Ramadan Health Guide: Tips for Fasting in Ramadan

Ramadan Healthy foods

The month of Ramadan Is very auspicious and holy for all the Muslims across the World. In this month of Ramadan, all Muslim observe fast and keep themselves away from food and water. During this month Muslims dedicate their time in prayers ( Dua, Zikr, Salat/Namaz).

We bring you the Ramadan Health Guide to keep your self fit and healthy throughout the month.

1) Your food must include all the daily food intakes you have which must include unrefined starches, lean proteins, more of  vegetables and fruits, low-fat dairy and healthy fats. This will give you macro nutrients (energy, carbohydrates, protein and fat), micro nutrients (vitamins and minerals) and fiber.

2) One must eat plenty of fiber-rich foods and you can break it easily in Ramadan. During sehri you can have whole-wheat toast with tea or coffee and cereal with some fruit. During Iftaar, one can have pasta or brown rice with lentils and vegetables, or a curry with whole-wheat roti. Avoiding fiber rich food can result in bloating or (ironically) constipation.

3) Consume good healthy lower fats or fat free food like monounsaturated (avocado, olives, olive oil, almonds, peanuts, pecan nuts, cashew nuts) and polyunsaturated fats (oily fish, seeds, soft tub margarine and vegetable oils). By adding a handful of nuts and seeds to your early morning or evening meal, you can be assured of some good, heart-healthy fats.

4) Break your meals in the evening. At the time of breaking fast in evening give space to it with snacks and dinner. Eat some snacks while breaking fast and then after a gap eat dinner and get good rest for the early morning meals or iftari.

5) Have as much as fruits as possible during breaking fast. When you start with fruits your digestive system will become active, which was not active for so many hours. Having meal on empty stomach can make them toxic says many dietitians and they advise to have fruits

6) Avoid too much heavy and oil food. They overloads your system unnecessarily.

7) Dates are excellent for of nutrition. Include them in your diet.

8) Have milk with Padam-Pista. It gives you strength

9) Keep your self away from acidity. If you have acidity problem, Consult your doctor.

10) Try your best not to do too much activity or go out in afternoons. It can cause dehydration and exhaustion.

11) Fasting causes bad breath. Brush every time you break fast.

12) Drink plenty of liquids which can include tea, coffee, fruit juice or milkshake. Fluids are often neglected in this month. Have at least 6 to 8 glasses of water everyday.

Continue Reading

Frequently asked Questions (FAQ) about Ramadan | Questions And Answers About Fasting

Frequently asked questions on Fasting in Ramadan

A general point about illness and fasting: chapter 2, verse 184 of the Qur’an makes it explicitly clear that people who have an illness or medical condition of any kind that makes fasting injurious to their health are exempt from fasting. To compensate for the missed fasts, they must fast later when they are healthy; if this is not possible due to long-term illness, they must feed the poor. The latter form of compensation is known as fidyah

Q1 Should a person with diabetes fast? 
People who have their diabetes under control, either by diet or using tablets, may fast. However, their GP may require them to make changes to their medication in order to help them take tablets outside the times of fasting. Those who need insulin to control their diabetes are advised not to fast.

Q2 I get severe migraines when I skip meals and they get worse when I fast. Should I fast at all?
 Those with uncontrolled migraines are advised not to fast. However, adequate control of migraines is possible for most people with medication and alterations to lifestyle, and hence such avenues should be exhausted prior to deciding not to fast. Please see your GP for further advice on better control of your migraines.

Q3 Should a person with high or low blood pressure fast? 
Those with well-controlled high blood pressure may fast with lifestyle alterations and/or medication. Their GP may require a change to their medication in order to help them take tablets outside the times of fasting. A person with so-called ‘low blood pressure’ who is otherwise well and healthy may fast. An adequate intake of fluid and salts in the diet is advised.

