Inspire Nutritions

03/07/2026

Ramadan Moments 😍

Pic 1- Allhumdullilah for living 4 minutes away from my favorite masjid- a place where I find so much peace in my heart.. been going here from almost 11 years now every Ramadan Allhumdullilah

Pic 2- Every Iftaar I try to have a fruit milkshake instead of the Roohafza which has so much sugars and colors. Cantaloupe milkshake for this day! So fresh and yum.

Pic 3- Now that my daughter is fasting, she prefers potatoes for carbs instead of rice so have started googling potato recipes after years lol.. Barbecue Nation style Cajun potatoes- so delish Masha Allah!

Pic 4- New water bottle and new Tasbih .. aahh the happiness comes in small things - Allahuma Baarik

Pic 5- When neighbors send fruit chaat 😍 Allhumdullilah for Muslim neighbors sharing iftaar with each other Masha Allah!
Pic 6- Balancing Deen and Duniya- work is fun and knowing I work in an org that provides food to the lower income communities makes me go into work everyday with a renewed purpose Allhumdullilah

Pic 7- Daily walks in my community Bayland - Subhanallah for the views 😍

03/03/2026

High-Protein Chicken Barley Iftar Soup- Recipe

After a long fast, your body doesn’t need fried food — it needs hydration, protein, fiber, and steady energy.
This bowl delivers all of it!💛

Ingredients (Serves 6-8)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 small peppers (blended)
• 1 carrot (or 10–12 baby carrots)
• 1 inch ginger
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 chicken breasts, finely diced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 cups homemade chicken stock + 2 cups water
• 1 cup cooked barley
• 1 can chickpeas (rinsed)
• ½ cup vermicelli

Spices: Spices
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Salt to taste
Finish: fresh cilantro + juice of 1 lemon

Method

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot.
2. Sauté onion until lightly golden.
3. Add blended peppers. Cook until softened and slightly reduced.
4. Add carrot, ginger, and garlic mixture. Sauté well until fragrant.
5. Add diced chicken. Stir and cook until lightly browned.
6. Stir in tomato paste + ½ cup water. Cook 2–3 minutes.
7. Add all spices and salt. Stir immediately.
8. Pour in chicken stock + additional water.
9. Add barley, chickpeas, and vermicelli.
10. Simmer 20–25 minutes.
11. Stir in fresh coriander and lemon juice before serving.
12. Garnish with more coriander and lemon.

📊 Per Serving (~1 bowl)

✨ 340 calories
✨ 28g protein
✨ 8–9g fiber
✨ Balanced carbs for steady glucose

Malt and share this with your neighbors to gain more sawab! Save this for Ramadan 🤍
Tag someone who needs better iftar ideas.

02/23/2026

Ajwa vs Medjool Dates

Here’s the difference that adds up:
• 3 Medjool dates ≈ 210 calories
• 3 Ajwa dates ≈ 70 calories

That’s a 140 calorie difference in one sitting.

Now multiply that:

140 calories × 30 days = 4,200 calories

That’s more than a pound of potential weight gain — from something that feels “small.”

All dates are beneficial, and have been given as a gift from Allah SWT. But being mindful of these small differences is helpful, Insha Allah.

01/27/2026

After more than a year of dedicated and intensive work, I’m proud to share that the Nutrition team at Alameda County Community Food Bank has released our first-ever cookbook:
Around the World in Alameda County: Cultural Foodways and Recipes from Latin/Hispanic, Black/African American, and Asian Communities.

This cookbook was created in direct response to community feedback requesting more culturally relevant recipes and resources. Many of the foods distributed by the Food Bank are culturally specific ingredients that may be unfamiliar to people outside those communities. To address this gap, we curated recipes that show how these ingredients are traditionally prepared across different cultures—honoring foodways while making these foods more accessible and usable for everyone.

This project reflects our commitment to cultural respect, nutrition equity, and empowering communities with practical, meaningful resources.

Alameda County Community Food Bank

01/27/2026

After more than a year of dedicated and intensive work, I’m proud to share that the Nutrition team at Alameda County Community Food Bank has released our first-ever cookbook:
Around the World in Alameda County: Cultural Foodways and Recipes from Latin/Hispanic, Black/African American, and Asian Communities.

This cookbook was created in direct response to community feedback requesting more culturally relevant recipes and resources. Many of the foods distributed by the Food Bank are culturally specific ingredients that may be unfamiliar to people outside those communities. To address this gap, we curated recipes that show how these ingredients are traditionally prepared across different cultures—honoring foodways while making these foods more accessible and usable for everyone.

This project reflects our commitment to cultural respect, nutrition equity, and empowering communities with practical, meaningful resources.

01/23/2026

🌙 The Power of Fasting in Sha‘bān 🌙

Sha‘bān is not just a “month before Ramadan” — it’s a month the Prophet ﷺ intentionally honored with fasting.

