Eid Recipes You Didn’t Know Were Healthy

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, for Muslims all over the world, It’s Eid!

Eid Mubarak from Meddy to everyone! May Allah bless you and keep you safe and happy!

There are lots of traditions in preparation for Eid or during it that we do constantly, sometimes, we even become completely subconscious to preparing them, like a routine. The henna on the eve of Eid day, the date cookies and lupin served to guests, down to the exercise of visiting all the family and friends, we really do celebrate this day, even if it doesn’t feel like it.

Here are some of the things that you have been doing to prepare for Eid that were keeping you and your family healthy:

Henna

Some people wait the entire year just to decorate their hands with henna for Eid or a special wedding. The smell of it can be extremely relaxing for others, or remind them of the past experiences they had with it. However, henna doesn’t just do that to some, it is a lot of other things including being a wound healer, helps reduce fever, and is a headache soother. How you may ask? Well, henna has natural cooling properties that make it perfect to break a fever, sooth inflammation, and even sooth your mind. These properties are anti-inflammatory, so your body’s overall temperatures drop reducing sweating, and relieving pain.

Henna is not only used for decoration on the hand, it can also be a great way to keep your hair lightly colored, silky smooth, and applying it directly to your scalp can actually improve your blood flow. Ask your dermatologist about the best ways to use henna.

Personal care

Of course, we all maintain regular hygiene and try to look and feel our best always, but there is something about getting yourself pampered for Eid that is a game changer. Both women and men go above and beyond to look their best in this wonderful holiday, who wouldn’t? You get to start the Holy day with a united special prayer with your family and neighbors, then you share the rest of the day with your family and friends. Women franticly go to salons to get their hair, nails, and waxing done, while men go to the barber shop for some trimming and a clean shave.

The showers and baths become more luxurious in preparation and the wonderful scent of cologne, perfume, and bukhor will become a must in every household. Taking a few hours out of your busy schedule to relax and take care of yourself will not only make you look good, but it will make you feel great! The benefits are endless! Talk to a family medicine doctor about more ways to pamper yourself.

Preparing homemade sweets

Everyone worries when it comes to Eid about the amount of sweets and calories that can be consumed. It is very festive and expected that you consume more and more food or sweets in particular during the few days of Eid. Lots of people warn of this, but I am not here to ruin your fun! Have some honey cake, some baklava, and lots of homemade food. See when you are in control of what you cook, you are more than likely going to make conscious healthy choices to serve up to your friends and family, so go crazy with those healthy online recipes. Book an appointment with a dietician to make sure you are getting the best food for your body.

Cleaning the house

Those who love spring cleaning have got nothing on the yearly Eid cleaning enthusiasts. Cleaning your house gives you a great bonding exercise with your family to ensure the place is clean for your guests. However, it also gives you the satisfaction of having a fresh home that looks fancier than usual to come to and entertain guests in. It provides you with a clear break from the routine life of home, and can give you an excuse to dump a few old things that you have been meaning to get rid of. Mental health and air clarity, check!

Date cookies/ dates

Looking forward to those soft and tasty date cookies? Here’s a few reasons to make you love them even more! Dates are the perfect little fruits that can be eaten on an empty stomach and be digested so easily. They provide your body with iron, which is perfect for healthy red blood cells. Potassium, which helps control your blood pressure, vitamins K and A that strengthen bones, and are perfect for your skin and lungs. They give you lots of energy from their carbohydrate content, and full faster than usual from their fiber content. Isn’t this little fruit such a miracle?

Arabic Coffee/ tea

Tea is amazing, you are surely getting lots of it in Eid. But remember, too much of one thing can be bad. Tea’s anti-inflammatory properties will keep you feeling good throughout this Eid. It is a great antioxidant and is, along with Arabic coffee, lower on caffeine than regular coffee. They both reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke as they keep your healthy blood flow. Protection for your bones, maintain weight, and giving your immune system a boost are even more reasons to drink these hot drinks.

Lupin

Most of you will probably not know this kind of snack, but I am sure you came across it in someone’s house and you just don’t know its official name. Lupin or “turmos” is a bean-like snack that people absolutely love serving up in Eid. Some serve it with lemon or salt, but it can be served with lots of other herbs and condiments. However, its unique taste will make you fall in love with it no matter what it comes with.

Its high fiber content makes it the perfect little snack to help you lose weight, it will keep you full, so you would resist the rest of the yummy, yet probably unhealthy sweets of Eid. These little yellow beans contain an essential amino acid that your body uses to balance blood sugar levels. They are high in plant protein, which studies have shown to be much better than animal protein in preventing diseases. Aside from that, and without salt, lupin can actually lower your cholesterol levels, and works as an antioxidant. Perfect with tea!

warning fact: lupin is considered to belong in the plant family of peanuts, so if you are allergic, please keep that in mind!

Exercise

Let’s not forget the most fun aspect of Eid, going out and celebrating! Whether you are visiting family and friends door to door, or going out to check out the festivities in a new mall, chances are you are doing a lot of walking, talking, and physical movements (whatever fun they may be) so you are providing your body with the perfect balance of exercise to food ratio. Be careful not to over-exert yourself as that may reverse your wonderful progress into a happier and healthier life!

Making connections

Family is such a fantastic gift that we sometimes sadly take for granted. In Eid we rekindle these connections and this makes out mental, physical, and physiological self come to rest. Connecting with and forgiving those who may have strained your life can give you new perspective and can help you avoid lots of diseases such as cardiovascular issues. Go give someone you love a hug; it will warm your body u