For ulcer sufferers, fasting can be a challenge in itself. The reason is, ulcer sufferers are known as people who should not skip meals because it can make the disease suddenly recur.
But in fact, with the discipline of eating while fasting will be followed by an improvement in the condition of the stomach, due to regular gastric acid secretion. Although in the early days of fasting you may feel uncomfortable because of the stomach's adaptation to changes in eating patterns.
There are several suggestions that you can apply for sahur and iftar for those of you with ulcers. Anything, let's see!
1. Iftar with a Healthy Sweet Drink
It is recommended that those of you who suffer from ulcers can start breaking the fast with a sweet but healthy drink.
It is like drinking juice or fruit juice from 2 to 3 kinds of fruits that have a high water content such as oranges, melons, and watermelons. Remember, naturally sweet drinks, not sweet teas, syrups, compotes and other drinks containing added sugar.
2. Avoid Foods That Contain Gas
It is very important to maintain gastric comfort by avoiding foods that contain a lot of gas. Foods that contain gas can cause stomach acid to rise, so that the stomach becomes sore.
Foods that can produce gas include vegetables and high fiber, such as cabbage, broccoli, mangoes, apples and oranges. In addition, milk and its products can also produce excess gas, so for those of you who like to drink milk, especially full cream milk, it is better to limit it. You can choose almond milk as an alternative.
3. Consume Foods with Complex Carbohydrates at Sahur
Foods that contain complex carbohydrates are known to take a longer time to digest so that the absorption of carbohydrates occurs gradually, this can make the stomach full longer and blood sugar more stable.
Foods with complex carbohydrates are brown rice, whole wheat bread, bananas, sweet potatoes, and so on. As a suggestion, it's better at sahur to replace your white rice with brown rice.
4. Breaking the fast with small portions
For people with stomach acid, consuming large amounts of food can cause your stomach to be too full and trigger gastric acid reflux up into the esophagus, causing an ulcer to recur.
It is recommended that when breaking the fast, eat small portions first and gradually, don't eat heavy food right away. You can start breaking your fast with dates and just a few pieces of cake, then after the maghrib prayer you eat a heavy meal.
5. Consumption of Ulcer Drugs
Consumption of ulcer drugs is recommended for ulcer sufferers, because it can reduce the production of stomach acid and coat the stomach surface. You can take the drug at dawn, before going to bed or when breaking the fast.
So, for those of you who suffer from ulcers, you can still carry out fasting comfortably. However, if you feel a complaint that does not go away, consult a doctor to get the right treatment.