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5 golden rules of healthy eating in Ramazan

Here's how you can combine fasting and healthy food choices to reset your metabolism and shed some weight in Ramazan
Updated 27 Apr, 2020

The spiritual blessings of Ramazan are manifold but when done right, the holy month of fasting also comes with tangible physical benefits.

Combining healthy food choices with fasting resets your metabolism and can help you shed a few pounds and lower your cholesterol.

Ramazan shouldn’t be the season of pakoras, parathas and all-you-can-eat buffet iftars. Those afternoon naps are certainly not going to help you burn off the nightly half-kilo of jalebis. Fasting is not a license to eat with abandon, and nor should it be according to Sunnah.

The blessed Prophet (PBUH) said, “The children of Adam fill no vessel worse than their stomach. Sufficient for him is a few morsels to keep his back straight. If he must eat more, then a third should be for his food, a third for his drink, and a third left for air.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhî)

There’s no need to sink into a food coma after every iftar or slosh to bed after drinking litres of fluid at sehri – only to spend the next two hours peeing it all out. And healthy eating in Ramazan doesn’t have to mean boring, bland, unfamiliar “diet food” either.

Quinoa for sehri or grilled salmon at iftar will make fasting seem like a penance instead of a blessing if those are not the sort of foods you’d eat anyway. It’s perfectly possible to incorporate your favourite Ramazan treats and the sort of food you would normally eat into a sensible, nutritious eating plan.

Here are 5 golden rules of healthy eating in Ramazan:

1) Stagger your hydration

Dehydration is the toughest part of fasting, especially in summer, but loading up on water at sehri isn’t the best plan. Filling your stomach like a water balloon results in one of two things – throwing up or multiple visits to the loo.

Stagger your hydration through the night to keep yourself hydrated while you fast during the day
Stagger your hydration through the night to keep yourself hydrated while you fast during the day

It’s far smarter to stagger your hydration through the night. Start with two glasses of water at iftar, and follow with a glass every hour till bedtime. By the time you sleep, you will have had 6 glasses of water. Aim for a manageable two glasses at sehri and you’ve had 8 glasses in the day, which is usually sufficient.

Do stay out of the sun to minimise moisture loss through sweating. Remember tea and coffee are dehydrating and shouldn’t be counted in your fluid intake.


2) Avoid sugar, like it's the mother of all evils

We all crave something sweet when we open our rozas but sugar results in highs and lows that leaves you with more cravings and thus messes up your metabolism. Sugar gives you empty calories without nutritional benefits and is key in Ramazan over-eating.

Satisfy your sweet tooth with low-sugar desserts like Ras Malai
Satisfy your sweet tooth with low-sugar desserts like Ras Malai

Totally giving up sugar may be a stretch but limiting it is essential.

Stay away from those giant special-offer bottles of Coke or Pepsi. If you’re like me and Ramazan wouldn’t be the same without Rooh Afzah, gradually reduce the amount you use to limit the sugar hit.

Load up on fruit before letting yourself touch any mithai or chocolate. Use grapes in your fruit chaat for sweetness and stay away from the sugar jar. Switch your Gulab Jamun for Ras Malai, which has more milk and less sugar.

Read on: Craving healthy Iftar? Try these Date and Nut Bites and Baked Chicken Wings!


3) Have all things in moderation

If you really must have parathas and pakoras, limit them to a once-a-week treat rather than a daily indulgence. Instead of pakoras at Iftar, try a healthy channa chaat with loads of veggies and spices or dahi vaday which are much less oily. Try baked samosas instead of fried ones or little grilled chicken shashliks instead of pakoras.

Make your pakora as healthy as possible or swap with other favourites - Photo by Bisma Tirmizi
Make your pakora as healthy as possible or swap with other favourites - Photo by Bisma Tirmizi

Keep choice to a minimum to help avoid over-eating. Accompany your dates with one snack item at iftar and then eat a simple evening meal, with one meat dish and one vegetable dish or salad accompanied by rice or roti.

