How to Stay in Shape in Ramadan

Ramadan is just around corner and as we all know it is not only a spiritual month but also a month filled with food, desert and more. People in Ramadan tend to fall into the habit of binge eating after breaking their fast. The question is, how can we stay healthy and not gain weight during the month of Ramadan?

• We know you’re hungry, just have a light Iftar that includes reasonable food portions. Keeping space for future meals is crucial!
• Enjoy every bite, do not be in a hurry to finish, just enjoy and chew slowly to avoid indigestion
• Our bodies during the fasting period lacks liquid so it is advised to drink water, have your soup first, and your salad before the actual meal. They also are low in calories so they actually make you feel full and so help you avoid binge eating.

 

• Water is an essential nutrient that helps us stay hydrated and so drink at least 8 cups of water to make sure you stay hydrated even during fasting hours.

 

• As bad as sugar may seem, natural sugar is actually healthy so have fresh fruits and fresh juices without added sugar, instead of the readymade ones, which may contain high amounts of sugar.

 

• Choose low fat dairy products and lean meats to get the nutrients you need in a healthy manner.

 

• Sweets are tempting, especially the Arabic sweets in the month of Ramadan, but a good replacement to that can definitely be fresh fruits. 
• Not moving around can lead to obesity and fatigue so walk every day for at least half an hour to one hour in order to burn the extra calories you have had at Iftar and after iftar

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• When it is time to do it all over again, when cooking, make your Ramadan recipes healthier by avoiding deep frying whenever possible. Instead, reduce the amount of fat in your meals by cooking your food with a little bit of vegetable oil, baking, roasting, steaming or grilling.
• The most important advice of it all is to avoid eating continuously, especially between Iftar and Suhour, which is sometimes accompanied by tiredness because of the feeling of fullness.

Happy Ramadan, stay healthy and in shape as Eid approaches!

Image Source: The National

This article was previously published on UAE Moments.To see the original article, click here