If you know me, you know that I am always a little intimidated by Ramadan.  I feel like I can never measure up to those around me that are more naturally able to switch from regular mode to – RAMADAN MODE – Growing up, our faith was very much a cultural experience.  We focused a lot on what would be eaten for Iftar and getting ready for Eid at the end of the month. As I got older and eventually had a child, I am always at odds because I want to showcase the beauty of my religion to my son.  But how can I achieve this if I myself am a little intimidated by the demands of this undoubtedly amazing time of year?

I basically had to change my outlook on Ramadan.  This is easier said than done. Over the past month or so, I have been looking high and low for resources that would make my goals easier to achieve.  And I finally came across three resources that are simple, easy to integrate into my life and will in fact keep me sorted through the month and hopefully inshaAllah, reset my habits – religious or otherwise.

My goals are simple:

1. Fast with genuine intention
2. Pray
3. Read and understand the Quran
4. Eat properly to fuel my body
5. Experience less overwhelm while going about this blessed month

Here are my three resources that I think will aid me in reaching my goals iA.

MENTAL WELL BEING AND ORGANIZATION

Daily Ramadan Planner

Created by @SimplyinControl and her sister, @ilmspiration, this is a FREE PRINTABLE that can help you plan out each day of Ramadan to make sure you make the most of your day.  It includes:

• A prefilled in daily checklist of small tasks to do for the remembrance of Allah
• A good deed of the day to keep track of the good things you are doing
• A Quran recitation and notes section where I plan on writing out my fave verses that I come across.
• A Dua section, I plan on writing out duas or hadith that I come across that resonate with me.
• A salat tracker so that you can keep track of your prayers.  This one will be great for me because this is my weakest point – I will be more accountable to my salat.
• A meal plan section to write out meal ideas so that you can focus on your spiritual growth rather than worrying about what to make.
• A water tracker so that you can make sure you are keeping on top of hydration after iftar in preparation for the next day of fasting.

I personally have seen amazing Ramadan planners but this one is so pretty and the best part is that it’s FREE.  You can CLICK HERE to download one of three colour options for your preferences. I personally love it because it has everything I personally value and want to take responsibility of this month.  It keeps in mind the spiritual and habitual aspects of Ramadan. It also allows me to see my progress over the month. I printed it and got it bound because it will also act as a keepsake over the years that I can look back on to see how far I’ve come.  Also, since this is a printable the file sits on your computer to be used next year! I love it!

PHYSICAL WELL BEING

The Ramadan Meal Planner

Created by a registered Dietitian & Nutritionist Nazima Qureshi- @NutritionbyNaz & Chelsea Panzarella- @thepcosfoodie, this meal plan was created to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle despite our inclination to go wild for iftar.  For me, the best part of this meal plan is that it has:

• A variety of recipes from different cultural backgrounds
• Shopping lists broken up based on week.
• The recipes incorporate sunnah foods so that you can reap the benefits of eating them during Ramadan
• It includes informational tips and checklists to ensure you are making the most out of the hours you are able to eat.
• Put an emphasis on reclaiming healthy eating during Ramadan.  It’s not all about the fried foods.

This meal plan is so amazing because Nazima also put an emphasis on eating certain foods at certain times to optimize our nutrition during the fasting hours.  I love that someone with actual know-how has created this because I can rest assured that it’s not just recipes – it’s a plan for health success in this time. Coupled with her creative combinations, I know I will not be bored eating “healthy”, I am looking forward to all the delicious recipes that she and Chelsea have created!

CLICK HERE to purchase this meal plan for Ramadan for a whole month of healthy suhoors and iftars iA.

SPIRITUAL WELL BEING

Quran Explorer

I am not a native speaker of Arabic like a lot of the Muslim population.  When quran is recited or I am reading the arabic pronunciation, I feel a huge sense of disconnect.  This year, I wanted to change that, and after looking through countless apps, I have found my favorite app, Quran Explorer it will allow me to do the following:

• There is a recitation option, so I can listen to it all day while I work.
• It translates the Arabic to English so I can understand the meaning rather than just the pronunciation.
• It has it broken down into 30 sections (Juz) so that if I choose to complete the Quran in the month, I am better enabling myself for success.

This is among the only apps that have all of these features all in one.  I found many other apps that were amazing at one of the above features but lacked the others.  I strongly recommend this app. There is also a web based option as well for more flexibility. I feel this app will enable me to further my quest to educate myself in the spiritual sense.

These are three resources I am using for MY benefit.  To ensure I am able to reap the benefits of this month without feeling disconnected or overwhelmed by this month.  InshaAllah, I hope our efforts payoff and we come out the end of Ramadan feeling accomplished on all fronts of our endeavour.

Please leave me a comment and let me know which of these resources you are going to use and if this post was of benefit to you for this Ramadan.

Thank you for reading!

*this post is NOT SPONSORED, all the research and opinions on each resource is my own and I have not been compensated in any way to state them.*