On a spiritual level, I increase my prayers and do a lot of religious reading from the Quran.
Let’s take a look at what my day looks like.
I like to give myself at least an hour to eat with my husband.
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My favorite suhoor meal is my strawberry chocolate overnight oats.
This recipe has the perfect combination of protein, complex carbohydrates, and fat.
I get the Greek yogurt with at least 2 percent milkfat for extra calories.
Courtesy of the writer
I pair this with two or three cups ofwaterso that I’m hydrated.
Add the remaining ingredients and cover with lid.
Place in the refrigerator overnight.
Courtesy of the writer
When ready to serve, remove the lid and stir well.
The time to stop eating is at the beginning of dawn, so it’s still dark outside.
We pick up calendars from our local mosque that have the exact times of all five prayers.
Courtesy of the writer
At this point, I will pray my morning prayer, called fajr.
This takes approximately 15 minutes.
Then, I go back to sleep.
Courtesy of the writer
Being a mom of a toddler and baby means I can’t really sleep in.
I’ll spend the morning feeding my children and then doing some activities and playing with them.
Since my older daughter is only 3, I get her involved by reading Ramadan-related books.
By this point, I may start feeling a bit hungry and tired.
Luckily, I’ve been able to sync their nap times so we can all sleep together!
This nap can be anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, depending on how sleepy my children are.
During these hours I’ll play and feed the kids while working on my business.
Business-related tasks include posting on social media, recipe development, or speaking to clients.
I will usually have items prepped as much as possible for the week.
I’ll pull out spicy salmon burgers I made earlier in the week that I had frozen uncooked.
Pulse to chop until onion is cut into small pieces.
Add salmon and pulse until a smooth paste is formed.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Put in the freezer for at least 30 minutes until firm.
If not eating immediately, store in a sealed container with parchment sheets in between each burger.
Serve with whole grain bun.
Do not add to salad yet.
Cut and prepare all veggies.
In a large bowl, mix veggies and black beans.
Add salt and pepper and mix well.
Just before serving, top salad with pickled mango.
Mix until well combined.
Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.
Store in airtight container and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
The pickled mango can be stored in an airtight container for a few days.
If you would like to store it for a longer period of time, omit the parsley.
Depending on what time sunset is, the time we get to open our fast changes.
My daughter helps me set the table with dates, water, and fruit.
We also drink about two to three cups of water followed by a few pieces of fruit.
The challenge is that this time coincides with the childrens bedtime.
By the time we get back to the dinner table, we are still hungry but not ravenous.
If you havent noticed by now, there are five prayers in a day.
After praying and reading the Quran, I will catch up on work related to my business.
This is the one time of the year that Im more productive at 10 P.M. rather than 10 A.M..
This extra snack really helps me maintain my milk supply for my baby.
Using damp hands, roll mixture into 1-inch balls and roll in shredded coconut.
Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
I also keep a water bottle with me during this time to ensure I stay hydrated.
If I need to prepare moreovernight oatjars, I do it now.
I finally wind down and catch about three hours of sleep before I have to wake up to eat.
