Gut health and digestive problems  seem to be a common issue with many people these days especially during Ramadan. People seem to complain a lot about bloat, stomachache, dehydration and constipation especially when fasting in Ramadan. Remember, some bloats are normal and it is a way your body responds to the food you feed it to. This should also tell you that your digestive enzymes are at work. When is this not normal? When your symptoms become extreme and or painful. In that case you may want to consult with your primary care doctor, registered dietitian or nutritionist for further evaluation.

“The stomach is the tank of the body and the veins go down to it. When the stomach is healthy the veins come back in a healthy condition, but when it is in a bad condition they return diseased.” Miskat al-Masbih 4566, Book 23, Hadith 51

Below are some common digestive and health issues like bloat, dehydration and headache that you may face whiles fasting in Ramadan, their causes and how to prevent them in the first place:

Digestive Issues and Discomfort/Bloat

CAUSES OF BLOAT AND HOW TO COMBAT OR MANAGE

1. Overeating

Solution: Choose smaller plates and do not over stack your plate with food. Chew your food slowly. Try to stop eating 10-15 minutes before you start filling full. Your brain receives the signal for fullness and satiety late before you actually start to feel full. It is highly recommended to stop eating before you even start to feel satisfied.

2. Eating Too Quickly and too Fast/Rushed Eating

Solution: Eat slowly one bit at a time and make sure to eat the entire food in your mouth before you eat the next bite. This will help with better digestion and feeling of fullness at the right time. Remember, it takes about 20 minutes from the time you stopped eating, to send a signal to you brain that you are full.

Food Intolerance and Food Sensitivity

This creates excess gas which can cause bloating. Being intolerance or sensitive to certain foods means these foods turn to create excess gas when consumed.
Solution: Identify foods that cause you discomfort by keeping a food journal or by logging what you ate at the time of your discomfort and bloat. Being able to track the foods that cause you discomfort means you will be able to avoid, reduce consumption or eliminate these foods from your diet.

1. High Sodium Diet

This leads to water retention. High sodium in your diet can lead to your body retaining more water than it normally would.
Solution: Eat foods that are low in salt and avoid using too much salt in your cooking. Increase magnesium and potassium intake by consuming more electrolyte-rich foods like watermelon, coconut water and dates. If possible, use Himalayan salt or Sea Salt. These salts contain more minerals and are naturally occurring than regular white salt.

2. Carbonated and Caffeinated Beverages

Drinking carbonated soft drinks like soda, sparkling water, malt, and sprite many cause you to produce more gas. When too much gas gets trapped in your stomach, especially if you drink these drinks on an empty or semi-filled stomach, that causes bloat and excessive gas.
Solution: Instead of soda and other sugary (soft) drinks, try to drink regular plain water, hot tea, ginger or peppermint tea, or hot chocolate. Nut milk or regular milk can be great as well. However, most people are lactose-intolerance which may also cause bloat and gas discomfort.  Drinking peppermint tea, funnel tea, ginger tea with cloves can reduce gas build-up and the feeling of discomfort. 

Dehydration

To adequately help with dehydration, make sure you drink enough water which is very important especially during Ramadan. It is highly recommended that you drink between 6-8 cups of water daily even while fasting. I know this can seem impossible for most people. However, the easiest way you can incorporate drinking enough water during Ramadan is by drinking as much water during the non-fasting window. For example, make sure you drink at least 2-3 cups of water at Suhoor, 2-3 cups right at Iftar, and 2-3 cups between iftar and the time you go to bed. This will not only help to keep you hydrated, but will also help with common digestive issues that can arise during Ramadan. 

In a nutshell, we have 3 non-fasting windows during the day in Ramadan. The time before Suhoor, the time after Iftar till we go to bed, and the short time window between Suhoor and Fajr. 

The goal is to aim to drink: 

• 1-2 cups after Suhoor and before Fajr
• 2 cups after Iftar
• 2 cups right before you go to bed
• 1-2 cups before Suhoor 

This will add up to 6-8 cups, and you easily achieve your goal of hydrating for the day.

In sha Allah I hope you have a wonderful and blessed Ramadan. If you want to learn more about how to prevent common digestive issues like bloat, dehydration and headache and have a healthy Ramadan and beyond, I have authored an Ebook: The Healthy Ramadan Nutrition Guide. This guide is choke full with information about how to have a healthier Ramadan, ways to deal with common Ramadan struggles like dehydration,headach, irritability, excessive hunger and many more. You can check it out and read more about the ebook here.