1. Ramadan Health Tips
Prepared by
Md. Al Imran
Officer, Card Dept.
ICT Wing.

2. Health is the key to happiness, and what we consume directly affects our health. Islam
encourages Muslims to ensure that they are mindful of their health. The blessed Prophet
said: “Take advantage of the good health before illnesses afflict you”. He also encouraged
Muslims to try their best to take up a healthy living lifestyle that includes a balanced diet,
regular mental and physical exercise and a balance between material and spiritual needs.
Another thing that there is no basic difference regarding healthy diet plan between
Ramadan and other months. They are almost same. Only difference is our time schedule
which is changed a little in this blessed month.
Some statistics:
The Health Survey for England 2004 (Department of Health, 2005) has shown poor health
and lifestyle choices of the Asian community in general and Muslim community in
particular. Compared with the 24% of men in the general population who smoked
cigarettes, higher levels of cigarette smoking were reported by Bangladeshi men (40%).
South Asian men and women had the highest rates of diabetes. Pakistanis and Bangladeshis
were up to five times more likely than the general population to have diabetes, and Indian
men and women were up to three times as likely. Some 33% of Pakistani men and women
eat the recommended five or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day, compared with
28% of Bangladeshi men and women.
What happens in body during Ramadan
The changes that occur in the body in response to fasting depend on the length of the
continuous fast. Technically the body enters into a fasting state eight hours or so after the
last meal, when the gut finishes absorption of nutrients from the food. In the normal state,
body glucose, which is stored in the liver and muscles, is the body’s main source of
energy. During a fast, this store of glucose is used up first to provide energy. Later in the
fast, once the stores of glucose run out, fat becomes the next store source of energy for
the body. Small quantities of glucose are also ‘manufactured’ through other mechanisms in
the liver[1]. while you are fasting, you become more dehydrated at rest – but actually less
than if you had exercised aerobically for over an hour (so exercise causes greater
dehydration for that time period versus fasting) [ 2].
Difference between fasting and starvation:
Only with a prolonged fast of many days to weeks does the body eventually turn to protein
for energy. This is the technical description of what is commonly known as ‘starvation’,
and it is clearly unhealthy [1]. As the Ramadan fast only extends from dawn till dusk, there
is ample opportunity to replenish energy stores at pre-dawn and dusk meals. This provides
a progressive, gentle transition from using glucose to fat as the main source of energy, and

3. prevents the breakdown of muscle for protein. The use of fat for energy aids weight
loss, preserving the muscles, and in the long run reduces your cholesterol levels. In
addition, weight loss results in better control of diabetes and reduces blood pressure. A
detoxification process also seems to occur, as any toxins stored in the body’s fat are
dissolved and removed from the body. After a few days of the fast, higher levels of certain
hormones appear in the blood (endorphins), resulting in a better level of alertness and an
overall feeling of general mental well-being. The kidney is very efficient at maintaining the
body’s water and salts, such as sodium and potassium. However, these can be lost through
sweating. To prevent muscle breakdown, meals must contain adequate levels of ‘energy
food’, such as carbohydrates and some fat[1].
Major food groups
Fruit and vegetables
Bread, other cereals
and potatoes
Foods containing fat
Foods containing sugar
Meat, fish and alternatives
Milk and and dairy
foods

4. In their natural form (as in whole grain), cereals are a rich source of vitamins, minerals,
carbohydrates, fats, oils, and protein[3]
Complex carbohydrates are foods that will help release energy slowly during the long
hours of fasting. Complex carbohydrates are found in grains and seeds, like barley(যব),
wheat (গম), oats(জই), millets (ভু ট্টা), semolina (঴ুজজ), beans (঴ীম), lentils (ম঴ুর),
wholemeal flour (আটা), basmati rice, etc. Fibre-rich foods are also digested slowly and
include bran (ভু জ঳), cereals (খাদ্য ল঴য), whole wheat, grains and seeds, potatoes with
the skin, vegetables such as green beans and almost all fruit, including apricots, prunes
(আ঱ু ববাখারা), figs (ডু মুর), etc.
Carbohydrates were once grouped into two main categories — simple and complex. Simple
carbohydrates included sugars such as fruit sugar (fructose), corn or grape sugar (dextrose
or glucose) and table sugar (sucrose). Complex carbohydrates included everything made of
three or more linked sugars. Complex carbohydrates were thought to be the healthiest to
eat. Now there are questions about that assumption [9].
Complex Carbs Are Good
Complex carbs are the ones that give your body the best fuel. They are usually found in
foods high in fiber, which break down more slowly, giving you a steady blood sugar level
through the day and making you feel less hungry and irritable when mid-afternoon rolls
around [10].
It's a great idea to get more of these carbs into your daily diet:
 Fresh fruit, ideally those with a low glycemic Index like apricots, raspberries, strawberries
and blackberries
 Non-starchy vegetables
 Whole grains and foods made from whole grains, such as certain types of bread and cereal
 Nuts
 Legumes
 Dairy products that are not sweetened with sugar, such as yogurt, sour cream, cheese and
milk
Simple Carbs Should Be Avoided
Your body quickly breaks down simple carbs, giving your blood sugar a spike and sending
you running back to the kitchen or snack machine within hours of your last fix. Unless
you're an athlete or need a sudden rush of energy for some reason, it's usually best to avoid
these carbs in your daily diet:
 Refined grains like white bread, white rice and enriched pasta

