Eat right this Ramzan for a healthy fast

The holy month of Ramzan is being observed by Muslims around the world through fasting and prayers. With the month of May also witnessing scorching heat with extreme temperatures, particularly in Chennai, fasting gets all the more challenging. Staying hydrated throughout the day is of utmost importance in the pre-fast and post-fast meals.

Sehri, the pre-fast meal, is eaten usually around 4 am, after which one keeps a fast through the day, avoiding even water consumption. Iftar is a meal eaten at 6.30 pm to break the fast. This ritual is continued for a period of a month — which during summer can get strenuous. We bring you a brief guide by nutrition experts and home chefs from various Muslim households on how to keep a safe fast. 

Hydration’s the word:  A day-long fast during the heat, is sure to leave a person dehydrated. Therapeutic nutritionist Divya Sathyaraj insists that one consumes easily digestible carbohydrates like brown rice and vegetables, along with dal, so as to be able to keep a healthy fast. “When people fast, it is important to remember that they need to have energy to do their everyday activities. South Indian foods like idlis and dosa tend to be light on the stomach and are also easily digestible. One must certainly avoid food items made of maida. Cut fruits, fruit juices, jeera water can also be good for to beat the heat. Taking a multivitamin capsule after a meal can be helpful,” Divya tells DT Next.

It is better to consume whole fruit, which is more nutritious than juices, she says. “If one is diabetic, they can keep away from fruits  high in sugar,” she adds. 

Keep away from fried food:  While a day-long fast might naturally make one crave for fried goodies, they can also bring extreme thirst. “Dried fruits and almonds make for a great suhoor or sehri meal. Have one glass of milk or yoghurt, along with a bowl of assorted fruits can keep one hydrated throughout the day. Oats, millets, watermelon, chicken, fish and eggs are also apt to be consumed for sehri. It is best to break the fast with dates as is done traditionally, because they offer a nutritious burst of natural sugar and refuel the body with much-needed energy,” says home chef Hazeena Seyad, who runs a popular food blog Saute Fry n Bake. 

Traditional recipes for good health:  Hailing from the Ravuthar community, Hazeena also makes unique recipes like thakkadi (rice dumplings cooked in mutton curry), a 200-year-old recipe that travelled all the way from Sri Lanka to India and is made for iftar and special occasions in Ravuthar households, dum adai, which is similar to the Middle Eastern basbousa, pazlathappam (a plantain filled with minced mutton and fried) nonbu kanji (a rice-based porridge made with either meat or chicken or vegetables, along with dal, coconut milk and spices). This kanji is also made at local mosques, and served to all for free — a practise that has been going on for centuries. This humble kanji, which is nutrition-rich, can keep you going through the hottest of the days. 

Befriend chia seeds:  Chia seeds are extremely healthy for being packed in essential nutrients and make for delicious additions to drinks and fruit juices, says city-based home chef Gazeenasulu Kunhamed, whose cooking has a Malabar influence, hailing from Malappuram in Kerala. “Chia seeds can also be added to smoothies that can be consumed after breaking the fast. They can also be used in china grass puddings. Due to their cooling effect, they are good to be consumed in hot weather,” says Gazeena. 

Detox with lime juice:  Nilofer Anisa, another home cook, says lime juice consumed along with chia seeds can be detoxifying, as well as cooling. “Fasting raises the body temperature, so eating those foods that can bring the temperature down is helpful. While fasting is not a compulsion, it comes with several health benefits, as well as allowing one to understand poverty,” 

she says.