Welcome to My Ramadan Routine, a series following the rituals and traditions of Muslims fasting through the holy month.
First up we have London-based Cherno Jagne, 36, chief operating officer at charity Choose Love, whose regime is admirable but far off the habits of many other Muslims.
For starters, Jagne is aiming to run 150km, and secondly, he sticks to the same four meals, which he’s been enjoying for the past 11 Ramadans.
Last year, his charity Choose Love started a Run for Ramadan Campaign, where Jagne set himself the target of running 100km to raise £2,000 to go towards providing food packs for refugees in camps in Greece and Lebanon.
He surpassed the endeavour by £9,000, deciding to raise the stakes this year.
So now, Jagne is planning to run 150km, with the hopes of raising £50,000, this time for Afghan refugees arriving in the UK and US and rebuilding their lives.
Let’s see what his Ramadan routine looks like.
When do you start your day?
So, at the moment, Fajr (sunrise prayer) is around 4.57am, so I will generally be up for Suhoor (breakfast meal) around 4.30am. I’ll usually just have a glass of water and then stay up until Fajr, then I’ll go back to sleep until about 8am and then get ready for work.
I’ll work from 9am to 6pm, and from 6pm onwards, when I finish work, is where my main Ramadan routine begins.
From 6pm to 6.30pm I prepare most of the food that I’ll have during iftar and throughout the evening. I’ll also make sure that the first few bits I’m going to have right away during iftar are ready on the table. From 6.30pm to roughly 7.30pm I go for a run, which is usually about 7/8km.
So, what do you have for iftar?
My friends and family think I’m insane for how I approach iftar. I’m really strict about what I eat. I usually break my fast with a glass of hot water mixed with fresh ginger, mint leaves, a slice of lemon and set honey, along with two dates. Then I go and pray Maghrib (sunset prayer) immediately after.
After Maghrib, I’ll have two large eggs (scrambled) with 50gs of spinach and 100g of smoked salmon. Then I’ll go to pray Taraweeh, after which I’ll have my ‘lunch,’ which consists of 100g chicken breast, 100g of broccoli and 75g of couscous.
After an hour, I’ll have my ‘dinner’ which is usually around 11/11.30pm and this consists of a salmon fillet (75g), 100g sweet potatoes, 100g carrots and half an avocado. Most importantly, I always ensure that I consume two litres of water each night.
These meals help to keep me fuelled with the physical activities that I like to keep up with during the month. I know most people tend to have one large meal, which is usually not a healthy meal, and I’ve never understood that aspect of fasting as it just makes you lethargic and you’re also more likely to struggle the next day if you’re not filling your body with good nutrients when you break your fast.
Kudos to you. Are there any rituals you do throughout the day?
Listening to Islamic podcasts specifically about Ramadan has become a bit of a ritual of mine whilst cooking and preparing for iftar. There’s a great scholar based in Texas call Dr Omar Suleiman who hosts a Ramadan series every year, which I really enjoy and look forward to listening to every day.
What do you crave the most while fasting?
The common answer to this question is coffee but, given that I don’t drink caffeine, I can honestly say I don’t ever crave anything. The key thing when you’re fasting is to keep yourself busy and your mind occupied, which helps time fly by and stops you craving things.
Power to you. And best of luck on your runs!