5.  Processed foods such as cake, candy cookies and chips
 White potatoes
 Sweetened soft drinks
 Sugar
Foods to avoid / alternative foods
Deep-fried foods, eg pakoras,
samosas, fried dumplings
or with potato in yogurt with different
Indian spices), samosas baked instead
of fried, and boiled dumplings
High-sugar/high-fat foods, eg Indian
sweets such as Ghulab Jamun,
Rasgulla, Balushahi, Baklawa
Milk-based sweets and puddings,
eg Rasmalai, Barfee
High-fat cooked foods, eg parathas,
oily curries, greasy pastries
Alternate with chapattis made without
oil, and baked or grilled meat and
chicken. Try to make pastry at home
and use a single layer
Cooking methods to avoid Alternative cooking methods
Deep frying Shallow frying – usually there is very
little difference in taste
Frying Grilling or baking is healthier and helps
retain the taste and original flavour of
the food, especially chicken and fish
Curries with excessive oil Start with measuring the oil used in
curry and try to bring the oil content
down gradually, eg reducing five
tablespoons to four. This is a good
way of reducing oil without noticing
much difference in the taste. A useful
tip is to use more onions and tomatoes
in the bulk of the curry
Foods for Suhoor (Pre-dawn meal)
Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal, should be a wholesome, moderate meal that is filling and
provides enough energy for many hours. It is therefore particularly important to include
slowly-digesting foods (it includes bran (ভু জ঳), wholewheat grains and seeds, vegetables
such as green beans, peas (ডা঱) and spinach (঱তা-পাতা লাক), and dried fruit, especially
dried apricots and almonds-কাজুবাদ্াম[6]) in the suhoor[1]. For suhoor, it is imperative to drink
plenty of water, eat a good blend of protein, carbohydrates, and essential fat. That’s right,
“good fats” have many fat-burning and muscle-building properties, and their importance is
even greater during Ramadan [2]. Fats are an important part of a healthy diet: They
provide essential fatty acids, keep our skin soft, deliver fat-soluble vitamins, and are a great
source of energizing fuel [4]. There are four major types of fats:[5]

6.  monounsaturated fats
 polyunsaturated fats
 saturated fats
 trans fats
Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are known as the “good fats” because
they are good for your heart, your cholesterol, and your overall health.
GOOD FATS
Monounsaturated fat Polyunsaturated fat
 Olive oil
 Canola oil
 Sunflower oil
 Peanut oil
 Sesame oil(জত঱)
 Avocados
 Olives
 Nuts (almonds, peanuts, macadamia
nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews)
 Peanut butter
 Soybean oil
 Corn oil
 Safflower oil
 Walnuts (আখররাট)
 Sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin
seeds
Flaxseed
 Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel,
herring, trout, sardines)
 Soymilk
 Tofu
Saturated fats and trans fats are known as the “bad fats” because they increase your risk
of disease and elevate cholesterol.
Appearance-wise, saturated fats and trans fats tend to be solid at room temperature
(think of butter or traditional stick margarine), while monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated fats tend to be liquid (think of olive or corn oil).
BAD FATS
Saturated fat Trans fat
 High-fat cuts of meat (beef, lamb,
pork)
 Chicken with the skin
 Whole-fat dairy products (milk and
cream)
 Butter
 Cheese
 Ice cream
 Palm and coconut oil
 Lard
 Commercially-baked pastries, cookies,
doughnuts, muffins, cakes, pizza
dough
 Packaged snack foods (crackers,
microwave popcorn, chips)
 Stick margarine
 Vegetable shortening
 Fried foods (French fries, fried
chicken, chicken nuggets, breaded
fish)
 Candy bars

