ramadan landscape

Healthy Fasting
In Ramadan
By Aayah Khalaf

Contents
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4
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| Letter from the author
| Variations of fasting
| Why fast?
| How we loose the benefits of fasting
| Fasting detox symptoms
| Tips for getting the most out of your fasting
| Ramdan Menu DAY 1
| Ramdan Menu DAY 2
| Social Eating
Healthy Fasting
3

Letterfrom the author
I
Am Aayah Khalaf, a certified holistic health coach, detox specialist and a mother of two gorgeous girls. I love working
with mums and kids to gradually help them transition to healthier habits and reach their health goals in an easily
integrated way, I don’t like to dwell on fats and calories, instead I believe by giving your body the right nourishment
and removing toxic food your body will reach it’s balance naturally without having to go on sever diets or over restrict
yourself.
I received my training as a Health Coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition's cutting-edge Health Coach
Training Program. During my training, I studied over 100 dietary theories, practical lifestyle management techniques,
and innovative coaching methods with some of the world’s top health and wellness experts.
My education has equipped me with extensive knowledge in holistic nutrition, health coaching, and preventive health.
Drawing on these skills and my knowledge of different dietary theories, I work with clients to help them make lifestyle
changes that produce real and lasting results.
Fasting is a practice I do yearly during the month of Ramadan, but after my studies in nutrition I felt that we are in
urgent need to change the way we break our fast, I started experimenting on myself and my family, I decided to break
our cultural habit of indulging on sweets, sugary drinks and heavy meals after fasting, instead I used fresh squeezed
juices, fruits and whole grains to satisfy the hunger and sweet tooth.
To my amazement this was my best fasting year, I felt very energized after breaking my fast as opposed to feeling
very heavy and tired before, I also noticed less hunger and dizziness during the fast, my weight went down, and I felt
clean from inside like a post- detox feeling, my energy was very high even during the fasting days, my mind was
clearer and my body felt lighter and I was able to use that month for what it is really meant to be, to stop being
attached to food and connect to more important meaningful things in life.
I wanted to share with you the tips I learned to make the best out of your fasting experience this year, I hope you are
able to benefit from this book and use it to maximize the health benefits you can get from fasting.
Healthy Fasting
4

Variations of fasting
Fasting is an old form of healing; it was practiced among different religions, cultures and doctors for
treating diseases. Some people fast for spiritual and religious reasons, some to clean up after a
holiday, to give their digestion a break or to loose weight, Regardless of the motive behind fasting
numerous health benefits of fasting have been documented in various studies.
In Judaism There are two major fast days and four minor fast days. Yom kippur and Tisha B’Av two of the
major fasts, last for 24 hours starting from sunset – when there is still some light outside- and ending at the
next one, when its dark and stars can be seen, no food, drink or baths are allowed during the fast.
In Christianity Biblically, fasting is abstaining from food, drink, sleep or sex to focus on a period of spiritual
growth. All religions practice fasting in one form or anther.
In Islam, fasting is abstaining from all food, drink,
sins and sex, Muslims fast during the whole month
of Ramadan everyday from sunrise and breaking
their fast at sunset, Muslims are also encouraged
to fast 2 days a week and on few other occasions.
All animals fast occasionally, during stress or
illness to conserve energy needed for rest and
healing.
In the health field, we see other form of fasting like the juice fast, water fast and others. We can all fast with
different forms and variations but the health benefits can be increased or eliminated by the way we break our fast
and what we eat after the fast is over. Jumping suddenly to a full heavy loaded meal can hinder or even reverse all
the health benefits of fasting.
“Fasting is the process where you
abstain from food and/or water for a
set period of time. Modifications of
fasting allow people to consume only
water or fruit juices, some people fast
from eating animal foods only but
consume vegetable and fruits freely”
Healthy Fasting
5

