CHIEF CIC

A worth reading article for every Muslim!!

This year the holy month of Ramadan falls in August and September, which means that the days will be much longer and hotter than they have been in a long time. Fasting will prove even more of a challenge for many of us, so it is vital to take extra steps to look after our health. Preparing for the day ahead at the dawn time meal, and making sure we eat the right foods at the sunset meal will ensure we make the most of a blessed and beautiful month. Balance your meals: Make sure that your suhoor meal (pre-dawn meal) is the largest meal of the day.

Avoiding heavy foods and overeating in the evening allows for a larger meal in the morning. Cut caffeine: Limit coffee, tea and fizzy drinks as their caffeine content makes your body lose water. Avoid brain fog: Get your essential fats such as fish, cheese and meats to avoide midday fog.Avoid dehydration: It is very important to drink plenty of water in the pre-dawn meal before fasting and when breaking fast at dusk.Foods to avoid: Avoid simple carbohydrates such as cookies, cakes, crackers, chips, potatoes, white bread, white rice and pasta. Also having too much fried, oily and spicy foods will sap your energy and give you a stomach ache. Break with dates: Dates are an excellent source of natural sugar, fibre, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. they provide energy and antioxidants.

Get energised: To boost energy, have slower digesting foods, such as whole grain breads and cereals like barley and oatmeal. Eggs are a power food because they are enriched with protein and iron for energy and mental stamina. Exercise: Take up light activities like beginner's yoga, walking or cycling. Go for a stroll with your family after iftar. However, to stay hydrated avoid working up a sweat or being outdoors on a hot day.Are you fit for fasting? Though fasting is often not an easy task and takes mental will power and physical endurance, Islam stresses the importance of keeping the body and mind from harm. Fasting is neither a responsibility nor a right for those who are too ill to tolerate it. Hence, it is very important to seek medical advice if you suffer from a chronic disorder such as diabetes or hypertension. Pregnant women and nursing mothers are exempt from fasting too.Individuals with diabetes who are able to keep their blood glucose levels stable through diet control are better suited to fasting than those who require medication or insulin injections, though most diabetics can fast with the right care. But, children with type I insulin dependent diabetes should avoid fasting.

Your doctor will determine if you can fast by checking your overall health including: Any uncontrolled high blood pressure or angina;Current infections;A history of uncontrolled diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis; Whether you require insulin or medications to control your diabetes;Whether you have kidney stones, emphysema or other disorders.For most diabetic Muslims, fasting is safe and can be beneficial, particularly if they have Type2 adult onset diabetes or are obese diabetics. However, a careful diet must be followed and glucose levels must be monitored cautiously. Long term complications, dehydration, infections, hypoglycemia (low glucose levels) and coma are real harms that can occur if diabetes is not carefully monitored.If you are on prescription medication for high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, angina, high cholesterol and other cardiovascular disorders, it is very important to consult your doctor about changing your medication schedule. Do not reduce your dosage or stop medication on your own; this can have serious effects such as stroke and heart disease.If fasting will cause harm to a person afflicted with a dietary disease such as diabetes, they are not required to fast. Instead, they should provide food for the needy people for every fast they miss.

Benefits of fasting: Often recognised as the missing link in western conventional medicine and nutrition, fasting results in fascinating bodily processes, by which the body sheds toxins, heals, repairs and replenishes its energy supplies. Fasting has been shown to improve allergies, anxiety, depression, colds, headaches, muscle aches, skin irritations and other illnesses. Medical studies show that fasting and curbing calorie intake even contribute to a longer lifespan.

What happens to our body during a fast? During a fast, our body generates its own energy by burning stored resources made from excess fats, carbohydrates and sugars to produce energy. The liver is the most significant organ in this economical process; it converts the fats into chemicals called ketone bodies which are three water-soluble compounds that are then used as a source for energy. Detoxification is one of the most important benefits of fasting.A regular body process, detoxification occurs as the colon, liver, kidney, lungs, lymph glands and skin eliminate or neutralise toxins. This process speeds up during fasting as the body breaks down fats. Chemicals and toxins absorbed from food and the environment are stored in fat reserves and released during fasting.

Fasting is also a healing for the mind, body and soul in more ways than one. At a physical level, energy and resources are diverted from the digestive system (which is constantly in overuse as we graze on food) to the immune system and metabolic processes allowing the body to heal, rebuild and replenish itself.

Yours sincerely,