Healthy diet for Ramadan

Millions of Muslim started fasting with the advent of the holy month of Ramadan. During this month, health and diet issues are very important for all of us specially for the ailing and people living with specific health complications.
Most of the health problems are likely to arise during Ramadan from inappropriate diet, over-eating etc. Our diet in Ramadan should be as simple as possible and it is better to be similar with our usual diet. The diet should be consumed in a proper way so that we maintain our normal weight, neither losing nor gaining. However, if one is obese, Ramadan is an ideal time to shade the extra pounds.
The foods eaten should be well balanced, containing foods from each food group, i.e. fruits, vegetables, meat or chicken or fish, bread or cereals and dairy products. Fried foods which are prepared traditionally are unhealthy and should be limited. Fatty foods and foods containing too much sugar should also be restricted. These types of food cause indigestion, heartburn, and weight problems.
In view of the long hours of fasting, we should consume slow digesting foods including fibre containing-foods rather than fast- digesting foods. Slow digesting foods last up to 8 hours, while fast- digesting foods last for only 3 to 4 hours. Slow-digesting foods are foods that contain grains and seeds like barley, wheat, oats, beans, lentils (daal), whole meal flour, unpolished rice, etc. (called complex carbohydrates). Fast-burning foods are foods that contain sugar, white flour, etc. (called refined carbohydrates).
The body's immediate need at the time of Iftar is to get an easily available energy source in the form of glucose for every living cell, particularly the brain and nerve cells. Dates are excellent source of fibre, carbohydrates, potassium and magnesium and juices are good sources of sugars. Dates and juice are sufficient to bring low blood glucose levels to normal levels. Juice and soup help maintain water and mineral balance in the body. Bananas are a good source of potassium, magnesium and carbohydrates. Haleem is an excellent source of protein and is a slow-burning food which includes beans, lentil and whole meal flour. An unbalanced diet and too many servings of sherbets and sweets with added sugar have been found to be unhealthy.
You can develop constipation which can cause piles (haemorroids), fissures and indigestion with a bloated feeling. It happens due to too much refined foods, too little water and not enough fibre in the diet. Fibre-containing foods are bran-containing foods, whole wheat, grains and seeds, vegetables like green beans, peas, spinach, and other herbs like methie, iron-rich leaves, fruit with skin, dried fruit, etc.
Over-eating and drinking of too much tea and liquid at Sehri is not a healthy practice, but drink as much water or fruit juices as possible between Iftar and bedtime so that your body may adjust fluid levels in time. Tea makes you pass more urine taking valuable mineral salts with it that your body would need during the day.
Excessive sweating, weakness, tiredness, lack of energy, dizziness, especially on getting up from sitting position, pale appearance and feeling faint are symptoms associated with slight fall of blood pressure. This tends to occur towards the afternoon due to little fluid in body and decreased salt. Intake of salty food in Sehri will help to overcome this situation of lethargy and tiredness. But persons with high blood pressure should check their blood pressure may need their medication adjusted during Ramadan after consulting their doctor.
Prompt headache, mood swings and irritability is usually due to a sudden decrease in caffeine and tobacco-withdrawal, doing too much in one day, lack of sleep, hunger usually occurs as the day goes by and worsens at the end of the day. When associated with "low blood pressure", the headache can be quite severe and can also cause nausea before Iftar. You can cut down caffeine and tobacco slowly starting a week or two before Ramadan. Herbal and caffeine-free teas may be substituted. Reorganise your sleep schedule during the Ramadan so as to have adequate sleep.
Again, weakness, dizziness, tiredness, poor concentration, perspiring easily, feeling shaky (tremor), unable to perform physical activities, headache, palpitations are symptoms of low blood sugar. Having too much sugar (i.e. refined carbohydrates) especially at Sehri, the body produces too much insulin causing the blood glucose to drop. One should eat complex carbohydrates at Sehri so that blood sugar falls slowly and also the food lasts longer making you less hungry.
Increased acid levels in the empty stomach can aggravate the conditions. It presents itself as a burning feeling in the stomach area under the ribs and can extend up to the throat. Spicy foods, coffee, fast food and cola drinks worsen these conditions. Medications are available to control acid levels in the stomach. People with proven peptic ulcers and hiatus hernia should consult their doctor well before Ramadan.
Kidney and urinary tract infection and kidney stones may occur in people who drink less liquid. Therefore, it is essential to drink extra liquids so as to prevent stone formation and infection of kidney. Muscle cramps are not uncommon which happens due to inadequate intake of calcium, magnesium and potassium foods (e.g. vegetables, fruit, dairy products, meat and dates).
During Ramadan, when extra namaz (prayer) are performed, the pressure on the knee joints increases. In the elderly and those with arthritis this may result in pain, stiffness, swelling and discomfort. Lose weight so that the knees do not have to carry any extra load. Exercise the lower limbs before Ramadan so that they can be prepared for the additional strain. Being physically fit allows greater fulfillment, thus enabling one to be able to perform namaz with ease.

The writer is Coordinator, Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) for GFATM.