Compulsory to be observed during the month of Ramadan, fasting requires all Muslims in the world to endure hunger and thirst from sunrise to sunset. It turns out that this worship has long been known to have good benefits for body health, you know!
Health experts mention several benefits of fasting such as increasing the immune system, reducing fat levels in the body, to optimizing the body's performance in cell regeneration.
However, the health benefits obtained when fasting can be in vain if you do not maintain a lifestyle, such as often staying up late and eating too many foods that are not good for the body.
Therefore, in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle when fasting, let's avoid the following 4 foods at dawn and iftar!
1. Fried Food
Often served when breaking the fast, fried and fatty foods such as fried foods you should avoid, you know!
Launching from the Hamad Medical Corporation website, fried foods contain a percentage of fat and sodium that exceeds the recommended amount, so eating them often can make the body more tired and weak when fasting.
This is also supported by the statement of Banun Ma'rifah Fathsidni S.Gz, a nutritionist from Sebelas Maret University, who suggested that people avoid fried snacks when breaking their fast because high concentrations of fat can increase blood cholesterol levels.
2. Foods That Contain A Lot Of Salt
Did you know that foods that contain a lot of salt can make you hungrier?
Eating foods with more salt will make people feel hungrier.
Foods that contain a lot of salt can also trigger high blood pressure, you know! Therefore, reduce foods that contain a lot of salt, including fast food and processed foods, such as instant noodles, french fries, fried chicken, burgers, pizza, sauces, chili sauce, and others.
As recommended by the Ministry of Health, the recommended consumption of salt is one teaspoon.
3. Foods and Drinks That Contain Lots of Sugar
As with salt, you should also avoid foods that contain a lot of sugar when breaking the fast and sahur. As recommended by the Ministry of Health, a person's daily sugar intake is only four tablespoons.
Therefore, foods and drinks typical of the month of Ramadan such as compote, fruit ice, and other iftar menus are not recommended to be consumed in the long term and in large portions because they contain a fairly high concentration of sugar.
As quoted from the Family Doctor website, foods with a high enough sugar concentration will trigger various health risks such as tooth decay, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and even heart disease.
4. Foods and Drinks Containing Caffeine
For those of you who are coffee and tea fans, it seems that you should avoid consuming too much of your favorite drink during the month of Ramadan. Why is that?
As mentioned in Healthline, caffeine is a diuretic, which means it triggers the excretion of substances through the urine. This means that if you consume caffeine, which is a diuretic, it will cause the body to lose fluids, salt, and other important minerals it needs during the day.
Well, those are some types of food that should not be consumed excessively when breaking the fast and sahur. A healthy lifestyle can certainly support you to do fasting and other worship more optimally, right?