Nutritionists and exercise experts at the Birmingham City have come up with a guide which aims to help Muslims observing the month of Ramadan to make sure they eat right and look after their systems.
The experts opined that swapping fried food for grilled goodness, ditching samosas, swerving sugar and salt, and spending your nights drinking as much water as possible could help millions of Muslims across the globe tackle the challenges of Ramadan.
“During Ramadan, the hunger and dehydration might affect our cognitive abilities which often means that our ability to make wise choices when it comes to what food and drink that we consume during after the period of breaking the fast,” said Huda Al-Kateb, programme leader, BSc Food and Nutrition at Birmingham City University.
“We as a generation are much more aware of our health and wellbeing now so it is a good time to make people aware of what is and isn’t good to eat during Ramadan,” said Al-Kateb.
The month of Ramadan, which begins on May 16, sees a large number of Muslims across the world observe 30 days of fasting during daylight hours, which means they cannot eat any food or drink any water or other drinks until the sun sets. The month teaches self-discipline, resilience and awareness of what it can be like for those living in poverty.
Below is the full text of the guide as provided by the experts:
Water, water and more water during night time hours – experts advise to drink as much water as possible during Iftaar and Suhur times, especially if hot weather is expected during the day.
Learn the importance of balance – when fasting your body is deprived of nutrients that your system needs. The experts emphasise that it is so important to make sure that when you can eat, you keep your meals balanced so that you feed your system enough nutrients from each group.
Think about the alternatives – swap deep frying for grilling, baking or shallow frying and swap heavier foods for lighter alternatives. For example, swap cake and chocolate for fruit and yoghurt.
Fitness and fasting can work together – gym enthusiasts can stick to their routine of working out every day. Light exercises are great to keep blood flowing and the system working. Cardio exercises are also fine to do when fasting as long as you don’t overdo it.
Excess salt causes extreme thirst during the day – experts say that meals with high salt are not ideal to eat during night time hours because they can cause thirstiness during the day and is best to be avoided.
Keep energised without water or snacks – experts advise that there are small things you can try each day to keep you alert and maintain your energy. Things like taking small breaks from revision or work and going on small walks, writing daily to-do lists or listing what you’re finding difficult and working on combatting these, and planning meals to make sure you’re eating the rights things to get good energy levels can all have a bit impact.
ANTHONIA OBOKOH
