By Kanwal Ullah

August 1st started the first day of Ramadan, which falls in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and lasts 30 days. During Ramadan, Muslims all around the world refrain from eating, drinking and sex from sunrise to sunset. Ramadan is also a holy month because it is believed the first verses of the Koran were revealed to the prophet. Ramadan helps one become more aware of their spiritual side and lets one be aware and thankful of the things in their life.

One of the main things to do during Ramadan, besides giving to charity and reading the Koran, is fast. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims all around the world fast from sunrise to sunset, this means refraining from foods and liquids. This also means that one of the most important times of day is sehri, which is before the sun rises.

During sehri, it is advised to have a hearty meal and drink plenty of water since this is what will get you through the day. I like to focus on having a nutrient dense meal with lots of water and definitely a multi vitamin. Yes, it is hard to scarf down a whole meal at 4 in the morning, but you do as much as you can. Lately, my go to sehri meal is a protein shake made with almond milk, peanut butter, natural chocolate protein powder, banana and frozen chopped spinach. Yup, this is definitely dense enough to get me through a whole day of fasting. I also feel I am getting a lot of nutrients from this dense smoothie. I have my protein from the protein powder, fiber from the banana and spinach and healthy fats from the peanut butter. So, all you Muslims out there, you may want to try a protein packed smoothie for sehri, especially if it’s hard for you to eat a big meal so early in the morning! Also, don’t forget, try to drink as much water as you can during sehri. This will prevent you from getting too dehydrated through out the day.

Once Iftar time arrives, which is sunset, it is recommended to break the fast with dates, like the prophet would do. Once the fast is broken, Maghrib prayers are said and then the Iftari celebrations are in full swing. Families gather for fun and feast at this time.

Yes, Muslims experience Ramadan around the world, but I encourage you all to recognize all that you have in life and be grateful for everything given to you.

Stay tuned for my upcoming column on the celebrations of Eid ul-Fitr.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 11th, 2011 at 7:18 am and is filed under Food.