Fasting During the Summer in Ramadan

Fasting During the Summer in Ramadan

This Ramadan in North America and Europe, Muslims will begin fasting during the summer. In some places, like Sweden, daylight hours are long, with the breaking of fast at 9.15 pm. Muslims in the North American East Coast cities like Boston will break their fast at about 8 pm.

The long hours coupled with the heatwave that is being experienced by many North American cities, will mean a tough Ramadan for many Muslims.

Below is one journalist's take on fasting during the summer this Ramadan. Please pay attention to some of the tips given in the article below.

For more tips on, please refer to the compiled list of articles.

Remember that eating healthy during Ramadan will give us the necessary energy to embark on our increased religious obligations during this holy month.

US Muslims Prepare for Summertime Ramadan Fasting
RASHA MADKOUR, Associated Press
12:04 p.m., Monday, July 25, 2011

MIAMI (AP) — The Muslim holy month of Ramadan falls during the long, hot days of August this year, and Muslim Americans are getting ready to accommodate the daylight fasts required during Ramadan with adjustments in their schedules and eating habits. It can be even tougher for Muslims in America than for their counterparts in majority-Muslim countries, where business slows down during Ramadan and people take it easier during the day, says Dr. Elizabeth Rourke, an internist at Boston Medical Center.

"In the U.S., everyone is required to do what they would do ordinarily, the entire month," Rourke says, "so it makes the fast much more demanding for American Muslims."

Mubarakah Ibrahim, a personal trainer, hopes to cram all her clients in the morning when she has the most energy. She'll serve vegetables as the first course when her family breaks their fast in the evenings to make sure they get their nutrients for the day. And she'll buy her four kids — ranging in age from 10 to17 — shiny new water bottles as a reminder to hydrate during the hours they're not fasting.

"We know spirituality can get you through anything," says Ibrahim, who lives in New Haven, Conn. "But the choice really is, you can suffer through it and still do it, or you can do it and do it efficiently without making your health suffer."

Ramadan requires daily fasts of food and water during daytime hours. Typically observers eat a meal before dawn and break their fast at sunset. The fast-breaking meal — which varies by ethnic group but traditionally starts with a handful of sweet dates — is seen by many Muslims as an opportunity to gather with family and friends.

This year Ramadan begins Aug. 1, when the period from dawn to sunset in the continental U.S. can range from around 14 to around 16 hours, depending where you live. The Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle, which is shorter than the sun-based Gregorian calendar, so Ramadan creeps up 11 days every year. Ramadan can last 29 or 30 days, again depending on the lunar cycle.

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the most important duties in Islam, one that even the not-so-religious typically observe. Children are not required to fast until they hit puberty, though many start building up to it when they're younger with half-day fasts. Also exempt are the elderly, women who are pregnant or nursing, and people with chronic medical conditions. But even for healthy Muslims, the daily fast from dawn until sunset can be grueling.

Rourke teaches medical residents about Ramadan and its implications for patients — how to adjust medication regimens to fit the daytime fast when possible, how to advise patients on avoiding dehydration, how to enlist help from a local religious leader if someone who shouldn't be fasting expresses the intention to do so.

Even for a totally healthy person to sustain that fast for a long period of time during a time where it can be very hot, it's a very demanding thing to ask of your body," Rourke says.

Sheikh Ali, a college student from Boca Raton, Fla., tries to ease his body into Ramadan mode by fasting intermittently the prior month, a practice of the Prophet Muhammad that some people emulate.

The premed chemistry major also extols the benefits of eating a high-fiber breakfast, like whole grain cereal, especially in the pre-dawn meal before fasting to help keep him feeling full.

Still, many Muslims say they won't do much differently this year and they're not too worried about the summer Ramadan.

"Once you've done it for this long," says Natasha Chida, a medical resident at the University of Miami who's been fasting since she was in middle school, "it's not really something that's physically difficult, it's just about continuing to learn self-restraint."

Beyond abstaining from food and drink, Muslims try to avoid negative words, thoughts and actions while fasting. Ramadan is seen as an opportunity to improve oneself, spiritually and personally.

Rizwan Jaka, a technology manager in Washington, D.C., puts the fast in perspective by reflecting on and empathizing with those in need, one of the main purposes of fasting.

"In the end, we have to realize that people go without food and water on a regular basis," Jaka says. Whatever hardships people feel during their fast, he adds, "we've got it easy compared to people who don't have access to food and running water."

Healthy Eating Habits Tips
During Ramadan at the Ramadan Blog!

What to Eat During Ramadan?

How to Fast Healthily During Ramadan

What to Avoid During Ramadan

Dates | Beneficial Things to Eat During Ramadan

What To Eat During Ramadan?

One of the questions (albeit a practical or even prosaic question) that people want to know is what exactly should they eat during Ramadan? Are there special foods that need to be eaten before the start of the fast and at the end of the fast during Ramadan?

The answer is actually rather simple. There is no special diet that is necessary during Ramadan. What is important is to maintain a normal and healthy diet, and to eat in moderation. Avoid over-eating at the end of the fast at all costs. Over-eating is not a correct way to compensate for the lack of calories during fasting!

Did you know that the metabolic rate of the body is reduced during fasting and since most fasting people assume a more sedentary lifestyle during Ramadan, the net result is that a balanced diet, which consists less than the normal amount of food intake, is sufficient to keep a person healthy and active during the month of Ramadan.

Here are some useful tips compiled (by Lovely Ranganath, Dietician, Al Zahra Hospital, Sharjah) that will help you in planning your Ramadan meals:

1) Think of vegetables as the main food. Treat meat, milk and grains as condiments. Start thinking of carrot sticks with hummus instead of pita bread. Don’t give up eating breads and meat, just de-emphasize them.

