Medically reviewed by Dr. Riaz Ali Shah.
With Eidul Azha around the corner, you’re probably already blowing the dust off your Barbeque pits and making preparations for the big feast to come. Now before you roll up those sleeves, pop that belt buckle open and indulge yourself in that that delicious red meat, a fair warning first. As most of us know already, an excess of meat consumption is likely to cause health problems, such as indigestion and heart burn. Health experts have advised people to take a balanced diet to avoid such complications as every year a large number of people visit emergencies on the occasion of Eid. Apart from constipation, people with hypertension who consumed red meat have been reported to have increased cholesterol levels. It should also be noted that barbecued meat should be fully cooked as half cooked meat took much more time to digest as compared to cooked food. With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the other precautions you should take before that goat takes its sweet revenge on you for sacrificing it.
Tips to help you make it through this Bakra Eid
- Make a big jug of lemonade with a few mint leaves and keep drinking it before indulging in your meaty-delights. This will help with digesting your food faster.
- Drink plenty of hot green tea during and after your meal.
- Marinate the meat with lots of fresh herbs and spices. You can use coriander, mint, basil, oregano, green and red chili, ginger, garlic, chives and many more. This will increase the flavor of your dish and prove to be lighter on your tummy too.
- Try and cook the meat with very little or no oil, and use vegetable oil instead of animal oil which can be unhygienic. Barbeque it, grill it, bake it, steam it but try not to fry it. Fried meat is a stomach-disaster waiting to happen.
- If you are barbequing this Eid, be very careful about burning the meat. Charred meat is highly carcinogenic.
Don’t Forget the Carbs.
Load up on your complex carbohydrate intake. Substitute that paratha, naan and rice for wholegrain bread, brown rice and lettuce instead! Complex-carbs such as pulses, fruits, vegetables, skimmed milk and low fat yoghurt are your best friends; don’t ignore them!
These little tips will ensure that you spend these three days of Eid enjoying the holiday and not wasting time in the washroom. Listen to your stomach, it will tell you when to stop!
Enjoy the holidays and Eid Mubarak to you all!
Guest Credits: Dr Shayan Imran
