Welcome Ramadan- Have a date or two?

Asalam walykum,

It feels like only a few months ago that the last Ramadan was with us. Here we are again, in full swing, with the first day of Ramadan upon us. I hope you are all having a good start to the Month and that you are all prepared.

Unlike the years before, this Ramadan came around quite quickly. This year I made sure I kept up with my monthly fasts and even weekly fasts, doing the Sunnah of Monday and Thursday. Alhamdulillah, today is familiar, and welcomed and has come with ease. I find that if you do not fast throughout the year the first few days or weeks are a struggle. 

Well, after that long intro, I just wanted to share some of the mistakes I made from last year in regards to eating habits, or should I say bad habits. Each year is the same, I promise to eat healthy and fresh and in small portions, but that quickly fades away and I am back to eating in an unhealthy manner, it comes with being Arab. We Arabs eat with our eyes... and Ramadan is no exception. The sunnah is forgotten about eating Fresh, Eating Wholesome food and eating the right amount.

One way I have planned to overcome this is to plan my meals a week in advance, and stick to the plan. No matter what is offered to me I will be sure to remain stead fast and keep to the plan. If you think about it, after you break your fast with a date and water/milk you already feel nourished and satisfied. Therefore, there really is no need to go over board.... or so she says. 

Things I want to avoid at all costs are fried foods and sugary foods. Yes, no Samosas, Cakes, and sweets. These things end up creeping on the table somehow and onto my plate before the fruit and veg. 

Instead I have opted to have a fresh Green Juice or Fruit smoothie after praying Maghreb, followed by a light salad with a small portion of fresh cooked meat/Qurn/fish/Chicken that is baked and not fried. 

And just to change things up a bit, have a small bowl of Moroccan soup or veg soup 3 times a week. 

And for snacks, only nuts and dried fruit. For suhoor I plan on having a bowl of rolled oats with chopped nuts and dried cranberries and raisins or fresh banana, with Soya milk/Free from milk.

I do love my bread, a bit too much, so to curb that craving I will be making and eating Moroccan flat bread, Mafrouk which is made from Semolina. i posted a recipe 2 years ago, here is the link HERE!!. It is much healthier then normal bread and contains minimal amount of flour and gluten, all things I am to avoid.

Even as I am writing this I am thinking this is hardly any food. Really it is, we need a lot less then what we may think. It is better to prepare less and add, then to overfill and make too much and ruin your health. 

Always remember the Sunnah, "the stomach should be filled 1/3 by food, a 1/3 by water and a 1/3 from air", and you wont go wrong. Just incorporate the essential food groups and have a healthy balance. If you find most of the food on your plate are pastries, and fried food then you need to wake up and stop choosing to remain ignorant to what you put into your body.

Jazaka Alla khier for reading, the next post will be about incorporating the Sunnah and Nafl Salaht in Ramadan:- "Pray,Pray,Pray until you can pray no more"

Wasalam -x-