How to overcome thirst during Ramadan

This year, Ramadan will take place during summer, and indeed it will remain in this season for the next couple of years to come, according to astronomic calculations. Hot summer temperatures inevitably increase thirst during the daytime.

The quality of food that a fasting person eats plays a major role in their ability to withstand thirst during the hours of fasting. For this reason, the following advice should help you to overcome feelings of thirst:

• Avoid eating very spicy food, particularly at Suhoor, because you will need to drink large quantities of water afterwards.

• Drink small quantities of water sporadically during the night.

• Be sure to eat some fresh vegetables and fruit at night and at Suhoor, as these foods contain plenty of water and fibre, which remains in the stomach for a relatively long time, reducing feelings of hunger and thirst.
• • Use lemon rather than salt in salads to avoid the many health problems generated by excessive salt consumption. Lemon adds a particular taste to food that enables you to avoid salt.
  • Don’t eat rich, salty foods like salted fish and pickles, as they increase the body’s need for water.
  • Don’t drink vast quantities of water – there is a common misconception that drinking large quantities of water at Suhoor will prevent you from feeling thirsty during the fast. This is a false belief, as such quantities of water are beyond the body’s needs, and as a result the kidney will only carry out its processes a few hours after drinking.
  Over-indulging in certain kinds of drinks including juices and sodas is harmful for the stomach and can cause digestive problems. Some people drink iced water when starting Iftar, but rather than quenching our thirst, this rather generates vasoconstriction and weakens our digestion. For these reasons, the water temperature should be moderate, and we should drink gradually rather than all at once. Washing our food down with water is not a good idea, as it does not give us a chance to digest it, and our food should also be chewed well to ensure good digestion.
  In addition to the above, it is advisable to avoid industrially produced juices containing artificial colourings and large quantities of sugar, as nutritionists have proven that these can cause health problems and allergies in kids. Therefore, it is best to replace these with fresh juices.

source: yahoo news