Usāmah ibn Zayd (رضي الله عنه) asked the Prophet ﷺ:

“O Messenger of Allah, I do not see you fasting in any month as much as you fast in Sha‘bān.”
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“That is a month people neglect between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which deeds are raised to the Lord of the worlds, and I love that my deeds be raised while I am fasting.”
📖 (Sunan an-Nasā’ī 2357 – Hasan)

✨ Why fast in Sha‘bān?
• It prepares the body and soul for Ramadan
• It revives a neglected Sunnah
• It’s a time when our deeds are presented to Allah
• It trains consistency before the intensity of Ramadan

Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would fast until we said he will never break his fast, and he would not fast until we said he would never fast. I did not see the Prophet complete an entire month of fasting except for Ramadan, and I did not see him complete more voluntary fasts than in the month of Sha’ban.

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1969, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1156

🌱 Let Sha‘bān be your spiritual warm-up — small, consistent acts done with sincerity.

May Allah allow us to reach Ramadan with hearts prepared and deeds accepted. 🤍

12/30/2025

Assalamualaikum & welcome!
If you’re new here, I’m so glad you found your way — I’m Ilham 🤍

Some of you know me as a Registered Dietitian, but my journey here has been anything but linear.

I came to the U.S. from India in 2011 with a Master’s degree — but without my RD. I felt lost, unsure, and began searching for a new direction. That path led me to become a Certified Health Coach, open my own private practice, and eventually fall deeply in love with holistic nutrition.

Along the way, I realized something powerful: true healthy eating is deeply rooted in our Sunnah and our Deen. That realization changed everything.

It led me into public speaking, sharing Prophetic Nutrition in masajid and community spaces, and pursuing my Ijazah in Hadith studies.

When my girls (now 7 and 11, MashaAllah 🤍) started school, I felt called to return to formal training — earning my second Master’s degree and completing my RD credential, Alhamdulillah.

Looking back, I see clearly now — Allah had a plan all along. Every step prepared me to bridge Prophetic wisdom with evidence-based nutrition.

My goal here is simple:
✨ to share easy, practical, Sunnah-inspired ways to nourish yourself and your family.

I’m so grateful you’re here on this journey with me, InshaAllah, toward better health — one step at a time.

Let’s begin… Bismillah 🤍

12/02/2025

For everyone who believes snacking is bad- I say the opposite- Snacks are important ways to get our nutrients in!

However the trick is to be mindful about it and including foods that help bridge the gaps between the nutrients we get from meals-

Thinks fruits, nuts and dairy! Oh and a Dark Chocolate too!

It’s only when you reach out for processed snacks, fried foods or snack mindlessly while watching a show that it becomes an unhealthy habit.

Remember what the Prophet Muhammad SAWS said - “It is sufficient for a human being to eat a few mouthfuls to keep his spine straight”

That’s all we need- few mouthfuls!

Let me know your favorite snacks in the comments!

11/13/2025

11/03/2025

Oh Allah , if you see me going away from you, Bring me back to you in a Beautiful Way. Aameen ya Rabb ❤️

10/29/2025

➡️ Why You Should Learn About Your Body Type (Mizaj / Temperament)

In traditional Islamic and Unani medicine, mizaj — your body’s natural temperament — is the foundation of health. 🌙

Every person is created with a unique balance of elements:
🔥 Hot, 💧 Cold, 💨 Dry, and 🌿 Moist.

These combine to form four main temperaments:
Sanguine,
Choleric,
Melancholic,
and Phlegmatic.

✨ Why it matters:
Understanding your mizaj helps you live in harmony with how Allah created you. It guides your nutrition, lifestyle, and emotional balance — naturally and preventively.

➡️ Benefits of Knowing Your Temperament:
1. Personalized Nutrition: You learn which foods bring balance — and which cause fatigue, bloating, or mood swings.
2. Emotional Insight: Each temperament has its emotional strengths and weaknesses. Knowing yours helps with self-awareness and inner calm.
3. Preventive Health: Instead of waiting for illness, you strengthen your body’s natural balance.
4. Spiritual Harmony: It reminds us that health is amanah — a trust from Allah — and caring for it is an act of ‘ibadah (worship).

♥️ Imam Ibn Qayyim (rahimahullah) said:

“The foundation of medicine is to preserve health and remove the cause of disease.”

So when you eat, rest, and live according to your temperament — you’re not just following a diet, you’re honoring divine balance.

I have shared in depth Nutrition focused information on all 4 body types. Do you know which one are YOU?

10/28/2025

This is a reminder for me first before others:
Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله said:

“Wasting time is worse than death. When you die, you’re cut off from this world and its people. But when you waste time, you cut yourself off from Allah and the Hereafter.”

If we truly understood the value of time, we’d count every minute—protecting it like a treasure.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“There are two blessings which many people waste: health and free time.” (Bukhari)

And he ﷺ reminded us:

“Take benefit of five before five:
your youth before your old age,
your health before your sickness,
your wealth before your poverty,
your free time before you become busy,
and your life before your death.” (Ibn Abbas, Musnad Ahmad)

Three of these five revolve around time — because once it’s gone, you can never get it back.

🌙 Make every moment count — in dhikr, in learning, in doing good or just being present - for yourself or others.

❤️ Your time is your life, and your life is your opportunity for Jannah.

Doom Scrolling - is only going to make us regret on Doomsday ..