The Holy Month of Ramadan is observed by millions of Muslims around the world. This involves fasting between daylight hours which in the Middle East equates to approximately 16 hours with no food or water. Your fast is broken at Iftar which occurs when the sun sets and your final opportunity for food and water is Suhoor just before the sun rises.
Observing a 16 hour fast can at first invoke many difficulties in balancing your daily nutrition and hydration. However, it can be used to your advantage from a body compositional perspective, depending on the food choices you make. Intermittent fasting is a popular nutritional strategy adopted by many people around the world looking to reduce body fat. This style of eating fits perfectly into timing’s for Ramadan in the Middle East. The 16 hour fast, 8 hour feeding are the exact guidelines for intermittent fasting.
The key to your success comes down to your mindset. The 8 hours of food consumption should be looked at as nourishing your body and providing it with high quality, nutritionally dense foods that help to repair and restore. The 16 hours of fasting is a perfect opportunity to rest your digestive system, allow your liver to detoxify and provide an environment to activate your parasympathetic nervous system with prayer and meditation.
The 8 hours of food consumption is the area we are going to focus on now. I strongly feel your success will reflect your level of personal responsibility. By this I mean how much you take ownership of everything you eat and drink. You have a choice at every meal time and the outcome is very simple; what you eat and drink, and the quantity will do either of two things:
In my experience, far too many people see fasting as a validation to eat whatever they want during the 8 hour window. ‘I have resisted food for 16 hours so I deserve to eat whatever I like’. Yes that is true you can eat whatever you desire. Just remember your current health and body fat are mostly down to your daily nutritional choices. I understand if you have fasted for 16 hours, you are less likely to put down that extra plate of food when you get the opportunity.
Please also remember you can do whatever you want with your nutrition, that is your call. Just don’t use your fasting as validation for poor nutritional choices that move you significantly further away from your body and health goals. If you gain weight and have more body fat after a month of fasting then I’m afraid to say you have eaten too much and moved too little. it’s as simple as that. The fasting did not do this for food choices did.
I think it is important to remove all emotional feelings from this choice, as you can then think clearly. I am saying this to make a point, not to come across as a militant nutrition guy. I have not heard of adults being force fed foods they did not want to consume. Sure we are tempted, and encounter many social and family situations that are very persuasive; but we do not get force fed at these gatherings as much as we make out we do. Everything you decide to eat is your personal choice.
In life, you tend to find the most successful people are people who take responsibility for their actions. They do not play the victim, and realise that their situation is a product of the daily choices they make. Yes we have exceptions to that rule, but this is the reality. My clients who have had the greatest levels of success during Ramadan have all taken accountability for their eating. We are a reflection of the choices we make on a daily basis.
Breaking your fast will have long-standing family & cultural traditions, but can still be modified for optimised health. I would recommend you to remember not to overload your digestive system, and slowly bring your body out of its fasted state. It is important to stabilise your blood sugar levels, and not create a blood sugar rollercoaster that will result in a huge overconsumption of food later on.
I like to rehydrate with water and coconut water, this provides a nice supply of minerals and electrolytes whilst minimising simple sugars. Remember your body does not need sugar. Yes it will be craving it, but you can survive very easily without simple refined sugars (your body doesn’t physiologically need it).
Keeping with cultural traditions, dates are a great way to break your fast. Adding a large handful of mixed raw nuts will also help to stabilise your blood sugar levels. This creates an environment that is less likely to increase heightened cravings, because your blood sugar levels are balanced.
If you are breaking the fast and not immediately exercising within (10-20 mins) I like the following:
4-6 dates
Handful of raw nuts of your choice
Water
If you are going to exercise immediately after Iftar then I like to do this:
Handful of dates
400-750 ml of water & coconut water combined
10 Grams of essential amino acids
What I don’t promote
Consumption of fruit juices (especially orange, pineapple and apple for example). They are loaded with sugars, and don’t provide the nutritional support like their fresh counterparts.
Processed, fried foods, pastries and breads as they cause large levels of inflammation.
The same principles apply when it is not Ramadan. Try and approach this as any normal meal or daily food intake. If your daily intake of calories are higher then your expenditure, then you will gain weight (body fat). If you are in an calorie deficit, then you will most likely drop body fat.
This is a very simplistic view, but essentially we can look at it as a math’s equation.
If you are not exercising then you do not require as much food, so you should take this into consideration. Your metabolism is bolstered by activity, so with less activity comes fewer calories needed.
I would recommend that your main meal of the day should be filled with fresh foods. Grilled or roasted meat in plentiful amounts with large salads, greens, and as many colourful vegetables as possible. I like light proteins such as eggs, white fish, seafood, chicken and turkey.
The things I would suggest removing from your meal are: breads, pastries, fruit juices, fried foods, soft drinks and sweets. These items will move you further away from your body composition goals. It is ok for you to treat yourself if you have stuck to your nutritional rules for the previous few days; then a small portion of your favourite desert is not a problem. It’s all about balance and moving closer toward your goal, and aligning your personal choices with them. If it fits in then proceed, if it moves you further away, then abstain.
Awaking just before the sun rises is an excellent way to provide supportive nutrition and hydration for your body. Typically you might be feeling tired, not very hungry, and wish to go back to bed for a few hours. This is when liquid nutrition is the most effective.
A drink/shake is made best when including protein, good fats, fibre and water. This provides your body with a well balanced nutrient intake. I strongly encourage you to include good fats and fiber, not just protein in your shake. This will exit your stomach at a fast rate, causing a slow release of nutrients that keeps your blood sugar levels nice and constant.
Here are a few examples of homemade shakes that I like, and can be made in just a few minutes.
The often overlooked most essential component of successful fasting…water, water and more water. Look to rehydrate your body as frequently as possible in order to keep all bodily functions running smoothly.
I hope this article has given you an insight into ways you can approach your nutrition during the holy month of Ramadan. I have placed a large element on personal accountability, as I genuinely see this as the limiting factor when it comes to health and body composition changes. Working on both will move you step by step closer to your goals.
In Part 1 we looked at exercise and how this can be applied to the travelling business executive who is looking to perform at their
Business travel is a modern day reality, especially in the Middle East. There are many executives undertaking long haul flights on a weekly basis. This
D5 Coach Adam McCubbin discusses tailoring your training and nutrition to your individual requirements One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to training, nutrition
