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Carole Mougharbel

5 Tips For People Fasting For The First Time

It’s not the easiest thing in the world to hold back on food and water all day, believe me, but it is a very proud moment to know that you’ve made it through the day while you break your fast with your family and loved ones.

Sometimes fasting takes a toll on your health, and some people have a tendency to gain weight during Ramadan. But the least you can do is make sure that when it does come time for iftar, you’re making healthy choices..

1. Stay busy.

Watching the clock can be an inevitable part of fasting, but it makes it that much more difficult! Keep yourself occupied with anything from work and series to reading a book or organizing your closet.This is also a great time to catch up on entire series you’ve missed!

2. Wake up for suhoor!

Yes, it can be terribly annoying to wake them up in the middle of the night to eat, but it makes a world of difference to them the next day! You can plan ahead and prepare before you sleep: have fruits, dates, cereals, the occasional man’ooshi, and of course, foul and hommos – nothing like those beans to release energy all through the day and keep you feeling full for longer.

3. Split your meals up.

Don’t overeat at Iftar, you will feel awful and extremely uncomfortable right after. Overeating will also lead to indigestion and bloating, meaning that you will not feel well enough to fast the next day. Split your iftars into two meals or two phases even. Don’t sit at the table and eat everything in sight, start with your soup and salad and then take a break before getting to the main course.

4. Watch what you drink.

The last thing you needs after a day of fasting is sugary sodas and unhealthy drinks. Stick to hydrating with water or limited amounts of juice.

5. Keep it interesting.

The most important thing to keep in mind is to make sure that you get a variety of foods to stay healthy and interested. So cover all the food groups such as wholegrain, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, proteins (beef, chicken, turkey, eggs, nuts and legumes) and healthy fats (olive/canola oil, avocado, fatty fish).