JEDDAH: Fitness instructor, personal trainer and nutritionist Ibrahim Mukhtar said widespread unhealthy food habits during Ramadan harm the overall health of the body or cause excessive weight.
He pointed out that the Holy Month of Ramadan represents a good opportunity to improve overall health and to lose weight.
The athletic trainer and nutritionist was speaking on this topic to a local publication, asserting that a Malaysian study proved that Ramadan represents a good opportunity to improve the overall health of the individual, and recommended participants not to eat too much food and beverages during the breaking of the fast and suhoor, and to enjoy healthy meals in moderate quantities to get rid of obesity and to lose weight.
“It is better not to deprive oneself of Ramadan desserts and dishes especially since it constitutes a part of the diet of the body. We advise the individual to reduce food quantities and eat such foods only once or twice during the week,” he added.
He asserted that not drinking enough water and postponing this until the last minute before dawn prayers prevents the body from getting the sufficient amount of water. “This is one of the common mistakes during Ramadan. It is better to distribute the amounts of water needed by the body over intervals between Maghreb and Fajr prayers, and to eat foods full of water such as vegetables, fruits, and milk which help hydrate the body,” he added.
He said another hazardous health mistake widespread among the youths is to eat fast foods at suhoor. “Such meals are saturated with salt causing much thirst during fasting hours. If one craves these types of meals it is better to eat them when breaking the fast,” he advised.
The dietitian cited a recent study to say that eating excessively when breaking the fast will lead to the body storing more calories, causing weight gain.
He advised that the suhoor meal be rich in fiber such as beans and grains which help reduce the feeling of hunger during fasting.
He said loss of weight, or keeping a steady weight depend on the physical activity during the day. “Any individual who wants to lose weight should exercise and do sports such as aerobics, walking or jogging for half an hour at least 40 minutes before breaking the fast, and to do more heavy exercises such as weight lifting and jogging long distances during the time between breakfast and suhoor,” he concluded.
He pointed out that the Holy Month of Ramadan represents a good opportunity to improve overall health and to lose weight.
The athletic trainer and nutritionist was speaking on this topic to a local publication, asserting that a Malaysian study proved that Ramadan represents a good opportunity to improve the overall health of the individual, and recommended participants not to eat too much food and beverages during the breaking of the fast and suhoor, and to enjoy healthy meals in moderate quantities to get rid of obesity and to lose weight.
“It is better not to deprive oneself of Ramadan desserts and dishes especially since it constitutes a part of the diet of the body. We advise the individual to reduce food quantities and eat such foods only once or twice during the week,” he added.
He asserted that not drinking enough water and postponing this until the last minute before dawn prayers prevents the body from getting the sufficient amount of water. “This is one of the common mistakes during Ramadan. It is better to distribute the amounts of water needed by the body over intervals between Maghreb and Fajr prayers, and to eat foods full of water such as vegetables, fruits, and milk which help hydrate the body,” he added.
He said another hazardous health mistake widespread among the youths is to eat fast foods at suhoor. “Such meals are saturated with salt causing much thirst during fasting hours. If one craves these types of meals it is better to eat them when breaking the fast,” he advised.
The dietitian cited a recent study to say that eating excessively when breaking the fast will lead to the body storing more calories, causing weight gain.
He advised that the suhoor meal be rich in fiber such as beans and grains which help reduce the feeling of hunger during fasting.
He said loss of weight, or keeping a steady weight depend on the physical activity during the day. “Any individual who wants to lose weight should exercise and do sports such as aerobics, walking or jogging for half an hour at least 40 minutes before breaking the fast, and to do more heavy exercises such as weight lifting and jogging long distances during the time between breakfast and suhoor,” he concluded.
