Ramadan month 2024 has started. This month is holy for the Muslim community. Ramadan is the month of fasting. The month of Ramadan has started in scorching heat. That’s why it is a challenge to be able to fast and worship for about 14 hours from Sehri to Iftar.
Ramadan in Summer
It is hot, fasting on it, to avoid being overtired at the end of the day, Sahri and Iftar food should be rich and nutritious; Keeping the body active in daily activities, not getting overtired and meeting the nutritional needs of the body, these three meals should be arranged keeping in mind that iftar, dinner and sahri. This Ramadan is during summer. The weather is quite hot. At this time, a lot of water comes out of the body through sweat. For that, care should be taken to avoid dehydration.
An adult person needs to drink two to two and a half liters of water daily. Water balance in the body is correct due to intake of necessary water. Many people experience dehydration during fasting. But if the water demand can be fully met from the time of Iftari to Sahri then there should not be any problem. That’s why I think sorbet has become popular as the first ingredient of Iftar in the month of Ramadan. Sherbat can be made with different ingredients. Like squash, various fruit juices, syrup, ispgul, tokma, milk, curd, tamarind, bell, lemon, lachi etc. Apart from sharbat, soaked chira + milk/yogurt, curd, haleem, faluda, fresh fruits etc. can be kept in iftar to maintain water balance. You can have thin dal, milk in the evening and at night.
It is better if you keep a thin broth curry. One of the main ingredients of Iftari is chickpeas or fried boots. As it is an energy booster, it also fulfills protein and carbohydrate needs well. Of course, you should eat according to your needs. Otherwise, there is a risk of weight gain. Apart from chickpeas, chatpati, ghugni etc. can be eaten. They are good for health as they do not use much oil. Meanwhile, the higher the use of oil in other ingredients, the higher the calorie content of the food. Therefore, it is better to reduce the oil as much as possible. Just one or two fried foods can be placed in the Iftar dish to balance it out.
Sahri food in Ramadan
There is definitely a health aspect to eating sahri. Because, if you don’t eat food at Sahri then you will definitely become weak. It will cause a calorie deficit. As a result, fasting for a month will become impossible. If we don’t eat during Sahri, our body’s metabolism can change a lot. Fatigue occurs due to increased loss of glucose. There is no saying that only rice should be eaten at Sahri. Bread, parata, milk, semai etc. can be eaten according to taste. It is convenient to eat meat and eggs at this time. Thick pulses can be eaten at this time. Besides, one cup of milk should be consumed for everyone, young and old. Because, if the food does not have the required amount of protein or meat, energy deficiency will occur during fasting. In general, those who need calories on other days, should consume the same amount of calories in the three meals of Ramadan. Not more, not less.
The menu should be fixed considering the physical condition of everyone during fasting. Hopefully, not too long ago it was seen that many people considered fasting in any illness to be terrifying. Currently, due to the advice, assurance and support of doctors and nutritionists, many people are able to fast without interruption even with illness. If you have diabetes, sugar-sweets-molasses-honey, sherbet or other sweets should be avoided. If you are suffering from peptic ulcer, you should avoid deep fried and spicy food. They can eat chira, banana, chira-yogurt, mung bean soft khichuri, noodles etc. Tamarind and garlic chutney can be eaten at Iftari if blood cholesterol or triglycerides are high.
If for some reason there is a problem with eating pulses, then rice powder or flour and chira, curd, noodles, fried rice can be eaten in Iftari. If overweight, reduce oil intake and reduce calories from whole foods. Meanwhile, iftar is the ideal meal for those who are underweight. Finally, whatever food you take in the month of Ramadan, it should be easily digestible and limited. Because, at this time, excess food causes subtle changes in the chemical composition of the body, resulting in an increase in blood density. Physical weakness is felt in it. That is, there is no benefit in eating more food. Eat in such a way that the body is healthy.
Pesnot for ideal Iftar in Ramadan
Sharbat or canned water, raw chickpeas, chickpeas fried in low oil, onion, purple or potato chops or fried in any oil, or chira and fruit. On the day when haleem or khichuri is to be eaten, you can avoid fried food made of besan or dal and mudri or chira. Again noodles or fried rice should be avoided. Iftar can be eaten with raw chickpeas along with ginger, salt and crushed mint leaves. As it is helpful in digestion, vitamin and mineral salt deficiency will be removed in it. Dates have been used as a special ingredient in Iftari during Ramadan. There is no need to eat more than one or two dates with other meals every day. This cause it is soo high in calories + sugar. Although adequate iron can be obtained from dates.
