Stay healthy with good food ingredients for the following Suhoor and Iftar
Did you know that even though we are fasting, the body continues to carry out its activities as usual, such as breathing, optimizing all the functions of internal organs and others. That's why it's very important to pay attention to food intake during sahur and iftar. So that our metabolism is maintained.
We asked about this theme to a nutritionist, Bebby Astrika, SGz. Hopefully it will help you carry out your fasting worship solemnly while staying in shape with a cheat sheet of good food ingredients for sahur and iftar.
What happens to the body when fasting from dawn to dusk?
When the body is fasting (no food intake during the day), the body's metabolism is actually still working to meet basic human needs to live. So the body still needs energy to carry out basic needs such as breathing, maintaining body temperature, supporting heart function, and even repairing damaged cells. This activity continues even though the person is fasting. The basic caloric requirement is called the basal metabolic rate. The amount is about two thirds of the total energy expenditure.
Why is it important to pay attention to the intake of food and drink that enters the body, during sahur and iftar?
Because of the basic needs of the body that still must be met. To meet these basic needs, humans need to get all the nutritional elements, starting from carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. Because people who fast only have limited time to meet their food needs, it is very important for us to be good at choosing the foods our bodies need. Including fluid needs, because the body must stay hydrated.
As much as possible avoid foods whose nutritional components are single or only two ingredients. For example fried bakwan (only carbohydrates and fat. The fat is also bad fat). It is better to choose foods that are needed by the body in a balanced amount.
What are the best foods to eat at dawn?
Simply put, sahur can be likened to eating breakfast. A balanced breakfast should still contain carbohydrates, protein, fat, so at dawn, all nutrients should be available. But because time is more limited, it is possible to choose food sources that are more practical but nutritionally balanced. Example:
Carbohydrates (white rice, brown rice, cereals (oats), pasta, noodles, potatoes);
Protein (eggs, these eggs are the most delicious to meet protein needs, besides being easy they are also high in nutritional value, just add vegetable protein, tempeh or tofu or beans; chicken; meat; tofu; tempeh);
Fats (avocado, corn oil, soybean oil, olive oil and milk)
Vegetable and fruit
What are the best foods to eat when breaking the fast?
Even though the meal time is longer, it is still important to stop eating at least 2-3 hours before going to bed. During fasting, setting sleeping hours is also the key to being able to undergo fasting properly. Sleep at least 6 hours, so that the body has time to rest.
However, when breaking the fast, the meal period can be divided into two times. When breaking the fast (cancelling the fast) and after the tarawih prayer, for example. When canceling functions to restore sugar levels in the blood, so consumption of sweet foods is highly recommended, and eating after tarawih prayers to meet nutritional needs.
Food ingredients are more or less the same as at dawn, there is no difference. It is only regulated as much as possible in one day the body gets a variety of or different types of food. The more varied the type of food consumed, the more nutrients the body gets.
If you pay attention to balanced nutrition is still the best, yes for the body. Because even though we don't eat and drink for a dozen hours, all of our organs are not fasting, you know, doing their job. So let's be wise to consume anything during sahur and fasting.