4 Tummy Discomforts During Ramadan and How To Manage Them

It is now the first week of  Ramadan, and perhaps some of you may be finding this week particularly challenging because of the change in eating and sleeping routines due to sahur and breaking fast.

Making even the smallest change in one’s habit or routine can be a struggle, especially in the beginning, says experts on habit from Psychology Today.

Therefore, it is only natural that our bodies take time to adjust to our new fasting routine and eating especially in the first few days. Sometimes our bodies can react as such due to these changes in routine and manifest as digestive issues in our physical system.

If you’ve ever had gastrointestinal problems during Ramadan, you know how inconvenient they can be and why it’s so important to get them under control!

Here are 4 main digestive issues which usually act up in the beginning of Ramadan and solutions for how you can manage them better.

Gastric

Fasting can often increase gastric acidity levels in the stomach, causing a burning feeling and heaviness in the stomach. This experience can be avoided by eating foods rich in fibre. It’s also important to avoid fried foods, very spicy foods, salty foods and foods containing too much sugar. Sweets can cause health problems like indigestion, heartburn, and weight problems and should not be part of your diet, especially on an empty stomach.

Too much salty food make your body retain water and give you the feeling of being bloated, while spicy foods also induce thirst. Sweets and sugary foods are fast burning and will only last for three to four hours. Incidentally these will turn into fat, increase cholesterol levels and make you gain weight.

Stomach Aches

The cause of stomach aches are hard to determine because there can be a lot of different factors affecting the situation. It may be a combination of overeating and consuming foods high in fat. Often, bloating is accompanied with stomach pain or discomfort. Another reason may be that you are sensitive to a specific food item or food group. However, if you are eating mixed dishes, it can be difficult to identify the culprit. First, try and slow down eating iftar according to the tips listed above. If you are still experiencing stomach aches, you may have a sensitivity to a specific food.

If the stomach ache persists, you seek medical consultation or work with a dietitian/nutritionist to determine if you are sensitive to any food. This symptom may be accompanied with other digestive symptoms such as diarrhea and constipation.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea isn’t a common Ramadan issue but some may experience it shortly after eating either sahur or iftar. This is can be due to the combination of foods being eaten or the change in eating times, which can upset the tummy.

A few tips to prevent this from happening is to avoid eating high fat  or sugary items at iftar. Also avoid eating a large amount of food within a short period of time (i.e. quickly eating a plate of food within 5-7 minutes is TOO fast). Ensure that you are eating foods that have been prepared correctly and are stored at the right temperature to ensure there isn’t any form of food contamination.

Constipation

Constipation is a common problem in Ramadan. It occurs due to consumption of low-fibre foods, reduced water intake and a lack of vigorous movement.

The solution is to drink a lot of water, at least 10 cups of water per day. Split this into 3 cups at sahur, 2 cups at iftar, and 3-5 cups until bedtime. Secondly, eat high-fibre foods such as vegetables, fruits and dried fruits. Most importantly, to get a sufficient amount of fibre for bowel health, eat whole grain products, such as oats, bran and bread made of brown flour wholewheat. Try any of these yummy, easy and quick oat recipes.

Gastric, stomach aches, diarrhea and constipation are the most common of Ramadan complaints. To avoid experiencing any of these, it is critical to consume a well-balanced meal during both sahur and iftar.

Islam emphasises moderation in every aspect of life and it is essential that this concept is applied to food intake as well.

To manage tummy issues during the start of Ramadan, its important to buy fresh and quality food products. Shop with Gogopasar for fresh, quality food at affordable bargains at www.gogopasar.com or download our Gogopasar app on Google Playstore for a hassle-free shopping experience.