• Home

Dietitian Advises Selective Eating Habits During Ramadan

DUBAI— 'Binge eating is a fairly common habit during the Ramadan period, especially as the day is spent without eating or drinking,' says Anjali Dange, Dietitian at Welcare Hospital.

“However, the adverse effects of this habit depend on the type of food consumed,” she explains, adding that some acceptable choices for eating the right food after the fasting — especially, if you are likely to ‘binge’`— include whole wheat products, milk, yogurt or laban, fruits such as date, banana, apple, pear, orange, melon, kiwi or strawberry, and raw vegetables in the form of salads.

These foods release energy slowly and, therefore, contain less fat than many other types of traditional fried dishes or snacks like samosas, kibbe, or French fries, she explains.

“Instant energy foods are required at the time of breaking the long fast to give the body the energy that it has missed during the day such as dates, whole fruits, milk shakes, smoothies,” says Dr Manisha Phadke, a dietitian based in Sharjah.

She advises that these foods should be accompanied with at least 3-4 glasses of water to enhance easy digestion.

“Fried foods and beverages such as tea and coffee are wrong choices as they dehydrate the body rather than nourish it,” says Dange.

“During the initial days of fasting, you may encounter slight dizziness as well as frequent headaches.

“This problem is more common with tea and coffee addicts,” explains Dange.

“Fried, very spicy foods and foods that contain too much sugar can cause indigestion, heart-burning and weight problems.

“They should be limited during Ramadan,” she adds.

Dr Phadke says that fasting can also increase levels of gastric acidity in the stomach which can cause burning and heaviness, and sometimes a sour taste in the mouth.

“This can be overcome by eating foods rich in fibre such as whole wheat bread, vegetables, humoos, beans and fruits.

“These foods trigger muscular action and the proper churning and mixing of food which helps reduce the build-up of acid in the stomach,” she explains.

“The diet during Ramadan should be such that we maintain our normal weight, neither losing nor gaining.

“However, if one is over-weight, Ramadan is an ideal time to shed those extra pounds,” says Dange.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com