Healthy
Eating
How to eat a
balanced and healthy diet in Ramadan
Eating healthy food helps one feel great, have
a strong immune system and to have enough energy to enjoy life the
way our Creator wants us to enjoy life in a lawful manner. Eating
healthy is what can keep us physically fit and mentally sharp even at
ages of 60, 70 and even 80 and even more. This applies for the young
generation as well. There is a saying that "take care of your body
until age 40 and the body will take care of you after 40".
The month of Ramadan is meant for
physical and spiritual rejuvenation. Most Muslims focus on the
spiritual rejuvenation aspect only, and lose sight of the physical
aspects. In fact, many Muslims end up inflicting more harm to their
bodies in Ramadan than usual. Eating foods high in fat and in sugar
at the wrong times, hurts the body more than it heals. Moreover,
some Muslims go overboard and eat in large quantities defeating the
purpose of the physical aspects of fasting.
Following are some of the considerations for
eating healthy in Ramadan. This Ramadan, make sure that you try to
improve your eating habits so you can enjoy more the spirit of the
month.
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Strive to keep Ramadan meal
preparation on the healthy side, i.e. (1) eat more raw foods such as salads, vegetable juices
and steamed vegetables, (2) avoid fried foods, (3) avoid a lot
of sugar laden drinks, and (4) limit sweets such as cookies,
cakes, etc.
-
Eating healthy and being physically fit and active prevents certain diseases
such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, high
blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity
-
Eating healthy will allow your
skin will look its best as well.
-
Become more educated about the
foods you eat and the number of calories and amounts of nutrients they contain.
To start
eating healthy you must make this a higher priority in your life.
-
Low carb diets also gives you more energy thus making you more likely to want to
exercise.
-
Low carb diets are based on the
premise that a diet very low in carbohydrate leads to a
reduction in the body's insulin production, resulting in fat and
protein (muscle) stores being used as its main energy source.
-
Again, many experts agree that fried foods
are toxic to the body and block your arteries. Avoid them as
much as you can !
-
Remember, eating healthy is not
about dieting; rather it is a way to improve the quality of your health.
-
Eat in small quantities - do not
stuff yourself. Some of us have the habit of overeating in a
very short duration as we break our fasts.
-
As always, check with your
physician to ensure that your nutrition plan is appropriate for
your body.
- Remember, the month of Ramadan is to
thank you Creator for the bounties that He has given us and not
a time to waste those bounties to hurt our bodies and health.
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