The month of Ramadan is a golden opportunity to lose weight and detox. But constipation and thirst are two problems people face during the holy month.
Constipation can be treated by making sure we drink 8 glasses of water, additional soups, fruits and salads along with walking for 30 min per day.
Thirst can be due to dehydration and also because we tend to eat spicy and fried food. Try to aim for less garlic, less spicy and fried foods. Again drink water, dividing it evenly between Futoor to Suhoor.
Drink 2 cups of water at Sutoor and 4 glasses of water between Futoor to Suhoor and 2 cups at Suhoor.
Start your Futoor with dates and low fat yoghurt and then start with soup and relax for 30 min before starting with the main course. Divide the main course to 2 meals. Chew food slowly and thoroughly and have a salad too. Snacks can be fruits with low fat yoghurt or a non – creamy vegetable soup.
Sweets/fried foods should be minimal.
At Suhoor you need to take whole wheat carbohydrates and no fried or spicy foods. If you do take these at Suhoor you are prone to feel thirsty through the day.
One more thing that increases thirst is salty foods which people tend to forget. Chips, olives, pepperoni, salty cheeses and ready-made soups are high in salt. A study published by the BMJ 2015 talked about MENA countries consumption of health hazard food nutrients and Bahrain was listed as the highest for salt consumption.
To sum it up, more fluids, less fat, more fiber and physical activity will make the month of Ramadan a month where we can lose weight and enhance our health.
Ms. Nagham Noureddine
Head of the Dietetic Department
Bahrain Specialist Hospital
Email: nagham@bsh.com.bh