An American in Ramadan – I

An occasional series of observations upon a certain American’s first Ramadan in the Middle East.

At my gym today, a woman was sitting at a desk near the check in counter distributing pamphlets on “How to remain healthy during Ramadan.” The brochure was put out by the gym, Fitness First, in conjunction with the Broccoli Weight Loss Center, in Gemmayze, and I have to admit that it addressed (if not necessarily answered) some of my top taboo-ish questions about Ramadan practicalities. Among the recommendations (these are printed verbatim, and chosen at random):

• 3 meals should be consumed. Your “Iftar” is the first meal [jh: the evening meal, when one breaks the fast], have a small snack an hour before going to bed and your “Suhoor” [jh: the pre-dawn meal] is the last meal. In few words, you’re just switching your night to a normal eating day.
• The “Iftar” can include dates (but not more than two).
• Eat fiber rich foods. Fiber-rich foods are also digested slowly…
• Consuming enough protein during each of your Ramadan meals will keep you feeling full until the next meal, preventing you from eating too many sweets.
• Avoid too much tea at suhoor. Tea makes you pass more urine taking with it valuable mineral salts that your body would need during the day.

As for exercise, this seems to be the trickiest part, and the guide ranks various work-out times as such: Exercising before Iftar (Recommended…”with your personal trainer’s advice”); Exercising directly after Iftar (Recommended…”but make sure not to eat a lot during the iftar”); Exercising one or two hours after Iftar (Less Recommended).