Here are some healthy tips to keep in mind in while fasting in Ramadan:
1. Do not eat sweets directly after iftar because it will cause a high increase in the blood sugar levels which will lead to more cravings to sweets, weight gain, and delay in digestion.
2. Avoid salty, and highly seasoned or spicy foods and increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables that are high in their fiber and water content (such as cucumber, lettuce, watermelon) especially at suhour to decrease thirst.
3. Be moderate in your consumption of appetizers such as samosas, kibbe…since they are high in their calorie and fat content or try to bake them and use low fat options instead.
4. To avoid constipation during Ramadan; drink plenty of water and be active whenever possible and add your fiber consumption through eating whole grains with lots of vegetables and fruits.
5. Diabetic people during Ramadan should start their iftar with 3 dates, eat three meals (iftar, light snack, and suhour) every 2 to 3 hours to help in stabilizing their sugar levels and prevent any hypoglycemia.
6. Try to reduce your caffeine consumption two weeks prior to Ramadan especially if you are a heavy drinker to avoid headaches.
7. Do not sleep directly after iftar or suhour to have a better digestion and prevent more fat storage.
8. Do 30 -40 min cardio exercise (jogging, cycling…) before iftar to help in burning fat and do weight training after 3 hours from iftar or after taraweeh with more protein consumption at suhour for muscle recovery.
9. After breaking your fast with water and dates; keep a 20-min gap before taking your iftar main dish to give your body a chance to boost its metabolism.
Don’t pause your health and fitness goals this Ramadan! Call 800-GETSLIM (800-4387546) for a healthier month.