The World Health Organisation recommends that Muslims should drink at least 10 glasses of water between iftar and suhour during Ramadan. It also suggests snacking on hydrating foods such as watermelon and warns against consuming too many caffeinated drinks. Yet, aside from staying sufficiently hydrated, what steps should you take to ensure that what you snack on is both healthy and nutritious?
Eiji Amano, Managing Director at Yakult Middle East, says that probiotics can play a useful role in aiding digestion and maintaining intestinal health following the fasting period.
Probiotics can play a useful role in aiding digestion and maintaining intestinal health following the fasting period.
“During Ramadan, there are factors that can disturb the balance of intestinal flora such as heavy meals during iftar or suhour, leading to a lack of water and an unbalanced diet with insufficient nutrients. Through a regular intake of probiotics, you can improve digestion, prevent infection and help yourself avoid constipation and diarrhoea. Probiotics also fight the occurrence of cancer cells and most importantly boost your immunity.”
During Covid-19, immunity is at the forefront of many of our dietary considerations and Amano says that Yakult’s probiotic qualities can be important.
“Probiotics can boost immunity by increasing the level of NK cells (natural killer cells), which are part of our immune system that stimulate the immune cells. These immune cells are responsible for fighting the infectious diseases and the occurrence of cancer cells.”
Bahjat Hasan, CEO, Best Food Company, says his company uses the best possible ingredients for people fasting during the holy month and that the products are produced specifically to keep consumers as safe as possible.
At Best Food Company, the quality of our product is of paramount importance and we diligently procure ingredients and carefully process them in our state-of-the-art factories
“At Best Food Company, the quality of our product is of paramount importance and we diligently procure ingredients and carefully process them in our state-of-the-art factories, maintain strict quality control and a no-touch process to ensure products are safe for consumption because the safety of our consumers is our main priority.”
Best Food Company has a range of products suitable for snacking. “Our Best Nuts is more suitable for iftar gathering with friends and families. We offer a wide range of value-added nuts for consumers to savour,” he says. “Our Pure & Natural range offers premium raw nuts that can be used for cooking and baking. These can also be consumed during suhour due to their health benefits. Tamrah range provides the perfect blend of natural goodness of date and almond, covered in chocolate. Since almost 70 per cent of the product consists of date and almonds, which are high in nutrition and dietary fibre, it makes for a perfect Ramadan treat in between iftar and suhour.”
Mayo Clinic states that although fresh fruits and vegetables are preferable, if you’re physical distancing due to Covid-19 frozen and canned alternatives can be beneficial. Other snacks Mayo Clinic recommends include popcorn, hummus and unsalted nuts, which are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and overall mortality.
The UK’s NHS says that it is also important to consider what you drink while you snack as a chocolate bar and a juice can contain around eight cubes of sugar, which is more than your maximum daily allowance in once session. The health service also points out problems that can occur as a result of impulsive snacking, ranging from tooth decay and high cholesterol to blood sugar elevations if you’re diabetic.