What to eat during Iftar
Iftar is the first meal after fasting. So it needs to be healthy. Usually we eat delicious, fried food at Iftar. They contain a lot of oil – which creates transfats in the body. Those with various health risks increase their risk. Also, these foods contain a lot of salt – which dehydrates the body. Increases acidity, creates discomfort. For this, emphasis should be placed on home-made healthy food. For example, instead of chicken fries, home-made grilled chicken can be eaten. Some sugar should be added to the food. It can be a thin bread made of chire, muri or red flour, or even a little rice.
There must be vegetables along with it. Three to four servings of vegetables should be consumed throughout the day. In this case also we can eat vegetables divided into three meals. Instead of eating vegetables or deep-fried vegetables, shallow fried chops made with vegetables, vegetable-khichuri or bread-vegetables can be included in the diet. Water and dates can accompany Iftar. Be careful with liquid food. Market colored drinks should be avoided. Homemade lemon sharbat, bell sharbat, canned water in this summer gives great energy and keeps the body cool. Must have seasonal fruits. Fruits contain vitamin C, an anti-oxidant. A variety of fruits will enrich the Iftar.
In this season, the native fruits that are available in the market should be eaten. It is better not to consume excess sugar with fruit juice. May contain any food made with fish, meat or eggs. After a whole day of fasting, the lack of non-vegetarian food will be fulfilled. It is better to eat vegetable khichuri instead of halim.
Dinner in Ramadan
Dinner must be eaten. Dinner can be dudh muri, dudh bhat, or oats or cereal with milk. In addition, thin khichuri, bread-vegetables, rice, fish-meat can be eaten at this time without eating too heavy food at Iftar. It is better to have dinner after Taraweeh prayer. Evening meals are not as important during fasting. It seems, eat so eat. Even so, if one wants to eat, one should be careful that the food does not become rich and excessive. As iftar consists mostly of pulses, pulses can be omitted at this time. At this time, it is better to have fish and vegetables cooked in light spices. Eating vegetables is often omitted in Iftar and Sahri. Many do not like vegetables at all during Ramadan. Evening is the best time to eat vegetables for them. Small fish can also be kept in the food on this night. Many people feel annoyed to eat fish during Sahri.
Rules for Drinking Water in Ramadan
Two to two and a half liters of water should be consumed from Iftar to Sehri. Keep a separate bottle. From the time of Iftar to Sehri, measure water in that bottle and drink it. Drink some water after iftar. One and a half liters of water can be consumed after the Taraweeh prayer. It is possible to consume two to two and a half liters of water daily by eating food a little earlier in Sahri and drinking water until Fajr prayer. Moreover, syrup and other liquids are being consumed.
Ways to keep fit by Fasting
Spending the whole day without water is very difficult. Some of them have various physical complications. If you follow some tips at this time, you can keep yourself fit during Ramadan. For example-
1. Those who fast will try to get out of the house less in summer. Because if you stay in the hot sun for a long time, you can get dizzy.
2. As much as possible, tackle important tasks first thing in the morning.
3. Try to stay in a cool and shady place to keep yourself hydrated and cool while fasting. It is better to bathe during the day to save yourself from heat and thirst and to keep your body temperature under control.
4. Try to eat less fried food during fasting. Because eating fried food suddenly in the evening after being on an empty stomach all day can cause stomach problems.
5. Consume more water, fruit juice, fruits and vegetables while breaking the fast. These will hydrate the body and help it stay healthy.
6. Stay away from soft drinks as much as possible.
7. Eat foods rich in carbohydrates and proteins during sleep. Eat foods that take time to digest and digest slowly throughout the day. Avoid tea and coffee.
8. Take a glass of water half an hour before eating. But do not drink too much water before eating. Because you cannot eat more when your stomach is full. Later hunger will be felt. Drink water again half an hour after eating. Remember, Sehri food should be light. Eating too much can cause indigestion.
9. Minimize screen time as much as possible during the fasting month for a good night’s sleep. Not getting enough sleep can affect hormones, leading to frequent hunger pangs. This will make fasting more challenging.
10. Even if you can’t do vigorous exercise like other times, walk for at least 15 to 20 minutes a day during fasting. It keeps the blood circulation correct and the body functional. It also improves digestion.
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