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Balanced Eating: A Guide to a Healthy Ramadan Diet 🌙

By Dr Rajarshi Mitra Maintaining a balanced diet during Ramadan is essential for your overall health and well-being. This guide, crafted by Dr. Rajarshi Mitra, a Laparoscopic Surgeon in Abu Dhabi, provides practical tips and advice on how to eat healthily during Ramadan, including what to eat during Suhoor and Iftar to stay energized and nourished throughout the holy month. Read on to discover how you can observe Ramadan while prioritizing your health. Understanding Balanced Eating for a Healthy Ramadan Diet What Does Balanced Eating Mean During Ramadan? As Dr. Rajarshi Mitra, a Laparoscopic Surgeon in Abu Dhabi with extensive experience in patient care, I often emphasize the importance of balanced eating, especially during Ramadan. Balanced eating during Ramadan means consuming a variety of foods from all food groups – carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals – in appropriate proportions. This helps ensure you receive all the necessary nutrients to maintain energy leve...
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Fresh Herbs Guide 🌿

 

Herbs are the best source of health-promoting phytochemicals. They have a healing capacity. Herbs help in the prevention as well as treatment of diseases. Some herbs with potent healing power are easily available. These should be used in the fresh form as part of the food.

Commonly available herbs include coriander, basil, mint, parsley, curry leaves and dill leaves. Besides, fennel green, giloy leaves, hyssop, oregano, moringa and rosemary are also available in some part of the world.

Fresh herbs have strong antioxidant, anticancer, anti-mutagenic, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, renal protective and anti-inflammatory properties. These herbs help to preserve health by protective actions. These herbs also boost immunity.

KEY RECOMMENDATION

  1. Variety: Include a variety of fresh herbs in your diet. Choose at least 2 types of different herbs every day.
  2. Fresh: These herbs should be fresh. Consume within 2-3 days after picking up from the garden or purchasing from the vegetable market.
  3. Green: Use the green leaves of these herbs as a part of the food.

    4. RECOMMENDED SERVINGS

    The green leaves of these herbs are a particularly important part of the healing diet. Due to protective and healing benefits, herbs are also an essential part of dietary guidelines.

    Standard Serving Size

    Form1 Serving Size equal to:
    Chopped Herbs15 grams (approx. 1 ½ handful)
    Herbs Paste15 grams (approx. 1 ½ handful)
    Green Chutney (without salt)15 grams (approx. 1 ½ handful)

    Recommended Servings

    Age Group (In Year)Minimum Daily AmountRecommended Daily Amount
    1-21/6 serving (2.5 g)1/3 serving (5 g)
    2-31/3 serving (5 g)½ serving (7.5 g)
    4-8½ serving (7.5 g)¾ serving (11.25 g)
    9-11¾ serving (11.25 g)1 serving (15 g)
    12-131 serving (15 g)1 ½ serving (22.5 g)
    14-181 ½ serving (22.5 g)2 servings (30 g)
    19-701 ½ serving (22.5 g)2 servings (30 g)
    70+1 ½ serving (22.5 g)2 servings (30 g)
    Pregnant1 ½ serving (22.5 g)2 servings (30 g)
    Lactating1 ½ serving (22.5 g)2 servings (30 g)

    FRESH HERBS CATEGORIES

    There are two categories (group) of fresh herbs:

    Essential Herbs (Group 1)

    Essential herbs include all varieties of basil, coriander, mint, oregano, and thyme.

    1. Basil (all types).
      1. African Blue Basil
      2. Camphor Basil (Kapuri Tulsi) – Ocimum kelimandscharium
      3. Cardinal Basil
      4. Cinnamon Basil
      5. Clove basil or African basil (Ram Tulsi) – Ocimum gratissimum
      6. Genovese Basil (Italian basil)
      7. Greek Basil
      8. Green Ruffles Basil
      9. Hoary basil (Shweta Tulsi) – Ocimum canum
      10. Holy Basil (Vishnu Tulsi) – Ocimum sanctum
      11. Lemon Basil
      12. Lettuce Basil
      13. Lime Basil
      14. Purple Basil
      15. Spicy Globe Basil
      16. Summerlong Basil
      17. Sweet Basil or French Basil (Van Tulsi) – Ocimum bacilicum
      18. Thai Sweet Basil
    2. Coriander or Cilantro – Coriandrum sativum.
    3. Mint (all types)
      1. Apple mint
      2. Orange mint
      3. Peppermint
      4. Pineapple Mint
      5. Spearmint
    4. Oregano (fresh).
    5. Thyme (fresh).

    These herbs are essential. Coriander, basil, and mint should be in your regular diet. You can choose both green herbs from this group if available. If these herbs are unavailable due to season or country, you should use other herbs listed in the recommended group.

    Recommended Herbs (Group 2)

    • Curry leaves.
    • Culantro (long coriander, Mexican coriander) – Eryngium foetidumI.
    • Dill leaves.
    • Fennel (green).
    • Fenugreek leaves.
    • Giloy.
    • Hyssop.
    • Moringa.
    • Parsley.
    • Rosemary.
    • Vietnamese cilantro – Persicaria odorata

    FRESH HERBS IN PREGNANCY

    Fresh herbs are also important during pregnancy. Pregnant women should take coriander daily and mint and basil every week.

    The half of servings should be from coriander. The remaining half should be from other herbs, including mint, basil, fennel green, parsley, dill leaves, giloy leaves, moringa leaves etc.

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