AS the holy month of Ramadan is coming to an end, it's the time for bigger celebrations with Eid. But while you might be ready to enjoy the sweets and delicacies after a month of fasting, your body might not be. During Eid, the consumption of sweets and sugar-coated dishes is at an all-time high. The sweet shops report a large increase of sales, which go up to 10-12 times of the average sales. Consumers purchase top quality sweets and delicacies for their loved ones in the final days of the Holy Month of Ramadan, and during the Eid celebrations. While Ramadan is a great opportunity to cleanse your body with a healthy clean diet, many people do quite the opposite and do not take advantage of the holy month. Most people resort to unhealthy foods that contain large quantities of sugar and harmful fats, especially during Eid when the body is not fully prepared for such high amounts of intake. Hatun Madani, expert chef and the brand Ambassador of Mazola, is known for her healthy cooking methods. “During the holy month of Ramadan and Eid, food and sweets play the leading role, and it is easy to get carried away with delicacies at iftar and Eid”, she said. “I ensure that my family gets the tastiest treats, but without compromising on the quality and health quotient of the dish. Everything can be made healthier and there's no better way to do it than with products that come from the heart of nature, all thanks to Mazola. Most of the snacks we fry can be baked using a bit of Mazola oil. This not only makes them healthier, but also ensures that no flavour is lost”, she added. Hatun also recommends using Mazola Mayonnaise Lite with snacks, which gives you the same great taste with 30% less fat.” Hatun has also being following her nutritionist's guidelines for a healthy diet. According to her nutritionist, our body converts the carbohydrates from each meal into energy. After six hours of fasting, it starts looking for an alternate source of energy, by burning stored fat. Fasting cleanses the liver and body from fats and toxins. When eating fatty, sugary or fried food at iftar, you ruin the cleansing process and lose out on the important benefits of fasting. It is also important to get used to having breakfast again post Ramadan, as it is the most important meal of the day. After Eid, the body is used to skipping breakfast as it did during the holy month. But it is important to ensure that you ease your body in to slowly getting used to breakfast again, with smaller meals at first, and gradually returning to your normal diet. Your water intake should also increase post Ramadan. There are lot of small things you can do pre and post Ramadan that can make a big difference for your health. Because you will be fasting during the day, Ramadan is the perfect time to give up bad habits like smoking and sugary foods permanently. It's easier because, as you abstain from them your body will eventually adapt to their absence, until your addiction is out for good. It's also much easier to quit habits when you do so in a group, which is the case during Ramadan. A team of cardiologists in the UAE found that people observing Ramadan also have cholesterol reduction in the blood. Low cholesterol improves cardiovascular health, greatly reducing the risk of suffering from heart disease, a heart attack, or a stroke. The newly lowered cholesterol level will be easier to maintain after Ramadan. Enjoy your chocolate and sweets, but remember to eat them after a meal and not to fill your stomach. Ramadan Kareem and Eid Mubarak from Mazola! — SG
