Fitness Zone, Beirut’s most equipped, professional and friendly Health Club has launched its campaign “YES YOU CAN, WORKOUT DURING RAMADAN”, a campaign explaining best food, diet and fitness habits one should follow while fasting. Fitness Zone, Hamra, Main Str, Taj Tower Center. 01-751666

1. Presented by:
Ms. Riwa Chidiac
Nutritionist / Food technologist

2. OUTLINE
A. What is healthy food
B. Definition of a Complete Meal
C. Choose your “Iftar”
D. How to purchase the items of the Iftar
E. How to Cook and Prepare your food
F. How to plan your daily “Iftar”, “Suhoor” and exercise
G. Why is “Suhoor” crucial during Ramadan?
H. Exercising and sports during Ramadan: Cardio or fat-burn?
I. What kind of supplements to select?
J. Conclusion
Ms. Riwa Chidiac

3. A. What Is Healthy Food
1. Balanced Food
2. Diversified
3. Nutritious
4. Safe
Ms. Riwa Chidiac

4. 1. Balanced Food
• Neither eating too much, nor starving ourselves
• Having a good portion of each food group
• Getting all of the needed nutrients, vitamins and minerals
• Not eating too much sweets, sodium, fat or whatever is bad for the body
Ms. Riwa Chidiac

5. 2. Diversified Food
• Including all the food groups in our daily diet:
- Milk and milk products
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Cheese/ Meat/ poultry/ fish and seafood
- Bread / potatoes and cereals
- Fat
- sugar
Ms. Riwa Chidiac

6. 3. Nutritious Food
• food item that has a rich amount of nutrients in comparison to the amount
of calories.
• Nutritious foods feed your body the most essential nutrients needed for its
functions.
• These nutrients may include minerals, vitamins, essential fatty acids,
phytonutrients and fiber.
The most nutritious foods are:
Blackberry quinoa beans fish green tea legumes
Ms. Riwa Chidiac

7. 4. Safe Food
• Food free from:
- Microbiological pathogens
(bacteria, parasites and viruses) that can cause illness
- Toxins
- Pesticides
- Chemicals
- physical contaminants
- High amounts of additives
- Heavy metals
(copper, zinc, lead, chromium, mercury, nickel …)
Ms. Riwa Chidiac

8. b. Complete Meal
• All food groups
• Sufficient portion of each
• Sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals
• Choose whole grains and whole cereal breads/ toasts/ crackers/ cakes.
nutrients
proteins
20%
Carbohydrates
50% to 55%
Fat 25 % to
30%
Ms. Riwa Chidiac

9. C. CHoosE your “Iftar”
your Eftar meal should be a complete meal with balanced,
nutritious, diversified and safe food items.
sample 1 of a healthy Iftar:
- Fattoush (without fried bread slices)
- Fresh vegetable soup (without added oil)
- Grilled chicken breast & grilled broccoli & potato wedges (baked in the oven)
sample 2 of a healthy Iftar:
- Green salad
- Lentil soup (with no added oil)
- Okra “yakhneh” with meat slices
Ms. Riwa Chidiac

10. D. purCHasInG tHE ItEms oF tHE “Iftar”
1. Food Group?
Depending on what you chose to have as Eftar
2. Fat-free or low-fat food items
Chicken breast/ beef filet/ low-fat soup powder/ fat-free mayo/ very low in fat
mozzarella/ extra-light fresh cream…
3. Products low in or free of trans fat and saturated fat
Avoid products rich in trans fat (hydrogenated fat) and saturated fat
 margarine/ butter/ full fat mayo/ heavy bechamel sauce/ salad dressings/
bouillon cubes
Ms. Riwa Chidiac

11. 4. Products low in sugar or free of sugar
Low in sugar Ketchup/ unsweetened baby
corn/ low in sugar tomato sauce…
5. Products low in sodium
Low sodium soy sauce/ low sodium pickles/ low sodium olives/ low sodium
cheese…
6. Items high in fibers
Whole bread/ brown crouton/ brown rice/ legumes/ beans…
7. Products low in Additives
such as colorants, added flavors, nitrites, nitrates, flavor
enhancers, thickeners…
8. Always check the expiration date
Ms. Riwa Chidiac

12. e. Cooking and preparing your food
AVOID SELECT
Frying Grilling
Adding extra oil Baking
Adding butter and/or margarine Boiling
Peeling vegetables Steaming
Ready to eat food ingredients Remove chicken skin
Keeping food at room temperature  2 hours Throwing the cooking water
Using unsafe water for cooking Adding spices and herbs for flavoring
Rare and medium rare steak Using fresh vegetables
using canned food products Using quinoa, tofu, tempeh…
Adding extra sodium Make your dishes colorful with diversified foods
Ms. Riwa Chidiac

13. F. plannInG your DaIly “Iftar”, “Suhoor”
& exercise
PLAN A
• Water
• 3 dates
• high glycemic soup or 250 mL of Ramadan’s beverages or small portion of
Ramadan’s sweets
1 to 2 hours of exercising
• Salad/ Fattoush/ Tabouleh
• Main course
Light Suhoor by 3 a.m
Ms. Riwa Chidiac

