short walks or any physical activity.
Our main goal in this month is to discipline the soul, not the stomach. Proper nutrition is very valuable for us when we fast because when we are malnourished, we can act uncontrollably, eat excessively and poorly. I wish all of us a blessed month of Ramadan in which abundance, blessings, goodwill and sharing are emphasized once again! Best regards…
