Medical Recommendations for fasting

Here are some medical recommendations for fasting:

As per the WHO a mature human being of (70kg-wt) requires for moderate activities 2400 calories .This can be obtain as follows:

·         1-100gm of proteins : meat , eggs , milk

·         2-300gm of carbohydrates : sugar , dates  , juice , rice , noodles , breads

·         3-90gm of fats : cream, oil

Liquids are essential, since human body requires 3-5liters of water and it can be obtain from different sources:

·         drinking water

·         coffee , tee, cacao

·         juices and

·         vegetables or/and fruits

·         Humid food materials ( proteins , carbohydrates, and fats ) contains also water

Calories content of these liquids should be calculated among the daily requirement and calculate also the water content to different food material within the daily requirement of water.

We should look to the factors effecting the requirements of each faster, depending on the person's condition to determine the actual requirement of food and water, here are some examples:

·         During winter the need of energy generating food increases and consists 10%-20% of human food, especially carbohydrates and starch.

·         During summer, a human being needs water, liquids and table salt to substitute the quantities lost through sweat and respiration. You need a bout 2-3liters of water more than usual.

·         Those whom work requires hard physical activities needs double of the food needed by persons having moderate activities or those who work on office. Laborers and farmers need food of 500calories /day and at least 6-8 liters of water.

·         Kids (more than 10 years preferred) can be habituated to fasting, but gradually and for few hours.

·         Adolescents needs more proteins, starch and carbohydrates since they have to build their tissues (growth and developmental stage) so, they require more quantities of meat, fish or birds.

·         Fasting may be useful for some of those who suffer from, heart, hypertension, diabetic, and digestive problems but they should adjust the times of their medicines, and take their recommended meals at breakfasts.

·         Each of Sahour and Breakfast meals should be one third of the daily required food, they should be light meals .The remain third should be distributed regularly between breakfast and sahour or took as a light meal in the middle of this period, but the first type is preferred since it will not be heavy for the stomach and digestive system.

Faster should:

·         Break his fasting with sugar material, soaked dates (not more than 7pcs.) in a cup of water, but increasing of this material may decrease appetite or may increase weight.

·         Avoid iced or hot liquids (all liquids taken should be at room temp.).

·         Take fresh vegetable , salads , and low spiced food , preferred boiled or grilled food ( fish , meat, birds) which are low fat content, and should not increase the quantities of starch and carbohydrates  ( potatoes , rice , bread and noodle)

·         Avoid drinking much liquids or water, because it will fill the stomach and dilute digestive enzymes and effect negatively on digestion.

·         Decrease salts , salty meals , fatty meals , browned , sauces and fried meals since it will be heavy for digestion and harm the liver .these meals also increase the feel of thirst and need for more liquids , but you may increase salts during summer.

·         Take a little of fresh fruits, which contain a low quantity of sugar (orange, mandarins, guava and pomegranate) during winter. During summer take small slices of melon, muskmelon but in the middle between breakfast and sahour.

·         Decrease taking Ramadan sweets ( Konafa, cashews and walnuts ) because the large content of sugar, starch and fats, beside they require large digesting efforts .but you can take a little of them between Sahour and breakfast.

·         It is better to give the stomach more rest, by taking simple food materials, to be digested easy, for example worm cup of milk, yogurt, or fruit juice.

·         Sahour should consist of:

·         Rate of digestion should be medium , ( peanuts, boiled eggs, boiled meat , boiled vegetables, small quantities of fats , vegetable oil, vegetable salad with lemon , this is a complete meal since peanuts consists  11% of proteins , and 17% of starch , some minerals , vitamin and a little amounts of fats , vitamins, cellulose , and this meal stays in the stomach about 7-9 hours , which remove hunger feeling Vegetable salad supplies body with liquids which decrease feeling of thirst.

 

Dr. Asaad Arafa

Associate consultant, family and society medicine