Source: Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo

Almost half the month has flown by and Ramadan seems to be getting all the more colourful with food and shopping. Despite the shopping and cooking frenzy, however, people do seem to be slightly confused over what to eat, how to take care of one's health and of course, how to stay fit. Masuma Akhter, a popular nutritionist in Dhaka, says that every Ramadan, she gets to meet the three kinds of patients. "Firstly, there are those who gain a lot of weight in the month of Ramadan," says Akhter. Ironically, people consume an extra quantity of calories during and after iftar, which they normally would avoid. "We tend to eat everything in sight when we break our fast, which is extremely unhealthy. Instead, we should start off with fruits, maybe a refreshing fruit drink, or just water to break the fast. That should follow with bread, chicken, soup, sandwiches, a little rice etc. Instead we gobble up the fried food at one go, which should be avoided at all costs!"
Akhter talks of the second category of patients. "Urine infection seems to be yet another ailment that sees an increase in Ramadan," says Akhter. For the last few years, Ramadan falls in the months of summer, with longer hours of scorching heat. "After one breaks fast, one must drink two glasses of water before moving on to anything else," says Akhter. "Between iftar and suhoor, one must drink 12-14 glasses of water. It is not as difficult as it sounds. Make a habit of drinking a glass of water or two every couple of hours. You'll feel refreshed and stay hydrated."
Masuma Akhter gained popularity in the last few months with her 'Magic Diet' that promises to shed at least 10 kilos in 6 weeks. With the help of monthly counselling programmes held at Smart Diet, her clinic in Banani, many have experienced positive results. "My diet is more of a scientific diet, rather than a 'magic' diet," smiles Akhter. "The programme constitutes of a proper diet and exercise programme."
The third complaint that Akhter faces from patients in Ramadan is of gastric pain. "This is very common in our country and the number of patients increase a lot more in Ramadan," says Akhter. "This is mainly because of the culture of devouring fried food every day, and that too of all kinds. After breaking fast, one can have chira (cereal) and bananas to cool the system. The fried food can be divided over the week. For instance, one day can be devoted to beguni (pieces of eggplants fried in batter), while the next can be a day for aloor chop (potato chops) or alooni (pieces of potatoes fried in batter)."
Clearly, the right diet will not only take us a long way, but will keep us healthy.
To know more about Masuma Akhter's diet wonders, visit facebook.com/smartdietbd.