Letters

We would like to express our gratitude for the excellent coverage of our handover ceremony published in last week’s GulfWeekly. We really appreciate you taking the time in your busy schedules to meet with us and discuss the latest development of Swiss-Belhotel Seef Bahrain.

We were also thrilled to see the prime position you gave the article in your newspaper, we value your constant support and could not have hoped for a better partner than GulfWeekly to announce this significant news to the community.

We really look forward to working with you again and would be more than happy to help you in any way for your future coverage.

Thank you again.

Sincerely,

Alban Dutemple and Herve Peyre.

During Ramadan, hunger and dehydration might affect our cognitive abilities which often means that our ability to make wise choices when it comes to what food and drink that we consume during after the period of breaking the fast.

We as a generation are much more aware of our health and well-being now so it is a good time to make others aware of what is and isn’t good to eat during Ramadan.

Swapping fried food for grilled goodness, ditching samosas, swerving sugar and salt, and spending nights drinking as much water as possible could help.

Academics and students on Birmingham City University Sport and Exercise and Nutrition courses in the UK have written up a guide featuring tips on nutrition, hydration and exercise to help people fasting to keep to a regular routine as much as possible.

The points were based on analysis of the common foods consumed during the month, along with reflection on what ones are best at providing sufficient energy throughout the day.  It includes:

Water, water and more water during night time hours – experts advise to drink as much water as possible during Iftaar and Suhur times.

Learn the importance of balance – when fasting your body is deprived of nutrients that your system needs. The experts emphasise that it is so important to make sure that when you can eat, you keep your meals balanced so that you feed your system enough nutrients from each group.

Think about the alternatives – swap deep frying for grilling, baking or shallow frying and swap heavier foods for lighter alternatives. For example, swap cake and chocolate for fruit and yoghurt. 

Fitness and fasting can work together – gym enthusiasts can stick to their routine of working out every day. Light exercises are great to keep blood flowing and the system working. Cardio exercises are also fine to do when fasting as long as you don’t overdo it.

Excess salt causes extreme thirst during the day – experts say that meals with high salt are not ideal to eat during night time hours because they can cause thirstiness during the day and is best to be avoided.

Keep energised without water or snacks – experts advise that there are small things you can try each day to keep you alert and maintain your energy. Things like taking small breaks from revision or work and going on small walks, writing daily to-do lists or listing what you’re finding difficult and working on combatting these, and planning meals to make sure you’re eating the rights things to get good energy levels can all have a big impact.

Dr Huda Al-Kateb, Programme Leader,  Birmingham City University.

Editor’s note: The full guide is available on the university’s website.