Saturday, September 23, 2006

HEALTHY EATING

Exercise is very important to burn off the extra calories and prevent tiredness. Go for a walk for about two hours after Iftar.
It is preferred to delay Suhour till before dawn, to make sure your body gets the maximum benefits from the nutrients of the Suhour meal and to also supply the body with energy and ease tiredness.
Eating Healthy during Ramadan: For you to get all the nutrients needed by the body, your meals should contain all the basic food groups (bread and grains, fruits and vegetables, meat and beans, milk and dairy products).
Drinking iced water to break your fast does not replenish your thirst but causes your blood vessels to contract and cause indigestion. For this reason, it is recommended to drink water at room temperature or slightly cold.
Water plays a significant role in weight reduction, because it helps to get rid of toxins and reduces the feeling of hunger. So try to drink small quantities of water throughout the night during Ramdan.
Eating sweets immediately after Iftar will increase the size of your stomach and cause a delay in digestion. It will also cause a fluctuation in the blood glucose level, which will lead to you craving for more sweets. That’s why, it is recommended to have it 2-3 hours after Iftar (after Taraweeh prayer).

(source Nestlé site)

8 comments:

Syed Sibgatullah said...

the thing about breaking fast with ice cold water and having sweets in iftar was quite interesting. thanks for the info.

Shaykhspeara Sha'ira said...

What we should remember is, th ebody needs to adjust to the fluid levels, because they change during ramadan, when we have sometimes 12 hours without drinking. Between breaking the fast and starting the fast we should keep on drinking small amounts gradually so that the body can readjust.

Also a lot of us drink tea in the mornings, that is a bad idea. Tea dehydrates. Same with coffee. Juice and water is the way to go.

Boo! said...

Okay... two hours of exercise after the iftaar?

I generally find that saying the tarawih helps with the digestion a lot. Of course, that's easier when in a Muslim country. In HK, I'm not sure if I'll be going for Tarawih prayers to the mosque.

For that matter, I'm not sure I'll be eating enough at Iftaar to require that much exercise.

As for eating sugar causing change in glucose levels, it does that anyway. Having sugar generally leads to craving more sugar because it causes a spike in the levels of insulin.

O well... enough on general nutrition. Just try and get all major food groups in during Ramadan. It is generally difficult to get that, given most of our traditional methods of celebrating the month.

Shaykhspeara Sha'ira said...

One can always pray tarawih at home. I usually do when I can't be bothered going to the mosque. It is quite a good exercise like you said. Who needs pilates! lol

clayfuture said...

I'm joining the gym!

Shaykhspeara Sha'ira said...

lol! My mom bough some pilates videos, I might put one on! lol

luckyfatima said...

to avoid a blood sugar spike one should NOT have sweets alone 2 hours after a meal. Having sweets shortly/quickly after a meal is actually better because it allows the protein and fibre from the meal to reduce the impact of the spikes in insulin and sugar caused by the sweets. If one insists on having sweets in between meals (meaning not balanced with a proper protein to curb the spike) then one should at least have a glass of milk or some peanuts or some other small protein to avoid the nasty spikes. Spikes lead to drowsiness and cravings, which are among the reasons they are so bad.

Shaykhspeara Sha'ira said...

luckyfatima Welcome :) Ramadan Kareem. Feel free to contribute on the blog, and if you have pictures of Ramadan where you are, I'd be happy to recieve them and post them here. Enjoy your stay :)