Top 8 Tips To Prepare for a Healthy RAMADAN
As Ramadan approaches, some look forward to fasting with anticipation
- while others are kinda dreading it!
If you are dreading it, odds are you haven’t had the most positive experience with it in the past.
Maybe you crashed hard with the first few days caffeine headaches, experienced bad hunger feelings or struggled as the month progressed with disrupted sleep patterns, losing your valuable muscle mass you have worked so hard building or you ended up putting on body fat due to dodgy food choices.
There is a lot of things you can start to do already to help you transition into fasting more smoothly, and to avoid being in that same situation again. I have put together my top 8 tips to transition smoothly into Ramadan, with that said, you know yourself best and I do not recommend implementing all of them.
If you are looking at being more successful this time I would recommend picking your most problematic 2-3 areas and implement the change on them, and doing those really well.
For example, if you know you struggle with overeating at Iftar - or you under eat during the month causing you to loose muscle mass then pick nr 7 reducing portion sizes leading up Ramadan. If you struggle with severe caffein withdraws then pick nr 5 and start gradually lowering your intake so the transition wont be as dramatic.
Top 8 Tips To Prepare for a Healthy And Successful RAMADAN:
Prep your body by taking up some voluntary fast days, maybe you still have to make up for missed days from last year. This way you can fast 1 day, eat normally next one ect, and this can help ease your body into the fasting routine.
Make sure you are fit for it, if you have any chronic diseases or other health concerns do visit your doctor in advance get a general check up and see there is any special concerns to take during your fasting.
Start waking up earlier and having your breakfast a bit earlier than usual. Soon you will be eating before dawn, so moving the meals to early morning will help you with the transition so it will not feel so foreign for your metabolism.
Have fewer meals, less snacking: Over the next few weeks running up to Ramadan, stick to 3 main meals a day and avoid snacking in between. Our body´s have an amazing internal clock, by stopping the snacks you will train yourself to feel full longer and when its time, you will only be dropping one meal of your diet during fasting.
Drink coffee to live? The caffeine withdrawal can be brutal the first few days going cold turkey. Cut down gradually on your caffeine intake. Limit your consumption to 1 cup pr day in the morning, and use decaf options other hours. It will help in training your body to function regularly caffeine free during fasting hours and save you loads of headaches - literally.
Practice some meal planning before Ramadan. Think out some meals you would like to eat, and plan them out. This ensures you are intaking the right amount of nutrients and eating the optimum amount.
Finding your optimal portion sizes, based of your activity level and goals. Begin gradually adjusting your portion sizes. We want to avoid under and over eating since both will disrupt your appetite and makes it more difficult to fast.
Ramadan is the best time to quit any bad habits you have developed. Take the chance and start replacing the cigarette, glass of wine, chocolate bar after dinner, takeaway food or any other bad habit that has snuck up on you in the past year.
Best of luck, I just want to repeat - do not try to implement all of these at once!
- one change done consistently is more effective that dipping your toes in all 8 and doing them inconsistency.
What is your goal during Ramadan? If you could wave your magic wand you could and achieve anything in the world, what would you like to have acompished at the end of this holy month?
Head over to my next blog on GOAL SETTING for Ramadan to find out more tips on how you can plan for successful training and fueling during the holy month.
See you soon!
Coach Eik
