Gelisim News

Create a healthy eating routine in 6 steps after Ramadan!

Nutrition and Dietetics Specialist Asst. Prof. Dr. Merve Bayram, who stated that a balanced diet and physical activity are essential for the metabolism after the changing nutritional habits during Ramadan and the increased consumption of sweets during the feast, explained what needs to be done in 6 steps.

Along with the change in eating habits in Ramadan, nutrition decreases to 2 main meals and sometimes even 1 main meal. Therefore, the metabolic rate slows down. The combination of decreasing meal frequency and slowing metabolism during fasting with wrong eating habits during Ramadan Feast may cause weight gain in people. Asst. Prof. Dr. Merve Bayram from Istanbul Gelisim University (IGU), Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics: “In addition to malnutrition, weight gain and deterioration of health; It leads to further deterioration of health, especially in individuals with chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.” Dr. Bayram also explained what needs to be done to create a healthy routine in 6 steps.

1- ‘’Stay away from fries!’’

Asst. Prof. Dr. Bayram: ‘’Individuals may encounter digestive problems as a result of consuming heavy meals after the end of fasting. Fries and pastries can cause stomach problems such as indigestion, reflux, nausea, palpitations and constipation. Baking instead of frying or cooking in the now popular Airfryer can be preferred. Tomato and spicy dishes can also be heavy on the stomach, so care should be taken.”

2- “Eat fruit instead of dessert. If you want to eat sweets, choose milk or fruit desserts”

Asst. Prof. Dr. Bayram stated: ''Fresh and dried fruits should be preferred against the increasing demand for sweets. Cinnamon can be added to fresh fruits and nuts can be consumed alongside the fruits. If you want to eat sweets, consume more innocent milk or fruity, light and low-calorie desserts.”

3- ‘’Consume 2.5-3 liters of water a day!’’

“During the fasting period, daily fluid consumption can reduce to 1 liter. For this reason, in order to maintain the body's fluid balance, consumption of 2-5-3 liters of water per day accelerates the metabolism by regulating the amount of fluid lost during Ramadan in a short time.’’

4- ‘’Dinner must be 5-6 hours before bedtime!’’

"Dinner must be about 5-6 hours before bedtime. Food takes a long time to digest. It is necessary to pay attention to the meal time in order not to experience indigestion and not to affect the quality of sleep. It is important that salads with plenty of greens are not missing from the tables in order to provide a feeling of satiety in main meals, increase fiber intake and regulate bowel movements.”

5- “Walking 3-4 days a week is good for both the body and the soul”

“Increasing physical activity is another way to speed up metabolism. Although it is difficult to do physical activity due to a sedentary life today, walking for half an hour to 1 hour 3-4 days a week is good for both the body and the soul as the weather gets better.

6- ‘’Beware of common misconceptions on the Internet!’’         

During Ramadan, weight gain can be observed with fasting. Individuals who gain weight may want to lose weight quickly after fasting. At this point, interest in false information, detox diets or detox waters on the internet is increasing. Detox means getting rid of toxins. Natural nutrition is the basic principle for detox. Detox waters provide fluid loss, not fat, in the body. Instead of preferring to lose weight with such detox waters or diets, weight loss should be achieved with a balanced and healthy diet program and increase in physical activity.