Golden Rules of Eating Right in Ramazan

Ramazan comes with a lot of blissful joys—and frying. After fasting for close to 16 hours, there are a lot of biochemical changes going on in our body and we should be mindful of those changes when we are selecting our Ramazan menu.

Ramazan is a time for detoxing our body, renewing the metabolism and gaining better health. Thus, eating right in Ramazan is very important. Read our top nutritionists backed tips on how you can make the best of this beautiful month.

1-How to break the fast:

In Ramazan, the caloric needs should be replenished in a healthy way, to get the best benefit out of fasting. Most of us end up feeling sleepy after breaking our fast and this has a direct relation with how we break our fast. When we eat high carbs diet in aftaar, it causes water retention in the body, along with an insulin spike and we end up feeling bloated and drowsy.

Thus, fast should be broken with low glycemic index foods that provide energy but not an insulin spike. A great example of such a food dates. Dates are rich in easy to digest sugars, that provide instant energy but not a great rise in blood sugar level.

Hot lemon water is another gem to break your fast with. It will promote the creation of digestive enzymes and wake up the intestines before you eat solid food. Alternatively, you may also breakfast with fruit. Fruits contain a type of sugar called fructose which can be metabolized by the liver. The best time to consume plenty of fruit when the liver is depleted of glycogen stores. Opt for fruits rich in fibre like apples, pears and berries that can provide multiple benefits.

2-How much to eat in aftaar:

It goes without saying that you shouldn’t overeat after fasting for so long. But sometimes it is difficult to refrain when you are feeling so hungry. Ideally, the iftaar meal should be small, something like 500 calories, unless you worked out before and if so, then you should consume more.

3-What to eat between aftaar and suhoor:

Between aftaar and suhoor (pre-dawn meal), be sure to consume a lot of water. As the body burns glycogen in the liver to energy during the fast, it needs water. Therefore, be sure to consume plenty of after aftaar to meet these needs. Hydration will also maintain the energy levels, improve cognition and better blood flow.

4-Eat better:

We feel that aftaar feels incomplete without samosas, pakoras, and fries. However, all this fried food can wreak havoc on our system. Try swapping the fried items for grilling or baking as a lighter substitute. Alternatively, you can keep these meals on the weekends, as a kind of reward for eating healthy during the week.

If you need a more expounded guide on what to eat during the Ramazan, then book an appointment with top nutritionists in Multan, Karachi and Islamabad through oladoc.com, or call our helpline at 042-3890-0939 for assistance to find the RIGHT professional for your concerns.