7. Eat slow digesting foods which include: Meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products,
legumes, nuts and whole grains are all good sources of protein. Legumes and whole grains
contain fiber, which helps to slow down their trek through the digestive system. Meat, dairy
and nuts contain fat, which has the biggest impact on the time it takes to digest the food.
Dairy
Skim milk, cottage or low fat pot cheese or ricotta - approx. 90 min. digestion time
whole milk cottage cheese - 120 min. digestion
whole milk hard cheese - 4 to 5 hours digestion time
Animal proteins
Egg yolk - 30 min. digestion time
Whole egg - 45 min.
Fish - cod, scrod, flounder, sole seafood - 30 min. digestion time
Fish - salmon, salmon trout, herring, (more fatty fish) - 45 min. to 60 digestion time
Chicken - 1 1/2 to 2 hours digestion time (without skin)
Turkey - 2 to 2 1/4 hours digestion time (without skin)
Beef, lamb - 3 to 4 hours digestion time
Pork - 41/2 to 5 hours digestion time[8]
Some good suhoor foods include:
 Egg whites (1 yolk)
 Chicken breast
 Oatmeal (জই চূর্ণ)
 Cream of wheat
 Protein shake
 Cinnamon(দ্ারুজচজি)
 Bananas
 Raw, dark Honey
 Raisins or dates
 Fibrous vegetables –This will help increase the feeling of fullness as well.(আল
ওয়া঱া)
 All natural peanut butter
 Flax seed oil – A great and tasty brand is Omega Swirl from Barleans –There’s a
version for Women as well. (www.barleans.com)
 Olive oil – preferably extra virgin (which means it’s cold processed and the essential
fatty acids are preserved)
 Plenty of water

8. It is very important to watch your sodium intake at this time as high sodium can cause
greater dehydration plus increase thirst during the day – not good for fasters. Avoid high
sodium foods like soups, sauces, condiments (আচার/মসলা), gravies (মাাংসসর রসা
ঝ াল), high sodium bread products, and canned meats. Of course eating fried foods
and heavy oil items can cause heartburn and problems for you all day so it is best to
avoid those if possible!
Foods for Iftar
This is a key time for rehydration. The wisdom in Islam is never ending. We break our fast
with dates and water but if you investigate this nutritionally, you will see that dates are
very unique in their nutrient content. They contain very high levels of potassium (much
more than a banana), a key re-hydration mineral and a special carbohydrate blend that
enhances hydration above and beyond water alone. They contain a special blend of
glucose and fructose for short and long term energy. They also have a special nutrient
called beta D-glucan that is a soluble fiber that can enhance satiety and digestive health.
So basically when you eat a date and water for iftar your body gets hydrated again much
faster than with water alone.I n fact, clinical research published in the International Journal
of Food Science and Nutrition entitled “The fruit of the date palm: its possible use as the best
food for the future?” concluded that “dates may be considered as an almost ideal food,
providing a wide range of essential nutrients and potential health benefits.”[2]
Sample Ramadan Meal Plan for Fat Loss and Muscle Gain
*This plan is for a 170 lb MALE, please adjust amounts for bodyweight
Suhoor:
 Eat 6-8 egg whites (with one yolk)
 One bowl of plain oatmeal w/cinnamon(দ্ারুজচজি), raisins(জকলজমল) and a banana
 1 teaspoon all-natural peanut butter or olive oil or flax seed oil (1 tablespoon
Barlean’s Omega Swirl)
 Plenty of water (16-24 oz.)
 Opti-pack by Super Nutrition (one pack) multi-vitamin/mineral

9. Iftar:
 Three Dates and a Nutrition Shake (Protein Rush from VPX Sports, Lean Body by
Labrada, or Eat-Smart MRP from iSatori)
 Plenty of water
Sample Ramadan Meal Plan for Fat Loss and Muscle Gain
*This plan is for a 130 lb FEMALE, please adjust amounts for bodyweight)
Suhoor:
 Eat 3-4 egg whites (with one yolk)
 ½ cup of plain oatmeal w/ cinammon, raisins and a small banana
 1 teaspoon all-natural peanut butter, almond butter or olive oil or flax seed oil (1
tablespoon Barlean’s Omega Swirl)
 Plenty of water (16-24 oz.)
 Women’s blend: 2 pills of multi-vitamin/multi-mineral
Iftar:
 Three Dates and a Nutrition Shake-1 scoop w/12 oz water (Pro-Blend 55, Eat-Smart
MRP from iSatori, and Low Carb protein from MRM)
 Plenty of water
Training Times
Ok, enough of the background, let’s get to the meat of it! I am going to set the record
straight here. The best time to do a weight-training workout is NOT while fasting. This
can create way too much muscle breakdown and cause a significant rise in the catabolic
hormone cortisol. Training while in a state of dehydration can decrease strength
significantly. In fact, research indicates that dehydrating a muscle by as little as 3% can
cause a 12% loss in strength. Training while you are fasting can actually be more
detrimental than beneficial! The best time to weight train during Ramadan is after
taraweeh prayers at night. This will ensure that you will have several meals and plenty of
water in your system before going to the gym. This will also allow you to consume your
all-important post workout meal or shake which is essential muscle growth which leads to
fat loss. If this is too late then the next best time to weight train is about 1 hour after iftar
before tarawih prayer. You could do a short but intense 30 minute workout. The best
time to do cardio work for maximum fat loss is before suhur – yep, that’s the truth. Of

