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Ramadan is a special month for fasting, prayer, and reflection. By making small changes to our eating habits during Ramadan and following a healthy diet for iftar (the meal that breaks the fast) and sehri (the pre-dawn meal), we can gain health benefits such as better digestion, improved metabolism, and detoxification. It is important to avoid unhealthy eating habits, such as binge eating during iftar and sehri, to get the most out of these benefits. To keep your energy steady during Ramadan, avoid eating too little at sehri and too much at iftar. The goal is to balance blood sugar and stay hydrated by eating nutrient-rich, slow-digesting foods.
“As a dietitian, the most frequent complaint I receive during Ramzan is not hunger but an overwhelming energy crash. By mid-afternoon, they are foggy and irritable. At night, when they are going to sleep, they are so heavy, so bloated and totally exhausted,” Dr Tehseen Siddiqui, Chief Dietitian, Saifee Hospital, Mumbai, tells Health Shots.
When you eat too little at Sehri, it is definitely a setup for a tough day. You are literally putting your body on an empty tank once you skip Sehri or take a quick bite of a toast. Your sugar level is slowly decreasing in the morning. In the early afternoon, the body’s glycogen reservoirs, which store glucose, start to run out. As the brain is very sensitive to glucose, this is when the brain fog, irritability, headaches, and slowness start to sneak in.
This decrease, however, is not very sharp but quite stable. The body gradually adapts to its energy needs by using fat as its primary energy source. You might be too exhausted, but the drop is foreseeable and easy to handle when your meal on the last night was balanced.
Gorging during Iftar, in turn, sets off a roller coaster of metabolic turmoil. You have fasted all day, and your blood sugar is low, while your digestive system is comparatively active. As soon as you pour it with fried food, refined carbohydrates, and sugary sweets, your blood sugar levels go through the roof. Your body responds by releasing a large amount of insulin to reduce those levels. It is the fast rise and fall that brings about the notorious post-iftar food coma.
The result? You find yourself lounging too much on the couch, too slow to think about evening prayers or spending time with family. Much of your blood is redirected to your digestive system to handle the fatty meal, leaving the rest of your body feeling tired and bloated.
The actual issue is that overeating at Iftar not only makes the evening, but also the next day. Meals after midnight are harmful to the quality of sleep, since your body is overworking to digest them. You feel tired and uncozy, so you are less likely to drink anything or eat enough during Sehri. The result is excessive hunger the following day and overeating at Iftar again. It is a vicious and self-deprecating pattern of energy peaks and rockfalls.
When the goal is steady energy throughout the day and night, the answer is to get off this rollercoaster. And in soft stages, eat your fast with a date and water. Take a 10-15 minute break, pray, and get your digestive system functioning. And then construct a balanced meal: half vegetables, a quarter of protein, and a quarter of complex carbohydrates. This blend slows digestion, prevents insulin spikes, and helps maintain energy.
During Sehri, you may not feel hungry, but you need to eat foods that provide slow-release energy. To achieve a steadier blood sugar response, the best choices are oatmeal, eggs, Greek yoghurt, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats. Pair carbohydrates with proteins to slow digestion and make you feel fuller.
Ramzan is not meant to feel like an energy battlefield. With mindful meal timing and balanced portions, you can avoid the dramatic crashes and experience steadier focus, better sleep, and more meaningful spiritual engagement throughout the month.
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