The most common complaints we encounter during Ramadan are "indigestion or constipation".
So why do we experience indigestion or constipation while fasting? How should we deal with these situations?
It is the summer when we starve for 16 hours a day. In addition to this long fast, we sit at iftar tables like a banquet and eat heavy meals quickly and abundantly, thus destroying our stomach, which has been lazy all day. We dilute our acid, that is, we dilute it. Not only does our digestion time slow down, but we also have a full stomach, bloating, and indigestion problems due to food that is not ground.
In order to fast in a healthy way, we first need to have a healthy sahur. We should definitely consume light breakfast foods such as eggs, cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and parsley, as well as quality protein sources such as kefir, milk and yoghurt, so that we do not feel hungry during the day. Cold milk and yeast pastries may also cause indigestion during the day. We can reduce our water needs by choosing herbal teas such as linden and fennel as beverages. One of the mistakes we make is going to bed immediately after sahur. Especially those who have stomach problems such as reflux or gastritis should not go to bed immediately after sahur and should wait a while.
In order to avoid indigestion at the iftar table, we should start eating with a bowl of light soup after breaking our fast with a small amount of water and dates. Our golden rule to reduce the problem of indigestion is to wait at least 10-15 minutes after drinking our soup and then move on to the main meal.
Excessive fluid intake at iftar causes both the expansion of the stomach volume and the slowdown of digestion. By waiting after drinking our soup, we prevent the liquids from causing bloating in our stomach. At the same time, we extend the duration of iftar, which means we gain time to realize that we are full. In our main dishes, we should prefer light cooking methods such as stew, oven-baked, grilled, steamed, and avoid heavy dishes such as oily and fried foods. Colorful salads, a must for the iftar table, are our crowning glory. Plenty of salad to meet our fiber needs; especially in this season purslane salad Consuming large-volume salads such as these reduces our calorie intake, makes us feel full quickly, and most importantly, prevents us from experiencing problems such as constipation, indigestion and bloating.
We should drink plenty of water slowly until sahur. At the same time, by drinking plain soda, we compensate for the mineral loss that occurs during the day, reduce our need for water and prevent indigestion.
If you spend the whole day inactive, you can speed up your metabolism by doing light exercises or walking after iftar.
As a result, we should not forget that Ramadan is a month of simplicity and purification, do not harm ourselves while fasting, and spend iftar and sahur without being heavy or exaggerated. Even though we were hungry all day, we didn't suffer from indigestion from eating too much and gained weight on top of that; We must complete it little by little, gradually, by finding health with plenty of fluids, plenty of fiber, and plenty of movement.
Happy holidays to everyone in advance.
Read: 0
