Presented by:

Ms. Riwa Chidiac

Nutritionist / Food technologist

OUTLINEA. What is healthy food

B. Definition of a Complete Meal

C. Choose your “Iftar”

D. How to purchase the items of the Iftar

E. How to Cook and Prepare your food

F. How to plan your daily “Iftar”, “Suhoor” and exercise

G. Why is “Suhoor” crucial during Ramadan?

H. Exercising and sports during Ramadan: Cardio or fat-burn?

I. What kind of supplements to select?

J. Conclusion Ms. Riwa Chidiac

A. What Is Healthy Food

1. Balanced Food

2. Diversified

3. Nutritious

4. Safe

Ms. Riwa Chidiac

1. Balanced Food

• Neither eating too much, nor starving ourselves

• Having a good portion of each food group

• Getting all of the needed nutrients, vitamins and minerals

• Not eating too much sweets, sodium, fat or whatever is bad for the body

Ms. Riwa Chidiac

• Including all the food groups in our daily diet:

- Milk and milk products

- Vegetables

- Fruits

- Cheese/ Meat/ poultry/ fish and seafood

- Bread / potatoes and cereals

- Fat

- sugar

2. Diversified Food

Ms. Riwa Chidiac

• food item that has a rich amount of nutrients in comparison to the amount

of calories.

• Nutritious foods feed your body the most essential nutrients needed for its

functions.

• These nutrients may include minerals, vitamins, essential fatty acids,

phytonutrients and fiber.

The most nutritious foods are:

3. Nutritious Food

Blackberry quinoa beans fish green tea legumes Ms. Riwa Chidiac

• Food free from:

- Microbiological pathogens

(bacteria, parasites and viruses) that can cause illness

- Toxins

- Pesticides

- Chemicals

- physical contaminants

- High amounts of additives

- Heavy metals

(copper, zinc, lead, chromium, mercury, nickel …)

4. Safe Food

Ms. Riwa Chidiac

• All food groups

• Sufficient portion of each

• Sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals

• Choose whole grains and whole cereal breads/ toasts/ crackers/ cakes.

b. Complete Meal

Carbohydrates50% to 55%

Fat 25 % to 30%

proteins20%

nutrients

Ms. Riwa Chidiac

your Eftar meal should be a complete meal with balanced,

nutritious, diversified and safe food items.

sample 1 of a healthy Iftar:

- Fattoush (without fried bread slices)

- Fresh vegetable soup (without added oil)

- Grilled chicken breast & grilled broccoli & potato wedges (baked in the oven)

sample 2 of a healthy Iftar:

- Green salad

- Lentil soup (with no added oil)

- Okra “yakhneh” with meat slices

C. CHoosE your “Iftar”

Ms. Riwa Chidiac

1. Food Group?

Depending on what you chose to have as Eftar

2. Fat-free or low-fat food items

Chicken breast/ beef filet/ low-fat soup powder/ fat-free mayo/ very low in fat

mozzarella/ extra-light fresh cream…

3. Products low in or free of trans fat and saturated fat

Avoid products rich in trans fat (hydrogenated fat) and saturated fat

margarine/ butter/ full fat mayo/ heavy bechamel sauce/ salad dressings/

bouillon cubes

D. purCHasInG tHE ItEms oF tHE “Iftar”

Ms. Riwa Chidiac

4. Products low in sugar or free of sugar

Low in sugar Ketchup/ unsweetened baby

corn/ low in sugar tomato sauce…

5. Products low in sodium Low sodium soy sauce/ low sodium pickles/ low sodium olives/ low sodium

cheese…

6. Items high in fibersWhole bread/ brown crouton/ brown rice/ legumes/ beans…

7. Products low in Additives

such as colorants, added flavors, nitrites, nitrates, flavor

enhancers, thickeners…

8. Always check the expiration date

Ms. Riwa Chidiac

AVOID SELECT

Frying Grilling

Adding extra oil Baking

Adding butter and/or margarine Boiling

Peeling vegetables Steaming

Ready to eat food ingredients Remove chicken skin

Keeping food at room temperature 2 hours Throwing the cooking water

Using unsafe water for cooking Adding spices and herbs for flavoring

Rare and medium rare steak Using fresh vegetables

using canned food products Using quinoa, tofu, tempeh…

Adding extra sodium Make your dishes colorful with diversified foods

e. Cooking and preparing your food

Ms. Riwa Chidiac

PLAN A

• Water

• 3 dates

• high glycemic soup or 250 mL of Ramadan’s beverages or small portion of Ramadan’s sweets

1 to 2 hours of exercising

• Salad/ Fattoush/ Tabouleh

• Main course

F. plannInG your DaIly “Iftar”, “Suhoor” & exercise

Light Suhoor by 3 a.m

Ms. Riwa Chidiac

PLAN B

1 to 1 ½ hour of workout

• Water

• 3 dates

• Soup

• Salad/ Fattoush/ Tabouleh

• Main course

• Very light & small dinner meal or small sweet portion or 250 mL of Ramadan’s beverages at 10 p.m.