 Q4 Is fasting harmful when a woman is expecting a baby?
 Is it compulsory to fast while pregnant? It is not compulsory to fast while pregnant, but the woman will either need to make up those fasts later or, if unable to do this, should perform fidyah *. There is some medical evidence to show that fasting in pregnancy is not advisable. If a pregnant woman feels strong and healthy enough to fast, especially during the early part of the pregnancy, she may do so. If she does not feel well enough to fast, Islamic law gives her clear permission not to fast, and to make up the missed fasts later.

Q5 Is Ramadan a good time to quit smoking? 
Yes. Smoking is wasteful and seriously injurious to health. Allah has entrusted us with a healthy body, and it is a violation to knowingly and willingly harm it. Ramadan provides a great opportunity to amend many bad habits, and smoking is very definitely one of them.

Q6 From what age can children fast safely? 
Children are required to fast from the age of puberty, and this is not harmful. Fasting prior to this age is tolerated differently depending on the children’s general health, nutrition and attitude. Fasting prior to the age of seven or eight years is not advisable, although it is a good idea to make young children aware of the practice of fasting in the community around them, and to give them a ‘taste’ of fasting, eg for a few hours at a time. It is narrated that the companions would distract young children with toys if they were hungry near the time of iftar , so that they would become accustomed to joining the rest of the community in eating at sunset, rather than eating just before sunset, during Ramadan. (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Q7 Can I use an asthma puffer during Ramadan? 
Muslim jurists differ on this issue. Some leading jurists argue that using an asthma inhaler is not classified as eating or drinking, and is therefore permissible during fasting. Others argue that because the inhaler provides small amounts of liquid medicine to the lungs, it breaks the fast. Perhaps the former view is stronger, since the inhaler assists with breathing and helps the person to fast, which means abstaining from food and drink. According to the first view, asthmatics may fast and use their inhalers whenever required during fasting. According to the second view, asthmatics with poor control of their disease are advised not to fast until good control is achieved. Others may alter their inhalers to those of a longer-acting variety so that fasting may be feasible. Please see your GP for further advice.

Q8 Can I swim during fasting? 
Yes, but do not drink the water. Having a bath or shower or swimming has no effect on the fast. Clearly, no water should be swallowed during any of these activities, for that would break the fast.

Q9 Can a person fast if they are getting a blood transfusion in hospital?
 No. A person receiving a blood transfusion is advised not to fast on medical grounds. They may fast on the days when no transfusions are required.

Q10 I am on regular medication. Can I still fast? 
If such medication needs to be taken during the time of fasting, you should not fast. If this medication is required as treatment for a short illness, you can compensate for missed fasts by fasting on other days when you are well. If medication is required on a long-term basis as part of an ongoing illness or condition such as high blood pressure or diabetes, then you may discuss with your GP whether to change your medication to a long- or short-acting variety as appropriate, to enable you to take it outside the time of the fast. If your disease is unstable or poorly controlled, you are advised not to fast.Those who are unable to compensate later for missed fasts, due to the long-term use of medication, are advised to do fidyah *.

Q11 Does a breastfeeding woman have to fast? 
No. Islamic law exempts a breastfeeding mother from fasting. Missed fasts will need to be compensated for by fasting or fidyah * once breastfeeding has ceased.

Q12 Can a Muslim patient take tablets, injections, inhalers or patches while fasting? 
Taking tablets invalidates the fast. However, injections, inhalers, patches, ear and eye drops, etc that are not comparable to food and drink do not break the fast, although it is advisable to avoid these if possible due to the difference of opinion among Muslim jurists on these issues. Islamic law exempts the sick from fasting. Please see the answer to Q10 for further details.

Q13 Could dehydration become so severe that one has to break the fast? 
Yes. Harmful levels of water loss could occur if the person was poorly hydrated before commencing the fast, and/or could be made worse by activities during the day and weather conditions. If one produces very little or no urine, feels disorientated and confused, or faints due to dehydration, the fast should be broken in order to rehydrate oneself. Islam does not require that you harm yourself in fulfilling the fast. If a fast is broken, it will need to be compensated for by fasting at a later date.

