Cure and Care-Magazine

• OVER EAT
A large, heavy meal that is difficult to digest is the last thing your
body wants after a day of fasting from food and water. And while it
may seem like a good idea at the time, overeating will leave you feeling
bloated, and lethargic. Highly not recommended. Instead, have
a light meal at iftar, split your meal into smaller portions and have
the rest later.
• DEVOUR IN SWEETS
Delightful sweets in Ramadan are tough to resist. To avoid consuming
too many calories, make sure you always practice portion
control and moderation. Eating sweets immediately after Iftar will
increase the size of your stomach and cause a delay in digestion. It
will also cause instability in the blood glucose level, which will lead
to you craving for more sweets. That’s why, nutritionist recommend
to have sweets 2-3 hours after Iftar.
• SKIP SUHOOR
Just as breakfast is the most important meal of the day, ‘Suhour’ is
equally important during Ramadan. The pre-dawn meal helps your
body stay hydrated and fuelled up on energy and nutrients until
your next meal at iftar. It also helps you avoid overeating when you
break your fast at sunset.
GENERAL TIPS TO KEEP YOU HEALTHY THIS RAMADAN:
• Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water daily from Iftar to Suhoor to
prevent dehydration and constipation.
• Limit your intake of fried foods, and foods high in fats and
sugar. Avoid foods high in salt such as pickles, salty crackers
and nuts, and canned foods.
• Sleep for 6-8 hours a day to get sufficient mental and physical
rest. Less sleep means you will feel tired during the day which
in turns leads to less productivity and activity.
• If you suffer from gastric ulcers avoid spices, coffee, carbonated
beverages and fried food.
• If you suffer from continuous hunger, eat food rich in fiber
which is slow to absorb.
• If you suffer from fullness or gastro-intestinal discomfort after
eating, chew your food very well and allow enough time for
your meal. Don’t overeat.
UNHEALTHY HABITS TO AVOID:
• Try not to drink excess fluids at night for fear of thirst during
the day. This will lead to abdominal distress.
• Avoid eating large amounts of food at Iftar which will lead to
extreme fullness.
• Try and avoid having a large quantity of starters and sweets, or
drinks with added sugar as this will result to calorie increase
resulting to weight gain.
• Don’t consume a wide variety of food at night or Suhoor, especially
foods high in fat, with the notion that they will prevent
hunger pangs during the day.
With a better view and choices, we hope this Ramadan will be a
great opportunity to focus on bringing back a balanced and healthy
lifestyle. Just remember: whatever you decide to eat, a balanced food
plan containing healthy ingredients, cooked right will help you enjoy
Iftar and Suhoor while giving you good health and more energy. Being
mindful of how you fast and how you break your fast can help to
improve your overall health. Hence, bear in mind to make intelligent
choices in what to eat and how to eat.
Have a healthy, peaceful and happy Ramadan!
• Have a balanced varied Iftar which incorporates dates, soup,
salad, a main dish, fruits and a small piece of Ramadan sweet.
• Include light exercises. Walk or participate in some kind of
physical activity.
• Try not to drink too much coffee/tea especially at Suhoor as it
can increase fluids lost through urination.
• Have Suhoor to fill your body with energy and help regulate
your blood sugar. Don’t overeat.
• If you suffer from constipation while fasting, increase your
fluid intake and eat food rich in fibre.
• If you suffer from heartburn after iftar, avoid fried food and
food high in fat.
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