Mrs Gbemisola Abass is the Assistant Director of Nursing, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State. In this interview with BLESSING EKUM, she shares some insight into fasting and the ideal feeding habit.

How is your day usually like?
I have my prayers between 5.00 am and 6.00 am and get ready for work, which I resume at 8.00 am. I close from work at 4.00 pm and come home.

What are some of the dishes you prepare for breakfast?
I usually prepare bread and egg; yam and egg for the family but I hardly take breakfast at home because I have to resume early. So, I take my breakfast with me to the office. But since we started the Ramadan fast, I prepare semovita, wheat, amala, with vegetable soup and sometimes, rice and dodo.

Do you have a favourite dish?
Yes and that is rice and fish stew.

Is that also your family's special occasion dish?
No. For my family's special dish, it is fried rice or pounded yam and vegetable soup.

Are there dishes you use to have as a child but just seems to have faded out?
I am from Ibadan, Oyo state and though we are noted for amala and ewedu with gbegiri, there are some dishes that I no longer see around. When I was young, we used to eat hot yam with ikete but it is no longer common. There is also ishapa soup, but it is not too common anymore.

Have you ventured into dishes apart from Yoruba dishes?
I have learnt to prepare ogbono soup and I have taken edikang ikong soup before, though I don't know about its preparation.

From the health perspective, what are the benefits of fasting?
It is helpful for the body because it helps to reduce waste products. Most people are sedentary workers and hardly exercise, so the fasting helps in shedding some weight.

What are the ideal meals for breaking one’s fast?
It depends on the individual. Usually, the first thing should be water or fruits. But it depends on the individual preference for which fruit. However, it is not advisable to break fasts with oranges. As for the meals, one should not eat much of heavy foods but take more of fruits or water.

Is there anything wrong with breaking fasts with oranges?
It is not advisable because of its high citric acid content. One must have been fasting all day and would have a degree of citric acid in the stomach already, so, breaking with oranges can result in eroding of the stomach lining. One can go for any of the local fruits.

Are there feeding specifications for those with certain health conditions when it comes to fasting?
For certain conditions like ulcer, it would depend on the stage of the ulcer. There are ulcers that can be managed with fast, but there are others that just aren't. If it is not manageable, it is advisable that such person should stay away from fast. In the Islamic fast, it has been specified by the Holy prophet (SAW) that if you are not fit, you can excuse yourself from the fast and all you need do is feed those who are fasting. More so, for someone with ulcer, he or she should keep away from foods that can aggravate the ulcer such as beans, whose fibre content can cause heart burn and discomfort; highly acidic foods such as oranges, lime, and unripe fruits; garden eggs, because of the roughage; spices. Milk should be taken more often.

You mentioned beans as inappropriate for ulcer patients. Beans is a staple source of protein in Nigeria. How else can the ulcer patient meet his protein needs?
The beans can be eaten in varieties like moin moin and gbegiri, but not akara. But cooked beans is not advisable.

Is there a bean meal you enjoy taking?
I like beans and maize porridge

How do you prepare the beans and maize porridge?
I prefer brown beans. So you will need brown beans, fresh maize, dried fish, pepper, palm oil, salt, bunion cubes.

Remove the shaft from the beans and boil. When it is half cooked, add the fresh maize kernels and allow to cook. Add pepper, salt, palm oil, dried fish and a bunion cube. Allow to cook for a bit and serve. It is very tasty, balanced and great for pregnant women, especially when the beans is more than the maize.