Assalamualaikum!
How are you? Ramadan is only a week and a half away now. So have we all decided what our routine is gonna be or what we are going to do with our time?
Well I know that you must have decided how much ibaadat and Zikr you'll all be doing and what things you'll be stopping. InshAllah, we'll all make this Ramadan the most memorable ones of our lives and learn from our past ramadan mistakes and improve it this year. We will read Quran (with the intention to finish it), pray in the nights and do no evil talking, hearing or seeing. InshAllah!
BUT in this article, I'm going to speak MOSTLY about what kinds of foods you will have to avoid. Basically, it's about HEALTH in Ramadan and also how we could abstain eating what our taste buds offers us to eat for example the delicious, tasty- FATTY- OILY-UNHEALTHY and weight gaining foods.
Why is it that we were so healthy and didn't have an upset stomach before Ramadan? And as soon as Ramadan starts, after the first Iftari, we swallow the food without chewing NON-Stop and gain weight all of a sudden? It's like an involuntary action happening with us that we don't realize. We only realize when we lift our shirts and check our tummy in the mirror and Say ,"O Crap, Here we go again" Raise your hands for those who relate to this. Well I do. Shaitaan has been preparing us the rest of the 11 months so that we screw our Ramadan. And will we let him? NO, we won't.
I am a student of Alternative Medicines and I have been learning about health and I decided to share something that I have learned. My field is about something which is not only beneficial for me now, but it could be beneficial for all of us throughout our lives!
In my studies I have learned that, the best way one could get rid of diseases is through FASTING! Yes, you read that right, FASTING! It is the Master of remedies. The practice of fasting is one of the five most important pillars of Islam. We devout our complete selves to Allah and do not do the regular things that we do like eating, drinking, watching t.v, or anything that is a bad or evil deed.
The problem of every disease in our body is mostly because of "food". There is Shaitaan in food also. Every disease can be healed by only one remedy-- by doing the opposite of what causes it, by reducing the food intake or "fasting".
Some of you should know that there are several benefits of fasting. It burns and digests the tissues by the process of breaking down of fat stores in the body in order to produce energy (autolysis). The body decomposes and burns those cells and tissues which are damaged or dead. BUT the essential tissues of the vital organs, vital glands or nervous system are not digested or damaged. The building up of new and healthy cells are speeded up by the amino acids released from those diseased cells and the capacity of lungs, livers, kidneys and skin is increased because they are relieved from the burden of digesting food and eliminating the waste substances. And therefore helps in curing gastric and other diseases. SubhanAllah!
Now how do you usually break your fast. Of course you start with the duwa or break it with a date or water. And after that?????? Khopt! Khopt! Khopt! You know what that sound is. If you really want all those benefits above to be successful, breaking the fast is the most important factor to be kept in your mind.
Food that shouldn't be on your Iftari table are:
1. Oily samosas
2. Aalo ke pakorde/ Bhajiya or any other pakorda/ Bhajiya
3. Puff Pastries (even though they are baked doesn't hide the fact with what they are stuffed with)
4. Anything that was taken out from your deep frying pan with oil or ghee. Shallow pans are still yet acceptable.
5. Any sweet dish which has lots of sugar or starchy refined items.
6. Cold water/liquid
7. ANY BEVERAGE/ tea, coffee, ghahwa. (after dinner maybe)
Food that are allowed on your Iftari table are:
1. Fruit Salad. Mind you, no sugar in that! Fruits are sweet by nature, subhanAllah.
2. Dahi bade (for those who squeeze out the oil from the wada and dip them into water for few seconds and then put them in the yoghurt)
3. Fresh lemon juice/ Grapes, Apples.
4. Dates
5. Milkshake of any fruit with crushed almonds maybe.
6. Luke warm water/ Zamzam.
The most important factor is how you break your fast. Start with a date or two. Then you might drink a glass of water. Wait for five minutes. Then start up with your fruits first. Don't eat the delicious looking foods first. The fruits would solidify your food and won't digest it properly.
After you are done with eating that "slowly", drink a glass of fresh juice. (Chewing slowly is important as most of us gulp it out of excitement or impatience.) Then you can eat your Dahi bada, your shallow fried cutlet, more dates. It also depends on how much food you want to eat but remember to chew it slowly and do not over eat so that your food comes out when you are in Prostration. After that, get up for your Maghrib Salah. You might be a little hungry even after your prayers. You could drink a glass of milkshake to suppress your hunger.
You can eat a well balanced dinner after tarawi prayers but do not fill your stomach because you have to eat again in Suhoor. Suhoor is a sunnah. Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah said: "Eat Suhoor, for there are blessings in it." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] So try to have your Suhoor may it be a date or two. A date is comprised of 23 calories. Even eating a couple of dates would be enough for your Suhoor. (for the ones who are in a hurry or over weight). You could have your normal cereal, whole grain food, eggs, bananas, lots of water half an hour before food in Suhoor. Eating Suhoor would be fulfilled by eating a small or large quantity of food, or even just by drinking a sip of water as mentioned in the Hadith of Abu Said al-Khudri. However, the best of Suhoor is eating dates since the Prophet (Sallal lahu Alai hi wasallam) said: "How excellent are dates as the believer's Suhoor". [Abu Dawood, Ibn Hibban and Al-Baihaqee; Sahih]. Too much tea at Suhoor makes you pass more urine taking with it valuable mineral salts that your body would need during the day. No smoking. If you cannot give up smoking, cut down gradually starting a few weeks before Ramadan. Smoking is unhealthy and one should stop completely.
During the fast, try to take little sun bath. Cold baths are not advisable. Fasting sometimes produces a state of sleepiness which can be overcome by working or walking for a short distance (your hall would be okay). Fasting also produces a state of sleeplessness for few of us which can be overcome by a warm tub bath & hot water bottles at feet.
How hard could it be? Just be patience with your tongue. Even our tongues are extremely impatient when it comes to words and food.
Remember my article is not about dieting in Ramadan. DO NOT make the mistake of fasting with the intention to diet. That is one of the biggest mistakes some of us make (especially sisters). Fasting is an act of worship and can only be done for the sake of Allah alone. Mixing it with the intention of dieting is a form of Shirk. My article only encourages to eat healthy food during Ramadan and to stay fit like you were before Ramadan, as most of us acquires gastric problems or gain weight unnecessarily due to overeating in Ramadan. Also fasting is a great remedy to cure many diseases.
I hope this will help all of us once we adapt these guidelines in our healthy and disease free Ramadan!
Remember, Ramadan is all about submitting yourself to Allah by fasting, praying. Dhikr and invoking Allah and it's not all about the food or late night shoppings.
JazakumuAllah!!
Feee imaniAllah :D
Few Hadiths on eating habits in Ramadan
The Prophet (SalAllahu Alayahi Wasalaam) said: 'The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach; for the son of Adam a few mouthfuls are sufficient to keep his back straight. If you must fill it, then one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for air.' (Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani).
The Prophet (SalAllahu Alayahi Wasalaam) said: 'Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, and ignorance, Allaah has no need of him giving up his food and drink.' (Bukhaari)
Thank you for reading. Please feel free to send me the link of your blogs and comment below if you have similar views. - Invisible Identity