For Sehri, parathas are a poor choice in any case and likely to cause heartburn. Full of processed flour and fat, they lead to lethargy rather than providing a slow release of energy to keep you going through the day. Aim instead for complex carbs in your morning meal – wholemeal roti, bajray ki roti, daal, sujji (semolina) or oatmeal (dalia). Eggs are great if cooked in very little oil but add more protein in the form of milk, yoghurt and nuts to your morning meal.

Your sehri-time paratha has to go - Photo by Fawad Ahmed
Your sehri-time paratha has to go - Photo by Fawad Ahmed

By all means, indulge in your Ramazan favourites but limit unhealthy food to bite-size portions that you savour rather than platefuls that you wolf down. And beware of the buffet Iftar as the Qur’an is categorical on waste:

“Eat and drink freely: but waste not by excess, for He does not like the wasters.” (Chapter 7, verse 31)

Also read: Should you really have another jalebi? A nutritionist speaks out


4) Befriend fibre

Fruits are your fibrous friends - Photo courtesy joesmithfarms.com
Fruits are your fibrous friends - Photo courtesy joesmithfarms.com

With mealtimes askew and without that morning hit of caffeine, constipation becomes a major issue for many – with attendant gas making things even worse.

Add fibre to your diet to keep your gut moving. Fresh fruit and veggies are ideal, especially pears, but sprinkle wheatbran on your cereal or eat a couple of dried prunes every night to up your fibre intake.

5) Save the oil for your hair

Good fats in moderation are an essential part of a balanced diet but we tend to have too much oil in our diets as a nation. Those super-sized cans of oil that fill the advertising slots every Ramazan? All they do is fill the brands' coffers and our hips and arteries!

Easy on the oil there
Easy on the oil there

Decant your oil into small bottles and keep an eye on how much you use. Save fried food for special occasions and bake or grill your food when you can. Grilled kebabs, baked filo pastries and baked samosas are all delicious and use a lot less oil. As for the carts of samosas and pakoras on every street-corner, give them a miss - chances are the oil has been re-fried to toxicity.


Changing the way we eat in Ramazan takes small changes that have a huge impact. For example, we only serve pakoras once in a while in our house and try to keep our iftar meal as close to a usual evening meal as possible. Sehri is full of dairy, complex carbs and fruit. I’ve found over the years that, Masha’Allah, I lose weight every Ramazan. The only year I didn’t fast, I put on ten pounds over the course of the year, which compounded my belief that fasting resets your metabolism. Last year, I combined fasting with daily walks and bloodwork at the end of the month showed a 20% decrease in my blood cholesterol.

Not adding too many ‘special’ time-consuming foods to your meals in Ramazan has another benefit too. It frees up the people (usually women) preparing the food, giving them more time for prayer and spiritual matters. And after all, that’s what Ramazan is really about. Ramazan Mubarak - May this Ramazan be full of blessings for us all.