Very light Suhoor by 3 a.m

p.m

a.m

Ms. Riwa Chidiac

• Avoids crankiness & weakness caused by the fast.

• Prevents headaches & fatigue during day time.

• Reduces extreme hunger & thirst

• Prevents the loss of body cells

• Energizes & stimulates the digestive system.

• Helps the body maintain its sugar levels while fasting

G. “Suhoor” Is CruCIal DurInG ramadan

Ms. Riwa Chidiac

Healthy Suhoor

• Consuming vegetables with high level of fluids helps the body maintain fluids for a long period of time reduces the feeling of thirst & prevents dehydration

• Include beans with olive oil, cheese & eggs as a part in your Suhoor

• Do not consume large quantities of sugar or salt:

sugar hunger

salt thirst

7-9 hours of digestion

delayed hunger

Supplying the body with the

required energy throughout

the day

Ms. Riwa Chidiac

Bodybuilders and Athletes who fast:

Cardio: 30 to 40 minutes maintain muscle mass

may lead to catabolism

& deplete body energy

& decrease blood pressure

h. Cardio or fat-burn during ramadan?

Fat-burn exercises : up to 90 minutes daily

-Prevent weight gain

- Potential weight loss

Prevent fat storage during this

critical period

- Boost blood circulation

- Sooth your fatigue & stress

- keep you active Ms. Riwa Chidiac

• Bodybuilding supplements replace meals, enhance weight gain, promote

weight loss or improve athletic performance.

• Among the most widely used are vitamin supplements, protein, branched-

chain amino acids (BCAA), glutamine, arginine, creatine and casein.

i. What supplements to select

VITAMINS

essential nutrients for the healthy maintenance

of the cells and tissues

enable to efficiently use chemical energy

provided by food

help process the proteins, carbohydrates, and

fats required for respiration

help in recovering internal and external

damages

Maintain a balanced nutritional status

Ms. Riwa Chidiac

CASEIN = milk protein

Breakdown of the molecule is a

process of 6-7 hours

Taken at Suhoor time

- PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS come in different

forms: ready to drink shakes, bars, bites, oats, gels

and powders.

- Generally consumed immediately before and after

exercising, or as a meal replacer.

- Aid in muscle recovery.

- Exact amount: highly individualized & dependent

on the type and duration of the exercise + the

physiological make up of the individual.

- Protein needs for bodybuilding individuals

endurance athletes’ needs.

- Whey proteins and casein are the most popular

among bodybuilders.

Ms. Riwa Chidiac

BCAA Branched Chain- amino acids

-Leucine, Isoleucine & Valine

- Easier to digest & metabolize than whole proteins

- Account for 33% of muscle proteins

- Benefits:

• Prevent protein break-down during exercise

• Enhance immune system

• Directly metabolized by the muscle tissue

• Fasten fatty acid metabolism

• the testosterone level post-training

• cholesterol level

- Suhoor / before & after exercising

GLUTAMINE

-The most abundant amino acid found in human

muscle

-Serum glutamine: used by the body to counteract

acidosis that results from exercise

body catabolizes muscle’s glutamine

replenish the glutamine loss from the

bloodstream

supplemental glutamine: ready supply for the

muscles prevent the waste of muscle tissue.Ms. Riwa Chidiac

ARGININE

-Precursor for the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO)

-Reduces healing time of injuries

-Quickens repair time of damaged tissue

-Helps decrease blood pressure

-Improves performance

-Enhance immune system

-Boosts sexual activity

-Used in treating heart diseases…

30-45 min before eating / before exercise

CREATINE

- Supplies energy to muscle cells for short bursts of energy

- mental fatigue

- cell volumization by drawing water into muscle cells

- Creatine works best when it is consumed with simple carbohydrates

( Creatine & lemonade or grape juice or Jellab)

before exercise for energy & after exercise for recovery

Ms. Riwa Chidiac

- Plan for a diversified and complete Iftar meal.

- Purchase the suitable food items.

- Adapt healthy processes to cook and prepare the Iftar.

- Schedule well the timing of the Iftar, exercise & Suhoor depending on your availability, energy capacity and time.

- Don’t miss your Suhoor.

- Consume high in fluids food items.

- Make sure you drink a minimum of 1.5 L of water/ day.

- Ramadan and Workout go hand in hand.

- Consult your gym instructor concerning supplement issues.

j.conclusion

Ms. Riwa Chidiac

THANK YOUMs. Riwa Chidiac