Nutritional tips to ensure you maintain your weight in Ramadan “You will not gain weight after that in Ramadan”

Those fasting during the month of Ramadan try to follow a healthy diet that maintains their weight without increasing, and at the same time, reducing the feeling of hunger and thirst during daylight hours.

Nahla Abdel-Wahab, a consultant bacteriologist, immunology and nutrition, and head of the bacteriology department at Cairo University Hospital, offers her advice for a healthy Ramadan regime, stressing that the start of suhoor should contain a salad that contains more than one type of vegetables.

And Dr. Nahla continued: "Suhoor is very important for a proper diet during the month of Ramadan, and it should be delayed as much as possible, provided that it contains a type of protein, for example, beans contain carbohydrates and protein, with a cup of yogurt or eating any type of dairy."

She explained: "Salads and vegetables help the body retain oxygen and water for a long time and reduce the feeling of thirst, and for breakfast, it is preferable to eat dates at the beginning and a glass of water, and a spoon of honey with lemon on it, then wait for a short time to pray, and then start with hot soup."

The head of the Bacteriology Department at Cairo University Hospital indicated: "After eating soup, salads and meat, the body will begin to feel full, which makes us reduce the intake of starches, and it is also important to use natural bee honey in the sweets that we make at home, and to eat small pieces of them. Preferably on a daily basis.

Dr. Nahla advised those with chronic diseases to carry out the necessary analyzes and tests and follow up with the specialist doctor, to express his medical opinion on the possibility of fasting or not.

Ramadan is the time of "dieting"

For his part, Ahmed Al-Sharqawi, a clinical dietitian, says: "The month of Ramadan is an ideal time for those who want to follow a healthy diet and lose weight, but with the adoption of a healthy system during the Iftar period and a lot of eating items full of fiber and natural sugar, such as fruits and vegetables."

Al-Sharqawi continued in his speech that: "Movement is very important, whether by walking for intermittent periods or exercising, whether during the fasting or breakfast period, but it is preferable to be two hours after breakfast in order to drink water that helps the body to get rid of toxins."

The therapeutic dietitian stressed: "Salty foods should be completely avoided during the breakfast period, because they stimulate the body to feel thirsty, in addition to eating important nutrients such as whole grains and nuts, as well as vegetables and fruits."

And Al-Sharqawi added: “It is forbidden to fast for anyone who has an excuse, whether on the medical level, or those who are elderly, nursing, or pregnant women for whom fasting poses a threat to their health, and those who want them to fast must follow the instructions of the doctor responsible for their condition.”