Q14 Can I fast while I have dialysis? 
Peritoneal dialysis requires the daily usage of fluid bags in the abdomen, and such patients are advised not to fast (please refer to fidyah * below). Haemodialysis is performed about three times a week, and results in significant shifts of fluids and salts within the body. Such patients are also advised not to fast (please refer to fidyah * below). * Fidyah : a method of compensation in Islam for a missed act of worship that must be otherwise fulfilled. If you are unable to fulfil a missed fast, for example due to an ongoing illness, you should feed a hungry person (two meals per day) if you are able to. Please consult an Islamic scholar for further details

*Fidyah: a method of compensation in Islam for a missed act of worship that must be otherwise fulfilled. If you are unable to fulfil a missed fast, for example due to an ongoing illness, you should feed a hungry person (two meals per day) if you are able to. Please consult an Islamic scholar for further details

Continue Reading

Benefits of fasting in Ramadan

Fasting is not only a physical but also a spiritual exercise that has many lasting benefits.

1. Heightened consciousness of God Fasting helps you to become less preoccupied with bodily appetites, and gives the heart and mind the freedom to reflect upon deeper spiritual matters, such as your relationship with God and with fellow human beings. It enables a person to develop sustained consciousness of God (Taqwa).

2. Healthy lifestyle A fasting person learns restraint, and only responds to hunger and thirst in the heightened level of consciousness and discipline. Through fasting, a person begins to appreciate the value of food. In the Qur’an “healthy and wholesome food” is described as the best of provisions. Thus fasting helps a person to choose a healthier lifestyle by making small yet lasting changes to their daily diet.

3. Compassion and charity When fasting, you should think of those in need who may be fasting but have no food at the start or the end of their fast, those whose tiny children are also having to go hungry because of poverty. The Prophet Muhammad described Ramadan as “the month of mercy”. His companions observed: “The Prophet (Muhammad) was the most generous of people, but he would be his most generous during Ramadan ...” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

4. Community spirit During Ramadan, the one who fasts has heightened concerns for the well-being of the community – rich and poor, intellectuals and labourers. Community spirit is promoted as people start fasting at the same time and break their fast at the same time, and reflect together through longer prayer and deeper devotions. It is greatly encouraged that families invite each other to break their fast together.

5. A fast without the spirit is empty of blessing Abstention for long hours can be very hard physically and spiritually. However, by the end of the long month you should feel cleansed and with a renewed spirit. Ramadan is an ideal time to break bad habits, to reflect on personality and to improve your character.

 Those who fast but make no change to their lives except delaying a meal cannot really expect to become any different in their behaviour during or after Ramadan. In many ways, this is a wasted fast, as stressed in a number of sayings of the blessed Prophet: fasting is not merely “abstention from eating and drinking, but also from vain speech and foul language”. (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Fasting is, therefore, about much more than just giving up food and drink and hoping to lose a couple of pounds. By fasting, a person reflects, acts and betters his or her character.

Continue Reading

Foods that benefit and harms in Fasting

Fasting in Ramadan can help improve a person’s health, with a correct diet to be followed and if not can possibly worsen it! The deciding factor is not the fast itself, but rather what is consumed in the non-fasting hours. To fully benefit from fasting, a person should spare a great deal of thought to the type and quantity of food they will indulge in through the blessed month.

Overeating can not only harm the body but it is thought also to interfere with a person’s spiritual growth during the month. A diet that has less than a normal amount of food but is sufficiently balanced will keep a person healthy and active during the month of Ramadan. The diet should be simple and not differ too much from one’s normal everyday diet. It should contain foods from all the major food groups, as shown below.

