ramadan Archives | The Hundred

meditation

Ramadan is coming to an end, and what better way to end this soul-full month than to send out positive vibes of love, kindness and re-connection to our families and community? Get Eid ready with this free guided meditation session, and build on the mindfulness that you have achieved over Ramadan. Led by Dr Mariam Ketait, this session will help you reconnect with your essence, and restore your personal sense of well-being, leaving you renewed from the inside and out, ready for Eid and the summer ahead. So if you are rushing around with last minute holiday preparations, leave your hurries at the door, and come sit with us and find the quiet.
We invite you to join us, no matter what your previous meditation experience is— a first-timer curious about meditation, or a seasoned meditator looking to help us send more love and kindness out to the community — we have saved you a spot and you are welcome to come and sit with us.

There is a certain magic when you take some time to slow down, re-center and give yourself the time to breathe and reconnect with yourself and those around you. So if magic is what you are looking for, book your spot and join us!

When: Thursday the 22th of June 2017 at 10pm sharp.

Where: At The Hundred Wellness Centre.

Limited spots available, so email or call us on +9714 3447333 to book your space.

p.s. If you can’t make it, but love the idea of healing through meditation then we have some
great new for you! Dr Mariam Ketait will be seeing clients at The Hundred starting in July so keep an eye open for all those details!

suhoor

Hands down the question we hear the most in Ramadan is: What can I eat for Suhoor that will nourish, sustain and keep me feeling full through the following day of fasting. To answer this question we are having a throw-back to a blog post written by our very own Asma Lootah. Working closely with all things healthy, and having fasted Ramadan for most of her life, we couldn’t think of a better person to weigh in on this matter. So grab a pen and paper, and read on for some great Suhoor meal ideas and recipes!

Originally posted two Ramadan’s ago, here is what Asma had to say:

One of the challenges with Ramadan and fasting is what to eat at Suhoor while keeping it healthy, so I wanted to share these 4 simple recipe options that are delicious, but also keep me full and sustained while I am fasting. I have tried to include something for everyone whether sweet or savoury. Please note that I am not a nutritionist I am just an avid healthy food lover! However I did consult with our in house Clinical Homeopath Dr. Sean Penny for his input on my choices.

In choosing what food type to eat for Suhoor Dr. Sean says “Complex carbs provide the body with adequate fuel to sustain throughout the fasting hours. The goal is to consume complex carbs like sweet potato, quinoa, veggies etc. I also recommend some protein as well to reduce the sugar spike that occurs with the different carbs.” Continue reading “revisited | 4 nourishing & delicious suhoor recipes”

sweet tooth

There is a time, a place (and an amount) that is actually ok for indulgences. This rule applies even more during the Holy month of Ramadan when the cravings for sweets are running wild! What we have found helps our clients is using the term “Conscious Indulgence” which helps them strike the perfect balance in finding a place for the occasional decadence, in their otherwise healthy diets.

This concept we find works well in Ramadan mainly because with fasting the cravings are intense, and we are trying to stick to a healthy eating plan but we also want to indulge. And the way that many of us manage that, is by eating sweets that are “ fat-free” so that we can eat without guilt, or fear of derailing our healthy diets. But this is exactly what you DON’T want to do!  When it comes to your nutrition, trying to trick your mind by thinking “these gummy bears are ok because they are fat free” can derail you from your goals. So don’t eat sweets for the wrong reasons. You may think the handful of jelly beans is a better diet choice than the small piece of Kunafa because after all, they’re just sugar, but the Kunafa has fat, well here’s the truth… ALL the extra calories you eat will get turned into fat — whether from sugar, fat or protein.

And let’s be honest for a second.. Most likely when you are eating a dessert you aren’t eating it for it’s nutritional value, you are eating it for the taste and the pleasure of indulging. So choose the indulgence you actually want, not the one you think you should want, and then manage the portions. This way you can control the cravings better and stay on track.

This Ramadan, give yourself rules that work for you, and stick to them. Think back to past years and remember what has NOT worked for you when you’ve tried to lose or maintain weight while staying healthy during Ramadan, and write them down. Then, write down what you will do differently this time.

So maybe in the past you’ve allowed yourself as many sweets as you wanted after Iftar (You have been fasting all day after all so you deserve it right?) but somehow you ended up 2kg heavier by Eid. This year, maybe allow yourself 1 dessert every day, or every other day after iftar until Eid.. Whatever it may be, different people need different rules, so there’s no right or wrong, you just need to listen to your body and be honest with yourself about your habits, strengths, and challenges.

