Have a light meal:
Do not stuff yourself with food and drinks during or between Iftar and Suhoor. This contradicts the spirit of Ramadan and defeats the whole object of fasting. Health problems can emerge as a result of excess food intake which can 'clog' your digestive system.
At Iftar it is advisable to have a very light meal first — like dates and juices or soup and reserve the main meal for later after the Maghrib prayers perhaps or even after Taraweeh (special night prayers). The body's immediate need is to get water and an easily available energy source in the form of glucose for every living cell, particularly the brain.
What to eat:
- Due to the long hours of fasting, we should consume slow digesting foods including fibre-containing foods (which last up to 8 hours) rather than fast-digesting foods (which last for only 3-4 hours).
- Slow digesting foods contain grains and seeds like barley, wheat, oats, millet, semolina, beans, lentils, whole meal flour, unpolished rice, etc (called complex carbohydrates).
- Fibre-containing foods are bran, whole wheat, grains and seeds, vegetables like green beans, peas, spinach, the leaves of beetroot (iron-rich), fruit with skin, dried fruit especially dried apricots, and prunes, almonds, etc.
