Thinking you are growing up with an inherited disease that might alter your life upside down, is itself a disaster. We all are living in the 21st century, an era where life is controlled by machines, leaving us doing less physical activity. What we call a sedentary lifestyle. Just grab ur boots and walk along the streets, you will find restaurants and streets filled up with people eating all sorts of unhealthy food, laughing, enjoying their taste buds and life as it's a part of their life that they can't quit. But what they don't see is the tornado growing inside their body which will suddenly be a cause of massive destruction not only for their life but will have a mass effect to the entire family. I am Dr. Shadab and i will enlighten you about your health with some real check boxes. It is a game. Grab a pen and paper and get to know about your lifestyle and habits!! I don't need your answers. It is not a test. Answer and Mark for your ownself! Start...
"UNDERSTAND YOUR BODY IN RAMADAN"
BY DR.SHADAB KAMAL
TOPICS COVERED:
You can directly go on your desired topic by clicking on the links.HOW OUR BODY RESPONDS WHEN WE FAST?
HEALTH BENEFITS OF DATES (KHUJOOR):
FOODS THAT ARE ADVISED FOR BREAKING THE FAST:
FOODS THAT ARE NOT ADVISED TO BREAK THE FAST:
HOW MANY TIMES YOU SHOULD EAT AFTER BREAKING A FAST?
There are 3 major macro nutrients our
body use as fuels. Carbohydrates, protein and fats.
When we eat food, we ingest it in complex
form starch or cellulose, the polysaccharides (carbohydrates), proteins and
fats. These macro nutrients are broken down into simpler forms in our gut by
the action of certain enzymes.
The main source of energy carbs are broken down
into oligo, di (sucrose-table sugar) and monosaccharides (glucose- which is the
main form that is processed in, fructose- fruit sugar, galactose- which makes
milk sugar).
When taken in high quantities this
glucose is stored in our fat cells, but only in the presence of insulin. Insulin
is secreted by pancreas (lablaba in urdu) in response to glucose.
When our body is in fasting state,
another hormone called glucagon is secreted from pancreas. It stimulates the
conversion of stored complex sugar (glycogen) into glucose. We call this
glycogenolysis in medical terminology, which gives you energy while fasting. It
also activates another process, in which it converts proteins and fats into
glucose thus aiding in weight loss and reversal of diabetes, prevention from
heart diseases. This is termed as gluconeogenesis in our terminology.
The other health benefits of intermittent
fasting on cellular repair, reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in the
body, cancer and on our brain can be read on this article which I went through
and found really interesting.
A survey published on may 2017 in express
tribune stated,
Mostly, the kinds of dates are being sold
in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, including Irani dry dates, Arabian
dates, Pakistani Aseel, Karblain, Irani Rabai, Mazafati, Shareefa and others,
Inaam Ullah a dates-seller in Sunday bazaar said.
People
usually buy Iraqi Basra and Pakistani Aseel due to the taste and affordable
price. There are more than 150 varieties of dates produced in Pakistan.
Out of these
varieties, Begum Jangi of Balochistan, Aseel of Sindh and Dhakki of Dera Ismail
Khan were the varieties which are much popular among people due to their exotic
taste, he added.
However,
another survey from may 2019 stated that Shopkeepers said the demand is for the
imported varieties of dates, such as Zahidi, Muzafati and Rabai while locally,
the Aseel variety – which is mostly produced in Sukkar, Sindh – is the most
sought after in Ramadan.
No matter
whichever variety you are consuming, health benefits of dates are uncountable, as
this fruit is affluent in natural fibres and packed with vitamins and minerals.
Low in fat and free from cholesterol. They are immediate boosters of energy as
they contain natural sugars; glucose, fructose and sucrose. However, they are
very low in calories and are suitable for the health conscious people as well.
Micronutrients
in dates involves vitamin B1,B2,B3 and B5 along with vitamin A and C. They are
rich in potassium and low in sodium. Thus effective for high blood pressure
patients as well.
They are
high in iron content making a home for anemic patients in this holy month of Ramadan.
Usually when
we fast, are body gets deprived of water making us vulnerable to constipation. Date
like, mazafati are rich in moisture defining its soft, caramal like texture and
packed in high amounts of fibres that aid in preventing constipation and many
intestinal problems.
That is the
reason our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) advised to eat date in suhoor as
well as breaking the fast from it is also his sunnat.
