Stay Fit During Ramadan

 Intro:

 While the daily fast and nightly feasts are great ways to spend time with friends and family, it can also be hard on your body if you don’t take care of yourself properly. These eight tips will help you keep fit and healthy during Ramadan so you can enjoy all of the festivities to the fullest!

 

1)      Eat right during suhoor

When people think of staying fit during Ramadan, they usually think about sticking to a diet full of healthy foods. But suhoor, or pre-dawn meal, is just as important for getting through those long summer days. Consuming a wholesome suhoor sets you up for weight loss success because it will provide you with energy and help prevent overeating at iftar—the breaking of fast meals when everyone tends to reach for unhealthy snacks like fried food or sweets. Eat plenty of protein and fiber in your suhoor such as chia seeds and nuts with nut butter or fresh fruit and yogurt parfaits so that your body doesn’t go into shock during those crazy hours right after sunset.

 

2)      Exercise before iftar

While it may be tempting to break a sweat once you can eat, it’s best not to exercise for at least two hours before breaking your fast. This allows time for your body temperature and blood sugar levels to drop. If you exercise right before iftar, your body won’t have enough time to cool down, and this may cause you to feel unwell, or dizzy while fasting. Keep in mind that vigorous physical activity raises your heart rate and causes dehydration—two things that will not aid in feeling better while you’re fasting. Try something light like walking, jogging on a treadmill, or doing some strength training so that you can still break a sweat without causing harm during your fast.

 

3)      Pay attention to your stress levels

Fast days are often a time of extra stress, which can lead to overeating. To avoid that trap, try these simple strategies for managing your stress level during fasts: 1) Focus on one specific event that’s causing you undue anxiety; 2) Practice deep breathing or another relaxation technique like yoga, meditation, or prayer; 3) Avoid caffeine and stimulants; 4) Get enough sleep. If you notice it’s getting harder and harder to relax during fast days (or any other time), ask your doctor about anti-anxiety medication. These medications are highly effective and have few side effects in low doses. If lifestyle changes aren’t doing it for you, get help before things spiral out of control.

 

4)      Take short naps throughout the day

One of the fasting’s biggest challenges is reduced energy levels—your body will be burning fewer calories, and you’ll need extra effort to make it through until dinner. Rather than waiting until you feel exhausted, take a 30-minute nap (or a few shorter ones) during your day. And while it’s okay if you end up sleeping longer than that, try to keep naps short enough that you can wake up in time for suhoor, which is usually within an hour or two of sunset. You don’t want to sleep past your breaking-the-fast meal! Oh—and if anyone asks why you have bags under your eyes? Tell them about your new sleep schedule. It’s always an easy sell.

 

5)      Pace yourself with food

You might be tempted to clean your plate during iftar, but be mindful of how much you’re eating. No matter how full you are, stop when you’ve had enough. Ramadhan is a month-long fast and although it’s supposed to involve abstaining from food, drink, and sex, it also involves abstaining from stress, worry, and anger—take it easy on yourself by not eating too much food or stressing about things that are out of your control. In fact, many Muslims say that one of Ramadan's lessons is learning not to worry so much about what happens in life because no matter what occurs, Allah always provides sustenance (or peace).

 

6)      Plan iftar meals well

If you’re fasting, it’s important to eat healthy meals and snacks throughout your day. Maintaining a balanced diet is particularly important in Ramadan when many Muslims often don’t feel hungry during daylight hours. It’s easy to over-consume sugar or unhealthy fat at iftar time, so plan your meals ahead of time and make sure that each food item contains good-for-you nutrients. Eating a filling, protein-packed breakfast will help you stay full until lunch and reduce your chances of overeating at iftar later in the day. The same goes for dinner: Eat a large salad filled with fiber-rich veggies like lettuce and tomatoes, paired with lean proteins like chicken or fish (or both!).

 

7)      Use low-fat recipes

Snacks and recipes will inevitably come up during fasts. To make your Iftar tasty, avoid high-fat ingredients (butter, cream) and opt for low-fat recipes. If you want to try a new recipe, cut down its fat content by using egg whites instead of whole eggs and halving your oil use. Even baking or roasting – as opposed to frying – can slash excess calories from our food. You don’t have to eliminate fat entirely: good fats like olive oil are actually quite good for you (for instance, they help fight oxidative stress). They just won’t help you lose weight if consumed in excessive amounts.  Also, be careful with deep-fried snacks; while they may taste delicious, these snacks usually contain a lot of hidden oil. This means that after eating them, you’ll feel hungry again sooner than usual.

 

8)      Drink lots of water

Water is so good for your body, it’s crazy that there are still people out there who don’t drink it. Not only does water help flush toxins from your body and make you feel fuller faster—it has zero calories. If you find yourself feeling hungry in between meals, chug a glass of H2O. A recent study found that women who drank two cups of water before eating lunch lost 25 percent more weight than those who didn’t keep their hunger at bay with water. Just don’t drink so much that you flood your system with H2O—there is such a thing as drinking too much water!

8 Ways to Stay Fit During Ramadan