Ramadan is a interval of self-reflection, a time for spirituality and household, and offers a singular alternative to reconnect with the physique, thoughts and religion. It will also be a pure place to begin for individuals who wish to lead a more healthy way of life and shed extra pounds. Analysis reveals that many individuals with extra weight can shed extra pounds and fats mass throughout Ramadan. Nonetheless, this normally solely represents short-term success and is tough to take care of all through the holy month and afterwards. Between two and 5 weeks after the tip of Ramadan, folks typically return to their pre-Ramadan weight and physique composition measurements.

It will also be shocking to be taught that just some folks shed extra pounds throughout Ramadan, regardless of fasting. One survey printed in a number one diet journal discovered that nearly 60% of individuals placed on weight throughout Ramadan.1 Gaining weight regardless of fasting could sound odd, however it is sensible, given some elements at play, comparable to overindulgence in the course of the pre-dawn suhoor or the night iftar. Exterior of Ramadan, it’s widespread to have meals cravings, so it’s no shock that the temptation to overindulge after a full day of fasting will also be excessive. Paying consideration to what’s eaten, when, and the way it’s eaten can considerably have an effect on weight administration throughout Ramadan.

With this in thoughts, listed below are my high ideas that will help you keep wholesome – and even shed extra pounds – throughout Ramadan.

Good diet is important day-after-day – and Ramadan needs to be no exception.
Firstly, when planning for the holy month, it’s important to acknowledge the distinction between fasting for Ramadan and common or intermittent fasting, which some folks use as a weight reduction tactic. Ramadan fasting includes not consuming or consuming something between dawn and sundown, whereas zero-calorie liquids comparable to water, tea and low are normally allowed with intermittent fasting. Due to this fact, the strict necessities round Ramadan make it much more important to plan forward and guarantee a wholesome consumption of nutritional vitamins and vitamins and sufficient hydration in the course of the holy month.

Step one to a wholesome day is to make sure you don’t skip suhoor. This meal offers a healthful begin to your day and helps gasoline your physique with the vitality it must energy via your day by day actions with out feeling drained or fatigued. Intention for complete meals and sophisticated carbohydrates to maintain you fuller for longer – these are damaged down extra slowly by the physique, offering a steadier vitality supply all through the day. In distinction, processed meals and easy carbohydrates are digested and processed extra shortly, typically leaving you feeling hungry quickly after consuming. Some useful selections embrace eggs, beans, lentils, chickpeas, oats, and fruit and veggies. Additionally, attempt low-fat dairy merchandise like Greek yogurt and meals that embrace unsaturated fat – unsalted nuts and salmon are good choices.

Maha Shahin, Dietary Session at Allurion Dietician Board

Thoughtfully break your quick.
Breaking your quick thoughtfully and deliberately could make all of the distinction in your weight reduction and wholesome consuming targets throughout Ramadan. Keep away from consuming a big iftar proper after the Maghrib azan, which can lead to over-eating. It’s higher to interrupt your consuming down into smaller parts to offer the physique time to correctly digest the meals. Iftar can at all times be adopted by wholesome snacks afterwards if required. Dried fruits are a superb snack that may enhance pure sugar and vitality. They’re additionally excessive in iron and antioxidants. For optimum profit, pair them with a handful of uncooked nuts.

Get a superb night time’s sleep
Poor sleep can have a destructive impression on day-to-day life, which may make planning and maintaining a healthy diet meals more difficult. Fatigue can even have an effect on hormones and alter urge for food and starvation, making fasting much more difficult.

Getting a superb night time’s sleep might be troublesome throughout Ramadan when extra household and social occasions mark the holy month. Even so, it’s essential to try to get right into a routine to assist your physique regulate. Decreasing display time earlier than mattress or having a soothing bedtime routine may also help your physique and thoughts wind down and put together you for sleep. Some folks goal for no less than 4 hours of sleep after iftar. They then wake for suhoor and fajr earlier than getting just a few extra hours of sleep and beginning the day. It will also be a good suggestion to sneak a ‘nap’ of 20 or half-hour within the afternoon in case your work or house life is versatile sufficient.

Keep lively throughout Ramadan
Making an attempt to remain lively is essential at any time of 12 months, particularly throughout Ramadan. Day by day walks of simply 15 to twenty minutes can work wonders to your circulation, digestion, vitality ranges and psychological well being. Brief resistance coaching periods will also be a great way of becoming in a burst of train on a busy day. Exercising about two hours after iftar may also help to assist digestion and make sure you don’t go to mattress feeling too full. Whereas exercise ranges are key to a wholesome way of life and sustaining a wholesome weight, combining them with conscious consuming can also be important.

And at last …
It might probably assist to get right into a wholesome routine for suhoor and iftar earlier than the primary day of Ramadan. Attempt to set reasonable targets and patterns of consuming which are easy to stay to.

Way of life patterns are affected by plenty of various factors – no matter Ramadan. It’s essential to prioritise consuming healthily and exercising recurrently all 12 months spherical. In terms of weight loss plan, your meals needs to be balanced and various – and in the event you’re seeking to shed extra pounds, Ramadan generally is a nice time to begin the wheels in movement. For additional assist, you may like to think about a weight-loss program just like the one provided by Allurion, which mixes a 16-week gastric balloon with a behavioural change program that focuses on personalised diet teaching with digital monitoring instruments.