...to ask for Ramadan hacks

[Keepittenten]

Ramadan Karim
Just wanted to know if you have any hacks/tips for Ramadan, food related,prayer, managing your day...interested in how others spend the month.

i dont know any hacks but i do feel sorry for my OHs muslim students this week its exam week and i wouldnt want to do university level exams when not allowed to eat or drink all day from 5.30 in the morning till 9pm at night

No advice but just wanted to say hope it goes well (quickly!) for you, I admire the dedication

issey It is a longer day of fasting where I am. It is difficult when Ramadan falls during Summer/exam periods. I know some students who are not fasting due to exams and plan to ‘make up for it’.

cheese Thank you for your kind wishes.

The Muslim network in a former job held a sponsored fast for non-muslims which I did just for 24 hours. When my alarm went off in the night to get up for breakfast and drinks, I just switched it off and slept through, which I later regretted.

The tip I was given (if I ever did it again) was to place an alarm clock outside the bedroom door so you had to get up out of bed to switch it off.

Happy Ramadan! Hope it goes well for you. My Muslim ex-colleagues used to talk about eating little and often throughout Iftar because if you eat loads when you break your fast, your body gets used to it and you get STARVING throughout the day. An obvious one but loads of water during the night when you can have it! I admire your dedication in this hot weather

Ramadan Mubarak! Ramadan hacks are definitely my element so apologies in advance for the essay

Prep - a couple of days before Ramadan I had a day off work and brought and made the following foods to stock my freezer up: homemade meatballs, homemade falafel, homemade hummus frozen in ice cube tray, shop samosas and spring rolls. I also made sure I had done a large food shop and made a list with my DH of meals we would like at some point during the month to make sure we had most the essentials already stocked up.

Suhur - Last year I managed a really healthy Ramadan for once so was determined to do the same. I always eat cereal/porridge for suhur with a yoghurt or fruit to help with thirst due to water content. I also keep a protein shake or two next to my bed so if I wake up late and have only a few minutes I drink that which massively helps with keeping hunger at bay. Also drink water.

Iftar - Avoid fried foods as much as possible which is very difficult in Asian families like mine. I compromised by frying only samosas and baking/grilling everything else. Open fast with dates, water and fruit. Pray maghrib then eat. Avoid too much sodium as this makes thirst worse.

Dhikr - I do shift work so find it hard to fit this in but always try to read the 40 Rabbana duas from the Quran before Iftar time at the very least.

Gym - Obviously not everyone does but I'm going to continue going to the gym or else I'll fall off the wagon completely. I'm adjusting my classes and workouts however - core class instead of body combat, pilates instead of kettlebells etc. I also stick to light weight lifting and stretching and do no cardio so i don't get thirsty enough to need water.

Sorry for writing so much Ramadan is my fave time of the year lol

My god, it must be hard. I could probably do the fasting but no water would kill me, I drink about 4 litres a day!

Keep a bottle of water with you after iftar time and try and keep drinking throughout the evening/night, watermelon is also a really great way to keep hydrated and a friend swears by coconut water.

I try and pray one juz after each prayer so I can complete at least one Quran recitation during Ramadan sometimes two or three if I’m lucky.

Take the opportunity to nap after work and before Maghrib.

Meal plan and prep food over the weekend so you don’t spend hours in the kitchen.

We also tend to eat more fruit over Ramadan I always cut up a platter of fruit to eat when we break fast then we have our main meal. I try and keep fried foods and snacky starters to a minimum so one day we’ll have pakoras one day samosas one day aloo vada etc so I’m not spending ages in the kitchen and we don’t have an endless array of fried food.

My kids like to make desserts during Ramadan, I just get packs of trifle and angel delight and jellies I’m so they make them each day sometimes I’ll make kheer or semolina or other traditional Indian puddings. But again we restrict it to one sweet dessert.

May Allah accept our prayers and our fasting.

What a lot of people don’t realise is that missed days of Ramadan can be made up the rest of the year. It’s why any sensible Muslim parent insists their kids not fast during exam periods. My friends would often make up a day here or there every other week.

Thank you all for the well wishes.

I did not know hummus could be frozen! Keeping a protein shake handy is a brilliant idea.
We don’t fry anything, so that makes a difference with not feeling as sluggish and thirsty. I do need to up my water intake.
Sweet foods are my downfall. I might make some ‘date barfi’ to curb them cravings.
These are all really useful ideas.

fuzzy I think I need to stock up on coconut water. I work some very random hours so I try to take breaks at work/use my free time more productively, like you say.

Prepping tubs of fruit is a good idea, then I can snack on healthier alternatives to calm my sweet tooth.

bgblues Can you freeze normal hummus, or is it a special recipe?

Prioritise eating protein 1st & then complex carbohydrates.

Bgblues, that's more or less what myself and all the family do during Ramadan and for preparations!!

One piece of advice... Don't eat so much at sehri thinking you'll never eat again... I think I have eaten for England right now, can't sleep!!

There are days that can be difficult with a toddler though! I love Ramadan but the way I see it is that we should do as much as we can, whether that is the full 29/30 days or far less depending on circumstances... Kids who have exams shouldn't fast and they can catch it up later... Some people are very strict with fasting regardless though, may Allah swt give them the strength!

My 10 Year old is insisting on fasting, I've restricted it to weekends for him and he did half day at school today. I kept telling him no but he really wants to and is so insistent about it so could anyone please tell me what you do to both encourage your kids but also draw a line sometimes when they're just too young to fast a full day!

My dc primary school (it’s an Islamic school), insisted that all children bring lunch with them any child not having lunch with them would be sent back home.

They said this was so if a child needed/wanted to break fast and eat at lunch time they could. I think all the younger children are encouraged not to fast the older ones are monitored closely also school times are slightly altered for school to begin later.

There lots of ways the school helps the children feel like they participate in Ramadan by eg having Quran recitation competitions,fund raising for charities, competing to do good deeds etc.

Just popped in to wish you all Ramadan Mubarak

(And may there be plenty of cake come Eid! )

Ramadan Mubarak! No tips from me, I definitely couldn’t do this but have great respect for those who do!

Last year I felt so strong in Ramadhan despite not fasting forna few years because of pregnancy and breastfeeding. I know some women are stronger and manage but I wasn't doing so well although if it was winter I probably would have.

This year I'm finding it harder but I think that's because of so many things going on and I'm mentally blocking myself.

What helps is reading the seerah and just seeing and realising the struggles of the past in all aspects of life and on all days. It just helps he love to be honest. Really encouraging.

Try to have wudhu as much as you can so in spare time you can read Qur'an.
Also when just sitting around or going to be saying Allah's name, Subhanallah, Allahu Akbar etc.
La ilaha illallah astaghfirullah as'alukal jannah wa a'oodhu bika minannaar is one of the main dhikr for Ramadhan.

Sitting between asr and maghrib and reading du'as from hizbul a'dham which is a compilation of all prayers from the Qur'an and Hadeeth and covers all aspects of life. One of my faves.

We haven't had fried food either and it does make you feel better but be true to yourself and if you feel tired then rest but you can also do dhikr whilst resting.

Donate to charity often even if it's £1 here and there I find it easy to donate to UWT online and I'd do say £5 every week or something like that.

Having kids and parenting them is ibadah in itself so in ramadhan the rewards are multiplied so we are lucky in that sense even without the praying.

Insha Allah I'll be able to act on the above myself.