Daily Times

Mishi Khan’s research on a wide range of topics renders her a person worth talking to and learning from. Along-with providing you an understanding of the showbiz industry of which she is a part, the “Uroosa” fame actress can enlighten you on socio-political issues, psychological matters and nutritional processes. In the case of the latter-most, Khan is an authentic figure because she not only went through a drastic weight loss, but has also managed to maintain it. Daily Times caught up with the actress and host to see what routine she follows in the holy month and what can be learnt about a healthy Ramzan lifestyle from her.

What do you prefer to eat during Sehr and Iftar?

During Sehr, I eat an egg and a paratha. But I make sure that I have a bowl of yogurt along-with that. Yogurt keeps you hydrated. It’s very important for you to have an intake of it in order to avoid feeling thirsty all day long. My Iftar diet involves pakoras, fruit chaat and aloo chaat usually.

Do you think eatables fried in oil such as pakoras are good for health? Also, doesn’t fruit chaat demand a lot of sugar for sweetness?

Pakoras have a special cultural association with Ramazan, so I don’t avoid them. Secondly, it is only during this one month in a year that we savour pakoras. I don’t eat them throughout the year, so one month dedicated to this eatable is justified. In fruit chaat, I don’t use processed sugar at all. For adding sweetness, I dip the fruits in either orange or mango juice. At times, I also make use of brown sugar (shakkar). It’s not detrimental to your health and is therefore a very good alternate for processed, white sugar.

‘Pakoras have a special cultural association with Ramazan, so I don’t avoid them. Secondly, it is only during this one month in a year that we savour pakoras. I don’t eat them throughout the year, so one month dedicated to this eatable is justified. In fruit chaat, I don’t use processed sugar at all. For adding sweetness, I dip the fruits in either orange or mango juice. At times, I also make use of brown sugar (shakkar). It’s not detrimental to your health and is therefore a very good alternate for processed, white sugar’

Why according to you, people ironically gain more weight in Ramzan while they should be losing it? How can one maintain or reduce weight in this month?

After fourteen or fifteen hours of fasting, our body requires water. However, instead of water, we gulp down countless glasses of heavy sugary syrups. This is the main reason for weight gain. I always break my fast with a glass of water and a date. Moreover, activity lessens because people have the tendency to spend their fasts sleeping. This is not only bad for health but also fails to fulfill the purpose of Ramzan. We must carry on with our activities and also keep taking light walks for weight maintenance.

Why is it that we start feeling lighter towards the end of Ramzan and not in the initial days?

That’s because our body goes into starvation mode in the initial days of the month. Our body is habitual of two to three meals a day. When this routine suddenly changes and the body gets nothing to eat, our internal mechanism suffices for it by making use of the already stored fat in the body. This results in heaviness and dizziness in the starting of the month. Even when you begin to exercise, it is after half a month that you start to feel positive changes. Same is the case with our body during Ramzan.

Why do you think we aren’t able to change our routine even after a month of starvation, and our Eid days carry a diet similar to that before Ramzan?

We, as a nation, are extravagant when it comes to food, and it is actually very unfortunate. We are attracted by lavish dining tables and plenty of dishes of tasty stuff. We often go for more food than we eat and then waste it as well. This is something we need to let go of. In the West, people take care not to waste food. I would advise people to cook and put as much food on their plates as required.

The writer is a freelance journalist and can be reached at m.ali_aquarius85@yahoo.com. He Tweets at @MuhammadAli_DT