Ramadan could be your chance to improve your physical and spiritual health. Beware of over indulging in too may heavy foods. Avoid going to restaurants that serve an open buffet because if you overeat you will suffer indigestion, bloating, and fatigue. A simple iftar meal keeps you feeling light, energetic, and mentally clear. The month of forgiveness should not be made into a month of food. Eat less rather than more during Ramadan. This month vow to help the needy, start a food or gift drive in your neighborhood to give to families in poverty, strengthen family ties, read more Qur'an, pray, rest, and meditate. The ideal way to break your fast is with a glass of water and several dates. Drinking water before your main meal will help diminish your appetite. The sugar in the dates will give you a quick energy boost. Moreover, dates are easy and to digest and rich in fiber, B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. A warm comforting soup should follow. The digestive system has been idle for around 12 hours so simple foods like soup that are easily digested and absorbed should be eaten. The traditional soup of choice during Ramadan is lentil soup. Lentils have just as much protein as meat without the fat or cholesterol and half the calories. You can make lentil soup as you like but there is no need to use oil. You can add a quartered onion or slices of garlic cloves when boiling the lentils, so you do not need to fry them in oil. For variety, you can add 2 tablespoons of rolled oats and simmer after the soup is cooked, or 2 tablespoons of previously soaked short grain rice and re-cook for another 15 minutes, or even a tablespoon of tomato paste and some dried mint for a tangy taste.In my practice, I learn a lot from my patients and I always ask them for healthy recipes that I don't know of. Um Riyadh, a mother of 5 children and an Arabic language teacher shared this soup recipe with me: Boil 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (the fat is in the skin). Shred the chicken into tiny shreds, return to a boil with its broth and add some chopped onions and about a cup of rolled oats and simmer until onions are tender and soup is thick. Add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, according to your taste. Home made food gives you more control over the quantity of fat and salt you put into the soup, as compared to readymade or store bought soups. The following soups are loaded with the anti-cancer and anti-aging antioxidant beta-carotene: In a little olive oil, sauté some chopped onions until tender. Add a tablespoon of flour and mix. Add either shredded carrots or chopped orange pumpkin cubes and water to cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Puree in a blender and re-heat and season as you wish. To get your kids to eat these healthy soups, add some alphabet noodles. They will be so excited to find the letters in their names that they will finish a whole bowl without making any fuss. Your soup can be accompanied with sambusa, as long as they are baked and not fried. Fried sambusa soak up too much oil. Brush a large baking tray with a little vegetable oil, place the sambusa in the tray, and bake at a low heat just until golden brown. You will be surprised that you feel full and satisfied, yet light when breaking your fast with only soup or sambusa. If you like, you can prepare vegetarian side dishes like a garbanzo bean salad, steamed and seasoned mixed vegetables, braised carrots, or a bean dip. Keep it simple and minimize your use of creamy or rich sauces, animal proteins, fried foods, and rice cooked in too much oil. The writer is a qualified nutritionist with a Bachelor's Degree in Holistic Nutrition from the United States. __
