Muscat: Scientific studies have proven that consuming healthy food has a great ability to improve the quality of life during fasting and raise efficiency of daily performance and achievement, but this alone is not enough.
Practicing sports helps keep the body active, promote digestion, replenish energy and avoid gaining weight. "This is done by doing activities during the day such as household works, shopping, playing with children, walking to the mosque, parking the car far from the desired destination and reaching it on foot, going to buy instead of ordering delivery, etc," said Dr Eman Sayed Ali, Consultant of Family Medicine.
She added that people who have a good health and do not suffer from any chronic diseases can engage in low- or moderate-intensity sports activities at any time during the day in Ramadhan. "However, one hour before breakfast is considered an ideal time to exercise, as fat and sugar stored in the body are burned at this time," she said.
"For people who have chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, the period 2-3 hours after breakfast is considered the ideal period for practicing sports activities (taking into account their health guidelines during that time)," she said.
It is also important to keep the body hydrated by drinking sufficient amount of water to avoid increase of blood sugar (due to dehydration) and to avoid dehydration and urinary tract infection. "Make sure to drink about 8-10 glasses and distribute them over the Iftar hours and not drink them all at once. Eating fluid-rich foods such as vegetables and fruits during Iftar and Suhoor also has a positive effect. Also, avoid drinks that contain caffeine, such as coffee, tea and high-sugar drinks, such as soft drinks because they have a diuretic effect and can promote water loss from the body," she noted.
Many people suffer from sleep disturbances during Ramadhan for several reasons, including increased calorie intake during the night (as digestion occurs when sleeping) and changing sleep patterns and staying up late at night due to social life.
Dr Eman highlighted that planning a consistent and adequate sleep routine is very important to ensure that the level of energy and achievement is raised during the fasting period, as well as to avoid mood disorders. Also, taking a short nap during the day helps replenish energy and increase concentration.
To improve sleep quality, Dr Eman said, "Avoiding caffeine before bedtime can also help achieve more restful sleep as it takes about ten hours for caffeine to completely exit your body. Limit the time you use electronic devices such as cell phones, laptops and televisions near bedtime because studies indicate that blue light emitted from screens can negatively affect on sleep quality. Avoid eating heavy, fatty, or sugary foods at Iftar (breakfast) or Suhoor, as they can lead to sleep disturbance. Spicy foods can also be detrimental to restful sleep because they may cause gas and stomach discomfort."
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