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8 Easy Ways To Stay Hydrated Even While Fasting This Ramadan

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Faruq Senin •  May 04, 2020

During Ramadan, as we strive to increase our spirituality and get closer to Allah, there’s also a need for us to keep our health in check. With more than 13 hours of fasting, it can take a toll on our bodies. 

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Fortunately, there are some things we can do to avoid feeling dehydrated or excessively tired. With the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping your body in tip-top condition is more important than ever. Here are 8 ways to stay hydrated while fasting this Ramadan! With these tips, you’ll also feel great physically and mentally throughout the day ?

P.S. Stay hydrated with 100PLUS this Ramadan! Get your 100PLUS fix and other F&N products on their website. Spend min. $60 and get free delivery with a free saucepan (worth $58!).

1. Break your fast with 100PLUS to rehydrate your body to its optimal hydration level

With only two main meals per day during Ramadan, what you consume during iftar is super important! To keep yourself healthy, you’ll need to rehydrate your body to its optimal hydration level. 

100PLUS will be just the perfect beverage to drink during iftar to help you feel refreshed and invigorated after a whole day of fasting! Did you know that 100PLUS enhances fluid retention 10% more than water? This means that you’ll be able to stay hydrated even while you’re fasting ? We recommend drinking 100PLUS Original for iftar as it is lightly carbonated and will give you the refreshing feel that you need. On those days that you feel like having flavoured drinks, try 100PLUS Lemon Lime and Orange instead! 

As more time is dedicated to ibadah during Ramadan and you need to wake up early for sahur, coupled with maintaining your daily routine, you tend to have less sleep. So, it’s only natural that you might feel more tired. Drinking 100PLUS Active will help you to reduce tiredness and fatigue as it contains vitamins B3, B6 and B12. All these vitamins release energy which aids in making you feel less tired throughout the day while you fast!  

2. Eat food with high water content

Planning your meals during Ramadan can be a lot of work but that’s why eating the right food for sahur and iftar is essential. The good news is you can greatly help to hydrate your body by eating food that is high in water content. 

Fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, leafy greens and watermelon are great to have for your iftar meal. But who says you’ll only need to eat salad? While eating them raw is the best way to retain water, you can also incorporate them into your dishes ? You can use tomatoes and cucumbers in your homemade pizzas or have them in kebabs. Then, finish off with a juicy watermelon for dessert. You will be able to stay hydrated while still enjoying a delicious meal! 

P.S. Check out these 10 easy healthy and yummy recipes that you can prepare for iftar! 

We know how hard it is to wake up early for sahur to prepare your meals. But waking up for sahur is a Sunnah. Plus, it also helps to keep you energised and hydrated for the day ahead! Whip up an easy sahur meal by making smoothies or overnight oats. They take just 5-10 minutes! Strawberries, blueberries, peaches, melons or apples are great to have in your smoothies. Not only do they taste great, they keep you hydrated too. If you need something more filling for sahur, then overnight oats are your best bet. Store some rolled oats, fruits and nuts in a jar and keep it overnight in the fridge. Oats have a lot of fibre which can keep your body hydrated and leaving them overnight helps your body to absorb the nutrients more effectively. Check out these 8 easy smoothie and overnight oat recipes that you can make for sahur!

3. Eat dates for Iftar

Dates are a very common fruit that you always see in Muslim households during Ramadan. It’s no surprise why, as eating dates is one of the Sunnahs of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The Prophet himself ate 3 dates when he broke his fast. Not to mention that dates have also been mentioned in the Quran more than 20 times. 

But if you’re wondering why millions of Muslims eat dates for iftar, that’s because it is high in sugar and other minerals, which gives you the energy to make you feel rejuvenated after long hours of fasting. It also helps your body’s blood glucose levels return to normal at a quicker pace. But most importantly, the high potassium content in dates help to keep your body’s fluid levels in check, preventing dehydration. 

Having both dates and 100PLUS for iftar is the power combination that will boost both your physical and mental state during Ramadan. While dates will give you energy throughout the fasting hours, 100PLUS increases your endurance and helps you perform your tasks more efficiently.

4. Plan your water intake timings

While hydrating yourself during iftar and sahur is very important, don’t forget to plan your water intake throughout the night too. Your body needs at least 2 litres of water daily and yes, you’ll need to maintain this during Ramadan. To help you out, 2 litres is equivalent to about 8-10 glasses of water. So, we recommend spreading out your water intake. You can do this by making a conscious effort to drink water every hour after iftar, and even as you’re in between Terawih prayers ? When you go to bed, it’s very handy to have a bottle of water beside you so you can drink before you sleep and once you wake up. 

