PETALING JAYA, May 6 — Feel your energy level dipping even after a large meal during sahur?
Eating right during sahur, and the entire month of Ramadan, will help you reap the rewards of fasting.
And don’t even think about skipping pre-dawn meals.
Nutritionist Hamid Jan Mohamed said sahur supports healthy metabolism, reduces hunger pangs, improves mental alertness, better brain health, provides energy, rehydrates, improves digestion, helps maintain lean muscle mass and reduces fatigue.
And it begins with what you eat, not how much you eat.
“There’s a misconception that a lot of people think if they want to sahur, they must eat rice.
“The Malay Muslim community is very much attached to rice and most of the time, it’s in a big portion because they think more rice equals more satiety,” said Hamid, who lectures at the Nutrition and Dietetics department in Universiti Sains Malaysia, told a recent Herbalife Nutrition Ramadan media briefing.
In a nationwide study by the Health Ministry in 2014 to discover the 10 most common foods consumed daily by Malaysian adults, white rice ranked the highest at 90 per cent of the surveyed respondents.
He also noted that most Malaysians’ sahur meal was low in vegetables and fruits, missing out on the nutrients these food groups offered.
What to eat for sahur?
Eating right for sahur will ensure consistent energy levels until evening, said Hamid.
He advised to avoid high glucose foods such as white rice and opt for a fibre rich and low-carbohydrate meal during sahur to avoid hunger pangs.
“People who tend to eat a lot of sugary food have a short period of satiety but more frequency of hunger throughout the day,” said Hamid.
Instead of white rice, go for brown rice to help you stay fuller for longer and load up on fruits and vegetables.
Protein is also vital for satiety and prevents muscle loss.
A high fibre diet helps prevents that much-dreaded sugar spike and also prevents constipation, one of the biggest problems during Ramadan.
The other culprits are caffeine and salt, which dehydrates the body.
“Muslims here love eating soy sauce in their dishes in the morning without knowing soy sauce has hidden salt which dehydrates your body so by 9am you’re already feeling thirsty.”
Don’t eat an entire meal during buka puasa
“You should not eat one whole meal at one go during buka puasa because it will spike your sugar and insulin levels. Sharp spikes in insulin levels does damage to blood vessels,” said Hamid.
He added that most food served during buka puasa is high in carbs, sugar, coconut milk and deep fried which defeated the purpose of fasting.
“You have fasted for 14 hours but suddenly at 7.30pm, all the benefits of fasting disappear when you’re feasting,” he said.
According to Hamid, here’s how you should be breaking fast:
- Break fast with a glass of unsweetened beverage or plain water along with one piece of date.
- Stop and go for the Maghrib prayers which will take 15 to 20 minutes. Then go for your normal meal, again in a smaller portion with some liquid. Remember to keep hydrating.
- Stop again and go for the Ishak or tarawih prayers. Come back and have another smaller portion meal.
“In total, you would have had three meals in that time and what you’re doing is preventing that sugar spike,” he said.
Ramadan is about fasting, not feasting
For food-obsessed Malaysians, Ramadan has become synonymous with food bazaars, buka puasa buffets and festive delicacies.
But Hamid believes Malaysians need to rethink this mindset.
“What we are experiencing now in Malaysia is the commercialisation of Ramadan. A lot of focus is on food and it becomes very commodified,” he said.
Hamid added that Malaysians should be mindful when buying food from Ramadan bazaars, where healthy choices are scarce.
“When people go to Ramadan bazaars in a hungry state your hunger switch is on and satiety is off, your body will urge you to buy.
“Buying more than what they can consume leads to food wastage and overeating.”
