Acıbadem Bakırköy Hospital Nutrition and Diet Specialist Sıla Bilgili Tokgöz talked about 10 mistakes that should be avoided in order to have a healthy Ramadan and to avoid any problems while fasting. Nutrition and Diet Specialist Sıla Bilgili Tokgöz said, “The foods to be consumed in iftar should not be more and different than a normal dinner. Overfilling an empty stomach at once can cause problems such as reflux, indigestion and stomach ailments. Instead, it will be healthy to start the fast with light products such as dates or breakfast, drink soup, then switch to a small portion of the main meal and close with a salad or yoghurt.” said.
While fasting, the mouth and throat become dry due to thirst. With a 1% decrease in water in the body, the feeling of thirst begins, and in thirst, there is a loss of water and minerals in the body. Emphasizing that the reuptake of lost minerals and water is extremely important for body balance, Nutrition and Diet Specialist Sıla Bilgili Tokgöz said:
“So drinking less water during this time is one of the other big mistakes made. Be sure to drink 30 ml of water for each kilo of weight between sahur and iftar. However, the amount of water and liquid should not be mixed with each other. The amount of tea, coffee and compote drunk after iftar is included in the amount of liquid. As they do not take the place of water, on the contrary, tea and coffee cause water excretion from the body. For this reason, it is necessary not to overdo it with tea and coffee, and to make fluid intake mostly by consuming water.
Acıbadem Bakırköy Hospital Nutrition and Diet Specialist Sıla Bilgili Tokgöz said, “If you don't want to have indigestion and reflux problems after iftar, divide your iftar into 2. You can break the fast with water and then continue with dried apricots or dates. You can start the iftar meal with soup and take a break of 15-20 minutes, then move on to the main course. In the main course, instead of greasy heavy meals, you can consume grilled, boiled or baked dishes prepared using healthy cooking methods, or legumes and vegetable dishes with olive oil. Otherwise, the risk of high blood sugar, high blood pressure and heart diseases may increase.” said.
Stating that in order to stay full for a longer time, it is necessary to choose foods with high protein content such as eggs, cheese and milk at sahur, Tokgöz said, “For being more fit and energetic, preventing possible constipation and controlling blood glucose; Take care to consume complex carbohydrate foods such as whole grain bread and oats from pulpy foods. Do not forget to consume cold cuts, salads and fruits.” he said.
Nutrition and Diet Specialist Sıla Bilgili Tokgöz stated that lying down right after iftar or going to bed right after sahur is one of the biggest mistakes made during Ramadan, “Even if you don't have reflux, this can cause you to have reflux. You should not lie down immediately after iftar and finish eating 2-3 hours before going to sleep. At sahur, choosing light foods and walking around the house for a while, raising the head of the bed prevents the stomach contents from escaping back into the esophagus and prevents reflux.