Very Filling Slow Cooker Chili

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 3/4 cup diced onion
• 3/4 cup diced celery
• 3/4 cup diced green bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans tomato puree
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans with liquid
• 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Directions
Place the beef in a skillet over medium heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain grease.
Place the beef in a slow cooker, and mix in onion, celery, green bell pepper, garlic, tomato puree, kidney beans, and cannellini beans. Season with chili powder, parsley, salt, basil, oregano, black pepper, and hot pepper sauce.
Cover, and cook 8 hours on Low.

7 Top Tips for Exercising in Ramadan

Even before you think of having an exercise plan during Ramadan, you need to make sure you are fueling your body in the right way, which I will deal with in a separate post.

1.       Clearance from your doctor:

I know you’re eager to exercise, but your doctor must be aware, especially if you are taking any medication or suffer from any condition. Staying on the cautious side by taking your doctor’s advise can save you a lot of pain later on. If your doctor is not Muslim, this is an excellent opportunity to explain how Muslims fast. However, your doctor might tell you not to exercise at all just so that they don’t take any chances. In that case, if you feel there’s no reason why you can’t exercise, then go for it.

2.       Best time to workout:

If you can, get in about 25 minutes of exercise right before sehri/suhoor. This way you do not dehydrate your body while working out during you fast, and you are able to fuel yourself right away. However I realise this is not feasible for everyone, so another option is spending another 25 minutes just before iftar. If you find yourself really exhausted and in no shape to workout at that time, then have a light iftar, wait for an hour, and exercise right before taraweeh.

3.       25 minutes is adequate.

10 minutes of cardio, 15 minutes of strength training. Alternate between upper body and core and lower body and core, and this will ensure you are targeting your body overall.  The duration is short enough to keep you from feeling thirsty. And if you feel you need more cardio, go for taraweeh early, park far away, and run/jog to the mosque.

4.       Avoid foods that will slow you down

As I said in the beginning, food is your fuel, and you want to make sure you avoid fatty foods, overeating, and too much sweets to ensure your workouts are successful.

5.       Drink a lot of water

when you can. This is essential. Water has 100s of benefits, from weight loss to optimal bodily functions. Stay away from other sugary drinks, and drink as much water during the evening as you can. Carry a bottle to taraweeh.

6.       Listen to your body

If you are tired or exhausted, then either shorten your workout, or change your routine. Change the time. Try different things to see what works the best for you. In the end, the purpose of Ramadan is spiritual development, so nothing should take away from that.

7.       Consult an expert

A lot of the times we don’t know if what we are doing is enough, right, or even necessary! Don’t stay in doubt, find your local fitness expert and nutritionist and get your questions answered.

[This post originally written by me first appears on ProductiveRamadan.com]