Tips for following a PBD in Ramadan

Tips for following a PBD in Ramadan
Fasting gives our bodies a natural detox that can give us a great kick-start to losing weight. “All you have to do is control the food types and portions you eat between iftar and sohour,” says Fayrouz Youssef, nutritionist, member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the founder of health magazine The Daily Crisp. “Adding exercise to your diet is a huge plus in Ramadan.” Many Egyptians tend to gain weight during Ramadan because they eat too much of only one type of food, mostly sweets, but the happy news is that you can still have alternatives following a plant-based diet. Here’s what to do:

Do not feel alienated during iftar gatherings: One cannot avoid gatherings in Ramadan. Unless your family and friends are following a PBD themselves, you will most probably have a hard time sticking to your diet because many people will not be familiar with PBD. “It is something I went through when I first started PBD and it was in Ramadan particularly because it is different from all ‘well-known diets,’” Youssef remembers. “Nothing got me out of feeling like an alien except believing in myself and that what I am doing is the right thing. At the end it is a mental thing.” At the same time social life is very important for your wellbeing—“just because you are eating healthy does not mean you should isolate yourself from the rest of the world.”

Follow Sunnah (Prophet Muhammad’s habits): “Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) used to break his fast with dates; a great energy boost to wake up your stomach slowly after 16 hours of fasting.”

Graze: Do not make iftar a huge meal instead divide the eight hours between iftar and sohour into four or five small meals.

Drink up: Stay hydrated by drinking no less than two to three liters of water; that means at least one glass of water every hour between iftar and sohour.

Increase your varieties: Plan a PBD-friendly desserts and meals menu ahead of time to ensure you always have a variety of options to choose from.

Follow the Plant Based Diet (Egypt) Facebook group on

facebook.com/groups/175153699520925/ and the Real Foods & Nourishing Traditions Egypt Facebook group on facebook.com/groups/realfoodsandnourishingtraditions/ • For PBD recipes visit the Plants Rule PBD blog at plants-rule.com/blog//passover-recipes-for-a-healthy-plant-based-vegan-dinner and The Daily Crisp online health magazine at thedailycrisp.com