Detox through restraint

Last updated: July 24, 2019 | 17:54

4 MIN READ

“O, you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you so that you can learn taqwa.'' These words from the Quran (2:183) describe the importance of Ramadan.

According to Dr Shahid Athar, clinical associate professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine in the United States and an Islamic scholar, the Arabic word taqwa has many translations, such as God consciousness, God-fearing, piety and self-restraint.

Thus, Ramadan is meant to teach people the importance of self-control and discipline.

Athar explained that our lifestyles often have many harmful habits such as eating binges, smoking and aggressive behaviour.

When fasting, one not only abstains from food but also practises restraint in all behaviour that can taint his or her life.

Therefore, Ramadan is an opportunity to cleanse ourselves and break harmful habits.

“It is our experience that temptations and ways of the world tend to spoil our purity and austerity and divert us from remembering God,'' Athar said.

“Ramadan is a month of self-regulation and self-training with the hope that they will last beyond the end of the month.''

While the main purpose of Ramadan is to teach self-restraint and lead us on the path of righteousness, Islamic fasting also has many medical and health benefits as against crash dieting, which has adverse effects such as short-term results and relapses.

According to Athar, fasting varies greatly and can improve one's health if approached in the right manner.

“In Ramadan fasting, there is no malnutrition or inadequate calorie intake since there is no restriction on the type or amount of food intake during iftar and suhoor,'' he explained.

“The calorie intake is adequate or slightly below the nutritional requirement levels,'' he said.

Fasting can also result in many physiological effects, including lowered levels of blood sugar, cholesterol and systolic blood pressure — making it an “ideal recommendation for the treatment of mild to moderate, stable, non-insulin diabetes, obesity and hypertension''.

Dual joys

According to the hadith (sayings of the Prophet), when one fasts during Ramadan, he or she experiences two types of joy — “First, when a Muslim breaks his or her fast, and second, when he or she meets his or her Lord in Paradise.''

Interpreted by Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, a Sunni Hanbali preacher and Sufi master, this describes the impact of Ramadan at two levels — physiological and spiritual, the latter being when “our hearts accept nothing but the truth and love of Allah and reject all falsehood and disobedience to Him''.

During Ramadan, Muslims often feel an inner sense of peace and tranquillity as they feel both an obligation and motivation to pursue righteousness and a closer relationship with God.

According to Athar, this psychological improvement could also be related to the better stabilisation of blood glucose during fasting, as hypoglycaemia, a pathological state produced by lower than normal levels of glucose in the blood, can aggravate behavioural changes.

Why dates are good for you

Since the time of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), dates have been recommended as an excellent start to iftar and an important element in diet during Ramadan.

Here's why:
Dates are fat-free, cholesterol-free and are a good source of fibre — a key element to look out for during Ramadan.

Dates also contain vitamins A1, B1, B2, B3, B5, C and over 20 amino acids, helping you digest and assimilate carbohydrates more easily and control blood sugar levels and fatty acids content in our bodies.

The selenium lowers the risk of cancer and heart disease, and helps keep your immune system healthy.

As a single date contains around 23 calories, the very low calorie count and the numerous healthy substances in dates make them one of the best nutrition sources.

INFORMATION

Benefits of fasting in Ramadan

Fasting helps lose weight

In the hypothalamus of the brain is a centre called the “lipostat'', which controls body mass. When there is rapid weight loss because of a starvation diet, the centre does not recognise this as normal and, therefore, re-programmes itself to cause rapid weight gain once the person goes off the diet.

So the only effective way of losing weight is self-controlled and gradual weight loss by modifying our behaviour and attitude towards eating.

Ramadan is a month of self-regulation and self-training in terms of food intake, which causes a permanent change in lipostat reading.
Full nutrition

In Islamic fasting, we are not subjected to a diet of selective food (such as only protein fruits). An early breakfast is taken before dawn.

Then at sunset, the fast is broken with something sweet (i.e. dates, fruits, juices) to address any hypoglycaemia, followed by a regular dinner.
Prayers benefit you both spiritually and physically

Additional prayers are prescribed after dinner, which help metabolise the food. The Islamic prayer called Salat uses all the muscles and joints and can be compared to a mild exercise.
Break the habit

Ramadan fasting is actually an exercise in self-discipline. For those who are chain smokers, excessive eaters or caffeine addicts, this is a good way to break the habit.

— Information courtesy: Dr Shahid Athar