Studies had showed that fasting helps regenerate the whole immune system,
shifting stem cells from a dormant state to a state of self-renewal. When you
starve, the system tries to save energy, and one of the things it can do to save
energy is to recycle a lot of the immune cells that are not needed, especially
those that may be damaged.
Why Fast?
(from a health coach point of view)
Our bodies are built to naturally detox and heal all the
time, eating interfered with this process, because the act
of digesting itself requires tremendous effort, and
energy, by fasting we give our body a break from that
process freeing more energy to be geared towards
healing and regenerating.
We also consume fewer toxins, which gives our liver a
break from the daily chore of breaking down all the
chemicals and pesticides in our food and water, and
allows it to more properly work on the stored toxins in
our body and fat cells.
Fasting induces the body to start burning waste from
fat cells, as there is no food coming in to burn, the body
has to burn what it has stored, breaking down the fat
cells and releasing all the sored toxins.
Fasting makes you think sharper and clearer.
Fasting also helps rebalance your body's pH level to a more alkaline state,
which is where healing starts, our diets have become highly acidic due to
increased intake of carbohydrates, sugars. A slightly acidic body contributes
to weight gain, cancer and a host of other diseases. By alkalizing our bodies
weight loss is seen, detoxing is optimized and disease is reduced.
A fast also gives your digestive tract a rest. This helps your digestive system
heal, which can lead to significant health improvements. Allergy symptoms
often improve with fasting. Autoimmune disorders may heal. Fasting improves
insulin sensitivity by lowering blood sugar, which helps diabetes and
metabolic syndrome.
Fasting also helps with emotional eating, you start to find other ways for
yourself to deal with stress or hard moments as food is no longer an option,
you get more in tune with your hunger levels, in the modern world some times
we forget what it actually means to be hungry, we eat on a schedule and we
don’t allow our selves long intervals without food, we rarely experience hunger
at all.
A study published by the Journal of Alternative Complementary Medicine in
2002 found that 90 percent of 174 patients with high blood pressure
who incorporated fasting achieved normal blood pressure. Each of the
participants who had been on antihypertensive medications were able to get
off their drugs.
Healthy Fasting
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How we loose the benefits of fasting by practicing
bad fasting habits
Over the years we acquired many unhealthy habits to our fasting,
instead of it being a month of less food and more spirituality, we became over
obsessed about cooking big feasts to break our fasts on, we make the
heaviest foods during that month thinking that we have to make up for the
hunger and fasting during the day, in addition to a huge list of desserts that fill
our houses in the month of Ramadan. We inherited the habit of breaking our
fast with a variety of sugar loaded drinks made specially for the fasting month,
we end up feeling sluggish and bloated after breaking our fast, loosing the
huge benefit that we could get from this month.
When the body is fasting it is time for great healing, which is stopped or
even reversed by the huge feasts and sugars we consume.
Engaging in extreme physical activity during fasting may not be a good
idea either, it will result in muscle being burned to keep up with the high
energy needs, which will prevent the healing and burning of fat cells
from taking place, to gain the most benefit in engage in mild activity like
a light stroll and get a lot of rest, leave the more physical work for after
breaking the fast.
Toxins are stored mainly in our fat cells. When
we fast, those toxins are released in greater
amounts. Without antioxidants to bind up free
radicals, our cells can be damaged.
Anti oxidants can be obtained by consuming
fresh vegetable/fruit juices, salads and fresh fruit
cuts after breaking the fast.
I emphasize vegetable juice because fruit juice
has too much sugar, which can cause spikes and
dips in blood sugar, leaving you tired. However,
you can use a little fruit to flavor and sweeten
veggie juice recipes.
Disastrous Ramadan Drinks
Karkadeh, Tamr hendi, and Amar eldin, are all classic Ramadan
drinks that are found in every house on every table, when I first
learned to make them I was shocked with the amount of sugar
added in there, no less than 2-3 cups of sugar, and that’s just the
start, that amount of sugar is very able to knock off any detox or
health benefits gained from the fast, sugar also weakens the
immunity which other wised should be strengthened by fasting.
Healthy Fasting
7

