Ruslan Md Hossain answers some common questions on diet and workout regime during the month of Ramadan
What kind of work out/exercise regime, do you suggest during Ramadan considering people fast during the day and have prayer commitment after Iftar?
Scheduling workout time during Ramadan in summer is a bit difficult than in winter as the days are longer in summer. You will have less time to eat, drink and train; on top of that you have evening prayers soon after the Iftar. Lifting weights or doing intense cardio sessions while fasting is not wise at all. Heat in summer will induce nausea and dehydration. Our primary goal during Ramadan should be to maintain our weight with some change in dietary fat consumption. Chances are you might lose some strength and mass but on the flip side, you will look great. Nevertheless, in the process, we need to be really accurate with our meal and training timing right from iftar till suhor. And the ideal time for training will be right before iftar. Light cardio and after the evening prayer, lifting weights or bodyweight circuits are good.
Try to find out a gym that stays open till late and will allow to finish their workout after evening prayer. When you hit the gym, focus on squat ,deadlift and bench-press as they are going to be enough for a full body workout. If you have trouble doing deadlift, do weighted hyperextentions as alternative; do them three times a week.
If you’re missing out the gym then you should consider doing body weight circuits four to five times a week.
When it comes to cardio it’s better to do them right before iftar; twenty to thirty minutes of walking in a park or a treadmill wont dehydrate you much as you will break your fast right after and will do great for burning fat as cardio done during fasting will allow you to burn more stubborn fat stored around the hips and thighs for women and abs and lower back for man. Do them four to five times a week.
As a certified nutritionist, any particular diet chart with specific nutritional requirements for Ramadan that you would like to suggest for the corporate professionals?
When it comes to the diet during Ramadan ensuring proper nutrition and hydration is a must. We should choose the right food such as whole grain fibrous carbohydrate (brown rice, oats, brown bread),fresh vegetables and fruits, low fat dairy products,lean meat and fresh fish.
It’s better not to try and aim for specific macros rather focus on getting all of them in right amount. Protein 1.5g/kg ,Carb1g/kg,and fat .25g/kg and most importantly water, aim for 4liters .Ramadan diet should look something like this:
Iftar: 30g of oats (raw measured) cooked with glass of skim milk, 2 egg whites and whole egg, a glass of fresh juice,2 pcs dates, cup of green tea
Pre-workout: 200g chopped fruits with half cup yoghurt and 8pcs of almonds
Dinner: A cup of brown rice with 200 g grilled chicken and bowl of fresh salad with 1tsp of olive oil dressing.
Sohur: 200g baked/grilled fish (salmon or snapper preferable) with lot of steamed /boiled vegetable, 150g of cottage cheese.
There is almost inevitable binge eating during Eid holidays. What is your advice to avoid those or manage the weight gain after?
During holidays, people make the transition from fast to feast be it breakfast, supper or lunch and dine lavishly inviting all the perils of binge eating. Eating so much can cause medical problems starting from upset stomach to increased cholesterol and blood sugar level to uncontrolled weight gain. You will also experience a wide range of depressive symptoms such as guilt, lack of energy, depression, bowel irritability and poor concentration.
It is important to remember that after fasting regularly for a month, the gut function decreases as the body adapts to a new eating pattern and digesting a huge amount of food suddenly is quite burdensome for one’s alimentary system.
Try to have a strategy before you start to eat during the Eid- holidays-always start with two glasses of water and eat salad before the main courses. Salad is a good appetizer and at the same time it satiates, eventually controlling the urge to succumb into binge eating.
For anyone who suffers from binge eating, avoiding laxative is important. Also don’t go on any crash diet, because that can spell disaster for your health.
Rule of thumb: go back to the basic healthy balance diet and proper training methods that is backed by science.
Always start with dynamic stretches|
Body weight squat: 1 set 20 reps
Lunges: 1 set 20 reps on each leg
Pushups: 1 set till failure
Chin-ups (if available): 1 set till failure
Sit-ups : 1 set 20 reps
Side planks: 30 sec on each side
Bench dip: 1 set 20reps
Do 3-4 complete circuits depending on your fitness level.
The author is a certified nutritionist, fitness consultant and the owner of Ruslan’s Studio, a nutrition and fitness center
