Ramadan Nutrition Guidance in Sharjah

What is Ramadan nutrition guidance?

Ramadan nutrition guidance is a planned conversation with a dietitian, ideally several weeks before Ramadan, about how to eat and drink in the hours between Iftar and Suhoor. The aim is steady energy through the fasting day, good hydration, stable blood sugar and a healthy weight across the month.

For people with medical conditions, the guidance is part of a wider pre-Ramadan review. The doctor assesses your fasting risk and adjusts medicine timing and doses, and the dietitian builds the eating plan around those changes. Both are needed, because meal timing and medicines affect each other.

At Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah, the dietitian gives this guidance to individuals and families, and repeats it each year, since health, medicines and the season of Ramadan change over time.

Who needs it

Anyone who fasts can benefit, and the guidance matters most for people who:

• Have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, especially on insulin or tablets that can cause low blood sugar, alongside diabetes management
• Are pregnant or breastfeeding and want to discuss whether and how to fast, with the obstetric team through antenatal care or gestational diabetes care
• Are older, frail or caring for an older parent, supported by geriatric medicine
• Have high blood pressure, kidney disease, heart disease or stomach problems such as reflux
• Have had weight-loss surgery
• Want to avoid the weight gain that heavy Iftar meals and sweets often bring
• Work long hours outdoors or drive for a living during the fasting day

What happens

The dietitian reviews your health conditions, medicines and blood results, and the doctor's advice on your fasting risk. You then talk through your usual Ramadan routine: when you wake for Suhoor, what your family serves at Iftar, gatherings, Taraweeh prayers and sleep.

The plan usually covers three parts of the night:

| Meal | Practical guidance |
|---|---|
| Iftar | Break the fast with water and one to three dates, pause for prayer, then eat a balanced meal with soup, salad, a protein such as grilled chicken, fish or lentils, and a moderate portion of rice or bread |
| Between Iftar and Suhoor | Spread water through the evening, choose fruit or a small handful of nuts for a snack, and keep Arabic sweets, fried samosas and sugary juices small |
| Suhoor | Eat as late as possible, choosing slow-release foods such as oats, wholegrain bread, eggs, foul medames, laban and vegetables, with water |

For diabetes, the plan matches carbohydrate portions at Iftar and Suhoor to your medicines, shows you when to check your blood sugar during the day, and explains the readings that mean you should break the fast. For questions about the religious ruling on finger-prick checks during the fast, ask a religious scholar.

For pregnancy and breastfeeding, the dietitian focuses on fluid, protein, iron and calcium, and on meal spacing to support the baby's growth, while the decision about fasting is made with your obstetrician. For the religious ruling on fasting in pregnancy and breastfeeding, ask a religious scholar.

For older adults, the focus is fluid, soft and easily eaten protein foods, medicine timing, and avoiding weakness and falls, particularly at night.

Preparing for it

Book the appointment several weeks before Ramadan. Bring your medicine list, recent blood results including HbA1c if you have diabetes, and your blood sugar or blood pressure records.

Write down your usual Ramadan menu and timings from last year, including gatherings and sweets. If a family member prepares Iftar and Suhoor, bring them too.

Afterwards

You leave with a written plan for Iftar, Suhoor and fluids, and, where relevant, a blood sugar checking schedule and clear break-the-fast limits. Follow the plan from the first day of Ramadan and adjust after the first week if needed. During Eid, return gradually to daytime meals to avoid a sudden large intake.

In the Sharjah heat, long summer fasts raise the risk of dehydration, so drink regularly between Iftar and Suhoor and limit salty and very sweet foods that increase thirst.

Break your fast and contact the hospital if your blood sugar falls below or rises above the limits your doctor set, or you feel shaky, sweaty, confused or very weak. Go to the emergency department straight away for fainting, severe dehydration with very little urine, chest pain, or reduced baby movements in pregnancy.

Cost and insurance

Many UAE insurance plans cover dietitian consultations linked to a medical condition such as diabetes, pregnancy or kidney disease, and some require a doctor's referral. General healthy-eating advice for Ramadan without a medical condition is often treated as wellness and paid for privately. Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can help you check your cover on 06 599 7777.