10 golden rules to avoid indigestion during Ramadan

Prof. Dr. Gülbanu Canbaloğlu drew attention to the golden rules that should be followed regarding nutrition during the month of Ramadan.

Prof. Dr. Gülbanu Canbaloğlu stated that it is important for individuals fasting to have a balanced and healthy diet, adding, “Our nutrition plan should include water, grains, healthy proteins, vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats. Dairy products should be consumed in 1-2 portions per day. Sugary drinks should be avoided. Vegetable consumption is also important, but staying away from potatoes and french fries would be more appropriate for health. Olive oil should be preferred instead of trans fats. The cooking methods of meals are also important. Furthermore, one should avoid eating meals quickly and should consume them by chewing thoroughly. Suhoor should take the place of breakfast. Not waking up for suhoor or only drinking water during suhoor causes blood sugar to drop early in the day, leads to starting the day unprepared, and results in fatigue throughout the day. If the suhoor meal consists of heavy foods, the risk of weight gain increases because the metabolic rate slows down at night,” she said.

''SHORT WALKS SHOULD BE TAKEN''

Mentioning that short walks should be taken 1 hour after iftar, Prof. Dr. Gülbanu Canbaloğlu continued: ''Exercise and short walks should be taken after iftar to facilitate digestion. Especially avoiding fried foods, pastries, and foods containing excessive sugar and fat will protect us against indigestion, heartburn, and weight problems that may occur at night.''

THE 10 GOLDEN RULES OF NUTRITION DURING RAMADAN ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. In Ramadan, the rule of 2 main meals and 2 snacks should be followed. In Ramadan, we can generally organize your meals as suhoor, iftar, and two snacks. Fruits, yogurt, and moderate amounts of nuts can be preferred for snacks.
2. To avoid upsetting the stomach and to prevent excess calorie intake, the best cooking methods are grilling, baking, boiling, or steaming. Frying and roasting methods that will cause excessive fat intake should be avoided.
3. The satiety signal reaches the brain in 20 minutes. One should avoid consuming meals quickly and should consume them slowly and by chewing thoroughly.
4. The iftar meal is just as important as suhoor; it is also wrong to go to extremes in terms of quantity and food variety. Traditionally, it is the right choice to drink soup after breaking the fast with water, dates, or olives, and to move on to the main course after about 15 minutes.
5. It is necessary to wake up for suhoor. It should not be forgotten that intending to fast by only drinking water at suhoor is harmful. This way, you do not load the nutrients you need to take during the day into a single meal.
6. Attention should be paid to fluid consumption. People who are fasting must consume an average of 10 glasses of water between iftar and suhoor. To make water consumption easier, one can try consuming 1-2 glasses of water every hour. It can be made easier to drink by flavoring the water with lemon, mint leaves, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. To meet the mineral and electrolyte losses that occur during the day, 1 bottle of plain mineral water can be consumed after iftar.
7. The amount of tea and coffee consumed during the month of Ramadan should not be exaggerated, and tea and coffee should be consumed one hour after iftar. Since tea and coffee consumed with meals at iftar reduce iron absorption, light tea or coffee can be drunk 1 hour after iftar.
8. Our rising blood sugar after iftar may trigger a desire to eat dessert. At this very moment, it would be appropriate to prefer fruit and dairy-based snacks instead of desserts with syrup, flour, or chocolate.
9. Let's pay attention to the problem of constipation in Ramadan. To prevent constipation that may occur due to changes in the nutritional regimen and a decrease in physical activity, foods with high fiber content should be preferred in meals, and fresh fruits with skins, dried fruits, and nuts should be preferred in snacks.
10. Staying hungry for a long time causes our immune system to weaken; we must take care to consume foods that will strengthen the immune system. To strengthen our immune system during the month of Ramadan, we should consume foods containing vitamin C, omega-3, probiotics, foods containing vitamin D, and spices such as ginger and turmeric. While fasting, in addition to vegetables rich in antioxidant vitamins such as A and C, which have immune-strengthening properties, such as carrots, broccoli, zucchini, cabbage, and parsley, the consumption of fruits such as oranges, tangerines, and apples is important.