Fasting during Ramadan: Tips to stay healthy and energized

While it's safe for most people to fast, planning ahead and keeping nutrition in mind can make the month that much more meaningful.

Manal Elfakhani looks back fondly on childhood memories from the month of Ramadan. She would break her fast at the mosque with family and snack on sweet semolina flour cookies that she’s since learned to bake herself.

Ramadan is about spiritual reflection and the value of having enough to eat, she said. For about a month, many Muslims don’t eat or drink from dawn to sunset. This year, it’s set to begin this weekend.

While it’s safe for most people to fast, planning ahead and keeping nutrition in mind can make the month that much more meaningful, said Elfakhani, a nutrition expert at Pennsylvania State University.

Young children, the elderly and those who are pregnant, menstruating or breastfeeding are exempt from fasting. People with diabetes, heart disease or other chronic conditions should talk to their doctor when deciding to fast, especially if they take medications regularly.

“You should be in a very good, healthy state in order to do this,” Elfakhani said.

For the pre-dawn meal called suhoor, nutrition experts recommend fueling up with a variety of food groups.

When Sonya Islam was too tired to crawl out of bed for suhoor as a child, her mother would bring her a banana and a glass of milk. Now a dietician at VCU Health, she sees the wisdom in that meal: a combination of fiber and protein.

“Having sustained fuel that can last for as long as possible is critical,” she said.