Healthy Ramadan Tips For Fasting

Ramadan Kareem to all of you! Here are the healthy Ramadan tips for fasting that will help beginners, students, workers, teachers, and other professionals to stay productive throughout the month.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is not only the month of fasting! Basically, fasting is part of Ramadan, it's a month to attract peace, rejuvenate the soul, tranquility, goodness, forgiveness, and mercy, attain paradise, understand Quran, and celebrate being a Muslim! It's a duty to make an effort to get the willingness of the Almighty.

Ramadan is the greatest month to absorb Allah's blessings and we are all excited to welcome it with pure hearts to do our best. It's a festive time for every Muslim who observes iftar and suhoor and then the period of fasting.

Ramadan gives us an opportunity to fix our physical and mental health issues and nourish the soul with purity while fasting. In this post, I will share some tips that will guide to take the best action during iftar and suhoor to maintain your health in a productive and agile manner. It's a perfect time to cleanse the heart, body, and soul.

Fasting is the best time and opportunity for us to detox our body in a healthy way so we have to keep a strong check on our food menu and the way to take it.

Eating the wrong food will keep you down, tired, and lethargic throughout the day and will totally mess up your spiritual obligations with periodic mood swings.

I have seen many people complain that we are down after iftar and it's becoming difficult to go for Taraweeh which is totally against the fasting protocols. In the same way, right after suhoor, people want to sleep and wrong eating habit make them dull, lazy, and nonproductive.

Ramadan Tips For Fasting

So, today we are discussing the right way of eating in Ramadan that will keep you fit, energetic, happy, and active during Ramadan time. Choosing the right food for Iftar and Suhoor time is the best way to keep healthy.

So let's have a look at healthy Ramadan tips...

1) Follow Sunnah To Break The Fast

Holy Prophet Muhammad SAW also said: “Break your fast by eating dates as it is purifying,”.

(Ahmad)

Prophet Muhammad SAW recommends breaking the fast with dates that will help to instantly balance the blood sugar and give you the required multivitamins. For this, you can take a glass of date shake or simply have 2 dates with your preferred Ramadan drink or any have any yogurt drink. It will give you immense pleasure and refresh your soul.

Here is the date roll recipe that you can prepare before Ramadan and store in your refrigerator to serve before iftar.

After taking dates and drinks, go to offer Salat Al Maghrib and continue the food after it.

2) Avoid Greasy Food

Yes, oily and greasy food is the killer! You can take it once during the week but avoid having greasy snacks every other day of iftar. Shift your food priority to take some comforting food like soup, harrisa, or lentils. It will keep you energized and give you enough fluids to hydrate the body.

I personally prefer to have healthy dinner in iftar and that's the best idea.

For this, you can make baked chicken or salmon with some roasted veggies and oven fries. It's the best combo that you can ever try. Carbs are important to keep the energy level so have it with garlic naan bread, dinner rolls, or simply with garlic butter rice.

Airfryer snacks and recipes are great as a substitution for fried food.

3) Stay Away from Confectionery

Sugary food, bakery items, cakes, pastries, and related food can give you sufficient sugar that's not required by your body. Try to balance the sugar level with natural fruits and dates. Moderation and minimalism is the main key to staying focused and making a routine to take healthy food.

4) Stay Hydrated

'Water' is the best! The combination of water with milk makes a highly energetic drink. During Ramadan fasting, many people stop taking water and minerals and that become a big reason of dullness. If 8 glasses are recommended for the day then shift it to 6 but try to take it in portion. Many people try to have most of the water while breaking the fast especially if it's in summer. Best practice is to have it in portion and it will not heavy to your stomach and bladder.

Green tea, detox water is best if you are looking to lose your weight. Orange peel tea is the best idea to incorporate as it will also help to strengthen the immune system.

5) Overeating

It's a common practice to eat big platter and we all do that. Overeating is the main obstacle that hinders prayers. We are fasting to fulfill all our religious and spiritual obligations and overeating can make you sleepy while praying and steel your activeness.

Overeating, overfeeding, and less eating need to investigate if you are feeling tired, sleepy, and non-productive. Focus on portion eating with healthy food and enough liquid can resolve this issue.

30 minutes of brisk walking before iftar or after Taraweeh and dinner can make a big difference in your agility. You will feel more focused, alert, relaxed, and committed. Also, help to get a deep sleep.

6) Time Management

Fasting will be easier and more convenient if we properly follow the time. Sleeping on time right after Taraweeh and waking up at Tahajjud is the key. Monitor your sleep pattern as it will help you to maintain your body fitness.

Sometimes it happens that we eat the right food, and follow all the religious obligations on time but feel lethargic due to lack of sleep. I know it's difficult to manage sleep during Ramadan but we can manage it with a Timer.

What To Eat in Suhoor?

Suhoor (pre-dawn) time to start your fast so try to make your food healthy that will keep you active throughout the day. Never skip the suhoor! and make it nutritious by adding vitamins and protein-enriched food. Take a sufficient amount of liquid to avoid dehydration.

Food items recommended for Suhoor:

• Eggs (Pack with protein) are more recommended and easy food that you can easily prepare according to your taste. Here are some healthy egg recipes that you can try in your suhoor. 
  Scrambled Egg Whites | Egg with Mushrooms | Souffle Omelette | 
  Sweet Toast | Cheese Omellete
• You can also try Porridge, Cereals, and Oatmeals.
• Another option is to add carbohydrates like bread or Roti/Paratha if you like. You can try this egg roll which is simple and easy to cook.
• Try to add a milkshake and water rather than having tea or coffee.
• Food with low GI( Glycemic Index) is always recommended.
• Avoid food with preservatives.
• Try to make fresh food.
• Avoid confectionery sweets like cakes, pastries, and heavy cookies.

If you follow the natural way of eating and avoid processed food that's the sign to keep you healthy and strong throughout your fasting.

There are so many examples to get inspiration as I have seen many people who are 60+ seem fitter than young people. They are active even in summer fasting doesn't make them dull. They never complain and follow the complete protocol of Ramadan that demands us to be more punctual, proactive, and agile.

More Tips for Iftar

Iftar is the most festive time when everybody wants to eat and drink. So making little changes in your iftar dishes can make them more healthy and nutritious which will keep you active and fit for long Taraweeh prayers. Healthy food should contain minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. It sounds difficult to have all this in one day. But you know 'Dates' is the small nugget that gives all the required vitamins so consume it in your daily iftar and suhoor.

Next, is to take enough liquid to hydrate the body. Calcium-enriched liquids are more recommended for Iftar but don't consume a sufficient amount of liquid at the start of iftar. If you do then it will make you inactive and gives you a heavy feeling right after iftar so try to make a portion of the drink and have it in between eating time. Strictly avoid 'carbonated drinks'.

Here are some drinks for Ramadan:
Rooh Afza drink | Rose Lemonade | Date Milkshake

Try Simple and Easy Food in Ramadan

Ramadan is the festive time for everyone and the best season to receive Allah's blessing and forgiveness. Following healthy Ramadan tips to eat proper food in iftar and suhoor will make you more active throughout the month. So eat healthy food to live happily. It will be really encouraging if you let me know that my recipes help you out to make your dishes.