Nutritional recommendations from experts in Ramadan

Dietitian Funda Budak stated that fasting is one of the obligatory duties of Islam and said that citizens who comply with this fard should also pay attention to their health. Budak stressed that more attention should be paid to nutrition during this month-long period, saying, “Eating more than one meal due to prolonged hunger will cause a lot of problems. Because studies have shown that eating fast and eating more after fasting increases the risk of heart attack. Because after a long starvation, the metabolism consumes less energy. Exercise slows down and basal metabolic rate decreases. For this reason, weight gain is inevitable if the proper nutritional program is not practiced during Ramadan; The common problem of fasting people is “I ate too much, I can’t digest it” or “I gained too much weight during Ramadan.”

Budak, who stated that the number of meals, which is generally 5 or 6 meals, has decreased to 2 or 3 meals during Ramadan, said: “As a result, people’s eating habits will also change. In this blessed month, our meals should be arranged as 4 or 5. A Ramadan without Suhoor is unthinkable. You should definitely stand up for sahur. Because the time of hunger lengthens, and as a result both blood sugar problems occur and the feeling of hunger increases, resulting in a binge eating situation at iftar.

Emphasizing that a light breakfast at sahur is the most ideal diet, Budak said: “A light breakfast consisting of tea or milk, cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, a few walnuts, eggs and wholemeal bread is most ideal. It is undesirable to fill your stomach during iftar. Meal breaks should be provided. After breaking the fast with a glass of water and an olive or date, drink a bowl of soup and wait 15 minutes. As a result, our satiety center is alerted during this process. After 15 minutes, the main course (grilled meat, meatballs, chicken, legumes, vegetable dishes with or without meat, dishes such as rice, pasta, noodles, salad, yogurt, ayran, tzatziki) is more ideal, these can be served in small portions. “Make sure it is wholemeal bread. Consumption of high-fiber foods also avoids the problem of constipation. Again, care should be taken not to overfill the stomach. Meals should be eaten slowly by chewing well. After this meal, take a meal break of an hour and a half should be given.” spoke.

Budak also mentioned sweets, which are indispensable for iftar tables, and continued his words as follows:

“Instead of heavy dumplings such as baklava, şöbiyet, wrap burma and kadayif, light desserts such as rice pudding, gullaç, compote, pudding and pudding are preferable. Artificial sweeteners can preferably be used in the production of these desserts. An hour and a half after the main meal, our third meal can be spent eating a light milk dessert or fruit.
Water consumption during Ramadan is another condition that must be taken into account. It is necessary to make up for the loss of water during the day by drinking plenty of water during sahur and after iftar. In addition, patients with hypoglycemia and diabetes who are inconvenient to fast for a long time, liver failure, kidney disease, mental disorders, mental imbalances, hypertension, children of developmental age, pregnant and nursing mothers are at risk.