Comments

AsifButt Jun 08, 2016 02:14pm
The perfect mix of common sense , scientific fact and Islamic reference to context. Most perfect description of sugar and cooking oil. I strongly suggest every brother and sister to read this article with confidence and dedication.
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Ijaz Jun 08, 2016 02:16pm
Excellent advice. I always find that yogurt at Sehar is not only refreshing but keeps thirst at bay. At iftar, Slightly salty lassi (Ayran in Turkey) with 3 or four dates is also a good refreshing hydrating agent.
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asif Jun 08, 2016 02:21pm
A very good write. I wonder if Ramdan is the only month for eating?
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Hassaan Jun 08, 2016 02:39pm
This is such a common myth which I've found perpetuated time and again..Caffeine is diuretic, that's true but that just means if you're going to drink 1 cup of coffee, the net fluid that'll count towards your fluid intake would be slightly less than that 1 cup (due to its diuretic effect). Health practitioners all over the world recommend adding tea and coffee to fluid intake. Diuretic does not just mean that it contributes to losing more net fluid.
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Abu Asfarullah Alam Jun 08, 2016 03:09pm
nice article
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سے Shaam Jun 08, 2016 03:23pm
Suhūr (Sehri) time pranthas are must with keema, it gets me going with 6 large chaati churned lassis, please do not take away the good foods from Sehri that is what I always look forward too. Infact, I'm guilty of dreaming food as I don't eat after iftar dua.
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toxicshadow197 Jun 08, 2016 03:31pm
i just love fruits i keep my fruit game strong ramadan mubarak to all :)
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sohail Jun 08, 2016 03:43pm
Excellent pieces of advice. Really liked reading and would try following. Typically you don't find Hadith quotations in Dawn articles but this seems to be an exception. Nevertheless, a great and must read and followed article.
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PK Jun 08, 2016 04:26pm
Fasting is very well established in Hinduism since time immortal. There are different kinds of fasts in different seasons and even for days of week. Different food is recommended for these different fasts. Everything has a scientific reason provided people observe it as recommended in religious texts. Ayurveda also has well documented benefits of fasting.
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kash Jun 08, 2016 05:28pm
I am fasting in the UK, where the fast is 19 hours long. For sehri I have 2 Weetabix, a few dates and 2 glasses of water
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Home Alone Jun 08, 2016 06:53pm
Why do people become more irritable and less productive during the Holy month of Ramadan. Shouldn't people be more courteous, kind and helpful to others to atone for their sins.
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Tahir A Jun 08, 2016 07:38pm
Oh really, is that all necessary? Ramadhan gives me just a little feeling of the sufferings I witnessed of the Ethiopian Famine of the 1980's. Little emaciated children dying right before our eyes. Let us all bear the hardships like real deprived people do as an example for just a month. First of all some countries ban eating of food by non-fasting people. Why? In fact we should be asked to face this reality where millions of people live below poverty line and we in normal lives are eating right in front of their gaping eyes in restaurants and food streets. iftars have sadly taken a new image of fad where food par excellence served is glorified as a thanksgiving ritual. Absolutely kills the objectives of the holy month.
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Noor Jun 08, 2016 08:12pm
Very precise but great article to present in a simple way not unlike other article where too much good information distract or loose interest or hard to recall. Bu this one is really good as I would remember without putting too much efforts in scrapping and digging into my memory. And to our Bro. Shaam, true for those who are food lovers! if they missed then would dream about that food, try reading any Surah or doing Zikr/Tasbeeh while you are in the bed will keep you away from missed food dreams:) Take it in the spirit of Ramadhan where your patience is also at test!
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ADD Jun 09, 2016 01:05am
Muslims gain more wight during Ramazan that any other part of the year. And you wonder why.
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mnaseer Jun 09, 2016 01:07am
@Tahir A well said!
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Waheed Noor Jun 09, 2016 05:08am
Sorry guys, I do not believe in fasting. As it is I do fast 7 pm to 7 am. That's it.
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Ali Shahid Jun 09, 2016 08:29am
Thanks for your detailed suggestions.
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nk Jun 09, 2016 09:09am
@Noor Muslim should abstain from non-vegetarian food during Ramadan like Hindus as this is good for health.Our ancestors were hindus and they also practicised the same.
