Ramazan is considered to be a holy month according to Islamic tradition. In this scorching heat, it is imperative to eat the right foods during Ramzan, especially at the time of sehri. Sehri is a meal consumed early morning before the fajr prayer. Eating the right foods for Sehri ensures that you are hydrated and nourished and also gives you the energy to go without food through the day.
5 Golden Rules of Healthy Eating in Ramazan
Stay hydrated
Dehydration is the toughest part of fasting, but loading up on water at sehri is not the right move. 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 6 glasses of water. Aim for a manageable two glasses at sehri and you’ve had 8 glasses in the day, which is usually sufficient.Remember tea and coffee are dehydrating and shouldn’t be counted in your fluid intake.
Avoid Excessive Sugar Intake
We all crave something sweet when we open our rozas but sugar results in highs and lows that leaves you with more cravings and thus messes up your metabolism.Satisfy your sweet tooth with low-sugar desserts like Ras Malai, yoghurt, fruit custard etc. Stay away from those giant special-offer bottles of Coke or Pepsi. Use grapes in your fruit chaat for sweetness and stay away from the sugar jar. Switch your Gulab Jamun for Ras Malai, which has more milk and less sugar.
Enjoy Food in Moderation
If like parathas and pakoras, limit them to a once-a-week treat rather than a daily indulgence. Instead of pakoras at Iftar, try a healthy channa chaat with loads of veggies and spices or dahi vaday which are much less oily. Try baked samosas instead of fried ones or little grilled chicken shashliks instead of pakoras.
Avoid over-eating. Accompany your 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.
For Sehri, parathas are a poor choice, aim instead for complex carbs in your morning meal – wholemeal roti, bajray ki roti, daal, sujji (semolina) or oatmeal (dalia). Eggs are great if cooked in very little oil but add more protein in the form of milk, yoghurt and nuts to your morning meal.
Add Fibre to Diet
With mealtimes awry and without that morning hit of caffeine, constipation becomes a major issue for many – with attendant gas making things even worse.
Add fibre to your diet to keep your gut moving. Fresh fruit and veggies are ideal, especially pears, but sprinkle wheatbran on your cereal or eat a couple of dried prunes every night to up your fibre intake.
Go Easy on Oil Intake
Good fats in moderation are an essential part of a balanced diet. Save fried food for special occasions and bake or grill your food when you can. Grilled kebabs, baked filo pastries and baked samosas are all delicious and use a lot less oil.
Changing the way we eat in Ramazan takes small changes that have a huge impact on the way you feel & stay healthy.
Not adding too many ‘special’ time-consuming foods to your meals in Ramazan has innumerable health benefits. Also leaving women with more time for prayer and spiritual matters. After all, that’s what Ramazan is really about.
