This year, Ramadan falls in August–one of the hottest months of the year. Therefore, consider the following tips from health experts in order to enjoy the fasting month while maintaining optimum health:
“In summer, the body loses large amounts of water during the day, which should be compensated for between iftar and sahour,” says nutritionist Dr. Iman Mansour. She stresses that drinking a lot of fluids–especially those containing high levels of mineral salts, such as lemon, hibiscus and aniseed–is a must. She also suggests avoiding spicy food, especially for sahour, as this can irritate the stomach lining and give rise to excessive thirst.
“Fruits and vegetables are indispensable parts of one's daily meal, whether for iftar or sahour, since they comprise large quantities of water,” she points out. Fruits such as watermelon, grapefruit, cantaloupe and apricot, along with vegetables such as cucumber, zucchini, tomato and lettuce, are between 91 and 96 percent water, she notes. As well as being easily digestible, high-fiber vegetables and fruits like these will make your stomach feel full throughout a long day of fasting.
Ramadan can also be a good opportunity for those who want to lose weight. Dr. Mansour notes that reducing the number of meals and maintaining a nutritious, healthy diet during the fasting month is the best way to adjust yourself to a reduced appetite.
In addition, doing exercise for 15 minutes a day will allow you to better control your weight and give you more energy by increasing blood circulation. “It's not preferable to exercise before breaking your fast because your body is in a weakened state,” she says. This, she notes, is due to dehydration and the temporary lack of proteins, vitamins and carbohydrates that boost energy levels.
Another benefit of fasting is that it cleanses the digestive system and can relieve stomach disorders by getting rid of toxins and bacteria. Dr. Mansour explains that, when one refrains from eating, energy begins to take a different path in your body, switching from the digestive system to the immune system, which helps give the cells in your body the ability to renew themselves.
Fasting has also been found to be beneficial in the treatment of various diseases. For example, there is strong link between fasting and cholesterol reduction. “People who have high cholesterol levels should divide iftar into three meals," Dr. Masour advises.
A recent study, conducted during Ramadan, randomly divided cholesterol patients into two groups. Group A had a single full iftar meal while Group B divided iftar into five small meals spaced out until sahour. At the end of the month, the study found that the cholesterol levels of Group A patients were significantly higher than those of Group B, because the digestive system was able to burn calories over separate periods, rather than storing a single big meal in the form of fat.
Fasting also plays an essential role in reliving the pain of irritable bowel syndrome. “Since fasting halts the digestive process for a long time, the membrane that lines the stomach is given time to totally rest and repair,” Dr. Masour says. People suffering from peptic ulcers, however, should refrain from fasting, she adds, since they need several small meals throughout the course of the day in order to avoid the secretion of gastric acid on the stomach wall.
She advises pregnant and nursing women to consult a physician before fasting in order to check the overall state of their health. Pregnant women, for example, may experience weakness depending on the stage of pregnancy they are in. Consequently, eating food containing extra amounts of protein and vitamins is a necessity. For lactating mothers, any lack of fluids could negatively affect milk supply and cause complications for the child.
For cardiovascular patients, Dr. Alaa el-Din Ismail, a professor of internal medicine, also advises consultation with a physician before fasting. Sometimes, fasting can have a positive effect on sufferers of heart disease by reducing the possibility of heart attacks, he notes. However, blood clots and angina pectoris patients should refrain from fasting.
Fasting can have both positive and negative effects for diabetes patients, according to the type of diabetes in question. With one type of diabetes, the pancreas does not function properly, producing insufficient amounts of insulin. According to Dr. Ismail, patients with this type can fast, as long as sugary foods and medications are consumed in accordance with a physician’s advice.
With the second type of diabetes, the pancreas fails to produce any insulin at all, which could end up endangering the sufferer's life. In this case, fasting is strongly discouraged so the patient can take several doses of insulin throughout the day to regulate blood-sugar levels.
Similarly, patients who suffer from chronic diseases–such as Hepatitis C, cancer or chronic diarrhea–or who are in a convalescent stage should refrain from fasting.
According to Dr. Ismail, the human body needs between 60 and 100 grams of protein and fat daily, along with 700 grams of carbohydrates. Minerals–such as iron, manganese, copper, calcium, potassium and phosphorous–are also very important to maintaining a general state of good health while fasting during the holy month.