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nk Jun 09, 2016 09:10am
Like Hindus we should abstain from Non-Vegetarian food during Ramadan.
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saeed Jun 09, 2016 09:12am
Good article
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MAK Jun 09, 2016 10:45am
Common sense advice very sensible if followed we would not be bothered about the price hikes which we create due to our opulence BUT who cares , the writer has done well reminding us, simple living the best policy , don't bother about the 'rus malai' if you can not make, 'sattoo' drink is fine
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Jawaid Islam Jun 09, 2016 11:41am
Baked samosas...sounds good, I was just this morning thinking of how to bake pakoras...especialy aaloo pakoras, a must for me.
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Hamza Malik Jun 09, 2016 04:46pm
Just want to say peace and blessings to the person who took the time out to write this article up. Sometimes I find it difficult to implement healthy choices in terms of food and drink as my parents all the time prepare greasy and unhealthy food that ruins my body and makes me upset because I am the sort of guy that want others to follow the foot steps I'm taking through my difficult situation in life such as dealing with criticism from my parents regularly and others not taking me seriously in life. Guys just pray that I get through this difficulty and please help those that need help to get through life. Have a nice day and stay positive
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Khalid Latif Jun 12, 2016 11:50am
I cherish the old traditional Seher and Iftar of my native village. For Seher, fresh crispy and light Paratha made in home made Ghee. Soft fried eggs ( never mind the numbers), usually, laid by our own chicken. Fresh and sweet home made yogurt. Finished with a nice cup of tea. Short of the Azaan, 2 or 3 dates taken with a glass of water. Iftar; start with a date, nimboo pani, pakoras made with fillings like, sliced onions, potatoes, eggplant or other vegitables. After a break, ordinary dinner.
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Rajesh Punjabi Jun 12, 2016 03:54pm
Excellent article. During this holy month of Ramadan, my entire family become vegetarian. This tradition is followed by our 9th generation now. My grandfather told me that during British empire, we were living in Mumbai in greater India. At that time there was a drought and people were struggling to find food. Our neighboring Hindu family used to feed street dogs and cows were also affected. They were poor and do not have money to feed animals any more. My great grandfather was one of the richest man in Mumbai and he therefore donated money during the Ramadan. Latter he started giving money thorough out the year. This is how a hindu family has inspired us to stop killing animals and instead start feeding them. After partition we moved to Karachi and now eating non vegetarian food has became so common that we only follow vegetarianism during Ramadan so that in this holy month we do not kill animals. Be vegetarian there is nothing harm in it.
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Hamza Jun 12, 2016 09:29pm
Nice Article. Ramzan is not about eating, its a month of praying and noble deeds.
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naghman May 28, 2017 11:14am
Balanced diet plays pivotal role to grow the healthy body. We should intake the fluids that keep us away from dehydration, we should also prevent ourselves from sugary cuisines.
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Adeel May 28, 2017 11:57am
Nicely written article
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flipflop May 28, 2017 01:30pm
Interesting read and i agree with the author on keeping things simple amd manageable. I for instance keep my Sehris and Iftar light. In Sehri, I eat two rotis with whatever mom made. Sometimes its kebabs or fried eggs and stuff along with one glass smoothie (half cup milk, some water and the cheapest fruit available in the market which is usually bananas). after 10 minutes I drink about 2 glasses of water. In Iftar I eat baked chicken leg and quinoa or boiled chick peas (mixed well with salt pepper, lemon juice, finely chopped onions tomatoes and green chilies) or lentil soup and some handful of nuts . And of course one glass of smoothie (half cup water and fruits blended together). Between iftar and sehri I drink roughly about 11-12 glasses of water. I also go for a 2 km stroll around the neighborhood. I have found that high fiber diet tends to work well and I encourage people to switch to quinoa if possible especially if they are trying to loose weight.
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Rida May 28, 2017 01:57pm
Seriously ... who says 'Dahi Vaday' and ParaNtha in Pakistan
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Shiraz May 28, 2017 02:42pm
@kash and where I live, its 21 hours. I eat nothing fried. Major chunk of my intake is fibrous fruit, following the 5 a day rule. Add two or three dates, Yogurt with 25 gms Musli and over the three hours, 6-7 glasses of water. Sufficient for 21 hour journey.
