Be conscious about your food intake. Instead of over-indulging at every opportunity, try the following:

• Choose what to eat mindfully.
• Gradually resume your routine meal plan.
• Consume your favorite foods and treats in moderate quantities. Large quantities of sugar and fatty foods put you on a path to rapid weight gain.
• Try to avoid fried foods and those that contain high levels of saturated fats, which can cause heartburn and indigestion.
• Ensure you eat enough vegetables.
• Try to eat more slowly and take regular breaks from eating. Your brain needs a few minutes after eating to signal that you are full.
• Remember to stay hydrated. After a month of drinking water before dawn and after dusk, it is easy to forget to drink water during the day.

Homemade and shop-bought Eid sweets are generally made from white flour, syrup or sugar, butter or ghee, nuts, whole milk, and milk products. These ingredients result in sweets that are high in calories and fat.

JHAH’s Clinical Nutrition Services department has provided the following recommendations for creating healthier sweets for Eid:

• Use whole wheat flour instead of white.
• Use low-fat or non-fat milk instead of full-cream milk or cheese.
• Use egg whites instead of whole eggs. Replace each egg yolk with 2 egg whites.
• Reduce the fat and sugar in the recipe to half the specified amount.
• Bake or grill the sweets rather than fry them.
• Add fresh or dried fruits instead of syrup or sugar. Zero-calorie sweeteners can be used in place of sugar.
• Replace butter or ghee with moderate amounts of healthy oils, such as corn or canola oil.
• Replace half of the oil with apple sauce to soften the texture of the sweets and reduce calories.
• Garnish the sweets with slices of fresh fruits or nuts, such as almonds or walnuts, rather than icing them or adding cream, chocolate, or coconut.
• Reduce the volume of nuts by half.
• Serve the sweets as snacks after a main meal.
• Serve the sweets in smaller portions.

It can be difficult to return to your regular sleeping pattern after the holy month of Ramadan. To help with the transition:

• Push back your bedtime by 30 minutes each day until you return to your regular sleep time.
• Avoid caffeine for four to six hours before bedtime.
• Avoid heavy meals and intense exercise before bedtime.