RecipeMuncher

DIET DURING FASTING:

• Drink sufficient water between Iftar and sleep to avoid dehydration.
• Consume sufficient vegetables at meals. Eat fruits at the end of the meal.
• Avoid intake of high sugar (table sugar, sucrose) foods through sweets or other forms.
• Avoid spicy foods.
• Avoid caffeine drinks such as coke, coffee or tea. Caffeine is a diuretic. Three days to five days before Ramadan gradually reduce the intake of these drinks. A sudden decrease in caffeine prompts headaches, mood swings and irritability.
• Smoking is a health risk factor. Avoid smoking cigarettes. If you cannot give up smoking, cut down gradually starting a few weeks before Ramadan. Smoking negatively affects utilization of various vitamins, metabolites and enzyme systems in the body.
• Do not forget to brush or Miswak (tender neem tree branch, Azhardicta indica or other appropriate plant in a country, about 1/4-1/2 inch diameter and 6-8 inches length, tip partially chewed and made brush like).
• Brush your teeth before sleep and after sahur. Brush more than two times or as many times as practical.
• Normal or overweight people should not gain weight. For overweight people Ramadan is an excellent opportunity to lose weight.
• It is recommended that everyone engage in some kind of light exercise, such as stretching or walking.
• It’s important to follow good time management practices for Ibada (prayer and other religious activities), sleep, studies, job, and physical activities or exercise.
• In summary, intake of a balanced diet is critical to maintain good health, sustain an active lifestyle and attain the full benefits of Ramadan. Source

Recipe of the day is Hariyali Tikki and Aloo Bonda. Click on the links Hariyali Tikki and Aloo Bonda for the recipes. For me this are perfect Iftar snacks.

Blogs participating in the global online Ramdan event (Joy From Fasting To Feasting !!!) are:

Dubai - http://syeda-indianspices.blogspot.com/ (new blog joining the event)

Egypt - http://ummelbanat.blogspot.com/

Germany - http://kedaihamburg.blogspot.com/ (new blog joining the event)

India - http://kitchenflavours.blogspot.com/

London - http://www.happymuslimmama.com/ (new blog joining the event)

Malaysia - http://mamafami.blogspot.com/ , http://mamafami.fotopages.com/

New Zealand - http://homemades.blogspot.com/

Riyadh - http://anjumsrasoi.blogspot.com/

US - http://yasmeen-healthnut.blogspot.com/

US - http://saltntumeric.blogspot.com/

US - http://organicmuslimah.blogspot.com/

US - http://triedandtrueeats.blogspot.com/

US - http://themiddleeasterncook.blogspot.com/

US - http://mammuskitchen.blogspot.com/

HEALTH GUIDELINES FOR RAMADAN:

During the holy month of Ramadan, our diet should not differ very much from our normal diet and should be as simple as possible. The diet should be such that we maintain our normal weight, neither losing nor gaining. However, if one is over-weight, Ramadan is an ideal time to normalise one’s weight.
In view of the long hours of fasting, we should consume slow digesting foods including fibre containing-foods rather than fast-digesting foods. Slow digesting foods last up to 8 hours, while fast-digesting foods last for only 3 to 4 hours.

Slow-digesting foods are foods that contain grains and seeds like barley, wheat, oats, millet, semolina, beans, lentils, wholemeal flour, unpolished rice, etc. (called complex carbohydrates).
Fast-burning foods are foods that contain sugar, white flour, etc. (called refined carbohydrates).
Fibre-containing foods are bran-containing foods, whole wheat, grains and seeds, vegetables like green beans, peas, sem (papry), marrow, mealies, spinach, and other herbs like methie, the leaves of beetroot (iron-rich), fruit with skin, dried fruit especially dried apricots, figs and prunes, almonds, etc.

The foods eaten should be well-balanced, containing foods from each food group, i.e. fruits, vegetables, meat/chicken/fish, bread/cereals and dairy products. Fried foods are unhealthy and should be limited. They cause indigestion, heart-burn, and weight problems. Source.

More on Ramadan in comming posts.

