在斋月期间禁食，同时保持健康

Ramadan is about both the spiritual and the physical.

在精神方面, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar is a time to reflect on virtues such as patience, 牺牲与感恩. That focus is sharpened by physical self-restraint – most notably, by fasting from sunrise to sunset.

这可以通过一种增进健康的方式来实现, experts say – but the observant also need to be aware of potential pitfalls.

在斋月之前, which is expected to begin the evening of March 10 in North America, here's expert advice about how to celebrate in the healthiest way possible.

禁食安全吗??

“历史上, it's been proven over and over again that fasting is actually very safe" for most people, said Dr. 巴巴Basir, an interventional cardiologist at Henry Ford Health in Detroit, where he's director of the acute mechanical circulatory support program.

A Ramadan fast is a type of intermittent fasting, he said, "and intermittent fasting has really taken off" as a way to lose fat without losing muscle. He noted that fasting can improve insulin levels and boost human growth hormone, 有助于燃烧脂肪.

到2021年， study published in the Journal of the 美国心脏协会 linked Ramadan fasting to 降低血压. Blood pressure results from other Ramadan studies have been mixed, although other research into fasting has shown it can be beneficial.

But that doesn't mean fasting is for everyone, Basir说.

People with chronic illnesses are among those the Quran exempts from the Ramadan fast. Basir说 that would include people with Type 1 diabetes who need to have regular intake of sugar.

Dr. Manal Elfakhani, a registered dietitian and an assistant teaching professor in nutritional sciences at Penn State University in University Park, 宾西法尼亚, has counseled people with diabetes about fasting. 有些人找到了禁食的方法, she said, but "my recommendation in the end is that a person should always consult with their physician."

Ramadan fasting can be more challenging than other types of intermittent fasting, 纳齐玛·库雷希说, 他是多伦多的注册营养师.

一个很大的不同, she said, is that Ramadan fasting requires abstaining from water and other beverages. “这是一个干巴巴的禁食,库雷希说, who co-runs a consulting business aimed at providing culturally tailored health advice for Muslims. "And the other big difference is the majority of the fasting hours are during the waking hours,“而对于间歇性禁食, most of the fasting hours might overlap with sleep, 这样就容易多了."

库雷希说 Muslims and their doctors need to understand who can be exempt from Ramadan fasting, 这也适用于儿童吗, 老年人和孕妇, 等. "The most important thing is making sure that we are healthy and it's safe,她说.

那么心脏病患者呢??

While studies have found that Ramadan fasting is safe for people with stable heart disease, it's "really important" for people with heart issues to make a plan with their cardiologists, Basir说, 尤其是在药物方面.

Most cardiovascular medicines are taken once or twice a day, he said, "so those medications can be easily taken at the beginning and the end of fasting." Fasting might also affect the timing or function of diuretics, 哪些是治疗高血压的处方药.

如何度过早晨

It can be tempting to stay in bed instead of waking up for the suhoor, 黎明前的晚餐, Elfakhani说.

"I've seen people skip this meal,她说, "and I don't think that's a good idea."

Suhoor is the last opportunity to nourish your body for the day, 库雷希说, and missing it sets you up for not feeling energized all day. The focus should not be about eating as much as you can before rushing out the door, she said, 但是“吃正确的东西."

Elfakhani suggested that the morning meal include a whole grain, a fruit or vegetable and a protein. The whole grain could be cereal, bread or oatmeal. Bananas, apples or strawberries are fine fruits. For protein, try a glass of milk, a cup of yogurt or some scrambled eggs.

坚果可以提供蛋白质和健康的脂肪, and she said that people of Arab descent often enjoy olives, 这也是一种健康的脂肪来源. (They also can have lots of sodium, so she suggests not eating more than five at a meal.)

库雷希说 that some families prefer having a dinner-type meal, 这是可以的," as long it includes protein and some sources of complex carbohydrates, 比如水果, 蔬菜或全谷物.

The most important part of suhoor, she said, is "making sure you're drinking enough water."

