Beat the Raya bulge

THE holy month of Ramadhan has come to close and while that means an end to a month of yummy, greasy and sweet goodies at the market and the lowered chance of succumbing to cravings thanks to an empty stomach, overindulging during Syawal is another danger.

And with some people celebrating Hari Raya Aidil Fitri all month-long, using 'celebration' as an excuse is a recipe for disaster.

With Ramadhan over, it means that you can start having breakfast again, which is the most important meal of the day. Something to kickstart the metabolism in the morning, a good breakfast can help by filling you up early and lessen the risk of having too much unhealthy festive food.

It's undeniable that the season is home to a large variety of delicious food such as the rendang. Unfortunately, it can be unhealthy due to the amount of oil and salt.

Choose to control the amount you take in rather can completely cutting it out. While going for seconds and thirds is an indicator of how good a host's food is, practice moderation. This should be the case especially when a day is filled with visits to several houses and you know each one will serve food. Stuffing yourself too early might not just cause problems such as indigestion, you will have to refuse food because you're too full.

The same applies to cakes. While we may be tempted to cave in to our sweet tooth, be wary of the amount of sugar we end up taking in. Be extremely careful of the fried snacks that go so well with fun conversations. Before you know it, you've gone through a whole tub.

It is especially easy to go overboard with carbonated soft drinks. Feel free to request for juices or plain water. Opt for black coffee or tea when the option is available. A good host will definitely be more than happy to cater to a more health-conscious guest.

And while it might sound like a good idea to spend all day visiting relatives and friends, do ensure that you keep having the minimum six to eight hours of sleep.

Remember that Aidil Fitri is a season for fostering ties, celebrating our victory over temptation. It's not a race to see how much food we can shove down our guts in one sitting! But don't let that stop you from having fun. Even when it comes to fun, there has to be moderation so eating shouldn't be an exception.

The views expressed by the author are his own and do not reflect those of The Brunei Times. The Brunei Times