As part of their Ramadan initiative, RAK Hospital has launched a Ramadan campaign, “Eat Right – Eat Light” to guide people on ways to make a smooth and healthy transition to fasting. The hospital is providing free consultation with the nutritionist for UAE residents, starting a week before Ramadan and ending a week after Eid with focus on pre-, during and post-Ramadan holistic healing. While open to everyone, the campaign is particularly beneficial for patients suffering from chronic ailments, such as diabetes and cardiac issues, who will be guided on best ways to fast through the month safely.
The Eat Right – Eat Light campaign aims to guide people on their lifestyle choices during the month of Ramadan and after it ends, with the focus on detoxifying and healing their bodies, keeping in view individual health issues and preferences. For those using the opportunity to lose weight, the consultation will provide advice for maximum weight loss. Besides food, people will also be guided on how to best adjust their sleep timings in order to get maximum sleep. The campaign further focuses on returning to regular routine of diet and exercise post Ramadan, since a sudden change in lifestyle either way can be damaging to health.
In addition, RAK Hospital will be offering tips on healthy lifestyle and habits on their various social platforms throughout the month.
Giving details of the campaign, Ms Ruba ElHourani, Head Dietitian at RAK Hospital, said: “From eating three proper meals a day to going without food and water for long hours can be a challenge if we’re not prepared mentally and physically. Through this consultation, we will teach you how to gear your bodies for proper fasting to get maximum benefit out of it”.
“For example, if we’re used to eating unhealthy food throughout the year, toxins can accumulate in our bodies. For healthy fasting and to help reduce the feeling of exhaustion, it is important to start cleaning the body from these toxins by consuming foods such as yogurt and variety of fruits and vegetables. This is an exercise we should start before the month of Ramadan begins to energise our bodies to stay hungry for longer periods without causing lethargy”.
Dr Raza Siddiqui, CEO of Arabian Healthcare Group and Executive Director at RAK Hospital, commented: “Fasting for an entire month is an ideal opportunity for us to create our health goals. The month of Ramadan is all about holistic healing, and cleansing of our body, mind and soul. This also goes in line with the modern concept of intermittent fasting which is finding a lot of acceptability now. Through this campaign we want to help people detoxify themselves and pave the path to a healthier living”.
“But as we step into the month, we have to be prepared to change our lifestyle. Our food choices, for example, will decide whether we will be eating clean, or unhealthy, high-caloric meals that do more disservice than we can imagine. Similarly, for smokers, this a great time to break the habit as they learn to give up smoking several hours in a row, and if they follow through, they can actually quit by the end of the month. These, and many such benefits, is what the campaign is all about,” added Dr Raza Siddiqui.
An innovative leader among healthcare institutions in northern emirates, RAK Hospital has conducted several CSR initiatives with the aim to educate UAE residents on healthy living and management of chronic ailments.