close
Tuesday March 19, 2024

Adopt right food choices during Ramazan

By Muhammad Qasim
May 26, 2018

Rawalpindi : Maintaining energy levels and avoiding unhealthy food temptations that come during the month of Ramazan is of utmost importance as a month-long fasting gives the stomach a break and helps the body expelling accumulated toxins.

Fasting in the holy month of Ramazan provides a great opportunity to Muslims to focus on a balanced and healthy lifestyle and to start learning ways to develop self-control and improve eating habits. Ramazan should not be taken as a season of ‘pakoras’, ‘samosas’, ‘parathas’ etc. and all one can eat at buffet ‘Iftars’.

Cut down on deep-fried foods as they cause indigestion, heartburn, weight gain and make you feel bloated. Try grilled, baked, steamed or shallow-fried foods. High sugar and high fat foods give the body a sudden energy rush which makes it difficult to fast the whole day.

Head of Community Medicine at CMH Lahore Medical College Professor Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Chaudhry expressed this while talking to ‘The News’ on Friday.

He added that slow digesting and energy rich foods help the body to avoid feeling bloated and tired. These foods include porridge, oatmeal, bran, beans, egg, chicken, fish, whole meal bread/roti, rice, dates, bananas, apricots and pears, he said.

The best idea is to consume Low Glycemic Index foods at ‘sehr’ and ‘iftar’ and diet should be well-balanced and contain items from each food group such as vegetables, cereals, meat, dairy products and fruits, he said.

He said protein rich foods, fibre rich foods and calcium and vitamin rich foods like eggs, oatmeal and dairy products should be preferred at ‘sehr’. Eggs are high in protein and most nutritious that help one to stay fuller, he said.

Oatmeal is rich in fibre and a perfect meal your body needs during Sehr. Dairy products are great source of nutrition. Opt for a yoghurt smoothie. For ‘sehri’, ‘parathas’ are a poor choice in any case and likely to cause heartburn, said Dr. Ashraf.

He added simple or refined carbohydrates such as sugars, white flour, pastries, donuts and salty foods such as pickles, chips etc. and caffeinated drinks like coffee and tea should be avoided during ‘sehr’.

He said one must avoid sugar as it is mother of all evils. Stay away from giant special-offer bottles of Colas. Load up fruit before letting yourself touch ‘mithai’ or chocolate. Use sweet fruits like grapes in your fruit ‘chaat’ for sweetness and stay away from the sugar jar, he said.

Potassium rich fruits, raw nuts and sufficient fluids should be taken at ‘iftar’. Dates are nutrient power-houses and excellent food-item to break open fast. It not only helps you hydrate quickly, but gives energy to make you feel rejuvenated after the long-hours of fasting, explained Dr. Ashraf.

Terming dehydration the toughest part of fasting, he said loading up on water at ‘sehr’ is not the best plan instead it is far smarter to stagger your hydration through the night. Drink as much water as possible or fruit juices between ‘iftar’ time and bedtime to avoid dehydration. Start with two glasses of water at ‘iftar’, and follow with a glass every hour till bedtime. By the time you sleep, you will have had six glasses of water. Aim for a manageable two glasses at ‘sehr’ and you have had eight glasses in the day, which is usually sufficient, he explained.

He added that carbonated drinks, high sugar foods and fried foods should be avoided at Iftar. “Instead of pakoras at Iftar, try a healthy channa or fruit chaat with loads of vegetables or dahi Bhallay, which are much less oily.”

Dr. Ashraf said one should take dates with one snack item at Iftar and then eat a simple evening meal with one meat dish and one vegetable dish or salad accompanied by rice or roti.