Ramadan Reset - Healthy Ramadan Checklist by Amanah-Fitness
Ramadan Reset - Healthy Ramadan Checklist by Amanah-Fitness
Ramadan Reset - Healthy Ramadan Checklist by Amanah-Fitness
Maryam loves Ramadan, but for some reason, fasting days just seem so LONG! She tries to wake up for
suhoor, but she always feels starving later in the day, so she doesn’t feel very motivated to manage the
early morning meal. As the hours tick by, Maryam can’t help but stare at her watch and complain about her
hunger. Finally, it’s almost Maghrib time, and Maryam feels as if she’s about to faint! All she can think about
during her prayer is her rumbling stomach. As soon as the adhan goes, she dashes to the kitchen, feeling
tired, famished, and cranky. As she hurriedly eats her iftar, she sadly wishes that she had done more
worship in the day. But, she was just too hungry to focus!
Ismail can’t wait for Ramadan! He loves spending the day quietly reflecting and praying. And, he always looks
forward to enjoying time with friends at iftar parties around a huge spread of food! Ismail feels that he
deserves a big meal after a long day of fasting. But, even though Ismail loves the masjid, he struggles
through Taraweh every night. His body feels heavy, and he suddenly starts to feel sleepy. As he shifts
from one foot to the other during the first few rakaats (stepping on his prayer neighbour’s toes in the
process), he can’t stop thinking about his bloated stomach and he wishes he could just lie down. Before
he realises it, the Imam concludes the witr duaa, and Ismail fumbles his way back home, wondering why
he can never focus during taraweh.
It has become a common joke that “Muslims somehow are able to GAIN weight
while fasting!”. However, this sad reality is far from funny. The majority of our
community eats in such a destructive way to unbelievably promote fat GAIN…
despite fasting for 17 hours of the day! This seems almost impossible, but
unfortunately, many Muslims use Ramadan as an excuse to engage in gluttony
and overfeeding.
Imagine this: Instead of dragging yourself through Ramadan feeling tired, sickly,
and starved, what if you reached the end of the day feeling well-fueled from a
sufficient suhoor? And what if you then ate a satisfying but portion-controlled iftar,
allowing you to feel charged and awake for taraweh?
How amazing would you feel? How much energy would you have to devote to worship?
In fact, a healthy fast should leave you feeling energetic and alert, without suffering constant pangs of hunger
throughout the day, or feeling bloated after an enormous iftar. And YOU can definitely achieve this
supercharged Ramadan! You just have to be willing to LEARN what it truly means to be healthy in Ramadan.
Ask yourself if these unhealthy foods are really as important to your overall Ramadan experience, as
many people make them out to be.
Instead of making unhealthy choices your main food source during Ramadan, what if you prepared
overall healthier meals, and enjoyed your favourite cultural dishes as a small side snack? If this
could help reduce the massive food coma and weight gain that many Muslims experience during
Ramadan… would you do it? Do you have the self-control to commit to modifying your suhoor and iftar
eating habits?
Did you know that several INCREDIBLE events in Islamic history took place in Ramadan?4
In fact, the famous Battle of Badr, and the Conquest of Makkah BOTH took place during Ramadan!4 The
Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) and his Companions were active during Ramadan… to the extent that they were
defending themselves at war while fasting! SubhanAllah,
Now… what about fasting during work hours was so hard, again…?
Finding energy to devote ourselves to worship, be productive at work, and squeeze in a healthy meals during
Ramadan is not as overwhelming as it seems! The modern Muslim must understand that Ramadan is NO time for
laziness. However, many Muslims believe our bodies start to “shut down” when we fast, and use this as an excuse to
be unproductive and sluggish during Ramadan. To properly utilise our time, energy and resources during Ramadan,
it is essential to understand the effects of fasting upon our bodies.
So even if you’re eating less during Ramadan… the mental repercussions are minimal!
One study in 2007 summarised the effects of fasting during Ramadan as a phase shift for our bodies! Here’s
what that means:
“Ramadan can best be summarised as a phase shift in calorie intake and a change in sleeping
habits. These phase shifts may have effects on some activities of daily living, mood,
motivation and maximal performance, with little effect on submaximal exercise.
Food intake is not restricted during Ramadan; the restriction is when food is eaten. Shifting
food intake until after sunset upsets the timing of intake and sleep patterns to accommodate
the change in mealtime. This makes the influence of Ramadan on daily activities more a matter of
CHRONOBIOLOGY than of calorie restriction.”
Let me break down EXACTLY what this article is stating about the effects of Ramadan fasting upon our
bodies, because it is truly GROUNDBREAKING for how we view Ramadan!
• During Ramadan, our food intake itself is not restricted… the TIMING of WHEN WE EAT is
restricted (suhoor & iftar).
• This timing change of eating may disrupt your internal clock… potentially causing typical
“fasting side effects”. In fact, these “fasting side effects” are similar to symptoms of being sleep
deprived!
• Sleep, mood and motivation may be affected, NOT because of the lack of food, but because of
the PHASE SHIFT in eating that is disrupting your internal clock!
So all of us can stop complaining about why we are “STARVING” while fasting and cranky or tired or
lethargic… in reality, we may just be suffering from the symptoms of chronobiological disruption! In
which case, it’s a great opportunity to practice the tried and true Sunnah of napping!
• Many of the typical “Ramadan Symptoms” of an irritated, unhappy, grumpy, tired, moody, starving
faster can be attributed to a disruption in your internal clock!
• Recharge and get proper rest by adding a short nap into your afternoon routine!