Fasting detox symptoms and how to reduce them
The first few days of a fast are the hardest, especially if you were used to
drinking caffeine on a daily basis, its normal to experience headache, tiredness,
bad breath, and dizziness as detox reactions until your body gets accustomed to
the new way of eating, once this initial phase ends you will start feeling
increased energy and less dependence on food.
Fasting brings out all the stored toxins to surface, imagine suddenly being overwhelmed by flowing toxins, you feel horrible,
and it usually needs to get worse before it starts getting better, some of the common symptoms are weakness, bad breath,
blacking out, headaches and migraines, aches and pains, and nervousness. Anther reason for these symptoms is the bodies
attempt to conserve energy which leads to feelings of tiredness and weakness
Steps to reduce the initial phase of detox symptoms when fasting
1.Start reducing the amount of caffeine gradually 2 weeks before fasting period
2.After breaking your fast, consume liver supporting herbs like dandelion and milk thistle in the form of warm teas or tinctures.
3.Take time to rest during your fast, don’t engage in vigorous physical activity.
4.Make sure you consume a variety of colors from fruits and veggies especially dark green leaves like kale and broccoli to support the
detox paths.
5.Practice daily dry skin brushing to help flush toxins out through skin and promote proper blood circulation.
6.Reduce or eliminate the amount of sugar in your diet prior to starting your fast to avoid removal symptoms.
7.Make sure that you drink a lot of water with lemon after breaking your fast, to help the flush the toxins out.
8.Drink green juices to help alkalize your body and facilitate the removal of toxins
Healthy Fasting
8

Tips for getting the most out of your fasting
The biggest favor you can do to
your body this Ramadan is to
Forget the sugary drinks and
break your fast with a fresh
squeezed juice, you will feel the
difference in your energy,
digestion and mind clarity.
Break your fast with 3 dates and some water or a freshly squeezed juice, this will
quickly hydrate you and give you a boost of energy from the sugars in it, give
your digestion15-20 minutes to kick in before you jump into the main meal.
Start the main meal with a warm soup, it could be plain chicken or beef broth, or
a vegetable soup like broccoli, carrot or mushroom soup, that will be easy on the
stomach and your sluggish digestion, it will also help replenish some of the lost
fluids during the fasting day.
Staying hydrated
Drink as much water as you can between
Iftar and Sohor, small sips when ever you
can
Consume a lot of fruit starting at least 2 hours
after your main meal, this will keep you
hydrated and also satisfy your Ramadan
sweet tooth in a healthy way
Increase your intake of minerals to avoid
dehydration from things like coconut water,
water with lemon and sea salt or try one of
those super hydrating drinks below.
Soups and broths are a great source of
water and minerals in addition to being easy
on the stomach.
Avoiding sugar coasters Consuming sugar and refined carbs before the fast will set you a up for a blood sugar rollercoaster that will
leave you crashing down in the middle of the fast, it is essential to reduce the amount of refined carbs and sugars, while replacing them with
complex whole grains, proteins and healthy fats, will give our bodies the needed nutrients and fiber to keep our blood sugar stable and avoid
the rush and crash that comes along with sugar and refined carbs.
Avoiding over eating Our bodies are naturally detoxing and healing during a fast, the digestive system enjoys the needed break, jumping
suddenly into a heavy full meal shocks the system, and cause indigestion ad bloating, you will feel very tired and sluggish after wards, you
will also hinder the healing process. Make sure your meals are light and small, and that you take the time to start up your digestion first after
breaking the fast before you jump to the main meal. This can be done by drinking soup or broth or having a few dates with water then waiting
for 15-20 minutes before having the full meal.
Avoid too much salt in canned, processed, and pickled foods, It will increase your thirst during fasting.
Healthy Fasting
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DAY 1
Sohor ( pre-fasting meal)
1-2 cups of full fat yoghurt or yoghurt drink
“the probiotics in the yoghurt will help ease the discomfort and indigestion caused by fasting and
suddenly eating at the end of the day, it’s also loaded with protein and fat that will help you feel full
longer”
Iftar ( Breaking fast meal)
Break the fast with 3 dates and water or super hydrating juice
(wait 15 minutes for the main meal)
1 small Beet
4 Large carrots
1 Apple
2 stacks of celery
Juice all ingredients in a juicer
1-2 eggs
“Protein is an essential component of any meal to make it filling, and to sustain hunger levels for a
long period of time, making it a perfect pre-fast meal”
Broccoli soup
1 large onion
1 leek
1 lb. broccoli
1 cup full fat coconut milk
3 cups chicken broth
Salt, pepper and nut meg
Sauté the onions and leek in coconut oil until yellowed, add the broccoli stock and seasoning, let boil
until broccoli slightly tender but still green, add coconut milk and blend with a hand held blender.
Hydrating Fruit
Water melon, cantaloupe, prunes or peaches are all fruits that are full of water, they will hydrate
you and give you some carbs and sugars to keep your energy going through the fast.
Don’t forget to drink water or coconut water during Sohor and
through out the day after breaking the fast
Oven Baked chicken with spinach berry salad
2 cups baby spinach
½ cup purple cabbage, chopped
½ cup fresh blueberries
½ cup fresh raspberries
Vinaigrette
½ cup blueberries
1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Prepare your vinaigrette .Blend until smooth. Set to the side. Assemble the salad, Top with blueberry
vinaigrette and mix until well coated