10. course, most people I know will not want to get up at around 3:30am and do cardio! If you
CAN pull this off then the best thing to do is get up and drink plenty of water with a cup of
coffee, green tea, or oolong tea, wait 30 minutes and perform 30-45 minutes of moderate
intensity cardio work like a brisk walk on a treadmill. If this is out of the question for you,
then the next best time to do cardio is approximately 30-45 minutes after a “light” iftar (I
will define this shortly). Short, high intensity cardio like sprinting is actually great to do
during Ramadan. It takes less than 10 minutes and provides maximum benefit in terms of
fat burning and lean muscle preservation! This isn’t “driving Miss Daisy” cardio – it’s very
intensive: an example would be sprinting for 20-30 seconds at full speed (like a crazy dog is
chasing you!) and then walking for one minute. Do 4-5 cycles like that and you’re good!
Start slow, of course, and work your way up.
So now you know when to train, it’s time to learn what to eat and drink (think water, water,
and more water!
For cardio workouts: Do cardio 45 minutes after this meal for 30-45 minutes at a
moderate pace or do a sprint workout if you have less time and then have the next meal
before taraweeh. Have a cup of green tea, Oolong tea, or coffee with iftar on cardio days.
For weight training days: Eat another food meal before taraweeh like chicken breast (or
baked salmon), brown rice and some veggies OR baked fish (salmon, tuna, orange roughy,
or mahi mahi), sweet potato, and a garden salad or some steamed vegetables.
Drink plenty of water during taraweeh. Go to the gym after taraweeh. (If you pray 20 rak`at,
have a protein bar in the middle of prayer). Drink plenty of water during the workout. For
men, you can even have Accelerade or Powerade™ or another sports drink during the
workout.
After the workout, have another Nutrition Shake and lots of water of course. Then sleep 45
minutes later or stay up all night eating and working like I do!
Following these simple workout and nutrition tips can really help you make great gains
during this blessed month. May Allah help give us patience and strength in this month and
throughout the year and make us strong mentally, internally, spiritually, and physically!
Top 5 Healthy Foods to eat During Ramadan
1. Dates – They contain a unique blend of glucose and fructose and have a very high
potassium content (about 64% more than bananas). They have a nutrient called
beta-D-glucan which is a soluble fiber that has health benefits and can increase the
feeling of fullness.
2. Raw, Unfiltered Honey – This contains many phytochemicals and flavonoids that
can enhance health. Honey is very good for increasing energy. It is an excellent
source of antioxidants. In fact, ORAC tests show it has the highest level of
antioxidants of virtually any natural food on earth! It even has anti-bacterial effects.
Take 1-2 tablespoons daily.

11. 3. Fish – Eating fish regularly can have positive effects on health. The fish oils EPA and
DHA have been shown to improve brain function, enhance cardiovascular health,
and reduce inflammation among other things. Some of the best fish are cold water
wild salmon, orange roughy, deep sea cod, sea bass, ahi tuna, mahi mahi, and tilapia.
4. Figs – They contain key mineral such as calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium.
They are also a great source of fiber and can support healthy blood sugar levels. Figs
are an alkaline food which means they help balance the Ph of the body making it less
acidic.
5. Olive Oil - Contains omega 9 or oleic fatty acids. It has been shown to increase the
good cholesterol (HDL) while lowering bad cholesterol (LDL). It also seems to have
some antioxidant effects. Look for extra virgin olive oil (cold-pressed). Cooking with
it can lower some of its benefits. Add it to food after it is cooked!

12. References:
[1]pdf: Ramadan Health Guide
[2] http://www.suhaibwebb.com/personaldvlpt/worship/fasting-ramadan/the-ramadan-nutrition-and-
workout-plan-for-success-by-rehan-jalali-the-protein-shaikh/
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cereal
[4] http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/skinny-fat-good-fats-bad-fats
[5] http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_fats.htm
[6] http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/health/avoid-hot-or-salty-foods-during-ramadan-uae-
health-experts-urge
[7] http://www.livestrong.com/article/304105-slow-digesting-high-protein-foods/#ixzz2YFgIWFDY
[8] http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=106572611&page=1
[9] http://www.livescience.com/36855-good-carbs-bad-carbs-what-you-need-to-know.html
[10] http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/List_of_Good_Carbs_and_Bad_Carbs