-
Eat Suhur
The Prophet Muhammad, peace and
blessings be upon him, highly recommend eating this pre-dawn meal before
a day of fasting. While you may want to pass to catch some more sleep,
remember that you can always take a catnap while you're fasting, but you
won't be able to eat or drink. To make it easier, set out utensils and
dry food on the table before going to bed so you can quickly eat and go
back to sleep after Suhur.
-
Limit fat intake
That's right, limit it, don't
cut it out. Otherwise, you'll have to get rid of what's considered
"traditional" Iftar food in most Muslim cultures. If you're not sure
what kind of food is being referred to, think fried, greasy and/or super
sweet.
-
Follow the Prophet's
golden rule of one-third
This especially needs to be said
in Ramadan. We should strive to have no more than one-third food,
one-third liquid and one-third air in our stomachs when eating.
-
Encourage dip-dunking
Fruits and vegetables get left
to the wayside during regular days, let alone at Iftar time. But you can
whip out those carrot sticks if you've got some tasty dips to eat them
with. Check out some healthy recipes.
-
Walk after Iftar
Before you fall over from
exhaustion after Iftar and dinner, take a short walk around the block or
just around your building. The change of environment and exposure to
fresh air may just wake you up in time to go for the next activity
listed below.
-
Pray Tarawih
More great exercise, not to
mention a wonderful way to build concentration, stamina and
brotherhood/sisterhood.
-
Take a short afternoon
nap
Experts say you don't need more
than a 15-minute siesta to really refresh you. During lunch hour, find a
quiet spot, set the alarm on your watch/cell phone and nap. This can
help your body adjust to the daily Ramadan schedule that requires early
waking for Suhur. |
