Infinite Ink

Getting into the Ramadan zone

The way minds work is fascinating. The way the brain works is even more interesting. It lights up like the city Lahore at night when you eat sugar, because sugar causes the release of the pleasure chemical in the brain. How the mind responds to this onslaught of saccharine (or, more specifically, high fructose corn syrup) depends on many different factors like how you eat, how you move it-move it, and how well you sleep.

Speaking of dopamine (that's Mr.Pleasure Chemical to you), another thing it is associated with is notifications. Yes, when that notification pops up on your screen, you get a dose of dopamine, and that's why "reads", "votes" and "comments" are so addictive.

By the way, I started a weekly short story book called "Story Time with Yours Truly". The first story is a funny one. The second one will be out on Friday. Check it out and tell me what you think! (This paragraph has nothing to do with the previous one. No, really.) Anyway, on with this chapter.

This post is going to be a practical one because I'm going to share a Ramadan eating plan in the honor of this holy month of fasting. In case you're wondering how to eat when you're not fasting, there's an adult meal plan too, and a student meal plan, and...well, you get the idea. This meal plan scheme is courtesy Dr.Shagufta Feroz, who is a doctor, a nutritionist, acupuncturist, and naturopath, and you can find her stuff at www.picchls.com.

I'm going to put the Ramadan meal plan in full here, so that you can skim through it without having to open the website. If there are any desi terms you want more explanation of, do ask in the comments. Without any further ado, here's the Ramadan meal plan itself:

I have learnt clinically that when patients come especially after the month of Ramadan, they have various stomach problems, general weakness, bloating, palpitation, disturb sugar and weight gain etc. I believe that the objective of a fast is to give you holistic health and give rest to those organs which are working 24 hours i.e. digestive tract. Remember putting a single drop of water in mouth actives your whole digestive system. Unfortunately in our society this month has turned into a food festival month, and we eat huge amount of junk foods. All white flour foods fried in cooking oil are junk foods and instead of being cleansed liver is being overloaded with fried foods and food in stomach applies a block to your connection to mind and soul. If you are looking for some enlightenment or real peace, and physical health in Ramadan do follow the given plan. Before starting this plan you need to understand the SLP 8-rules of Diet Correction. For best results follow correct timings, food combination and food rotation. People who are already following SLP can fix their plan according to the Ramadan rules, and select the aftar foods from the Ramadan plan. If you are a weight watcher, eat very little aftari and directly have dinner. Many people replace dinner with aftari party and fall sick after Ramadan. People having multiple doses of medicines are suppose to consult their doctors before fasting. If you are going to follow SLP Ramadan Plan for the first time do share your experiences after Eid and share this plan as much as you can with your family and friends for mass healthcare in this holy month.

PRE-SEHRI: within first 2-3 minutes of waking up, only if there is an interval of 45min. between waking up and azan. For pre- sehri you need to sleep at night otherwise take sehri directly and skip the pre-sehri. If you are following SLP take pre-breakfast as pre-sehri otherwise select from the SLP adult food plan. Choose four options and take one option a day and follow a rotational pattern. If you wake up one hour before, then 30 minutes after first pre sehri take yogurt or lasi and 5 to 10 minutes later sehri can be eaten. If you do not sleep then skip first pre sehri and start from water and yogurt.

Water intake is before sehri, therefore you can take 8 -10 glasses between pre-sehri and sehri.

Tea can be taken 5-10 minutes before taking sehri meal.

SEHRI: do not take bakar khani, pheoni, pratha in sehri. Take roti or whole wheat bread with egg, kabab, potato cutlets or bhujia, cheese, butter, honey, salan or yogurt on a four days rotational plan. Aloo ka pratha is better than the plain pratha, it can be taken only twice a week. If you do not feel like eating heavy meal, you can opt between wheat daliya, milk shake, yogurt shake, yogurt and shaker but take a very fulfilling sehri.

Do take few sips of green Tea with little shaker after the sehri

No water and tea after the sehri. Patients with various ailments can take the medicines after food with little water.

AFTAR: Avoid white flour products and do not mix sweet and salty foods together.

If break your fast with sweet foods like dates, fruit chat, milk drinks, juices, lasi, shakes, cold coffee or lemonade then take your dinner after 30-60 minutes. Water or tea has to be taken before dinner. Take salty aftari with your dinner or break your fast with salty foods like pakorey, chana chat, dahi barey but no dates and drinks. Now fruits or desserts will come three and half hours after the dinner. Few pakorey fried in desi ghee give energy, so take them with dinner.

Do not skip dinner because eleven months you body is in a habit of taking dinner. If you want to enjoy aftar parties only two days a week skip dinner and take a heavy aftari ( pakorey, chana chat, dahibarey, kababs, cutlets, chicken, sandwiches, noodles or pasta).

Frying should be in the mustard oil or desi ghee

DINNER: routine meal which means roti or fried rice with salan, yogurt and kachumar and then half cup of green tea with shakar.

POST DINNER SNACK: if awake for 3-4 hours after the dinner then can take warm milk with shakar, mix fruits, dessert or mix nuts before sleep

If you've read this far, good for you! What are your Ramadan tips?