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Faisal May 28, 2017 03:45pm
Good, sensible advice!
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Waqar May 28, 2017 05:12pm
Unfortunately, over the past few years I have witnessed over indulgence for some people during Ramadhan. In the marketplaces, people were shopping like it was the day before Eid! For me fasting for 30 days is a spiritual cleansing and detoxification process for the entire body and soul. I abstain from all sugars, meat and starchy foods. During Iftar time, I open my fast with one Madjoul date, lemon water and fruit chaat. This will allow my stomach lining to soften and prepare it for a small vegetaran meal 45 minutes later. At Sehri time, I will have Morroccan lentil soup with Syrian baked bread or boiled egg with wheatgrain toast and oats with sliced banana. These will provide me the necessary protein and slow release carbs that will allow me to function throughout the day with bieng overly lethargic.
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kamran May 28, 2017 05:22pm
it was very helpful and brief to the point. keep posting like this.
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Sameer May 28, 2017 06:37pm
Good information that will be put to use. Thank u.
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sajed syed agnostic May 28, 2017 09:12pm
A very good advice not just during Ramzaan period but for a healthy life.
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Larkanavi May 28, 2017 09:45pm
Good suggestions. It Will work in Pakistan and many other but not all places on earth. Here is the problem I face keeping myself hydrated while living in a western country. Iftar is at 9:30 pm and sehri ends at 2:30 am. In between we have only five hours. So how can one drink eight glasses of fluid in addition to sehri and Iftar within a span of 5 hours. . The best one can do here is eat one full meal be it Iftar or sehri (not both) and drink whatever quantity of fluid one can tolerate. The good thing here is that the weather is not hot like Pakistan.
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Eat all u want May 29, 2017 06:38am
Moderation is the key 1/3rd for water 1/3rd for food , 1/3rd for air.
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Umair Ahmed Shaikh May 29, 2017 01:42pm
An excellent article, Ramazan for me brings an opportunity for spiritual as well as physical upliftment. I have been following most of the tips mentioned in the article and it brings a noticeable change in my belly fat towards the end of Ramazan. I have replaced paratha in a morning with a roti and pakoras/samosas with fruit chat (without adding sugar). The roti and yoghurt in the sehri provides all the resistance to thirst and the bowl of fruit chat and water melons provide the energy for the taraweh.
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Khwarizmi May 29, 2017 02:42pm
I live in a country where there is a 19 hour pluss fasting. This means one meal at dusk and a lot of water at dawn. Maghrib and Isha are prayed togather so I can get a minimum hours of sleep in the night.
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DV May 29, 2017 06:17pm
A good job by the author, I congratulate Dawn for publishing a very useful and beneficial article.
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Sympathiser May 29, 2017 07:18pm
Beautiful article... Every body should follow this tips
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Nasser May 29, 2017 07:39pm
Very healthy advice; thank you! Ramzan is all about moderation, as iftar starts and we get ready for sehri, - in evrything we do!
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Waleed May 29, 2017 08:07pm
Excellent article
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Ali Vazir May 30, 2017 02:56am
What a wonderful article, by our beloved Dawn. Thank you Dawn and of course Salima. Dil se duain nikal rahi hain aap kae liye. Wish I can myself follow it to the full first before forwarding to others. Insha Allah will follow at least something from this - I suppose which is the main purpose of this article. Jazak Allah.
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Salma May 30, 2017 01:12pm
Great article, with some handy tips! Particularly highlighting the true purpose of Ramadan. Ramadan Mubarak to all.
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Khan Jun 02, 2017 12:24pm
Face Palm for those who want to fast but also want to duck thirst and hunger. If you are going to fast you are bound to thirsty and hungry and that is an objective of keeping fast. If you are so afraid of that then avoid fast. Many poor fast naturally without choice. Stop tantrums and be natural. Fast brings hunger and thirst so just enjoy it and feel the pain poor people feel.
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MM May 17, 2018 10:51am
Very useful tips, thank you dawnnews thank you salima fareesta.
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Asim May 17, 2018 11:18am
Very pleased to see my old RAMAZAN instead of RAMADAN in this write, and very informative indeed. Thanks a lot and keep writing.
