With the Holy Month of Ramadan well underway, the joy of this blessed season permeates through all our homes and every facet of our daily lives. The news is full of stories of community generosity, the evenings are filled with the beautiful sounds of the call to prayer, and the early hours of the morning are filled with twinkling lights as families take Suhoor.
Whilst we often talk about the benefits of fasting for Ramadan (like regulating blood sugar, decreasing inflammation and providing us with a sense of improved overall health), we may overlook other essential daily habits to help us get the most out of the holy ritual. Here are a few tips to add into your lifestyle that will help you get the most out of fasting.
1. Sleep! With eating after evening prayers and waking up for early for Suhoor, our sleep routine is disrupted. Sleep is essential for balancing cortisol, keeping our brain healthy and ensuring mental strength. Try to get to bed as early as possible and get 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep when possible.
2. Staying with your exercise schedule can be challenging, as exercising while fasting, whilst having fat-burning and health benefits, can mean you feel fatigued quicker & strength potential may be diminished. Overcome this by exercising in the morning after eating a healthy, protein filled Suhoor.
3. Going for a post Iftar walk is super simple and easy. Similar to the Indian custom of ‘walking 100 steps after meal’, walking at a brisk pace for 10 minutes within 70 minutes after a meal, helps our muscles use the glucose in our bloodstream without needing insulin! This means lower glucose spikes and improved health.
And whether your favourite Ramadan dish is Machboos or Maqlooba, Harees, Kebba or Kunafeh, try and balance your recipes so that you have a wide range of macronutrients to ensure you can fuel your fast with ease.
• Proteins help with new cell generation, cellular repair and building muscle. Think sustainable chemical-free seafood and fresh fish, antibiotic-free chicken, red meats, our grain-fed eggs, or healthy legumes.
• For carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables provide energy, fibre, vitamins and antioxidants. For something sweet, fruit is a healthy treat! Vegetables, like sweet potato, contain magnesium and potassium - essential electrolytes that move energy around the body. When the body has optimal electrolyte levels, it makes fasting and exercising during Ramadan easier. Minimise refined carbohydrates as they have low nutrient density, cause blood sugar spikes, hunger dips and energy slumps.
• Lastly, don't forget about healthy fats! Fats are essential in helping keep satiety and hormones steady. They are essential for hormones and form the cell membrane for every human cell. Ideal sources of healthy fats are eggs, nuts, fatty fish (salmon, mackerel), avocado and olives.
FreshToHome is your ideal Ramadan ingredient supplier, providing top quality, best-in-class products conveniently prepared as you need it, with fresher-than-fresh vegetables, fruits and a range of grocery items. By saving you time in the kitchen, without compromising on quality, it’s one less thing to worry about so you can focus on what matters - a time to reflect, connect and be with loved ones.
You can also count on FreshToHome to deliver a wide range of handcrafted Ready-to-Cook products, made with traditional just-like-home-cooked recipes. And with the FreshToHome brand promise of chemical and preservative-free, you know that even by choosing our convenience range, you will be able to serve a healthy meal! Pick up fresh dates, grain-fed eggs, coleslaw, taboolah, fatoosh and salad mixes, vitamin-laden kiwi, passion fruit or mixed fruit box to boost your health and immune system. Fire up the grill with ready-prepared options that include a range of chicken and mutton kebabs, or a tasty steak and prawn combo, sardines, or lamb chops.
Make a delicious platter with crispy samosas, dumplings, and spring rolls. For the children, add their favourite chicken popcorn or nuggets, and watch their delight at their favourite foods made with no junk or preservatives. Add a pack of assorted bakery products and your meal prep is completed!
Get 15% off all products featured in the Ramadan category, plus if you spend more than AED80 between 28th March – 26th April 2022, use the code “RAMADAN” to receive a free box of chocolate covered dates*. Visit us at www.freshtohome.com
With as fresh as it can get, directly from the farm or the coast, you can be confident that you will receive the freshest and tastiest foods, if you are making meals from scratch or choosing one of our quick convenient options!
FreshToHome wishes you, and your loved ones a very blessed Ramadan Kareem.
*Subject to change, whilst stocks last
