Fasting in the Holy month of Ramadan by Healthy Muslims is obligatory. 
However, it can be challenging, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.  Here are some tips to help stay healthy during the long fasts.

‘Fry ups’ – there are some fantastic ways to swap deep fried foods for less fatty alternatives.

Swap those yummy samosas’, for chicken sticks – chop up lean chicken breast,  peppers, courgettes and onions into cubes. 
Marinade with masala to taste.  Stick the vegetables and chicken onto skewers and place on a baking tray.

Drizzle over some olive oil or rapeseed oil and bake in the oven for 20 mins on gas mark 4, 180oC   and serve with chutney.  Using a blender, wiz up 100mls of yogurt, a bit of green chilli to taste a handful of coriander leaves, cumin seeds and a pinch of salt.

The advantage – you get protein from the lean chicken, vitamins and minerals and fibre from the veg.  Small amounts of good fat are being used. 

WARNING:  even good fats can make you fat if you consume too much!
Get creative … roast, grill or bake instead of fry.  

Swap vegetable oil for rapeseed and olive oil.  This will help increase the omega 3 fatty acids to help stop arteries from being clogged up. 
Measure how much oil is added to cooking- don’t drown your food in oil, it tastes just as delicious with less oil.

We need some fats in our body- to protect our organs, for our nerves to pass messages to each other and to stay warm.  It’s just a case of remembering which ones are needed (ESSENTIAL) and which ones we can get rid of.

A cup of yogurt has more calcium than a cup of milk.

Almonds and other nuts (and seeds) are a quick source of nutrients for those who don’t have allergies.

Try to have some fruit and vegetables – salads are an important addition to your diet.  A warm salad can be made using an aubergine,  peppers and onions chopped into chunks. 

Bake with a drizzle of olive oil.  Gas mark 4/180oC for 20mins sprinkle some chopped coriander and serve. 

Sheri/Shuhoor/ pre-dawn meal
This meal needs to be rich in  goodness and nutrients as it should last us throughout the day.

Is our cereal made up of simple carbohydrates and sugars that will be quickly absorbed into our blood or complexed carbohydrates that will take longer to be absorbed into the blood and give energy for longer?

Rice pops/coco pops/corn flakes will give a sugar rush- then leave us hungry and wanting more. 

Porridge, omelette with roti, egg on toast, Hummus with pitta bread, yogurt with a mixture of seeds and fruits will give more vitamins and minerals, proteins and energy that will last longer. 

Fluids:  With the fasts being long and in the middle of summer, it’s important to stay HYDRATED.  Smoothies and  milkshakes made with fresh or frozen fruit and fruit juices are a delicious alternative to the syrupy milk shakes we have at iftar.

Chocolate and banana milkshake:  add 1 ripe banana and a tablespoon of chocolate powder (my favourite is dark green and black) to a pint of semi skimmed milk, blend together.  Serve with ice if desired. 
Soups will help vitamins and minerals pass into the blood faster and give you some of your 8 servings of water per day.

Puddings – tend to be a must for Ramadan How about making something that will give you slow releasing energy? 
Like flapjacks- oats will give you fibre and iron.  You can add seeds and dried fruit or even swap some of the butter for coconut oil.

An apple or fruit crumble, made with wholemeal flour, seeds and oats.  This will make your crumble extra special and provide you with slow releasing energy. 

On a final note.  It takes two weeks to change a habit.   Ramadan is an opportunity to physically and spiritually cleanse yourself and become free from toxins.

Take this opportunity to give your liver a rest and your body a chance to recover and make lifelong lifestyles choices if desired.    Wishing you a spiritual and content Ramadan .

For more information please see www.aromatic-cookery.co.uk