DAY 2
Sohor ( pre-fasting meal)
Smoothie
1 cup watermelon, cubed
4-6 frozen strawberries
2 cups coconut water
Blend all ingredients in a blender
Foul ( Fava Beans)
If you still needed an extra protein boost, beans is a great source, yet it has to be prepared properly
to avoid gas and indigestion.
Soak the beans for 24 hours in water and lemon
Drain and wash well, add clean water and let cook over night
Season with salt, cumin and olive oil
Iftar ( Breaking fast meal)
Break the fast with 3 dates and water or super hydrating drink
(wait 15 minutes for the main meal)
1 squeezed lime
1 ½ to 2 cups coconut water
1/8 teaspoon of sea salt
2 tablespoons raw honey
Carrot Soup
8 carrots peeled and chopped
1 onion
1 green apple
2 cups chicken soup
1 can coconut milk
1 tsp. fresh ginger
Salt
Pepper
Cloves and nut meg
Sauté the onions and carrots in coconut oil until yellowed, add stock and seasoning, let boil until
broccoli slightly tender but still green, add coconut milk and blend with a hand held blender.
3 Dates
“ high in vitamins A and B6, folic acid, potassium, natural sodium, iron, and magnesium, which is
highly needed in Ramadan due to the small out of food taken in, it is also high in fiber which helps
relieve any constipation from fasting and keep you full long, the sugars in dates will give you a boost
of energy that will not wane quickly because the fiber will cause a gradual release in these sugars
instead of a sugar rush.”
Don’t forget to drink water or coconut water during Sohor and
through out the day after breaking the fast
Roasted salmon with Arugula salad and tangerine dressing
2 cups arugula
1 tangerine, sectioned
1 to 2 radishes, thinly sliced
⅓ cup pumpkin seeds
Tangerine dressing
1 tangerine, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove
¼ teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Prepare your dressing. Blend until smooth. Set to the side. Assemble the salad, Top with tangerine
dressing and mix until well coated

Social Eating In Ramadan
People get to eat out and at friends and family a lot in Ramadan,
which leads to a form of over eating that we call “social eating”,
this happens when you overeat not because you are hungry but
just because every one around you is doing so! You dig in the
dessert that pasta and you end up feeling terribly full and bloated.
We naturally get full faster and from smaller amounts of food
in Ramadan than any other time, yet we ruin our small
appetites by over filling it with sugary drinks, carbs and
desserts. Plan to be more in tune with your hunger levels this
Ramadan, stop eating when you are not hungry, you will
.
notice that you eat way less than any other time in the year.
It’s not easy to avoid that social pressure to eat with every one! But by having the right mindset you can reduce the damage.
Set your mind from the beginning of Ramadan that you will not dig into heavy and sugary foods except once every weekend for example.
Start your meal with a filling soup and salad, followed by protein instead of starting with the carbs and sugars, and hopefully by the time you reach
the unhealthy plates your stomach is full already.
Remind your self that you can enjoy your friends and family without overeating, the act of socializing and talking with loved ones is a joy in and of it
self, and doesn’t need any sort of food or dessert to make the experience full.
Healthy Fasting
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I wish you a healthy, happy Ramadan, where you stop
thinking about food and start thinking about what
Fasting is all about!
Forgetting food and connecting to deeper things in life,
finding the time and energy to do the more important
things.
I hope that by following my tips you can come out of
Ramadan with a whole set of new healthy eating
habits that you can take with you through out your
life,and with increased energy and clarity.
I look forward to working with you. Please contact me for your free 60 minute strategy session to discuss how
I can help you effectively lose weight, detox with ease, and achieve endless energy.
For more information visit
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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This is not intended to
diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Bee Nourished © 2016