Why Dates Are Used to Break Fast?
When you fast, your body goes through a series of internal transformations. Since it can be extremely exhausting, you need to make sure that you supplement your body with just the right type of food once you decide to break the fast. Bringing your body back to its normal functionality after a fast requires you to smartly pick the right type of food.
One of the most popular choices that you might have heard people break their fast with is dates. During the holy month of Ramadan, millions of people around the world break their fast with dates. Even people who commit to an intermittent fast weekly, fortnightly, or monthly resort to dates as a choice for breaking fasts.
But is there any scientific reason why date is such a popular choice to break fasts? What is it about them that gives them such a universal appeal? Is the hype around breaking your fast with a date worth it? Let's uncover the secrets behind this highly sought-after food item that people around the world swear by after the fasting sessions.
The Universal Appeal of Dates as a Perfect Choice to Break Fasts
Dates are a type of food that is readily available in most places, especially with the access to export and import. Not to mention, they are extremely affordable making it possible for everyone to have access to them. They are also pretty versatile, which means, that even if someone is following a health-conscious meal plan such as a keto diet, they can also easily accommodate them in their dietary plans.
With a wide range of health benefits associated with them, it is no wonder why they make for ideal candidates to break fasts. Here are some of the most common reasons why people choose dates as the first food item to break their long hours of fasting.
Potent Nutritional Value
When you are fasting, you are not able to satiate your body with the necessary nutrition it needs to thrive. As a result, your body depends on the already existing nutrients that it has derived from the previous meals. Therefore, when you finally decide to break your fast, you need something that is nutritionally potent to make up for the lost nutrition.
Dates are rich in carbs, proteins, potassium, copper, iron, manganese, fiber, magnesium, and vitamin B6 and have a high-calorie content. This means that consuming dates right after a rigorous fasting session will help fill you with all the nutrition your body needs to get back to normal. As such, dates are a pivotal part of a wellness meal plan, as they have a wholesome approach to taking care of your nutritional needs.
Acts as an Antioxidant Agent
Fasting in itself has numerous health benefits and during this time, you need to include in your diet plan a range of food items that will help you in empowering your body from within. As antioxidants help reduce the risks of many dreadful diseases and protect your healthy cells, you need to find food sources that are known for their antioxidant properties.
It should come across as no surprise that dates are the perfect candidate for it since it is rich in flavonoids, carotenoids, and phenolic acid, which are regarded as three of the most powerful antioxidants that keep your heart healthy while also reducing inflammation.
Stimulates Your Brain
It is a known fact that the effects of fasting are seen not only on physical health but on mental health as well. Therefore, you need to boost your brain with food items that will have effective results.
The presence of flavonoids helps in reducing the risks of inflammation and it has also been seen that dates can help in preventing the risks of various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. Therefore, not only you will benefit your long-term health but also will rejuvenate yourself mentally after a fasting session.
Great Source of Fibre
Since you avoid various meals during fasting sessions, the need for fiber arises as you need something easy to digest. You don't want to overwhelm your stomach and digestive system with complicated food items that you will find difficult to blend and digest after hours of zero consumption.
Dates make for great sources of fiber and are extremely easy to digest. As such, it is easy on your stomach and you also have better bowel movements because of it. With it being easily able to fit itself into various diet forms, such as the Indian fusion diet, you will have no trouble including dates in your dietary planning, whether as part of snacks or additions to your main courses and desserts.
Tasty and Palatable
After fasting, you need simple yet tasty food that can be palatable. So, instead of opting for junk food or extremely oily and processed food, you need to look out for food items that have a natural sweetener to them, so that you get both taste and nutrition from them.
Being rich in fructose, you can rest assured that the sweetness of dates will be natural and free from any artificial sources. The caramel-like taste of dates gives them a distinctive appeal which is also why they are a perfect replacement for those who are looking for a substitute for white sugar. By using dates in your cooking, you can effectively stop eating lots of sugar.
To Conclude
As you have correctly deduced by now, dates are the perfect choice to break your fasts. Not only they are readily available and affordable, but their high nutritional value aids your body in filling itself with all the potent nutrition that evaporates during the fasting session.
Of course, being easy on your taste buds adds to their charm and makes consuming them easier. The fact that you can use them as an ideal replacement for white sugar speaks to their diversity. So, the next time you are fasting, whether for the holy month of Ramadan or just a general intermittent fast, please make sure you have a supply of dates at your home beforehand and break your fast with these delicious and exotic munchies.
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