It’s the beginning of the holy month of Ramazan and fasting has begun. Although you will not be consuming food or drink in the daytime, you will still need to stay strong and healthy in order to get through the day. This means during Suhoor and Iftar, eating healthy is important.

Here are 3 helpful tips on how to stay healthy while you fast during this holy period.

Eat Unprocessed Food

When it comes to breaking fast, try your best to eat unprocessed food. Processed food is definitely easier to prepare when you’ve got a hungry family waiting to dig in. But since you’ve not been taking in any nutrients the entire day, you need nutritious food to get your body restarted.  Processed food has fewer nutrients than fresh food, so pick out the healthier option.

Drink plenty of water

Of course, throughout the day this isn’t possible, however, when you break-fast during Iftar and in the morning during Suhoor, make sure you drink as much water as you can. On a normal day, you must drink between 8-10 cups of water a day as water is the agent that transports nutrients throughout the body.  Avoid the intake of caffeine during this period and keep away from fizzy drinks that could harm sugar levels as well.

Consume a moderate amount of fats and oils

Yes, you do begin your meal during Iftar with dates and milk and this is one of the healthiest things you can do. However, the other food on the table when it comes to homes in Sri Lanka is usually dripping with oil. This is exactly what you should be avoiding. When it comes to the evening meal especially, try to stick to baked food that requires the least amount of oil, and fruits like avocado, nuts, and fish for a nutrient-rich meal that includes only healthy oils and fats.