Nutritionist Fitri Hudayani reminded people who are going to fast to get rid of the perception of eating sahur as long as they are full by relying only on consuming large amounts of carbohydrates.
Eating sahur is important to do with the hope that someone can save energy to face fasting throughout the day.
Carbohydrates are indeed the main intake, but Fitri also reminded that carbohydrates are a source of energy that the body processes first so that energy stores will run out faster.
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“Carbohydrates are processed into energy first, produced the fastest and used up the fastest. Therefore, don’t just eat carbohydrates,” said Fitri, who practices at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, quoted on Tuesday (21/3).
Given this, Fitri underlined the importance of getting energy sources from other types of food that contain protein, both animal and vegetable protein, limited amounts of fat, and fiber from vegetables and fruits.
“In order to feel full which doesn’t go away quickly, it’s also the last to be digested, it’s a source of fiber. We take the source of fiber from vegetables, from fruit,” said Fitri.
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The fiber in vegetables and fruits can also help release blood sugar more slowly.
That way, said Fitri, the condition of blood sugar does not immediately jump high when someone eats sahur or breaking the fast.
“So, the release is slow (in fiber) and that also influences us to get more stable energy,” he said.
Prior to fasting, Fitri also reminded the importance of getting used to eating regularly, maintaining a healthy diet, and exercising so that the body remains fit until the time of fasting.
During the fasting month, changes in eating hours will indeed occur and a person tends to be more hungry and easily suffocated at the beginning of fasting. However, said Fitri, the body will begin to adapt over time.
A person’s nutritional needs during fasting are no different from those on normal days. The only difference is that there is a shift in meal times with daily activities which has relatively not changed significantly.
Therefore, said Fitri, eating Suhoor with adequate nutrition must be the focus so that the body remains fit, especially for workers.
“Don’t forget to drink water at the time of dawn. It’s at least two glasses of drinking water. That way we can carry out our normal activities sufficiently. So later the blood sugar will not, for example at 10 or 11 o’clock, have dropped and are already weak,” he said.
“Hopefully, anyway, by eating enough at the time of dawn, it will be maintained so that until we are approaching sunset we are still in a fit condition,” concluded Fitri. (Ant/Z-1)