Sehri, the right way

Fri, 05, 20

First week into Ramazan, and many of us start losing the pre-Ramazan energy that keep us buoyed in the first few fasts....

TIPS 'N' TRICKS

Happy Ramazan, one and all!

Once again, the Almighty has blessed us with Ramazan. Time to reflect and rethink, and not to forget what we learn after the holy month … wishful thinking? Well, as they say, till there is life there is hope.

We only want you to put your thinking cap on and we are sure you all are intelligent enough to come up with what we are doing wrong. Us doesn’t sermonize, so relax. We know you all out there are smart enough to figure out what to do post Ramazan. But figuring out is not the only important thing; having the strength and determination to act on our resolutions is what we must do.

First week into Ramazan, and many of us start losing the pre-Ramazan energy that keep us buoyed in the first few fasts. The reason, of course, is our eating habits. People are rather fond of saying ‘saal mein ek baar tou ata hai Ramazan’, so we should enjoy all traditional Ramazan delights.

That’s true; we should enjoy food that only tastes so good during Ramazan, but moderation is the key, and hogging must be shunned like Corona.

The most important thing is to eat foods that are good for us and avoid stuff that may be tastier, but makes the fast harder than it can be. And, on no account should you shun the fashion of avoiding sehri! It is sunnah, and eating sehri will keep you strong. You will probably not even have headaches!

As we promised you, we don’t sermonize. We are here with some simple tips to make your sehri delightful and healthy. Read on… and enjoy!

1. Get up early for sehri (it’s for those who sleep before sehri, of course!) If you are done with eating, say 15 minutes before fajr, you can drink more water.

2. Between iftari and sehri, hydrate as much as possible.

3. Eat yogurt, topped with a handful of nuts. It will keep your energy level up, and make you feel less thirsty.

4. Eat well, but avoid oily stuff. Eggs are good and sustain you for a long while, but, at the same time, can make you thirsty. A compromise is two have an omelette of two egg whites. Not tasty enough? Understandable. Make sure you have lassi (without sugar) with it.

4. Cereals are healthy and full of goodness. Eat desi cereals like jau ka daliya with milk and honey.

5. Red meat makes some people thirsty as they eat a lot, thinking it is good for keeping the hunger pangs at bay. But it can make you thirsty, too. So take it in moderation.

6. Those who are not addicted to tea or coffee are lucky! Caffeine increases body temperature and is diuretic. You don’t want to feel dehydrated, right. Wish it were not so difficult to fast without having at sehri. Sigh!

7. Have veggies and fruit rich in water content. Luckily, tarbooz and khurbooza are aplenty. Enjoy.

8. Eat food that is not too salty and spicy.

9. Include grain and seeds, as they digest slowly.

10. Avoid acidity by including whole wheat (grains and seed), vegetables (green beans, peas, spinach, herbs like methi, iron rich leaves of beetroot), dry fruits (figs, plums and almonds).

Ideally, your sehri should have protein and fiber. Try your best to avoid food rich in sugar. Use honey to sweeten yogurt, as this will help you avoid thirstiness. So eat healthy, and have a great Ramazan.