Ramadan 2019: Dates can be a great pre-workout and post-workout snack
Highlights
- Dates are rich in potassium
- They can help in regulating blood pressure
- They are a powerhouse of iron
Dates are one of the healthiest fruits on this planet. They are a healthy sugar substitute and have an array of health benefits that will make you fall in love with them instantly. Elaborating on dates and its many health benefits is Luke Coutinho, who took to Facebook to talk about how adding dates to your diet can provide you with a powerhouse of nutrition. However, there are a lot of misconceptions about dates like they can make you gain weight, they contain lots of sugar and that they are unhealthy for diabetics. All of these are myths, believes Luke.
Ramadan 2019: Break your roza with dates- its health benefits will surprise you
1. Dates are packed with iron, antioxidants and several vitamins that can benefit you.
2. While dates are high in calories, they can make for a great pre-workout snack. Luke suggests that having a few dates before your workout can give you the required energy to exercise effectively. You can have fruit or dates after a workout as wel, as the body needs to replenish glycogen and fruit or dates help in serving this purpose.
Also read: Enjoy The Super Healthy Dates: Rujuta Diwekar Tells Why
3. Dates can also work as a great snack you can have on-the-go as it can provide you with sustained energy.
4. This is the reason why dates are used for breaking fast during Ramadan or Ramzan. Dates can be eaten to break your fast when you're doing intermittent fasting. The time when you break your fast is the time when your cells are acting as a sponge, screaming to be filled with some nutrition and a nutritious food like dates is the perfect to break a fast.
5. Dates are great for people who have heart problems. They are rich in potassium and insoluble fibre. Remember that consuming dates might not be such a good idea for those who have heart problems and high potassium levels at the same time. Similarly, people with kidney problems and high potassium levels should avoid consumption of dates.
Dates are good for people with high blood pressure
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6. Dates are excellent for keeping your blood pressure under control. Potassium and insoluble fibre rich dates can be beneficial for people with hypertension.
7. Diabetes can eat dates, especially people with type 2 diabetes. Having one, two or three dates in a day, spaced out, and coupled with almonds is safe for diabetics. Eating them in this pattern and combination will not allow the blood sugar levels to rise rapidly.
8. Dates can prevent nerve damage or diabetic neuropathy. This condition occurs because of lack of Vitamin B1 or thiamine and dates are rich in thiamine. Dates can help in reducing tingling sensations caused by diabetic neuropathy.
9. Dates activate protein usage in the body and gives a boost to metabolism. This is provided you practice portion control and eat everything in moderation. Eat mindfully.
Also read: 5 Fruits To Treat Diabetes
10. People with anemia can benefit from dates as they are rich in iron. Pregnant women and people with iron deficiency can benefit from dates as they help in boosting red blood cells production in the body.
11. Vitamin A, B Vitamins, copper, manganese and magnesium together make up the nutrition profile of dates.
(Luke Coutinho, Holistic Lifestyle Coach - Integrative Medicine)
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