If there’s one thing Moni’s takes seriously, its home cooked clean eating shared with family and friends. What better time of year to capture all of this than the Holy Month of Ramadan, a wonderful time of year where families and friends gather together to share meals and goodwill.

Fasting in our climate is not simple and our bodies crave nutrients and minerals at the break of fast. Moni’s whole ethos is to ensure that a healthy lifestyle requires constant access to nutritious and healthy snacks. Moderating your food intake from Iftar on is very important to retaining a healthy digestive system. Always ensure that you approach mealtimes mindfully and take the time to chew slowly and fully break down your food properly. Overloading your digestion with rapidly consumed half chewed food plays havoc with your body and can restrict nutrient in-take.

Discard the usual suspects of snacks that are packed with sugar, preservatives, processed fats and ingredients. Load your kitchen and sitting areas with water, fresh pressed whole fruit juices, nuts, dried fruits, vegetables and fresh fruits. Crucially please keep yourself hydrated as much as possible before you fast again. Liquids, especially water, are absolutely critical in this period.

As difficult as it sometimes is, with all the invites from family, friends and work, the key to healthy fasting is eating numerous light meals from dusk to dawn. It’s important not to focus your fast breaking on heavy large meals, traditionally loaded with carbs, fats and refined sugars. Sometimes what we see as traditional isn’t necessary the right and nutritious path to tread.

Always stay tuned to your body and gain a real relationship with the messages it sends to you. Discomfort and indigestion after major feasting are signs of unhealthy eating, always aim to feel just content after a meal and never allow taste messages sent to your brain to control your food intake. As you go from conducting Ramadan activities, visiting friends and family throughout the night carry some snacks in a bag to keep energy levels up. Great options include celery, carrot sticks, rice crackers, nuts and dried fruits.

Moni’s suggests always keeping hoummus and veggie sticks in the fridge for easy reach, with some other great ideas that can be made in advance: broccoli fritters, quinoa patties, cauliflower pizza which are all so easy to make and are healthy. Check out Moni’s website for some deliciously nutritious recipes.

Some Moni’s suggestions for you to keep on hand:

• Crudités (celery, carrot, pepper, cucumber etc.)
• Guacamole
• Apples with peanut butter
• Hoummus
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Berries
• Gallons of Water

Enjoy this beautiful month that encompasses charity, faith and family by doing it wisely.

Ramadan Kareem!

Moni xx