To usher in the season of Ramadan, former Olympian and first Malaysian Swisse ambassador Farah Ann opens up about her favourite things about Ramadan and how she keeps fit and maintains her wellness throughout the month.

Farah Ann needs no formal introduction. Her illustrious career as an Olympic gymnast certainly speaks for itself. And post-athlete life, she has also become the first Malaysian ambassador for global wellness brand Swisse. Ever the advocate for wellness and good health, Farah Ann is ready to take on the month of Ramadan together with Swisse — ensuring that she has a nutrient-filled diet while on the fast.

Over the course of Ramadan, the two main points in time are pre-dawn (“sahur”) and post-sunset (“buka puasa”). For sahur, it often depends on the household; some families like to indulge in heavy meals to keep them full, while others may prefer to have something quick and easy. Farah likes to keep it nutrient-dense, focusing on what her body needs to maintain energy throughout the day. Drawing on her discipline and training history as an Olympic athlete, it’s unsurprising to learn that Farah has crafted a healthy daily routine for herself.

“In order to maintain my wellness during Ramadan, I especially try to make sure that the food I’m eating is healthy,” Farah shares. “For example, I’ll usually have oats for my sahur and make sure that there’s protein in it, and to also have my vitamins in the morning. And I drink lots of water. I also exercise during the month of Ramadan — to make sure that I still maintain my fitness level. And when I buka puasa, I make sure to eat slowly and have a well-balanced meal. That means proteins, carbohydrates, vegetables, and of course lots of water.”

Packing all the nutrients your body needs while fasting

As the Malaysian ambassador for Swisse, Farah also includes vitamins and supplements in her daily Ramadan routine. On top of her well-balanced meals for sahur and buka puasa, Farah finds that mixing in Swisse products into her diet helps keep her energised throughout the long day.

“Obviously, we’re having to eat less during Ramadan, and so Swisse products really help make sure that I get all my nutrients in,” she says. “It really keeps my energy levels up, and makes sure that my health is maintained — so my body has all the nutrients that it needs to function well.”

Her routine consists of the Swisse Ultivite E-Sential Multivitamin Plus and Swisse Ultiboost Biotin + Vitamin C Complex for sahur. “I will have these vitamins, plus the Swisse Ultiboost Odourless Fish Oil Concentrate,” Farah tells me. “For me, this is what works — because I kind of pack them all together, and I’ll have the energy and nutrients for the rest of my day. I think they’re fantastic, especially during Ramadan, to replenish the body so that I have a great day and maintain my health.”

In the evenings during buka puasa, Farah’s go-to Swisse products are the Swisse Ultiboost Magnesium + Vitamin B6 and Swisse Ultiboost High Strength Vitamin C Effervescent; the latter of which she dubs a ‘family favourite’ in her household.

The best Swisse vitamins and supplements to help you prepare for Ramadan

“The Ultivite E-Sential Multivitamin Plus is made for Asian people,” Farah says. “I love it because it contains everything you need in a multivitamin.”

Suitable for both men and women, the Ultivite E-Sential Multivitamin Plus contains 27 key vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and herbs that all assist with the body’s energy production and stamina — and on top of that, also supports mental performance and a healthy immune system. The tablets are also small and easy to swallow, so we can perfectly understand why Farah would include it in her daily sahur routine!

The Ultiboost Biotin + Vitamin C Complex, which Farah also takes during sahur, is formulated with an emphasis on biotin, zinc, iron, vitamin C. These components help to nourish the body and support general wellbeing, but its main benefit? Healthy hair and nails… and glowy skin! In the month of Ramadan, we can often feel dehydrated, but thanks to these Swisse supplements, you won’t need to worry about your features looking dull. The powerful combination of biotin and zinc are made to maintain your hair, skin, nails and vision; while the iron gives your skin a healthy glow.

Occasionally for her sahur or buka puasa routine Farah will also include the Swisse Ultiboost Grape Seed Extract Plus for a little boost — which, as the name suggests, is formulated with grape seed extract and is also high in antioxidants. If you didn’t already know, antioxidants support the protection of cells from oxidation by free radicals. This is why eating antioxidant-rich foods can increase the feel-good chemicals in our brain and keep our mood heightened.

Keeping disciplined and active during Ramadan

Of course, taking her supplements is important to meet the nutrients that the body needs, but a little bit of external discipline helps, too. Farah reveals that in her family, a classic Ramadan tradition is going to the bazaar together — especially since there’s always a bazaar near her house.

“I love roti john,” Farah reveals with a laugh. “So when I go to a bazaar, I would get roti john to break fast with. I love ikan bakar as well, my family usually gets that for our first day of buka puasa. Those are kind of my two favourite things to break fast with.”

But while buka puasa is when we get to enjoy and savour the food after a long day of fasting, this doesn’t stop Farah from having yet another routine for herself. “When I break my fast, I make sure I have a date (kurma) first,” she says. “I’ll drink a cup of warm water, and then slowly start to eat my meal to make sure I don’t get an upset tummy. I don’t usually drink sugary drinks, so during Ramadan I make sure that I actually just have enough water intake so my body can fully function.”

For sahur the next morning, Farah has her favourite go-to healthy meals as well. “I love having oats with bananas, peanut butter with jelly, fruits and a little bit of cinnamon and sprinkle nuts all over,” she muses. “Sometimes I like to mix protein powder in with the oats to make sure I get that protein hit. And I’ll have eggs, like, scrambled eggs with that. Or another thing I really love is having bread with avocados and a sunny side up egg.”

As she’s mentioned, Farah makes sure that her meals are nutrient-dense. “And I think these are very easy meal preps that I do,” she adds. “I make sure that it’s all prepared so that in the morning, it’s an easier process to get them out and just eat when the time comes.”

When it comes to keeping fit, Farah admits that her mindset is still very ‘geared up’ as it had been when she was an Olympic gymnast. “I would do more weightlifting workouts, especially since I’ve done all types of workouts during Ramadan,” she reveals. “Because I still had to train in Ramadan when I was an athlete. But it’s also about making sure that you listen to your body and do workouts that are good for you.”

To ease yourself into it and not jump straight into more ‘hardcore’ workouts, Farah suggests more “slower-paced workouts such as yoga or pilates, or callisthenics exercises that you can do in order to still maintain your health” — or simply going for a walk before it’s time for buka puasa.

“I would like for the month to be one where I am able to work on myself — my inner self — and work on both my mental and physical health,” Farah opens up, when I ask her what her expectations are for this Ramadan. “To spend more time with my family, reconnecting with them, and also with my friends. Just try to be the best version of myself. And to have this time to reflect on upcoming things that I have planned for myself, and make sure that this is a successful Ramadan — and also a successful year.”

The Swisse Ultivite E-Sential Multivitamin Plus, Ultiboost Biotin + Vitamin C Complex, and Ultiboost Grape Seed Extract Plus are available on the official Swisse Malaysia website. To learn more about Swisse and the products that it offers, head to its website HERE, or visit its official Facebook and Instagram pages for updates. You can find Swisse on its official Shopee and Lazada pages as well.