What are the recommended habits during fasting? How to avoid thirst during the day and satiety at night?

Fasting is not just about abstaining from eating and drinking for a certain period of time, but it involves many behaviors that doctors and nutritionists generally advise to follow. In order for fasting to be healthy and not become a problem that threatens the health of the fasting person, doctors and nutritionists generally advise to follow these behaviors. Among the habits that are recommended to follow during the month of Ramadan is exercise, which has become easy recently thanks to the existence of many smart watches such as the Quran Watch, which coincides with many sports such as walking, running, and different sports machines. Fasting is also a good opportunity to quit smoking, which is one of the main causes of many chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer.

Tips for Fasting Behaviors

Get enough sleep: It is generally recommended to sleep at night to maintain the balance of the biological clock in the body. Allah said: (وَجَعَلْنَا اللَّيْلَ لِبَاسًا) “And We have made the night a covering.” It is advisable to avoid the bad habits that most fasting people adopt, such as staying up at night and sleeping during the day.

Exercise: It is recommended to exercise during the fasting period, preferably half an hour to an hour before breakfast or at least two hours after breakfast, when the digestion process is complete.

Do not abuse fats and sugars: It is advisable to reduce the consumption of fatty foods as they can cause intestinal discomfort or satiety. It would also cause the arteries to narrow and clog, which would lead to heart attacks and strokes. In addition, sweets contain a high amount of calories, which can expose your body to weight gain and obesity.

Do not eat large amounts of food immediately after hearing the call to prayer: It is always recommended to eat and drink less quickly immediately after hearing the call to prayer, as excessive consumption can cause satiety due to the rapid expansion of the stomach, which leads to indigestion and drowsiness due to the rush of large amounts of blood into the digestive system, and leads to lack of concentration and fatigue.

Avoid drinking cold or iced water immediately after hearing the call to prayer: It is recommended to avoid drinking cold and ice-cold liquids to begin breaking the fast, as this can cause indigestion and stomach contractions.

Nutritional tips to enjoy the benefits of fasting

Fasting has many benefits for maintaining the health of the body, but these benefits can only be achieved by following the correct fasting methods:

1. Start by eating 3-5-7 dates with a cup of hot water, then hot soup.

2. After at least 15 minutes, eat iftar, preferably in two portions, to avoid feeling full and indigestion.

3. It is recommended that iftar contains starchy foods such as rice, pasta or potatoes, and it is preferable that it contains some type of meat, whether white or red, as well as grilled vegetables.

4. It is advisable to drink more water to avoid dehydration, but at long intervals to avoid stomach bloating.

5. Cut down on fats and fried foods as they are high in saturated fats which cause obesity and heart disease.

6. Reduce Ramadan drinks, as they contain high amounts of sugar and artificial colors, and it is recommended to replace them with fresh juices to compensate for what the fasting person loses in terms of fluids and mineral salts.

7. Eat fresh fruits and juices between breakfast (iftar) and the pre-dawn meal (suhur).

8. Do light exercise two hours after breakfast to burn calories and provide energy to the body.

9. It is recommended to eat foods rich in fiber and protein, such as brown bread, oats, legumes and vegetables, grilled meats and dairy products.

Tips to Avoid Thirst While Fasting

The most important thing that a fasting person faces during his day is the problem of thirst. Therefore, it is necessary to remind you of some tips on how to resist thirst while fasting:

- Do not drink a large amount of water at one time. It is better to divide it between breakfast (iftar) and the pre-dawn meal (suhur), for example by drinking a glass of water every hour.

- Eat foods rich in potassium, especially during the suhur meal, such as bananas, kiwis and tomatoes, as potassium maintains the balance of fluids in the body and reduces the feeling of thirst.

- Avoid excess salt and spices in food, as well as salty foods such as salty cheeses, pickles and fast foods, especially during the pre-dawn meal (suhur).

- Reduce as much as possible the consumption of tea and coffee containing a high percentage of caffeine, which increases the activity of the kidneys and the excretion of urine, causing the body to lose fluid.

- Reduce carbonated drinks that contain carbon, which gives a bloated feeling and prevents drinking other drinks.