Muslim started for fasting month last 22nd Aug. They cannot eat and drinks during day time. In Malaysia, fasting start at 5:30am and ending around 7:30pm. It is mean most Muslims fast around 14 hours, the time without any food and water can be consumed.
There are a lot of benefits or "hikmah" while a person fasting. Physiologically, human organs such as intestine, kidneys, pancreas, and much more can reduce their work load, it is time to 'rest': the load that they carry since we were born.
As preparation to fasting during day time, we need to consume a same amount of calories as normal day. But it must be consume between 7:30pm to 5:30am around 10 hours. Daily calories intake for normal people is around 1800-2200 kilo calories (kcal) perday. As an athlete it is depend on the value of energy consumption for activities planned to do. Normally around 2500-3000 kcal perday.
Normally, people breakfast at 7:30pm with heavy dish same as normal day dinner meals. Dish such as white rice with chicken curry, ‘asam pedas’, meat, vegetables, fruits and specialty food during Ramadhan like a murtabak, bubur lambok, and traditional cakes or kuih-muih. Not to forget a dates to break a fast. The very best kind of fruit that high in calories.
Then at 4:30am, people start to wake up and eat 'sahur'. It seems like eating late dinner or very early heavy breakfast. At this time, people always take a same dish like break a fast early before. Sometime, people preferred fresh meal and of course hot, such as fried rice, fried mee hoon, soup and bread and as simple as a glass of milk and dates. It is depend on how your appetite or stomach can adapt a new time to consuming heavy meal during this time.
So that, people must not forget to drinks a lot of water; at least eight glasses of water perday. There are a lot of water that become a specialty during Ramadhan; Kathira, Bandung Cincau, ABC Rock, Cendol, Air Tauhu and a lot to name it. But not to forget to drinks more plain water or mineral water instead drinking more tasteful water to avoid high glucose in blood or maybe worst in urine. Furthermore, drinking a lot of water is to make sure that nobody will feel dehydration symptoms such as dizziness, 'black eyes', and worst come to worst faint; of course cannot eligible to proceed the fasting.
Carbohydrate sources as simple as white bread, white rice, mee, mee hoon, kue teow, spaghetti, pastas, etc are the main source of fuel to energize the fasting day. Major intake of carbohydrate foods can make sure most of people's day stays fresh and energetic until the last minutes before break a fast.
Protein sources cannot be forgetting. Consume a two to three portion of chicken, fish, meat or taufu can be great for body recovery and tissues development. Plus, protein can make sure level of hormon remains stable.
Finally not to forget to take micro nutrient food that provides vitamins C, calcium, antioxidant, sodium and potassium. The food such green vegetables, carrot, tomatoes, fresh fruits, milk and eggs can be taken regularly.
As conclusion, there were no any major issues regarding of meals during Ramadhan. As long as everybody know what to eat, what to drink and what is should to avoid to consume. Perhaps when everybody can manage their daily caloric intake and the quality of each meal taken, during Aidilfitri there were zero percent of sickness or discomfort happen; that may disturb your Aidilfitri happiness.
"Eat right, for a quality Ramadhan day"
