Suitable diet for fasting in Ramadan (1)

From the book "300 questions in comprehensive nutrition"
By Dr. Cherifa Aboul Fettouh

Q: What are the benefits of fasting - which lasts for long hours - nutritionally?

A: One of the most important benefits of fasting is that the body detoxifies itself and eliminates toxins throughout the fasting hours. These toxins come into existence as a result of the food that we eat and various environmental factors surrounding us. The body undergoes this process to co-exist properly, it is a continuous process that fasting can make faster, which is of great benefit to us. In addition to, the available energy - which usually goes to the digestive system for completing the process of digestion - turns to the immune system to strengthen it through the growth of new tissues and cells. Not to mention, easing the burden on the digestive system, which relieves any infections may be present in any part of it. On the other hand, people who have certain allergy to a particular type of food can come to know it. And the blood-which is always loaded with fat - becomes lighter during fasting so it goes to the brain faster, which greatly improves intelligence and this invalidates the rumors claiming that fasting causes fatigue and lack of concentration. Also, fasting improves the sense of taste, which usually makes us choose what we wish of the different types of food, on condition that they are healthy.

Q: Can you set a model for a low-calorie and healthy breakfast?

A: Sure, and actually this model works not only for people who want to maintain weight, but also for people who want to lose weight. And it works for people of any age and gender, except for diabetics who I'll talk about later on.

A diet to reduce weight in Ramadan for healthy and diabetic people

The meal consists of:

Vegetable Soup: One cup of fresh vegetable soup containing chicken broth or fat-free meat, along with a tablespoon of broiled risoni (lesan asfour).
Salads: green salad containing all its components, yogurt salad composed of two tablespoons of yogurt + two tablespoons of skimmed milk + a spoon of mustard + a quarter teaspoon garlic + lemon juice.
Vegetables: boiled vegetables (any kind) or raw.
Protein: palm-sized piece of protein boiled or grilled.
You can eat five kernels of nuts + four dried fruits, between breakfast and Suhoor.

For diabetics, they can be divided into three groups:

- The first group:
Diabetics who follow a diet without getting treatment and medicines, but their sugar levels get high if they ate certain foods or large amounts of food. The majority of the members of this group are usually overweight. This group has no problem with fasting; on the contrary, it causes regularity in sugar levels. And they can follow the same previous model with replacing dried fruits - eaten three hours after breakfast - or reducing them to one meal of fresh or dried and adding a little more of the nuts.

- The second group:
Who are treated only with medical pills, meaning that they don't get insulin, and they have the second type diabetes called "Type II". This group is divided into two:
Section I: Patients who get "one pill per day."
Section II: Patients who get "two pills a day."
And both sections of the patients of this group should consult their doctor to adjust their dosage to fit during the fasting period. And they can follow the same previous model with a further addition as the first after another three hours and delaying the Suhoor until before fajr directly, and usually this meal adjusts to decrease to the half.

- The third group:
Patients who are treated with insulin and they are also divided into two:
Section I: Patients who are being treated with less than "40 units" of insulin.
Section II: Patients who are being treated with more than "40 units" of insulin.
Both sections of this group two sections can fast only under close medical supervision follow the previous model for breakfast.