In Ramadan, the long period of fasting and the fact that food intake is taken in small meals, but loaded, puts the body in a nutritional system that it is not used to. As a result of this long-term hunger, the preferred foods may change. A diet that is high in calories, loaded with sweets and increased portion sizes is adopted. This type of eating habit can lead to more storage of nutrients and weight gain in the long run. If you are following a wrong nutrition program during this long period of hunger, this can cause slowing of metabolism, irregularity in blood sugar, finitude, weakness, fatigue, inattention, loss of concentration, headache, dizziness, forgetfulness, tendency to sleep, indigestion, bloating, nausea. It can also reduce work efficiency as it will cause many problems such as Let’s take a look at the common nutritional mistakes in order to minimize all these setbacks while fasting and to maintain the month of Ramadan in the most adequate form.
- Eating pita hot and exaggerating
Consume pita, which is indispensable for iftar, only for tasting. Foods containing easy carbohydrates, especially flour and sugar, increase the risks of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. This increases the insulin resistance of individuals and causes abdominal fat to be lubricated. Since the fiber content of easy carbohydrate foods is low, bowel movements slow down and constipation may occur. Foods consumed very hot can create a group of problems in the esophagus and mouth.
- Eating fast, drinking soup and tea with boiling water
In the researches, it has been determined that fast food and large amount of hot tea cause esophageal and intraoral cancer. Attention should be paid to hot soup drunk impatiently with hunger or hot tea drunk at the end of iftar. In order to reduce this risk, the food should be cooled and the tea should be warmed and drunk. Definitely, the food should be chewed properly and consumed slowly.
- Thinking that Tea and Coffee Replaces Water
Don’t wait to be thirsty to drink water. Water should be drunk in the middle of the meal and should reach 2-2.5 liters. In fact, the most accurate determination in drinking water is the color of urine. If your urine is light yellow and odorless, you are drinking enough water. Individuals who do not drink enough water may experience dry skin, digestive problems such as constipation, muscle cramps, fatigue and a feeling of warmth. It is extremely valuable to take enough fluids for a stable blood pressure. Fennel, linden and mint tea can be consumed to relax the stomach and facilitate digestion. Soda, fruit and vegetable juices can also be preferred to support fluid intake. But again, nothing replaces water, Water contains no calories and has no acidity. Excessive consumption of caffeinated beverages such as tea and coffee; While it causes palpitations, since caffeine has a diuretic feature, even though we seem to have taken fluids with excessive consumption, in fact, later on, fluid loss through urine increases. In addition to all these, cream and sugar that we can get with tea and coffee also makes weight control difficult.
- Breaking the fast with ice cold water
A feeling of thirst is seen as the water rate in the body decreases by 1%. In fasting individuals, the throat becomes dry due to this thirst, and they want to drink cold water directly at iftar. Body cells cannot tolerate too much heat or cold. Therefore, beverages at a temperature that will not disturb the body stability should be preferred. When drinking very cold water or iced soft drinks or eating very cold foods, the system of the tissue cells that these cold foods and drinks come into contact with is disrupted. These cells die or become inactive. This situation negatively affects the body’s defense system and finds a good breeding ground for microbes. Infection of organs such as tonsils, stomach, urinary tract and lungs occurs in this state. Therefore, instead of breaking the fast with cold water, it is more real to open it with cool water, which is 8-10 degrees.
- Saying you don’t need to get up for sahur
While fasting, sahur will be one of your main meals and will replace your breakfast meal. You may face low blood sugar, concentration problem. Foods with high protein content such as eggs, cheese and milk should be preferred in order to ensure a longer saturation in sahur. To feel more energetic, fit and prevent possible constipation, you should prefer complex carbohydrates such as whole grain, rye bread or oats. Consumption and consumption of cold cuts, salads and fruits is a valuable cluster for the feeling of satiety, the functioning of the digestive system and the control of blood glucose.
- Deceiving sweets with sherbet
Those sweets that are eaten with great pleasure after iftar return in a long period as indigestion, heartburn, reflux and weight problems. In order to avoid such mishaps, it is necessary to stay away from fried foods, pastries, foods containing a lot of sugar and fat, sweets with syrup, chocolate, carbonated drinks
- Consuming a lot of salt, oil and spices
One of the mistakes made in sahur is to choose very salty and fatty foods. Excess salt consumption can hold water in the body and cause edema. Consuming very spicy and salty foods can also increase the feeling of thirst, which can cause difficult times for individuals who fast for the length of the day.
- To make iftar as a single meal
It is necessary not to overload an empty stomach during iftar. Sudden loading on the stomach can cause indigestion and reflux after iftar. You can break the fast with water and then continue with dried apricots or dates. Have iftar in 2 meals. You can start the iftar meal with soup, and after 15-20 minutes, you can move on to the main course. Grilled, boiled or baked meat, chicken or fish dishes or legumes or vegetable dishes with olive oil should be preferred as the main course, instead of very fatty heavy meals. Otherwise, you may increase the risk of high blood sugar, high blood pressure and heart disease.
- Training on an empty stomach
When you start exercising on an empty stomach, the body’s blood sugar level becomes very low. Since a set of nutrients that will provide recovery after sports cannot be consumed during the fasting period, it is necessary to wait after iftar to exercise. The fact that a brisk walk 1.5-2 hours after iftar is effective in accelerating the slowing metabolism, preventing the tendency to gain weight and helping the digestion of food should not be overlooked.
- Consuming a lot of soft drinks to prevent fluid loss
As Ramadan coincides with summer, both the temperature of the weather and the long period of fasting increase thirst a little more. Wrong choices can be made when trying to pay attention to fluid intake because of dehydration. The purest, pure and natural beverage is water. There is no harm in choosing carbonated beverages such as mineral water, but it should be noted that acidic beverages, ready-made fruit juices, sugary compotes and sherbets are empty power sources and have no benefit for the body.
11. Not being able to control weight
Many people who fast during Ramadan complain about gaining weight despite being hungry all day and having only 2 meals. The reason of this; During the day, physical activity decreases, while metabolic speed decreases due to long-term fasting. Low blood sugar in iftar and eating the food quickly and without proper chewing also increase the necessary energy we get. Consumption of heavy, fatty foods in iftar and not staying in sahur properly support this. However, this month, weight gain can be prevented. A person who gets up for sahur, prefers healthy and real foods to his meals, and does not neglect the exercise at the end of iftar, can not gain weight, but can also control weight on the contrary.