Looking to change up your water routine? Why not substitute some glasses of water with 100PLUS Original? As it enhances fluid retention 10% more than water, it will definitely quench your thirst and make you feel refreshed so you’ll be ready for another day of fasting. Not to mention that with all the vitamins (B3, B6 and B12), it’ll help to reduce tiredness and fatigue. Another way of switching up your water intake is to infuse your water with mint, lemon, ginger or cucumber slices ?

5. Do some light exercises

Between increasing your acts of ibadah and your busy schedules during Ramadan, squeezing in a light workout will help you boost your energy and keep your health in check. When you exercise, you rid your body of toxins and that greatly helps in preventing dehydration. What’s more, it invigorates your senses and leaves you feeling fresh ?

If you’re wondering when is the best time to exercise during Ramadan, it is 2-3 hours after iftar (in order for your food to digest) or 1 hour before iftar. When choosing which exercise to do, opt for slow to moderate exercises such as a light cardio workout, static bodyweight exercises or you could even do yoga! Just make sure to not overexert yourself especially if you’re working out before iftar. We’ve rounded up 8 easy 15-minute workouts that you can do at home!

Note: This picture was taken before Ramadan. Of course, do hydrate with 100PLUS Active only after iftar ?

Once you’re done exercising, remember to rehydrate with 100PLUS Active as the Vitamin B in it helps with recovery and reducing fatigue. With 10% more fluid retention than water, it’ll help bring your body back to its optimal hydration level. 

6. Avoid caffeine

If coffee is your go-to beverage for a quick pick-me-up on normal days, you’re not alone! While it’s easy to slip into your usual routine and get your dose of caffeine for sahur (or even iftar), we recommend that you don’t. Caffeine makes you urinate more often, making you lose more fluid in your body and in turn, lead to dehydration. For those of you who are used to having your caffeine fix before you start your day, it might be hard to abstain from it at first as you’ll tend to have headaches or feel tired. 

To help keep your energy up when you’re fasting, drinking 100PLUS Active during sahur is a good alternative as it has Vitamin B that will help to reduce fatigue. It also rehydrates better than water and staying hydrated throughout the day during Ramadan is very important for your health. If you feel like you need a warm drink in the morning to perk yourself up, you can substitute your coffee intake with drinks like herbal tea or green tea. 

7. Freeze your fruits as desserts

With the hot and humid weather, sometimes all you need is a cold, icy treat ? If you’re bored of making smoothies or juice, it’s time to shake things up a little by freezing your fruits. At the same time, you’ll get to stay hydrated too! 

Pick fruits that are high water content like raspberries, strawberries, peaches or watermelon and chuck them in the freezer. To make things more fun, blend fruits like watermelon, oranges and cantaloupe and fill them in popsicle molds. Freeze them and you’ll find yourself reliving your childhood as you enjoy the fruit popsicles. The natural sweetness that you get from these frozen fruits is just what you need to keep you going.

8. Avoid excessively oily, spicy and salty food

One of the biggest factors that might lead to dehydration is eating too much oily, spicy and salty food during Ramadan. We feel you, with so many yummy treats during Ramadan, you might find it hard to resist them. But that’s what Ramadan is about, isn’t it? ? Oily or spicy food takes a longer time to digest and they draw more water from the body to process, which can leave you dehydrated.

Besides that, you should also reduce the amount of salt in your food as high volumes of sodium can make you thirstier during fasting hours. The good news is that if you’re preparing meals for yourself, you can substitute salt with natural flavourings like herbs, spices and broths. If you can, try to avoid processed food too as they usually contain high levels of fats, unhealthy oils and unnatural preservatives - all of which contribute to dehydration. Wondering how you can avoid preparing food that is excessively oily or salty? Our list of 10 delicious yet healthy recipes will help you out!

#HHWT Tip: Rather than consuming food that might cause dehydration for iftar, drink 100PLUS instead! As it enhances fluid retention 10% more than water, it will leave you hydrated and feeling positive after a day of fasting. 

With these 8 useful tips to stay hydrated this Ramadan, say goodbye to feeling tired when you are fasting! By drinking 100PLUS during iftar/sahur, eating food with high water content, planning your water intake timings and more, you will be able to replenish your energy and stay refreshed. Thanks to 100PLUS, you will also be able to focus better and feel motivated throughout this blessed month ?

P.S. Get your 100PLUS fix and other F&N products on their website. Spend min. $60 and get free delivery with a free saucepan (worth $58!).

This article is brought to you by 100PLUS.