Here's how you can stay healthy during Ramadan

Ramadan is approaching very fast and it is expected that the holy month will begin on March 24. During Ramadan, we face a shift in our daily routine. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle sometimes becomes difficult as it is relatively easy during the other months. There is a lot of commitment required during this holy month as the daily routine drastically changes.

It is important that we should maintain a healthy lifestyle during Ramadan and try to ensure that our routines and health are going side by side without any difficulty.

Abu Dhabi 360 has suggested some principles to keep our health intact and form a discipline in our lives to cleanse our bodies and mind.

Time for exercise

Exercise is very important and even during Ramadan, it is not something which is hard to do. However, it needs to be properly strategised. 

As we feel dehydrated by restraining ourselves from food and water all day, try and go for a walk just before or after the iftar. It would be a power walk. It will allow your metabolism to accelerate and keep your digestive system healthy. 

Reorganise your routine in a safe and sustainable manner and be consistent with that. If you are utilising your time effectively for just 45 minutes exercising with the right muscles, it will be enough for you. You can do this just before or after iftar too.

Drink enough water

Ensure that you have enough water intake to keep your body hydrated. The water intake should be eight to ten glasses between iftar and suhoor. 

Hydration is important for energy, and mental and cardiac health. Try to eat fluid-rich vegetables and fruits such as apples watermelons, cucumber and so on, to keep your body healthy and hydrated.

Eat nutritious food

You should eat enough suhoor to give you much energy for the whole day as it would later become heavy and may cause indigestion if you eat more than the requirement. 

Carbohydrates such as chickpeas, and avocados are helpful in such a time as they slowly digest and provide enough nutrition. 

Try to refrain from eating fried or processed food during iftar as it will disturb your digestion due to long hours of break while fasting. 

It also leads to gaining weight faster.

Refrain from caffeine and fizzy drinks

There are some edibles which make us thirsty. Excessive intake of caffeine and sugar beverages causes thirst to increase as they are diuretics and cause the body to lose water faster than normal.

Sufficient sleep and rest

Enough amount of sleep is also important to spend your day actively and healthily. It is understood that the sleep cycle is disturbed and causes a lack of sleep however, you need to take enough time so that your sleep requirement can be fulfilled and your health is not affected by this. 

What you need to do is keep your suhoor and iftar food consumption in check as eating too much also affects sleep. Take a power nap in the afternoon for 20 to 25 minutes which is not only good for health but it helps the brain to refresh itself.

Be easy on your body

As the religious fervour reaches its peak during Ramadan, you need not exert too much and do excessive activities. You need to go easy on your body and yourself as exertion will affect your cognitive abilities too. 

Initially, it would be hard but as you will be consistent with your routine, it will become normal for you and everything will be in flow.