Watch Out for These Eating Habits During Eid al-Fitr

Acıbadem Fulya Hospital Nutrition and Diet Specialist Müzeyyen Çelik emphasizes that during the pandemic, we unknowingly changed our eating habits, saying "Being unable to leave home pushed us to constantly cook and consume food in the kitchen. Combined with reduced physical activity during this period, the weight gained, and then the arrival of Ramadan; due to slower metabolism caused by prolonged fasting, this led to faster weight gain. Therefore, you can try to evaluate this Ramadan Holiday as an opportunity period to speed up your metabolism." Nutrition and Diet Specialist Müzeyyen Çelik explained 9 important rules to follow during Ramadan Holiday:

Breakfast Is Essential

A balanced and light breakfast is undoubtedly the most important meal for speeding up metabolism during the day and controlling hunger. However, pay attention! For breakfast; cheese, olives, plenty of fresh seasonal vegetables, eggs and wholegrain bread will be sufficient. It is best to avoid foods containing direct sugar such as sweetened jams, honey and preserves.

Snacks Are Mandatory

Nutrition and Diet Specialist Müzeyyen Çelik reminds that eating only two meals per day during Ramadan causes metabolism to slow down, and continues: "While increasing meal frequency during the holiday, do not neglect snacks 2 hours before meal times with foods such as dried nuts, fruit, sugar-free desserts and unsweetened coffee with milk. This way you regulate your blood sugar and reduce your portion sizes at main meals. Adding healthy snacks to your diet this way will help you prevent uncontrolled eating and consequent weight gain, as well as possible digestive problems that may occur after overeating." she said.

Sugar-Free Pudding Can Meet Your Dessert Needs

During Ramadan Holiday, be careful about dessert and chocolate consumption and stay away from overeating tendencies as much as possible. If you must eat dessert, you can meet your dessert needs with milk-based desserts or a simple sugar-free pudding made at home, instead of pastry-based or syrup-soaked desserts.

3-4 Servings of Vegetables and Fruit Are Required

During Ramadan, consuming only two meals leads to relatively reduced vegetable and fruit intake, which can cause some digestive system problems such as constipation. To get your slowed digestive system moving, never neglect consuming a total of 3-4 servings of vegetables and fruit per day.

Do Not Overconsume Börek and Sarma

Börek and sarma are usually the inseparable pair of holidays. "If high-carbohydrate foods like these two are also your holiday classic, it is beneficial to consume them in small portions in the afternoon as snacks," says Nutrition and Diet Specialist Müzeyyen Çelik, who explains the reason as follows: "This way, you maintain weight control and your blood sugar stays within certain limits. Also, not to strain your stomach, which has become accustomed to eating two meals during Ramadan, and to protect yourself from intestinal problems, remember to stay away from fatty and fried foods at main meals, and instead consume grilled, steamed and boiled foods." she said.

There Should Be 3 Main and 3 Snack Meals

Nutrition and Diet Specialist Müzeyyen Çelik notes that with Ramadan Holiday we can switch to a meal schedule of 3 main and 2-3 snack meals per day, saying "During and after the holiday, be careful not to skip meals. Skipping meals can cause your blood sugar to drop and lead to overeating at the next meal. When you skip meals, not only does your metabolism slow down, but you may also experience digestive problems." Müzeyyen Çelik also warns that you should finish eating and drinking at least 2 hours before bed, saying "Your metabolism, which slows down and prepares for sleep after evening hours, will have difficulty converting the food we consume at this time into energy. This will cause weight gain. Give your body time to digest food before going to sleep."

Herbal Teas Should Be Preferred

If you have chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and kidney failure, do not break your diet during the holiday. Also, due to their diuretic effects, prefer herbal teas such as linden, fennel and lemon balm tea instead of caffeinated beverages like tea and coffee. However, the effectiveness of herbal teas increases with use. For this reason, also be careful not to drink herbal teas more than 2-3 cups per day.

Exercise Is Essential

Even if we cannot leave home during the holiday, we must continue exercising. Therefore, continue doing 30-45 minutes of exercise at home every day. This way you can speed up your metabolism, which slows down during Ramadan.

Pay Attention to Fluid Intake

Do not neglect fluid intake during Ramadan Holiday. Drinking at least 1.5-2 litres of water per day is very important. To increase your fluid intake, you can also get support from drinks such as sugar-free compote, yogurt drink and sugar-free lemonade. You can also make these drinks your snacks. During the holiday, stay away from acidic, carbonated and high-sugar drinks such as Ramadan syrup.