14. p.m
PLAN B
a.m
1 to 1 ½ hour of workout
• Water
• 3 dates
• Soup
• Salad/ Fattoush/ Tabouleh
• Main course
• Very light & small dinner meal or small sweet portion or 250 mL of
Ramadan’s beverages at 10 p.m.
Very light Suhoor by 3 a.m
Ms. Riwa Chidiac

15. G. “Suhoor” Is CruCIal DurInG ramadan
• Avoids crankiness & weakness caused by the fast.
• Prevents headaches & fatigue during day time.
• Reduces extreme hunger & thirst
• Prevents the loss of body cells
• Energizes & stimulates the digestive system.
• Helps the body maintain its sugar levels while fasting
Ms. Riwa Chidiac

16. Healthy Suhoor
• Consuming vegetables with high level of fluids  helps the body maintain
fluids for a long period of time  reduces the feeling of thirst & prevents
dehydration
• Include beans with olive oil, cheese & eggs as a part in your Suhoor
Supplying the body with the
 7-9 hours of digestion 
required energy throughout
delayed hunger
the day
• Do not consume large quantities of sugar or salt:
sugar hunger
salt thirst
Ms. Riwa Chidiac

17. h. Cardio or fat-burn during ramadan?
Bodybuilders and Athletes who fast:
Cardio: 30 to 40 minutes maintain muscle mass
 may lead to catabolism
& deplete body energy
& decrease blood pressure
Fat-burn exercises : up to 90 minutes daily
-Prevent weight gain Prevent fat storage during this
- Potential weight loss critical period
- Boost blood circulation
- Sooth your fatigue & stress
- keep you active
Ms. Riwa Chidiac

18. i. What supplements to select
• Bodybuilding supplements  replace meals, enhance weight gain, promote
weight loss or improve athletic performance.
• Among the most widely used are vitamin supplements, protein, branched-
chain amino acids (BCAA), glutamine, arginine, creatine and casein.
VITAMINS
essential nutrients for the healthy maintenance
of the cells and tissues
enable to efficiently use chemical energy
provided by food
help process the proteins, carbohydrates, and
fats required for respiration
 help in recovering internal and external
damages
Maintain a balanced nutritional status
Ms. Riwa Chidiac

19. - PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS come in different
forms: ready to drink shakes, bars, bites, oats, gels
and powders.
- Generally consumed immediately before and after
exercising, or as a meal replacer.
- Aid in muscle recovery.
- Exact amount: highly individualized & dependent
on the type and duration of the exercise + the
physiological make up of the individual.
CASEIN = milk protein
- Protein needs for bodybuilding individuals 
endurance athletes’ needs. Breakdown of the molecule is a
process of 6-7 hours
- Whey proteins and casein are the most popular
among bodybuilders.
Taken at Suhoor time
Ms. Riwa Chidiac

20. BCAA Branched Chain- amino acids
-Leucine, Isoleucine & Valine
- Easier to digest & metabolize than whole proteins
- Account for 33% of muscle proteins
- Benefits:
• Prevent protein break-down during exercise
• Enhance immune system
• Directly metabolized by the muscle tissue
• Fasten fatty acid metabolism
•  the testosterone level post-training GLUTAMINE
•  cholesterol level -The most abundant amino acid found in human
muscle
- Suhoor / before & after exercising -Serum glutamine: used by the body to counteract
acidosis that results from exercise
 body catabolizes muscle’s glutamine
replenish the glutamine loss from the
bloodstream
 supplemental glutamine: ready supply for the
Ms. Riwa Chidiac muscles  prevent the waste of muscle tissue.

21. ARGININE
-Precursor for the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO)
-Reduces healing time of injuries
-Quickens repair time of damaged tissue
-Helps decrease blood pressure
-Improves performance
-Enhance immune system
-Boosts sexual activity
-Used in treating heart diseases…
 30-45 min before eating / before exercise
CREATINE
- Supplies energy to muscle cells for short bursts of energy
-  mental fatigue
-  cell volumization by drawing water into muscle cells
- Creatine works best when it is consumed with simple carbohydrates
( Creatine & lemonade or grape juice or Jellab)
 before exercise for energy & after exercise for recovery
Ms. Riwa Chidiac

22. j.conclusion
- Plan for a diversified and complete Iftar meal.
- Purchase the suitable food items.
- Adapt healthy processes to cook and prepare the Iftar.
- Schedule well the timing of the Iftar, exercise & Suhoor  depending on your
availability, energy capacity and time.
- Don’t miss your Suhoor.
- Consume high in fluids food items.
- Make sure you drink a minimum of 1.5 L of water/ day.
- Ramadan and Workout go hand in hand.
- Consult your gym instructor concerning supplement issues.
Ms. Riwa Chidiac

23. THANK YOU
Ms. Riwa Chidiac