KARACHI, Sept 24: With the advent of Ramazan every year, people by and large reorder their schedule of life, particularly their food consumption dominated by fatty and oily food stuff beginning with Iftar and ending with Sehr before the whole day’s fasting causing health problems to fasters.

Medical experts cautioned that diet of people should not differ very much from what they follow throughout the year. “It should be as simple as required to maintain their normal weight,” they said.

Though Ramazan is an ideal time for those who are overweight and have desire to return to their normal weight but this blessing of Ramazan has been neglected by a trend of taking fried and fatty foods, especially Samosa and Pakora from confectioners at Iftar timings.

People also face problems like indigestion mainly owing to intake of too much fried, fatty and spicy foods. Food stuff like eggs, cabbage, lentils and carbonated drinks also produce gas.

In this regard, Dr Qaiser Sajjad said that fried junk food articles usually made up of oil that had already been used for several times, become an ideal place for germs to establish their colonies.

In view of the long hours of fasting, he advised people to take food with full nutritional values including dates which are excellent source of sugar, fibre, carbohydrates, potassium and magnesium instead of taking foods containing too much sugar.

“Besides sugar-coated articles, food items rich with salt could also be injurious to diabetics,” he said, adding that diabetics should intake dates, juices and grapes instead of taking fatty diet.

Regarding heart patients, he said they should avoid parathas, eggs and fried food and should take foods like milk, chicken, low-fatted diet to avert any serious damage to heart during Ramazan.

He underlined the need of drinking as much water or fruit juices as possible between Iftar and bedtime so that body may adjust fluid levels in time. To avoid indigestion and wind, he advised to refrain from overeating and must take fruit juices or potable water.—PPI