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Jawaid Islam May 17, 2018 11:57am
Moderation is the key; good advice given here. But seldom will people listen! Iftar offerings as restaurants invite at home...leaves little time to pray and more in preparing feasts. Moreover, why do people behave impatiently in public, they get restless in traffic. Our work hours should change to nights during Ramazan.
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AAM May 17, 2018 01:02pm
All that is written above is written for the 'Burgers' out there, for us desi people 'Khao Piyo Aish Karo'
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AUK May 17, 2018 01:57pm
The best article about Ramadan Diet I have read so far especially intake of water.
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S.A.Khan May 17, 2018 02:57pm
A slurpy of the following is good for Iftar Few kernels of Almonds & Walnuts Whatever berries are available in markets including Goji berries (fresh or dried) One Kiwi fruit,Half Banana, Few cubes of Melon (Sarda). 1Tb of Honey, Crushed Ice and one segment of Grape Fruit
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Masoud May 17, 2018 03:03pm
"Load up on fruit before letting yourself touch any mithai or chocolate. Use grapes in your fruit chaat for sweetness and stay away from the sugar jar. Switch your Gulab Jamun for Ras Malai, which has more milk and less sugar" Any suggestion for the poor who cannot afford fruits and likes
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fb May 17, 2018 03:40pm
@Masoud - yes, make sure you share your fruit with as many people you can who you know can't afford these.... But you made a good point.
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iqbal carrim May 17, 2018 04:16pm
How to stay within health limits and not to turn the glorious Ramadhan to a food festival.
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Zohaib May 17, 2018 05:45pm
It is the true way to preach liberal Muslims. We often miss these micro tips for the diet plan, but this reminder is helpful for review our eating habits of Ramadan.
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mechatron May 17, 2018 06:02pm
@Waheed Noor - so please keep your belief to yourself!
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Umm e May 17, 2018 07:44pm
@Jawaid Islam i am afraid a baked pakora is /will not be quite the pakora
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hamza khan May 17, 2018 08:52pm
@Salima- bravo!!!
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Khan May 17, 2018 09:36pm
Every human body is different, some do need sugar more than others. Moderation is not just for Ramadan, it’s year around tactic in any walk of life, not just eating. Eat anything but in moderation. At iftar, one must open it with dates and water, then say his or her maghreb salah and then eat a small meal. Go to taraweeh, and then have fruits or fruit chaat with some liquids, and then go to bed. Sehri has to be the strongest meal. Treat it as your strong breakfast, bread, honey, chapati, salan, eggs, anything you crave for and tea if you are hooked up to caffeine. Dates and Honey are a must part of your diet all year long.
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Tariq, Lahore May 17, 2018 10:13pm
Good everyday common sense advise, which is not so common nowadays!
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Skux May 18, 2018 12:09am
When calories are lowered such as in Ramadan, body's metabolism lowers. Which means the rate at which your body burns calories drops. So yes you do lose weight in Ramadan but that is due to lower calories taken as compared to normal days and not because your metabolism is increased.remember when metabolism is increased you can consume more calories and still not gain weight because even though you are eating more but due to increased metabolism your body is burning calories at a greater rate. The rest of tips are OK.
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devdutta May 18, 2018 02:28am
@nk Non veg food items usually are too spicy and loaded with fat, best will be to fallow the tips given in the article
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Kau May 18, 2018 11:02am
great advice, less meat but lots of vegetables. I love the date recipe. I will make it for sure by next . Happy Ramadan
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Ajeya Jha May 07, 2019 08:29am
As a non-muslim I have always been curious about best food practices for the holy month of Ramadan. Thanks mam for an excellent article. It obviously requires a lot of discipline to live life through this holy month. Best wishes to all the Muslims!
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Imran Khan May 07, 2019 08:52am
Great advice on Iftar and will follow the above inshAllah
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Imran Khan May 07, 2019 08:53am
The month of Fasting, where we Muslims Eat and Buy more food than rest of the 11 months...
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Chingez Khan May 07, 2019 03:42pm
Good article. thanks
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Mohsin Khan May 09, 2019 12:35pm
Brief and helpful.
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