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Balanced dietary intake needed during fasting
A dos-and-donâts food list can help people to maintain their health during the holy fasting month of Ramadhan, which begins on Thursday, according to nutritionist Marzuki Iskandar
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dos-and-don'ts food list can help people to maintain their health during the holy fasting month of Ramadhan, which begins on Thursday, according to nutritionist Marzuki Iskandar.
'Basically, our nutrition needs during the fasting month are similar to what we need in other months. We need carbohydrates, protein, fat and vitamins and minerals, as well as enough water. The only difference is what time we consume," the expert said on Wednesday. During Ramadhan, eating and drinking are forbidden during daylight hours, and most people tend to eat large predawn (sahur) and fast-breaking (buka puasa) meals.
For sahur, fasters needed to eat complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice, instead of the usual white rice, and fiber-rich foods such as water spinach, Marzuki said.
During the fasting period, he went on, people needed to drink enough water to avoid dehydration.
"The minimum is 10 glasses of water. It can be split into three glasses each time he or she eats during the fasting month. Fasters can drink three glasses before dawn, three after sunset and three at night," he said.
Spicy foods, meanwhile, must be avoided, because during fasting, the stomach becomes weaker, according to Marzuki.
He added that eating too much food during buka puasa was also risky, because it could "shock" a stomach that had been empty for hours.
"To break the fast, a bowl of a sweet warm dessert such as kolak [banana soup] or a cup of sweet tea and approximately ten dates is enough," he said, adding that people could eat more food after evening prayers. (fsu/ebf)(++++)
