Ramadan is a time of year where some of us experience digestive upset due to the extreme change in our daily routines.
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Obviously a complete fast for over 13 hours is going to cause some disturbance initially, however we also practice some habits which don’t necessarily help us.
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There are some variables we are in control of which can help us out in this time.
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One very simple thing we can do is look at how and what we’re breaking fast on.
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This applies to ALL kinds of fasts, especially Ramadan as the avoidance of water makes things all the more so physiologically challenging – particularly on our gut.
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Many Muslims traditionally break on, and prepare for their fast on dates, due to their high calorie and electrolyte content – which is actually very clever as electrolytes help us effectively get water into our cells, rather than just letting water pass in and out of our system.
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So big tick on having a couple of dates to break fast along with some room temperature water (cold water leads to intestinal spasms, gas and aches).
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However, what you want to do with your dates and dried fruit is:
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1) soak them in filtered or mineral water overnight.
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2) after soaking, gently simmer them in fresh filtered/mineral water for at least 30-40 mins.
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3) once the dried fruit has been cooking for long enough, remove from heat and transfer into a bowl – complete with the water the fruit was cooking in.
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4) refrigerate, and take out your portion and leave in room temperature 30 mins before breaking fast.
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Why?
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It removes the high amounts of anti nutrients found in dry fruit which causes gut irritation, constipation, rotting in the gut, and even high blood sugar.
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So what’s the benefit?
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You are actually able to retain the nutritional benefits of these dried fruit, as you’ve removed the anti nutrients which block your body from being able to absorb the antioxidants and nutrients from these foods.
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You’re now also turning a potentially constipating and gut irritating food into a very natural laxative due to its high fibre and diuretic content.
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Do you do this already? Let me know!

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