The time for gratitude and spirituality is upon us, and what better chance than this to also be grateful for the body that houses your conscience and spirit. Dietician at the Royal Bahrain Hospital, Danah Quintana, explains how to stay on the wellness track this Holy Month.
Let’s start at the very beginning – with Suhoor, or the pre-dawn meal. It’s prudent to ensure you’re fuelling your body with the right kind of foods to endure till sunset. “The meal at Suhoor should be high in fibre, comprising unprocessed complex carbohydrates such as oats, bran, wheat, barley, rye and the likes to sustain satiety over longer periods of fasting. Including fruits and vegetables helps maintain electrolyte stores, and plenty of fluids keep you hydrated,” says Danah.
It’s often noticed that as the days of the fasting period go by (and thanks to the overindulgent ghabgas that last way into the nights), the devout often skip eating anything just before sunrise. Danah says: “Suhoor is the most important meal of Ramadan. It fulfills the fasting person’s nutritional needs and helps them complete their fast. Many people overlook the merit and importance of this meal and overdo the fatty meals at night, resulting in negative effects on health such as digestive disorders and weight gain due to excess calories stored by the body as fat.”
This brings us to the concept of mindful eating during the month that encourages quiet reflection and introspection. Danah’s pointers:
1. Break your fast first with dates and water and then eat a meal after your prayers.
2. Follow the Three Meal Rule: Iftar, a light meal and Suhoor.
3. Eat balanced meals including whole grain carbohydrates, lean protein, plenty of vegetables and fruits.
4. Limit salty, spicy and sweet treats.
While you abstain from ingesting anything over most of your regular waking hours, it is important that you keep a tab on how much water your system receives. “Drink eight to 12 glasses (two-three litres), of liquids between sunset and sunrise to reduce the risk of dehydration. Besides water, pure fruit /vegetable juices, milk, laban and soups count as liquids. Reduce the consumption of caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea and carbonated drinks,” advises Danah.
n addition to eating and drinking wisely, one must sleep enough too. Danah recommends at least six to eight hours of shut-eye per 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,” she adds.
For all the exercise aficionados, a word of caution: Whether you can carry on with your workouts depends on the type of exercise you do. Our dietician suggests light to moderate exercise two or three hours after Iftar, preferably in an air-conditioned room. “If proper precautions are taken and correct guidelines are followed, a work-out can be done in the fasting hours as well, although such exercise should be limited to no longer than 60 minutes in a sufficiently cool location. It’s important to replenish salts and minerals lost by the body by drinking sufficient amounts of fluids after the fast is broken, and of course, to give the body the rest it needs,” she explains.
To summarise, Danah says: “What and how much we eat affects our health directly, especially during the Holy Month. Refraining from unhealthy food can help improve self-discipline and restraint if done appropriately. Ramadan is an opportunity to make healthy lifestyle choices and give up some of our bad habits. Being mindful of how you fast and how you break your fast can help to improve your overall health – both physically and mentally.”