喝这个，不要喝那个

控制水分摄入是至关重要的. 每个人到底需要多少会有所不同, but "you should be drinking the same amount of water that you would be in a nonfasting day,库雷希说.

她说，不要喝含糖饮料. And as tempting as they might be before dawn, Elfakhani recommends avoiding coffee and tea as well. They're diuretics, which can lead to fluid loss later.

每次禁食都要小心

People can gain weight during a month of fasting, Basir说. 这怎么可能?? "They eat poorly during the evenings when they break their fast."

The No. 关于斋月饮食，人们常犯的一个错误, he said, is choosing unhealthy foods and binge-eating at the evening meal.

这顿饭, 叫开斋, 是与他人聚会的线上电子游戏飞禽走兽吗, 有点像感恩节,Elfakhani说. "We're with our families, and we're just tempted to eat a little bit more than we probably should."

Qureshi puts it this way: "There's a lot of celebratory foods.“它们会因文化而异, 但很多都是油炸的, appetizer-style食物, 还有很多甜点. And after a day of fasting, people are hungry and tend to eat a lot in a hurry.

With some, one piece could be hundreds of calories, and most people don't stop at just one piece. "So, before you've gone into dinner, you've already had a couple thousand calories,库雷希说. If you're doing that every single day for 30 days, she said, "you really start feel it."

A traditional approach to breaking the fast can actually be the healthiest, 库雷希和埃尔法哈尼说. Many people choose to start with a glass of water, then eat one to three dates before heading off to the evening prayer, which takes 10 to 15 minutes.

在那段线上电子游戏飞禽走兽里, 你的身体会开始意识到它被喂食了, 库雷希说, 你再也不会有那种极度的饥饿了. So now, 当你回到餐桌上, 你可以让它更平静, 更冷静的决定."

整晚吃得好

Elfakhani recommends "a good balanced meal" when breaking your fast. 避免油炸、咸的食物. 强调健康的蛋白质和全谷物.

还有蔬菜，库雷希补充道. Iftar meals tend to offer more refined carbohydrates than healthy fiber. 这会导致消化问题.

Don't forget to drink plenty of water, Basir说. And remember that calories add up during Ramadan the same as any other month. 许多人会在晚上吃第三顿饭, he said, "so their caloric intake for the day is about the same, 如果不是更多的话, 比平时多. And this is really problematic for many patients."

非穆斯林应该知道的

Just being aware of what Muslims go through during Ramadan can go a long way, Basir说.

小手势有帮助. "One thing that is universally helpful is not asking all the time, 'Do you want to go out to lunch?’”巴希尔说.

Elfakhani是在禁食时说这番话的, 她最多产的线上电子游戏飞禽走兽是晚上, and her lectures are a little tougher when she can't drink water. She keeps that in mind when setting expectations for students who also are Muslim.

The effects of fasting are something all schools should keep in mind, she said.

"I wish sometimes that elementary schools would be a little bit more understanding" that households will function differently as kids are served late meals and families stay up later. She's grateful that her oldest daughter's high school sets aside space so fasting students don't have to spend the lunch hour in the cafeteria.

运行状况的重置

The spiritual aspect of the month does lead to having a more healthy, 对食物选择的谨慎态度, Elfakhani说.

“当你被要求不要吃喝的时候, you start to realize how much we take our meals for granted,她说, 很多人认为, "Oh, wow. 我没有意识到我一天吃了多少."

Fasting for 30 days straight is not easy, she said, "but it is a very beautiful spiritual experience."

Scientific and religious recommendations do overlap during Ramadan, Basir说.

"Our Islamic faith actually really highly encourages us to be very healthy,巴希尔说。. "We're really encouraged to eat natural foods, to be cognizant of the amount of food that we eat."

这使得这个月成为一个改变的机会.

"My advice in this scenario is to use Ramadan as a springboard for making good healthy choices from a dietary standpoint,巴希尔说。. If you can emphasize healthy habits for those 30 days, "they can become habits that you can carry for the rest of your year."