A trivial section about myself since tomorrow is Hari Raya. Yes, I am Muslim although my race is Chinese. I embraced Islam of my own will in 2008 after something mysterious happened to me. Go to this link to read more: https://www.facebook.com/notes/amirrudin-ong/why-i-converted-and-embraced-islam/437459249657/
Tomorrow is Hari Raya Aidilfitri! Muslims will visit our kins’ homes and non-Muslims may get an invitation to Muslim friends’ homes to partake in the celebrations and enjoy the food too.
A lot of us think of this as an event to feast so why should there be any dieting? I will provide 2 choices in this article. Read on to find out what are your options instead of dieting completely! This article will cover how to prevent overeating and eat healthily during the month of Hari Raya for both Muslims and non-Muslims.
Before we move on, we have to understand Hari Raya usually lasts for a month and Malay food is usually filled with thick gravy and almost all foods are fried. Examples are rendang, fried chicken wings and fried potatoes (begedil). Yummy right? However, too much of these will be the culprits of your growing tummy!
Muslims’ body systems have been acclimatized to a month of fasting and many are looking forward to feasting and gaining back what they have ‘lost’ during the fast. This is not advisable because a month of visiting means that you will be eating these foods constantly. These can make you gain a noticeable amount of fat. Here are some tips for what you can do to avoid this.
1. If you have 4 or more houses to visit in a day, plan your meals. If the host has served soup-based dishes, choose them over Rendang! If there is a selection of lontong, choose the noodle or vermicelli. If these are not available,then select rendang and choose a carb source which is ‘dry’, for example, white rice without any additional helping of gravy.
2. If you are really concerned about consuming the gravy of rendang, take your portion and politely inform your host that you are washing the gravy away. Simply go to the sink and wash it away! This was exactly what I did in the past when I was preparing for my contests.
3. Try to avoid sweet drinks especially cordials. Consume plain water instead. We don’t want to feel sleepy after eating.
4. Try your best to have just a handful of tarts or small handmade cookies. Do not finish the whole tub!
5. Rendang and cakes should never go together! If the house you are visiting has both, please choose only one. Either Rendang or cakes.
6. If everything fails and you can’t follow what I have advised, don’t worry about feeling guilty! Another door is always open! After eating too much, reduce the intake of oily food, unnecessary carbohydrates and sweet drinks over the next few days. It is that simple!
There is a second choice to all of the above suggestions which is to think, “to hell with all these diets!” I actually advocate both choices because I have tried it both ways. Hari Raya should be something enjoyable and not a stressful event. If you think it is too much for choice no.1, choose no.2! Eat and enjoy!
I have many other eating tips. Feel free to click the below links to read more or simply go through my website!
1. https://www.amirrudinong.com/blog/chinese-new-year-dieting
2. https://www.amirrudinong.com/blog/festive-season-eating-guide
3. https://www.amirrudinong.com/blog/pre-christmas-diet
To end off this article, I sincerely wish all my Muslim friends a very Happy Hari Raya Adilfitri! Eat well, train hard and enjoy your food.
Your Coach,
Amirrudin Ong
