The blessed month of Ramadhan is upon us. Muslims around the world are on a spiritual and lifestyle transition. Our productivity may become a little impaired but that won’t stop us from doing our best!
Allow us to share with you our best 3 tips on keeping up with your health and energy this Ramadhan (or if you’re simply practicing Intermittent Fasting, these tips are for you too!)
1. For Sahur or before you start fasting for the day, pick ingredients that’ll keep you full
Go for more protein, fibrous veggies, healthy fats and a little carbs. Opt for complex carbs such as whole grain, quinoa, wild rice, and more veggies! Yes, veggies, mushrooms, sweet potatoes are complex carbs too and these are ideal choices when picking your carbs.
For those who are fasting, our Nutritionist has prepared a simple recipe packed with powerful ingredients to supercharge you throughout your day!
Why do we recommend this yummy breakfast?
- Eggs and steamed chicken are rich in protein which not only keeps you fuller for longer, but helps maintain your muscle mass and boosts fat burning too.
- Picking the right oil when cooking is extremely important. We chose Virgin Coconut Oil in this recipe, but you can try Palm Kernel Oil as well.
- Turmeric is a power-packed antioxidant-rich spice that may even help delay aging and fight chronic diseases. Couple this with Black Pepper, and you’ve got an even more potent superfood duo!
- Needless to say, avocados are packed with healthy fats (monounsaturated fats) and plenty of nutrients. Did you know, they contain more potassium than bananas?
- Lastly, veggies, especially fibrous ones, makes you feel full. Digestion and absorption is slowed down by fibre which in turn stabilises your blood sugar throughout the day.
Check out the recipe below!
2. Include protein-rich coffee in the morning before you start fasting
This trick works wonders in delaying hunger! Whether you are fasting for Ramadhan or practicing intermittent fasting, give this tip a go and you’ll realise your blood sugar is better stabilised during your fast.
For non-Muslims practicing intermittent fasting, you may consume this during the day as a means of introducing amino acids into your blood stream without breaking your fast.
Here’s a recipe if you’d like to make your own protein-rich coffee, also known as bulletproof coffee or keto coffee:
- 1 to 2 cups of freshly grounded coffee
- 4 tbsp of collagen protein
- 1 tsp of grass-fed butter/ghee
- 2 tsp of MCT oil
- 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
Or, enjoy pre-packed ones:
- Blossom Wellness Keto Coffee (The Natural Marketplace, SS2)
- Rapidfire Keto Coffee (You can find this on Shopee)
- Cocolab Keto8 Coffee (Publika Shopping Gallery)
3. Break your fast with healthy fats in the right quantity
Here’s a little secret if you’re keen on losing fat. When it’s time to break your fast, consume some saturated fats like MCT oils (virgin coconut oil, palm kernel butter etc) and a little monounsaturated fats like olive oil, avocado, nuts etc. These fats also help to prevent a sudden surge in blood sugar levels which can happen after long hours of abstinence from food.
How do we consume these oils? Well, if you’re new to this, start with 1 teaspoon of MCTs and slowly increase this to 1 tablespoon a day. If you’re familiar with this trick, you may enjoy up to 2 tablespoons of MCTs per day.
There are various ways of including these oils into your diet:
- Add coconut oil to your smoothies: Try this if you don’t like the taste of coconut oil!
- Salad Dressings: Swap out your regular thousand island, sesame dressing, or other heavy salad dressing for MCT oil. It also works great in salad dressings that have apple cider vinegar in them.
- Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of MCT oils into your broth or soups.
- Consume them directly!
Here are our top picks for healthy oils:
Virgin Coconut Oil:
Take note of key words such as ‘Virgin’ and ‘Coldpressed’.
- Available at our exclusive private store! Contact us at [email protected] if you’d like to place an order for our Extra Virgin Coconut Oil! (RM40, 250ml)
- Orifera Extra Virgin Coconut Oil from The Natural Marketplace SS2 (They carry other brands too)
Palm Kernel Butter:
- Sold at our private our private store, our packaging comes in 500ml (RM75) and 1L (RM130). Drop us an email at [email protected] to place an order!
Olive Oil:
- You can find many olive oil brands from most supermarkets these days!
Nuts:
- Choose unsalted and unflavoured almonds, macadamia, walnuts and pistachios.
- Our favourite places to stock up on nuts are Signature Market, The Natural Market and Bake with Yen.
There we go! These are hacks on fasting which are not often shared by others.
Remember to steer clear from simple carbs and refined sugars. These are absorbed quickly and will only cause spikes in blood sugar levels, making you then feel lethargic and low in energy.
Excessive salt and processed meat should not be consumed regularly too as these are dehydrating. Our body strives when it’s well hydrated and dehydration is manifested with headaches, fatigue, and unhealthy skin.
Give these tips a go!
We, at Engage Life wishes our Muslim friends Selamat Berpuasa!