• "And We made your sleep a means for rest" ~ The Holy Quran, (78:9)
• The Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) said, "Take mid-day naps, for verily shaytaan does not
take naps" (Sahih al-Jami')
• A short, 20-minute power nap before or after Dhuhr prayer is all you need to boost your energy
and finish your fast feeling energetic!5
• A short nap will also take your mind off of food and allow you to refocus on what matters most
when you wake up - taking advantage of the month and utilising time for worship.
A companion reported:
"I entered upon the Prophet (S) and he was taking the Suhoor and he said: "It
is a blessing which Allah has given to you, so do not leave it".
Think about how sluggish you feel if you skip breakfast, on a regular day. Skipping breakfast causes us to
crave sweets and overeat later on throughout the day. It slows our metabolism and studies have shown
people who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight. Skipping suhoor is even worse!
If you skip suhoor, you cannot make up the meal during the day. Your body has no stored fuel to use. The
food you ate during iftar and dinner has been digested and utilised. Your body will turn to breaking itself
down for energy. Eventually, this may lead to the breakdown muscle, which will lead to fatigue and
low energy levels.
Here are four components of a healthy suhoor for you to build-your-own meal:
1 Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbs (such as whole grains, brown rice, etc.) are important sources of
glucose and energy for your body. Complex carbohydrates are digested slowly
during the day and are a great choice for lasting fasting energy. Simple carbs,
on the other hand (such as white bread and flours), are processed foods that
are stripped of their nutrients, wheat germ and bran during the refining
process. They offer little nutrition, are low in dietary fibre and are a source of
refined simple sugars.
Good examples: sweet potatoes, oatmeal made with rolled oats (NOT
sugar quick oats!), quinoa, whole grain breads/cereals, etc.
3 Lean Protein
Eating lean protein is another great way to stay full longer during the day.
Along with fat and carbohydrates, protein is a "macronutrient," meaning that
the body needs relatively large amounts of it. Unlike fat and carbohydrates, the
body does not store protein, so our major source of protein is from the foods
we eat.
Good examples: chicken breast, fresh fish (eg. salmon, tuna), skim milk,
nuts, eggs, beans, light peanut butter, tofu, chia seeds, etc.
4 Healthy Fats
Eating fats does not make you fat - if you’re eating the right kind of fat, that is!
Bad fats increase cholesterol and your risk of certain diseases, while good fats
protect your heart and support overall health. Studies have shown that some
good fats like avocado may keep you feeling full and prevent feelings of
hunger!
Good examples: avocados, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, olives, small
handful of nuts (moderation is key!), fish (eg. salmon), etc.
If you want a FULL 30-day meal plan with ALL your suhoor, iftars, snacks, smoothies &
more planned out FOR YOU, check out our Full Ramadan Reset eBook for a
COMPLETE dietitian-created meal & exercise plan to follow every day in Ramadan!
Ranges of servings are given. Women can go towards the lower range, and men
can use the higher range. Feel free to substitute any foods from the same food groups.
The best thing you can do for yourself is to eat slowly and in small quantities. Eating a lot of food at one
sitting will only lead to feelings of fullness, indigestion, fatigue from high blood sugar, and acid reflux.
Eat foods that are good for you and full of nutrients and you will be satisfied eating a normal amount of food.
When cooking, bake more as opposed to frying foods. Use extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil or macadamia
nut oil to cook your food instead of butter, ghee, or vegetable oil.
Avoid/Limit:
Hydrate aggressively during non-fasting hours with water as your primarily fluid. Sodas and
juices are filled with sugar and only will lead to more thirst. Caffeinated drinks deplete the body of
fluid and lead to thirst as well. Besides water, you can meet your daily water requirements by
consuming water-filled foods such as fruits, vegetables, milk, yogurt, and soup.
Your personal needs for hydration are unique, and may be greater than 8 glasses, especially if
you are exercising. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine guidelines
state that “the vast majority of healthy people adequately meet their daily hydration needs by
letting thirst be their guide”.
However, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine also studied average
fluid intake in well-hydrated men and women and provided the following targets for fluid intake:
These targets may be more than you are currently be drinking. However, it is very reasonable to
aim for 12-15 cups of water during non-fasting Ramadan hours, if you space our your glasses in
non-fasting hours. Aim to drink 3-4 glasses of fluids per hour during non-fasting hours.
You can also include tea and coffee (sugar-free, of course!) as part of your daily fluid
requirements.
Fasting during the summer heat will cause you to sweat more and
lose additional water. It’s important to get plenty of water to
replenish the electrolytes lost from sweating, etc. Take sips from
your reusable water bottle throughout the evening.
Our COMPLETE Ramadan Reset eBook will give you an EXACT meal plan &
workouts to help you achieve your HEALTHIEST Ramadan ever inshAllah!
• FULL 30-day Ramadan dietitian’s meal plan
• 90 delicious & healthy Ramadan recipes (iftars, digestive fast-breaking
soups & suhoor smoothies!)
• Fasting fitness workout schedules for ALL fitness levels
• Practical tips on sleep, coffee & so much more!
"Usually every
Ramadan I GAIN
10 pounds...
with your
encouragement,
me and my
husband EACH
LOST 15
pounds!!"
www.ramadanreset.com/ebook
References
1. Webber. J. & MacDonald IA., 1994
2. Redman et al., 2008
3. Zerguini, Y., Kirkendall, D., Junge, A., & Dvorak, J., 2007
4. http://muslimmatters.org/2012/08/14/5-events-during-ramadan-that-rocked-the-world/
5. http://productivemuslim.com/ramadan-series-master-your-sleep-this-ramadan-part-2/