HCDCP

June 5th 2019: Ιd–el-Fitr

The Ramadan is the month of the fasting commandment for the Muslim population.  In the course of the month, there are people who change their nutrition considerably.  Various types of food, quantities and size of the dishes consumed in the meal breaking the fast and during the night are added to sweetened beverages and sweets. After about a month the Ramadan ends and the Id-el-Fitr celebrations begin. This is a three-day holiday of festivities and family visits. This period marks the return to the normal life routine.

In the Id-el-Fitr celebrations, like in any celebration, there is a table with various types of chocolates, sweets, cakes and the holiday’s traditional cookies, sweetened beverages, various delicacies and nuts.. In the shift between the fasting routine – when the body has gotten used to long fasting hours during the day and a fast breaking meal in the evening – and the normal routine of eating during the day, many people who do not observe a gradual return to eating, may suffer from various effects on the digestive system, such as stomach aches, or diarrhoeas.

In order to avoid unpleasant side effects, it is recommended:

• To return gradually to eating routine during the day;
• To start the days of the Id-el-Fitr holiday with light meals that are based on soups and that are spread out throughout the day;
• To incorporate into the meals various vegetables, fresh and cooked, a serving of carbohydrates, preferably whole wheat, a protein-rich, low-fat meat, fish or legumes;
• To limit fat-rich foods, especially foods deriving from animal sources, like all types of meat;
• To end the meal with the holiday’s traditional cookies, so as to enjoy them but not consume them instead of the meal;
• To have seasonal fruit salad for dessert;
• To drink water or herbal tea of any kind, preferably with no sugar.

Sources of Information

Health care providers’ handbook on Muslim patients, Queensland, 2010EthnoMed's Ramadan 2017 calendar page for links to a number of background articles for practitioners, including for management of diabetes and breastfeeding during Ramadan.