Recipe for the day is Tandoori Chicken Kabab and Kichidi. For me this combination is best for after Iftar meals. Click on the links Tandoori Chicken Kabab and Kichidi for the recipes.

Blogs participating in the global online Ramdan event (Joy From Fasting To Feasting !!!) are:

Dubai - http://syeda-indianspices.blogspot.com/ (New blog joining in the event)
Egypt - http://ummelbanat.blogspot.com/
India - http://kitchenflavours.blogspot.com/
Malaysia - http://mamafami.blogspot.com/ , http://mamafami.fotopages.com/
New Zealand - http://homemades.blogspot.com/
Riyadh - http://anjumsrasoi.blogspot.com/
US - http://yasmeen-healthnut.blogspot.com/
US - http://saltntumeric.blogspot.com/
US - http://organicmuslimah.blogspot.com/
US - http://triedandtrueeats.blogspot.com/
US - http://themiddleeasterncook.blogspot.com/
US - http://mammuskitchen.blogspot.com/

Suhoor (Arabic:???? lit. of the dawn), also called Sehri, Sahari and Sahur in other languages, is an Islamic term referring to the meal consumed early in the morning by Muslims before fasting, sawm, in daylight hours during the Islamic month of Ramadan. The meal is eaten before the sun rises, and before the fajr or dawn prayer. Suhoor as the morning meal is matched by iftar as the evening meal, during Ramadan. Source

Recipe for the day is Lemon And Apple Sharbat. Click on the link Lemon And Apple Sharbat to know more about the recipe.

IFTAR - is the meal which is eaten after sunset during Sawm, the fasting which occurs during the month of Ramadan in Muslim tradition. Since people have not eaten at all during the day, they are often quite hungry by the time Iftar comes around, and most people hasten to end the fast as quickly as possible after sunset. In communities with a large Muslim population, bells will be rung to signal the end of the day’s fast, and the information may be broadcast over the media as well.

The Sawm fast during Ramadam is intended to teach self restraint, which is viewed as a virtue by many Muslims.

A day of Sawm begins with Suhur, the meal which is eaten just before daybreak. Because it will be the last meal for many hours, Suhur is often a very dense, rich meal with a number of offerings on the table, including offerings high in protein so that people will feel less hungry during the day. At very least, people are encouraged to eat a date and drink some water to make fasting through the day easier.

Iftar usually starts with consuming a date and drinking water, a tradition which goes back to the earliest days of Islam. Once this traditional fast-breaking is complete, people can eat any number of foods, with many regions having their own traditional Iftar foods, including a wide assortment of dessert treats. It is common for people to eat Iftar in large groups, making the fast breaking into a community party, and Muslims often try to include charity in their Iftar meal as well, feeding needy members of the community while they celebrate the end of the day’s fast.

After Iftar, Muslim communities often come alive with socializing. People may simply promenade around the neighborhood to chat with friends, or they may go to market, attend performances, and meet up with friends at coffeehouses and other locations for socializing. Most people greet each other with “salaam aleikum,” which means “peace be upon you,” and the traditional response is “wa aleikum salaam,” “peace be with you also.” Source

More on Ramadan in comming posts.

Recipe of the day is Apricot And Almond Dessert. Click on the link Apricot And Almond Dessert for the recipe.

Blogs participating in the global online Ramdan event (Joy From Fasting To Feasting !!!) are:

Dubai - http://syeda-indianspices.blogspot.com/ (New blog joining in the event)
Egypt - http://ummelbanat.blogspot.com/
India - http://kitchenflavours.blogspot.com/
Malaysia - http://mamafami.blogspot.com/ , http://mamafami.fotopages.com/
New Zealand - http://homemades.blogspot.com/
Riyadh - http://anjumsrasoi.blogspot.com/
US - http://yasmeen-healthnut.blogspot.com/
US - http://saltntumeric.blogspot.com/
US - http://organicmuslimah.blogspot.com/
US - http://triedandtrueeats.blogspot.com/
US - http://themiddleeasterncook.blogspot.com/
US - http://mammuskitchen.blogspot.com/