Complex carbohydrates are foods that will help release energy slowly during the long hours of fasting. Complex carbohydrates are found in grains and seeds, like barley, wheat, oats, millets, semolina, beans, lentils, wholemeal flour, basmati rice, etc.

Fibre-rich foods are also digested slowly and include bran, cereals, whole wheat, grains and seeds, potatoes with the skin, vegetables such as green beans and almost all fruit, including apricots, prunes, figs, etc.

Foods to avoid are the heavily-processed, fast-burning foods that contain refined carbohydrates in the form of sugar, white flour, etc., as well as, of course, too much fatty food (eg cakes, biscuits, chocolates and sweets, such as Indian Mithai). It may also be worth avoiding the caffeine content in drinks such as tea, coffee and cola. (Caffeine is a diuretic and stimulates faster water loss through urination.)

Suhoor , the pre-dawn meal, should be a wholesome, moderate meal that is filling and provides enough energy for many hours. It is therefore particularly important to include slowly-digesting foods in the suhoor .
 
Iftar is the meal which breaks the day’s fast. This meal could include dates, following the Prophetic traditions. Dates will provide a refreshing burst of much-needed energy. Fruit juices will also have a similar, revitalising effect. The meal should remain a meal and not become a feast! Try to minimise the rich, special dishes that traditionally celebrate the fast and keep to the advice included in the table opposite.

Many of the foods which are mentioned and encouraged in this booklet are in the Holy Qur’an, and the Sunnah (the Prophetic traditions) also correspond to modern guidelines on a healthy diet and will help to maintain balanced, healthy meals in Ramadan. The most commonly consumed foods by Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) were milk, dates, lamb/mutton and oats.

Healthy foods mentioned in the Holy Qur’an are fruit and vegetables, such as olives, onions, cucumber, figs, dates, grapes as well as pulses such as lentils. The encouragement of fish can be seen in the fact that Islamic law spares fish from any specific slaughter requirements, making it easy to incorporate fish in a meal.

Continue Reading

Physiological changes that occur during fasting

The very first question for many people, regarding fasting is whether it is good or bad for your health. The answer to this requires a quick overview of what happens inside the body during fasting: the physiology of fasting.

The changes that occur in the body in response to fasting depend on the length of the continuous fast. Technically the body enters into a fasting state eight hours or so after the last meal, when the gut finishes absorption of nutrients from the food. In the normal state, body glucose, which is stored in the liver and muscles, is the body’s main source of energy.

During a fast, this store of glucose is used up first to provide energy. Later in the fast, once the stores of glucose run out, fat becomes the next store source of energy for the body. Small quantities of glucose are also ‘manufactured’ through other mechanisms in the liver. Only with a prolonged fast of many days to weeks does the body eventually turn to protein for energy. This is the technical description of what is commonly known as ‘starvation’, and it is clearly unhealthy. It involves protein being released from the breakdown of muscle, which is why people who starve look emaciated and become very weak.

As the Ramadan fast only extends from dawn till dusk, there is ample opportunity to replenish energy stores at pre-dawn and dusk meals. This provides a progressive, gentle transition from using glucose to fat as the main source of energy, and prevents the breakdown of muscle for protein. The use of fat for energy aids weight loss, preserving the muscles, and in the long run reduces your cholesterol levels. In addition, weight loss results in better control of diabetes and reduces blood pressure.

A detoxification process also seems to occur, as any toxins stored in the body’s fat are dissolved and removed from the body. After a few days of the fast, higher levels of certain hormones appear in the blood (endorphins), resulting in a better level of alertness and an overall feeling of general mental well-being.

Balanced food and fluid intake is important between fasts. The kidney is very efficient at maintaining the body’s water and salts, such as sodium and potassium. However, these can be lost through sweating. To prevent muscle breakdown, meals must contain adequate levels of ‘energy food’, such as carbohydrates and some fat.

Hence, a balanced diet with adequate quantities of nutrients, salts and water is vital.

Continue Reading