Probably the most important thing that we do emphasize is for you to eat your Ramadan sweets in an mindful manner. Do not rush or blindly eat desserts after you break fast. Sit down, and enjoy your sweets so that it is mindful, conscious and satisfying, rather than when you’re distracted (which can actually lead you to eat much more!).

We hope these tips help you to be more conscious with your indulgences this Ramadan! If you try these ideas let us know how they worked! And remember that if you need support or additional help with your diet and wellness, our team is always ready to help!

Ramadan

Ramadan is almost here and we want to help you approach your fast this year with mindfulness, discipline, and awareness. Perhaps it can even be an opportunity to focus on living a healthy and balanced lifestyle through a more mindful approach to eating, and to better prepare you for fasting, we have put together a few ways that can prepare your body for fasting. By planning and adjusting your routine before the fasting starts, it will be easier to kick any cravings, making the transition a whole lot easier.

Here are our tips:

Portion control — In these days before Ramadan, it’s important to reduce your portion sizes. Some may think splurging on food before fasting begins to sort of ‘stock up’, but this is exactly what not to do. The aim here is to reduce your appetite and hunger for larger quantities of food, ultimately helping your body transition to fasting in a healthy way.

Start eating your breakfast earlier — By getting your body use to eating breakfast earlier than usual, the transition won’t feel so strange for your metabolism. So start putting your alarm on a little earlier each morning, and even if you’re not hungry, eat. You want to trigger your stomach into understanding your new routine and when to expect food.

Don’t snack — If you are a hard-core lover of snacks (even those healthy ones!), then Ramadan can prove challenging. So just like with breakfast, you want to reset your stomach and mind now in the lead up to Ramadan, so try to stick to only three nutritious meals a day. This will help you lose the desire for these little goodies throughout the day, and your body will begin to not to expect them in your routine.

Step away from the coffee — Caffeine withdrawal, it’s a thing. And if you are a: ‘multiple cups of coffee’ kind of person, that headache will feel much worse while you’re fasting if you haven’t prepared your body in advance. If cutting down on your favourite cuppa seems impossible, then start small and work your way up. First, reduce your coffee intake to only one cup a day (somewhere mid-day not first thing in the morning), and maybe even switch to decaffeinated coffee. And ultimately, finish with cutting it out of your day all together.

Stock up on your groceries now  — Prepare now while you are still hyped up and full of energy. Shop and stock up on nutritious foods that can be served at Suhoor or Iftar times so that you’re not so tempted by those hunger driven guilty pleasures later. Plan what foods are best to have for breakfast, find the recipes and stock up on the ingredients, this way you will leave less to temptation and you can make sure that cravings won’t hinder what your body actually needs while fasting.

If you feel that you need help or accountability throughout this Ramadan, and really want to make it your healthiest Ramadan EVER, get in touch with us via email us or call on +9714 344 7333 to see how we can help!

ramadan (re)boot camp

Ramadan shouldn’t be an excuse to abandon your fitness regimen. Whether you are a seasoned fitness enthusiast or have just recently started classes with us, fasting during Ramadan does not need to be the end of your exercise regimen until after Eid!

We want to help you prepare your body for Ramadan and keep your motivation up throughout the entire month! So we have tailor-made a month-long  program of diverse group fitness classes ( you could say our own version of the mainstream “Bootcamps”), with the purpose of promoting the sustainable practice of physical activities during the month of Ramadan and beyond. This program is fun, accessible and fasting-friendly. Join us to prepare your body to stay active while fasting in a safe and supportive environment.
The program outline:

BCA test (body composition analysis) at the beginning of the program to track progress
– ‘Strategic Eating’ A talk by Ryan Penny on how to consciously eat in Ramadan to maintain good health, high energy levels, and even lose weight.
– Eight Super Circuit classes (High Intensity & Fat burning)
– Four Body Weight classes (Moderate Intensity & Muscle sculpting)
– Four Pilates classes (Stretch & Recovery)
– BCA test (body composition analysis) at the end of the program to track progress
– 20% discount on fresh cold-pressed juices.

The all inclusive cost of the Ramadan Package is: 1500AED

Note:

The classes mentioned above will be conducted in different times than current Hundred Wellness existing classes.

Classes will be exclusively LADIES ONLY. The program will start on May 8th and run through until June 8th, with the classes being offered on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 4:30pm.

All classes support a maximum of 8 people. Classes must be booked at least 4 hours in advance.

To learn more or to book your spot, email or call us on +9714 344 7333