How to practise mindfulness while fasting

Fasting is known to be advantageous in ridding the body of toxins, regulating metabolism, stabilising hormonal levels and even serving as an emotional cleanse. Ramadan can be a wonderful time to tap into our spiritual element and understand the gut-brain axis and what intuitive eating actually means to us.
Fasting helps populate the gut with good bacteria which, when accompanied with the right quality and quantity of foods, encourages the slow, sustained release of happy hormones and neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, endorphins and GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) in the brain.
These chemicals are known to boost moods and propagate positive mindsets. Hence, what you eat can have a tremendous impact in steering the purposeful self-reflective intent of Ramadan. Here are a few simple but mindful ways to do this during Ramadan:
1. Suhoor is important and shapes the body's energy metabolism for the day. Hence, make the conscious effort to incorporate it as part of the routine, even if the hours seem too early.
2. It is ideal to start with smaller portions and meals during Iftar, which allows your gastric muscle to accommodate for foods with better digestibility. Traditionally, when one breaks the fast, they start off with nature's own candies like dates and apricots, which are nutrient- and energy-dense. These not only help with stabilising blood sugar levels, but are known to aid with digestion. Iftars are also customarily designed to start off with smaller hydrating meals, like hearty soups and salads to support gut health and also replenish the body respectively.
3. It normally takes 20 minutes for the brain to register satiety. Hence, it is always good to also pace your meals during Iftar. Staggered time allows you to eat while experiencing your food, and whets your appetite while keeping it in check as a build-up to the main meal.
4. Suhoor and Iftar should be ideally crafted with baked, poached, lightly pan-fried/grilled items of proteins like eggs, fish, lean meats, legumes and beans, alongside fibre-rich complex carbs, such as an array of colourful veggies, fruits, brown rice, oats, quinoa etc, all entwined with healthy fats such as avocados, olives, 100 per cent grass-fed butter, ghee, coconut oil, and a handful of nuts and seeds.
5. Hydration is essential as 60 per cent of our body is made up of water and is required for all bodily processes to function smoothly. Hence, during Ramadan, the window between Iftar and Suhoor are the only times one can and must capitalise on hydration. A simple hack to understand your fluid needs as a rough estimate would be: body weight (in kgs)/ 30 = n litres. You might want to add 450-750ml to those litres if you do engage in medium to high intensity exercise. Remember, you can even "eat your water" via hydrating food sources, like watermelon, celery, cucumbers, berries, veggie soups etc that also double down as fibre sources.
6. Including fibre-rich options are crucial, as regular timings during the month are generally distorted. This often leads to bowel routines being warped. Hence, a deliberate endeavour to include vegetables, fruits, whole grains etc help with bowel and digestive health.
7. Be mindful of the amount of caffeine consumed. More than two cups of coffee, tea or even green tea between Iftar and Suhoor may be dehydrating and can even cause hormonal disruptions.
8. Embrace a more occasional kind of approach to desserts. Ramadan is certainly a time to celebrate with loved ones, even if it is virtually. While celebrations often do involve something sweet, one must be more conscious about choosing natural sugars over refined sugars. A regular indulgence in the latter is known to spawn and further complicate lifestyle diseases.
9. Be watchful of the amount of salty and spicy foods consumed. Such foods tend to dehydrate the body and often come laced with refined fats that are known culprits of inflammation; hence, moderation and balance are key.
10. Staying active is pertinent to a healthy metabolism. During Ramadan, choosing the right intensity and time for physical activity are important factors to consider. In most cases, it is ideal to engage in mild to moderate intensity exercise during the time between Iftar and Suhoor. This window generally allows the opportunity for one to adequately fuel the body before the workout and replenish too right after.
wknd@khaleejtimes.com