Preparing Your Body for Eid al-Adha: Essential Nutrition and Health Tips

About a week before Eid al-Adha, it’s essential to take extra care of our health through healthy eating, increasing physical activity and daily movement, focusing on proper hydration and nutrition. This is how nutritionist Lama Ghabbaly Naboot, holder of a Master’s in Public Health from Glama Clinic, began her talk with Nadormagazine. She answered the question “How to prepare your body before Eid al-Adha?” and emphasized the importance of following these guidelines during the Eid celebrations as well.

Focus on Hydration

Keeping the body well hydrated is very important for metabolism. It is recommended to drink a glass of water half an hour before each meal and also drink water between meals to avoid confusing thirst with hunger. Water also helps reduce the amount of food consumed in each meal.

Aim to drink at least 8 cups of water per day spread throughout the day, and increase this amount if the weather is hot or if engaging in physical activity that causes sweating.

Mindful Eating

Practice mindful eating — eat slowly and chew your food well (about 20 times before swallowing) because digestion begins in the mouth.

During social gatherings, it’s good to socialize and talk while eating, placing your fork and knife down between bites. Always start your meal with a plate of salad or vegetable appetizers as they provide fiber that helps with feeling full.

Do Not Skip Meals

Never skip any of the main meals even if you are preparing for a big lunch or dinner event. Skipping meals leads to extreme hunger and loss of control over appetite, which often causes overeating. The body then quickly converts excess food to fat because it feels deprived, increasing the risk of weight gain.

Focus on Fiber-Rich Foods

Eat plenty of fiber-rich foods such as vegetables, whole grains, and fruits (in moderate amounts due to the sugar content in fruits). Fiber helps reduce hunger and also contributes to hydration since fruits and vegetables have high water content.

Check the Menu in Advance

If you are invited to eat out, check the restaurant’s menu online if available or contact them to inquire about dishes. This helps plan your meal and estimate calorie intake beforehand.

Swap Meals if Needed

If you have a dinner invitation, try switching your usual dinner with lunch — eat a light meal like toast with labneh or white cheese at noon, and have a light salad with a bit of olive oil and lemon before heading to the event. This way you don’t arrive overly hungry and can better control how much you eat.

Avoid Drinking Large Amounts of Liquids During Meals

Avoid drinking large quantities of liquids during meals to help digestion. Also, avoid heavy meals and sweets right before bedtime as they may disrupt sleep and cause unpleasant dreams.

Enjoy Sweets Mindfully

Avoid eating sweets before Eid and consume them in moderation during Eid. Traditional Arabic sweets are often high in calories (a small piece can have around 200+ calories). When visiting others, try to have just one small piece of one type of sweet.

Prepare Food Using Healthy Methods

Choose healthy cooking methods like grilling, boiling, steaming, and reduce salt and fat intake. This is important for managing and losing weight and also crucial for those with diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, or heart diseases.

Stay Active and Move

Regular physical activity is very important — do not neglect exercise during the holiday season. If you are not used to exercising, increase your daily activity level to at least 6,000 steps per day, adjusted for age and health status.

Following these tips can help you stay healthy, energized, and enjoy Eid al-Adha with balance and wellbeing.