The holy month of Ramadan is now in full swing, a time when observant Muslims fast during daylight hours in as a show of patience, sacrifice and humility to God.
In these modern times Ramadan has gotten a little more interesting, with some religious leaders saying its OK for people to fast with the help of diet patches because they’re still not actually consuming anything.
Tips for Ramadan fasting
But if you’d like to fast in a more traditional way, what should you do? The key is to make healthy choices when you are eating so that you don’t feel hungry and weak during the times you aren’t eating.
Dieticians say good choices for the iftar, or evening meal breaking the fast, include dates, which are high in potassium; soup, which is rehydrating; and cool salads like fatoosh.
The main part of the meal should consist of carbs and protein, and any meal before sunrise in the morning should include yogurt and fruit or other cooling, low-fat and healthy foods.
Experts say the first few days of the fast are the hardest, but in time the body adapts to getting all its nutrients in the dark hours and the metabolic rate lowers to deal with the lack of food.
One particular problem this time around is that the month falls in the summer, and people following the fast aren’t allowed to drink water in the daytime, either. People are advised to avoid being in the sun (or outside at all, for that matter) for long periods of time and to limit physical activity when possible.
Many have unhealthy diets during month
Researchers at the University of Granada have found that people tend to get too much fat and not enough protein and carbohydrates during Ramadan. The study followed university students taking part in Ramadan and compared their macronutrient consumption to recommendations and people who weren’t following the fast.
On average the fasters consumed 48 percent of their calories from fat, much more than the recommended 30 percent. They got only 9 percent of their energy from protein and 43 percent from carbohydrates. The normal recommendations are about 15 percent protein and 50 to 60 percent carbs, according to researchers.
They said people need to be informed of what a healthier diet looks like and be given information on how to pack healthier meals into the nighttime hours.
In case you were wondering, not all Muslims are required to fast. Children, pregnant women and diabetics who use insulin are exempt from the obligation.
Descargar