FOODS THAT ARE ADVISED FOR BREAKING THE FAST:
Globally,depending on the regions we are already witnessing 14 to 21 hours of fasting.
Globally,depending on the regions we are already witnessing 14 to 21 hours of fasting.
As per the
health point of view, many nutritionist, dieticians and health coaches have
been speaking a lot about intermittent fasting and the most popular among them
is 8:16 hours.
i.e. a window of 8 hours of eating followed by 16 hours of fasting.
Ramadan is that beautiful holy month which is an opportunity for all the muslims around the globe to unite on one platform equally and perform the act of physically and spiritually cleansing our body and soul from all the impurities and wrong deeds.
i.e. a window of 8 hours of eating followed by 16 hours of fasting.
Ramadan is that beautiful holy month which is an opportunity for all the muslims around the globe to unite on one platform equally and perform the act of physically and spiritually cleansing our body and soul from all the impurities and wrong deeds.
Do you know
the word “iftaar” is derived from the word “futoor” which means “break fast”.
It’s the
same breakfast we do every day other than Ramadan. i.e. the very first meal of
your day after a period of no eating. So, what’s the best way to break a fast
and ease your body back into eating. You should know that eating way too much
after a long awaited empty stomach is like you are being loaded with a lots of
work on day 1 back from your vacation which can lead you to exhaustion.
So, people while
sitting on your dining table (dastarkhwan) keep in mind do not exhaust your
stomach and liver way too much. Keep it light and filling so that you reach the
level of satiety without creating trouble.
Here’s a
list of what you should eat:
- 2 dates have average 75gm carbs,7 gms dietry fibre,113 gm sugars and around 300k energy. (a high source of instant glucose)
- 2 glasses of water will bring u back on hydration and by this time you have given enough fuel to kick start your metabolism.
- Fresh juicy fruits like melon, watermelon, strawberries, oranges, papaya are also a good source of vitamins, fibre, low-glycemic index carbs and high in water. Cucumbers being a water friendly vege can also help you in this process.
- Fermented food like Yogurt with a combination of chick peas (chana) and potato can make you feel fuller and are high in starch (a complex carb), proteins and good fat.
- Or instead you can prepare a bowl of healthy meal including boiled spinach, red or white kidney beans and cottage chease, sprinkled with herbs and spices of your choice adding a spoonful of olive oil.
- Or I can say all these foods I listed above adding few more like; mushrooms, avocados and bananas are extremely rich in potassium, which can help reduce muscle cramps and will aid in maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance, as well.
- Fried food items, fast foods, samosaz, pakoraz, spring rolls, pizzas, fried dumplings, French fries, and even our desi oily curry are not good to break your fast.
- Deep frying reduces the natural water content in food and absorbs the fat your using as a cooking oil 90 folds more. No matter how health conscious you are and you do not buy oil without checking its nutrition label, in the process of deep frying you are converting unsaturated fat to trans fat which is difficult to digest and can cause heartburn.
- Even if you are habitual of having such foods, you can consume it after few hours of breaking your fast to protect your liver being over work loaded or can have one piece at a time and eat the rest of them later.
- Similarly, food in high sugar content like carbonated drinks and certain powdered and liquid beverages are also to be avoided in breaking fast. The reason is they are high in calories but low in nutritions and can cause bloating (gases) and indigestion. Also they can raise your sugar levels really high that are also unhealthy for your brain activities.
HOW MANY TIMES YOU SHOULD EAT AFTER BREAKING A FAST?
Well it totally depends on your own body. What I do is I try to eat small meals and 3 times after fasting.
Usually I tend
to eat dates, fruits and yogurt and water as my 1st meal, the
iftaar.
Then, after
2 hrs I eat the veges/chick peas or whatever is available in home be it proper
dinner. I try and eat little and then late night like 1 am or 2 am I go with a banana
or an apple..
Meanwhile I drink
lot’s of water. Your daily requirement of water should be 8 to 12 glasses or 3
litres in your eating window. You can keep a track by writing a name on your
water bottle of 1.5 litre and drinking only from it or setting 8 to 12 alarms
on your phone and drink 1 glass everytime it buzz.
In short,
you have to decide how many times and what quantity suits you the best but make
sure to avoid binge.
I hope this
helps you in your upcoming iftaar. If you want me to update on some other health
related topics, do follow my insta and fb page and leave a message straight in
my inbox. These blogs are for you.
STAY BLESSED!
