How to avoid Ramadan bloating: The PAE guide

With the holy month of Ramadan now upon us, no doubt many of you are reading this from the emergency ward of your nearest hospital having been rushed in with gastroenteritis after the first night. Everyone loves an iftar, but to keep the doctors away it’s important to know how to avoid those pesky ‘severe abdominal pains’ afterwards. Follow this handy guide on what digestion-destroying food combinations to leave off your plate, allowing you to enjoy a massive feast every night for a month!

Pasta, chips, bread, chips, pasta, potato wedges
Pasta can always be a tempting option to add to your little medley of buffet delights, but be warned: eaten incorrectly and your stomach could be screaming ‘mama mia!’, and not in a good way. To enjoy your pasta, try not to eat it together with a massive serving of chips, potato wedges, a bit more pasta, some more chips and bread.

Surf n’ turf n’ chicken tikka masala n’ lasagna n’ burrito
As a general rule, mixing seafood and meat should not happen in a single meal as your body only needs one concentrated protein per sitting. But things can go really awry belly-wise should you throw in a portion of thick, creamy curry, a cheese-laden pasta dish and a fully loaded Mexican wrap as well. Perhaps try removing just one item from the equation and save yourself the post-meal groans.

Hummous, fattoush, stuffed vine leaves and 16 pizzas
For many of us, it’s the starters we look forward to the most and let’s face it, who can resist a delicious spoonful of tahini-infused hummous, some refreshing fattoush salad and a few mouthwatering stuffed vine leaves? But these three Arabian delicacies can form a deadly abdominal combination should they be mixed with more than 15 extra large, stuffed-crust pizzas all covered in cheese and meat.

KFC Ramadan Iftar family bucket
NOTE: Requires sharing with at least one other person

25 iftar meals
Ramadan might be about spending quality time with your loved ones, but if you meet several groups in one night having a full meal each time could leave you feeling fatigued and agitated. Try to limit the number of iftars you eat to a maximum of 24 per evening, with no more than four trips to the buffet table each time.