Healthy Eating in Ramadan

Muslims fast from sunsrise to sunset once a year for a 30 day long run. Recently “the west” seems to have woken up to the powers of fasting on health and its very trendy to practice Intermittent Fasting. Well, if you are a Muslim reading this you’ll be proud to know we’ve been quietly getting on with it all along! Guidance comes from a greater source than western science!! Unfortunately though, as some Muslims have become more affluent, less active and busier, the benefits of the fasting period are significantly reduced due to overindulgence.

During the summer months in the northern hemisphere the fasts can be 18-20 hours long. No different from an 18:6 Intermittant fast! The guidance for diet in Ramadan is no different from a generally healthy diet any other time of the year but the key is to start planning well before Ramadan commences. You can find some tips on planning here

However,some tips specifically to reduce the risk of complications during fasting can be found below. The most common complications of fasting are

• Dehyrdation
• Headaches
• Heartburn
• Constipation
• Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar)

Please consult a doctor or healthcare professional if you have any chronic conditions 4-8 weeks BEFORE Ramadan begins for more specific advice.

The advice below is a general guildline for most healthy adults. Ramadan is not the time to make huge and radical changes to your diet. The sleep disruprution in itself makes it challenging enough so any changes should be more like tweaks to make your usual diet healthier. Again, to re-emphisise, this process of tweaking should start a good 4-6 weeks before ramadan begins. Whatever diet you have the “rules” below will help make it a healthier Ramadan for you.

Rule 1: Water, water everywhere….HYDRATE to ward off headaches, constipation and prevent overeating and weight gain.Drink around 3.5% of your weight in water during the eating window, spread out evenly. If you dont like water, infuse with fresh fruits like stawberries for a lovely light flavour.The traditional iftaari (break-fast) of dates and water is in fact pretty much perfect way of hydrating with the dates providing the electrolytes needed to revive and energise the body. One of the best ways of hydrating and replenishing micronutrients is by drinking a mild salt solution. Adding a pinch of salt to water is very refreshing especially if you are feeling quite depleted. If you have been active and busy all day, or out in the sun throughout your fast, this wouldbe a good way to replenish. You can  also “eat your water” with hydrating foods: watermelon, cucumber, grapes, lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, peppers,celery, melon etc which are high in nutrients. Always try to pick raw, local and seasonal fruits. Organic if your pocket can afford it. Avoid diuretics like tea, coffee and fizzy drinks which increase dehydration and mineral loss. Avoid processed foods , all processed and packaged products, that are generally lacking in hydration.

Rule 2: Veg Out    Vegetables are a great way to get key nutrients into the body. In Ramadan that can be hard with only 2 meals quite close to each other. However, try and incorporate vegetables in your Suhoor, eg, Omelette with spinach, peas and red pepper or Scrambled eggs with roasted veg Or whatever veg you like. Fill at least 50% of your plate with lots of steamed or lightly boiled vegetables to reduce vitamin and mineral deficiencies and prevent constipation and weight gainAgain, choose organic if possible and local too. Season with salt and herbs to taste. And you can cook in butter, ghee or cocnut oil to get some healthy fats i n while your at it!

Rule 3: Protein Priority     Ensure you have protein with each meal, to maintain muscle mass and keep you feeling full for longer:  meat, fish, eggs, cottage cheese, cheese, green vegetables, kidney beans, lentils, nuts and seeds, full fat milk and yoghurt. Protein is essential to provide nutrients to keep us strong and healthy. Neglect this at your peril!We only ever really hear negative things about meat but in reality meat is FULL of essential nutrients and in fact are exceptionally nutritionally dense. Just cook at home in real and natural fats and avoid takeaways. Choose the best meat you can afford: organic, pasture-fed, local, from the butchers not from the supermarket, unprocessed. Cook it yourself. However if you cannot do or afford this then buy the best you can. We often obsess about halal but as Muslims it is just as vital that we source our meat ethically. Animal welfare is extremely important so buy the best you can, but perhaps eat meat less often to make it affordable to only buy the best

Rule 4: Have a “healthy-fat diet ”Vegetable oil, sunflower oil, in fact any seed oil should be totally avoided for your health at ALL times. These oils are highly unstable when heated and produce toxic byproducts. Do yourself and your heart and brain a favour and eliminate them as much as possible from your diet.Cook with ghee, butter, extra virgin olive oil (its safe to cook with), coconut oil, tallow,duck fat. Basicallly oils and fats high in saturated fats or mono-unsaturated fats are better to cook with. Other good fats to incorporate are nuts, avocado, fish, eggs, meat,cheese . Avoid deep fried foods, ready meals, processed baked goods, takeaways and hydrogenated fats.

Rule5: Good Carb, Bad CarbIf you are moderate to low carb, great! A body that is used to limiting starch and refined carbohydrates in the diet  will find fasting easier its less likely to experience cravings and rollercoaster blood sugar levels.If you do not want to limit your carbs to less than 100g a day (thats a moderate carb diet) then be careful of your carb choices. Swap refined and heavily processed foods (bread, pasta, white rice, potatoes) with slow releasing complex carbohydrates like brown or basmati rice, lentils, semolina, millet, bran,sweet potatoes, porridge oats, chickpeas, beans, vegetables, nuts. etc which keep blood sugar levels more stable for longer and reduce the risk of hypoglycaemia. Have cakes, sweet foods, biscuits, white flour products for a special treat only and rarely too. High fibre foods (oats, fruit,nuts,seeds,beans, lentils and veg, bran,) will help to reduce likelihood of constipation.

Rule 6:Avoid the Iftaar Binge!Eat light! Dates and water give a hydrating, nutritional burst of energy, then a healthy moderate meal 15/20mins later will reduce likelihood of indigestion, bloating and heartburn and weight gainTry not to be wasteful. Just prepare what you need. Try not to be focussing on complicated, elaborate meals. Stick to simple meals that are nourishing and easy to prepare. You can make a real difference to your experience of fasting by good portion control and  avoiding sugar-laden, high-seed oil, processed foods as much as possible. Try to be the first to leave the table to avoid temptation to overeat.

Inshallah, I hope this will give you a good basis to make informed choices about your Ramadan meals. The basic message is  EAT REAL FOOD, simple and nutritious, natural and well sourced.

I have listed some of my favourite meals to give you some more inspiration.

Suhoor:

Boiled eggs, halloumi sticks and green veg

3 egg Omlette with spinach, red onion,red pepper and peas

Scrambled eggs, avocado , grilled paprika and garlic veg

Cheesy omlette with mushrooms and turkey rashers.

Full fat greek yoghurt and berries, pistachio nuts, almond flakes, seeds. Teaspoon almond butter.

Porridge , salty of course (I’m scottish!)

Fried eggs, sausages, mushrooms

paratha and fried egg or yoghurt

Iftaar:

Stir fry chicken/lamb/beef and veg

Salmon and brocolli/sprouts and cauliflower

Chicken or lamb curry with a small portion of brown rice or wholemeal roti

Soup – there are so many choices!

Channa masala / Kidney bean curry/ veg lasagna/ mixed veg curry/ dhal . small portion of your fav carbs (rice/roti/poato)

Any meat/fish with a big veg salad

Extra resources A very informative resource written by Communities in Action and funded by the DOH, with many tips and lots or information can be found here. Health Professionals can print off or direct patients to it.

A detailed post on physical activity in Ramadan can be found here