The Holy month of Ramadan is a great time to make healthy changes with your food and avoid over indulging.
Pace yourself, fuel your body right and have fun during the Holy month with these top nutrition and exercise tips from Chloe Moir Nutrition!
NUTRITION
1. Eliminate all processed sugars – a Ramadan sugar detox. Processed foods such as cakes, breads, desserts and sweets will cause a rapid increase in blood sugar levels, followed by a large drop, leading to cravings and low energy levels.
2. Dates are a traditional way to break the fast at Iftar. Following a fast your blood sugar levels are low, so any sugar you eat will rapidly be broken down causing spikes of blood sugar and spikes of insulin. If you cannot avoid having a date or two then team it with a few natural, raw almonds to help slow digestion of the sugar.
3. Avoid eating quickly at Iftar, pace yourself! It is best to spread out your food and eat slowly. Rather than having a large Iftar meal, eat half your meal to break your fast then the other half a couple of hours later.
4. Always include a high quality protein source at Iftar such as high quality lean meats, chicken, seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds and legumes such as lentils, beans and chickpeas. This will help to slow down the release of sugar from your food into your blood, which can happen quite quickly when breaking a fast.
5. Base your Suhoor meal around protein and healthy fats such as eggs and avocado to keep you feeling full and satisfied for longer. Always choose low GI carbohydrates at Suhoor to control blood sugar levels and reduce mid-fast cravings. Low GI carbohydrates include quinoa, legumes, brown or wild rice, sweet potato and all other vegetables.
6. Hydration is key. Just like every other day you should consume between 2-3L of water. Start hydrating as soon as you breakfast and continue drinking until Suhoor.