Medical experts say summer time is most difficult for those fasting

Nagpur: With temperatures crossing 43 degrees Celsius, it is the Muslims on their month-long fast who are bearing the brunt of the heat. Though doctors advise drinking plenty of fluids and to have sufficient meals before venturing out, the rozedaars are going without food and water for the entire day which for them extends to nearly 15 hours.
Hospitals receive cases of severe dehydration and heat strokes during summer season. “Standard treatment requires that we rehydrate them,” says Dr. Rajashri Khot, professor, Department of Medicine at government medical college and hospital. “But in case of Muslim patients who are on fast, we can’t go against their religious sentiment so we administer IV fluids and keep them in a cold ward,” she adds.
“Fasting during summer months can be extremely dangerous,” says Dr. Khot. “Fluid and sodium deficiency at cellular level happens during the summer months and can get aggravated further if a person is on fast and going without food and water for long hours,” she says, adding, “Such persons are more prone to heat stroke and heat exhaustion which can require hospitalization.”
The other heat-related issues are giddiness, episodes of fainting and headache, cramps and heat syncope which though minor are symptoms of a heat stroke. “Children and the elderly are more at risk and the only precaution is to avoid going out in the heat,” she says.
What can also add to the feeling of low energy during the fasting period is the kind of food that one consumes and the quantity and timing of eating it, feels nutritionist Meghana Kumare. “Muslims who are fasting during Ramzaan tend to eat a heavy meal after breaking their fast. Due to this they do not feel hungry early in the morning when they have to eat between 3am to 4am. At that time they usually take a glass of milk with dry fruits. This disturbs the electrolyte balance in the body,” says Kumare and suggests that the early morning meal should be a combination of simple and complex carbohydrates and protein and micro-nutrients.
Breaking the fast with dates in the evening is a good thing as dates are loaded with natural sugar which is released slowly in the blood. Having sherbet and soup also helps in sustaining hunger, advises Kumare. “Oily food and preparations made with white sugar should be avoided as consuming too many sweetmeats increases thirst,” she says and adds that white sugar can be replaced with jaggery, honey or maple syrup.
Roza is a type of intermittent fasting which can significantly reduce blood sugar, insulin levels and drastically increase the human growth hormone which helps increasing the lifespan. “But it can be effective only when right meals are consumed at the correct time,” says Kumare.