• العربية
  • Keeping Healthy in Ramadan

    Thursday, June 23, 2016

    “Beauty begins the moment you decide to be beautiful. It begins with enjoyment.”

    During the Holy Month of Ramadan, our routine, diet and sleeping patterns change… Sudden change in dietary habits combined with long periods of daily fasting can have a bad effect on our SKIN…

    What impairs SKIN health?

    • Genes
    • Smoking
    • Excess alcohol
    • Sun exposure
    • Poor diet
    • Dehydration
    • Lack of sleep
    • Stress

    Does eating better make you look better?

    • There is NO proven magical food to cure or prevent skin problems
    • There is NO strong evidence for chocolate and acne
    • Sugar-loaded desserts may cause pimples
    • A Balanced and varied diet filled with most food groups helps with skin elasticity and lusterless
    • Exercise improves blood flow to surface of skin

    Vitamin A prevents skin dryness

    • Sources: carrots, green leafy vegetables (mloukhiyeh, spinach, tabouleh) and sweet potato

    complex vitamins assist in premature aging and early wrinkles prevention

    • Sources: meat, legumes and whole grains

    Vitamin E minimizes appearance of wrinkles and enhances cell   regeneration

    • Sources: nuts, seeds and vegetable oils

    Vitamin C assists in skin integrity and glow

    • Sources: yellow and green vegetables, such as peppers, broccoli, orange, citrus fruits

    Other Antioxidants – Zinc and Selenium

    Protect and repair skin cells from pollutants

    • Sources: meat and seafood

    Omega 3 fatty acids assist skin preservation

    • Sources: fish, flaxseed, nuts and seeds

    Dehydration

    Lack of liquids, heat, humidity, air conditioning…may all speed up sweat evaporation on skin, making it look dull and break out

    Requirements

    • 2 – 3 L/day for adults – 6 to 8 cups after Iftar + 2 cups at Suhur
    • Limit caffeine – diuretic, which encourages faster water loss, leaving a less than ideal amount of water in the body
    • Break your fast with:
    1.  2 cups of water
    2. Warm water + honey + fresh lemon
    3. Bowl of soup
    4. Fresh salad and yogurt

    Did you know?

    Our body absorbs only 50-60% of fruit juices, and 20-30% of sodas. Hence, WATER remains the optimal hydration drink solution!

    Physical activity

    Training while fasting can be more detrimental than beneficial, because of dehydration and low energy:

    • 2-3 hours after Iftar – IDEALLY!
    • Otherwise, an hour before Iftar
    • 30 min brisk-walk after dinner for fresher skin

    Keep your skin GLOWING

    • Clean, tone, exfoliate and moisturize face and body – remove dead skin, restore skin natural minerals and balance oil production
    • Eye cream – minimize dark circles
    • Night cream – for a healthy nourished skin by day
    • Apply Sunscreen
    • 7- 8 hours of Sleep

    By Ms. Ayla Coussa

    Clinical Dietitian