2) Drink lots of water. You should not ignore your water consumption. It seems obvious but drink lots of water between Iftar and sleep, to avoid dehydration. Drinking too much tea will increase urine output and inevitably cause the loss of valuable mineral salts. Avoid caffeinated drinks such as coke, coffee or tea four to five days before Ramadan, gradually reduce the intake of these drinks since a sudden decrease will result in headaches, mood swings and irritability.

3) Sample Meal Plans. Your meal plan should include:

Bread/ Cereal/ Rice, Pasta Group – 6-11 servings/ day

Meat/ Beans/ Nuts Group – 2-3 servings/ day

Milk & milk products – 2-3 servings/ day

Vegetable Group – 3-5 servings/ day

Fruit Group – 2-4 servings/ day

Added sugar & fat – use sparingly.

Breaking the fast (Iftar): 2-3 dates, a serving (4 oz) of unsweetened juice, a cup of light vegetable soup with some pasta or Graham crackers.

Note: The body’s immediate need at the time of iftar is to get an easily available energy source in the form of glucose. Dates and juices in the above amounts are sufficient to bring low blood glucose levels to normal levels. The juice and soup also helps to maintain water and mineral balance in the body. An unbalanced diet and too many servings of sherbets and sweets with added sugars have been found to be unhealthy.

Dinner: Consume foods from all the food groups. Include salads, chicken or fish or lean meat, some grain as rice or bread or pasta, a small tub of low-fat yogurt, and a serving of fruit.

Try out good healthy choices such as:

Whole-meal bread roll without butter (choose herbs instead), filled with egg and tomato, chicken and salads, low fat cheese and salad, or tuna with cucumber and tomato; Whole meal pasta with tomato based sauce with a large salad; Salad with grilled / baked fish or chicken or lean meat along with a small portion of rice or wholemeal bread; Baked potato with tuna or low-fat cottage cheese.

Pre-dawn Meal (Suhur): Consume a light suhur. Eat whole wheat or oat cereal or whole wheat bread. Have a salad along with 1-2 servings of fruit. In view of the long hours of fasting, the so-called “complex carbohydrates” or slow digesting foods should be consumed at suhur, resulting in less hunger during the day. These complex carbohydrates are found in foods that contain grains and seeds like barley, wheat, oats, millet, semolina, beans, lentils, whole meal flour and unpolished rice.

4) Golden rules to follow during Ramadan. Avoid too much fat, sugar, salts and caffeine; Always have fresh food available; Stick to a low-fat diet; Cut out fried foods; Choose fresh fruits and vegetables when possible.

Suggested Good Foods to Take During Ramadan:

Dates | Beneficial Things to Eat During Ramadan

Honey | Beneficial Things to Eat During Ramadan

Losing Weight During Ramadan

How to Lose Weight During Ramadan

During the Ramadan month, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk for 30 days. Muslims stay away from all food and drink while fasting. This might seem an ideal way to lose some weight. But contrary to popular belief, some Muslims actually put on weight during the month of Ramadan.

The lavish iftar dishes - traditional sweets, cakes and fried foods - that are served for the breaking of the fast can actually contribute to unwanted weight gain. It is customary to have several selections of such foods on the table for iftar. It is a strong person indeed to stay away from such temptations after a whole day of fasting.

So even if a fasting person took a small taste from each of such unhealthy foods, it will eventually start to add up, and weight gain would be inevitable.

However, it is not impossible to lose weight (if one needs to), or maintain a healthy desired weight during the Ramadan period.

Here are some simple tips a fasting person can use to lose some weight during Ramadan:

1) Do NOT skip Sahur (the early morning meal). Firstly, it is the Prophet's sunnah to wake up and take a meal in the morning. Secondly, there is wisdom in this for the early morning meal provides the body with needed nutrients while fasting during the day. It also engages the body's metabolism. Remember a fasting body slows down its metabolism quite a bit so as to conserve energy. In order to lose weight, a high metabolism is required. And the early morning meal helps jump-start the body's metabolism.

2) If possible, eat what you normally would for breakfast on a non-fasting day. Cereal and milk, toast and fruits and so on. There is no need to have an entire meal that one would for dinner during Sahur. This is particularly so, if you intend to go back to sleep after your morning prayer. The easiest way to gain weight is to sleep on a heavy and full stomach!

3) If you are able to, incorporate an exercise routine into your day. There is no absolute ideal time for exercise, but it is recommended that if you want to exercise while fasting that you do it 1-2 hours before iftar. That way, all the bodily fluids one loses while exercising can be replaced in a relatively short period at iftar. It is vital to re-hydrate the body during iftar, or else one could suffer from headaches, which is a common symptom of lack of water in the body. Another way is to exercise after taraweeh prayers, but this schedule can be tough to maintain for most people who need to wake up early for work and school! Keep in mind, that if you do decide to exercise while fasting, you may not have the same energy level as you normally do. Be less demanding on yourself - instead of a 45 min run, reduce the time period, or do brisk walking instead. The idea is to get the blood moving.

4) Be discriminating about what you eat at iftar. Seriously! This can make or break your Ramadan weight loss goals. Your mother can cook fantastic food for iftar, but it may not be the best type of food that could help you achieve weight loss. Avoid the oily and sweet stuff. Again, it is best to follow the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. He broke his fast with dates. Dates can quickly provide natural sugars to the blood system - and has many other health benefits. It has also been reported in a science paper that dates can help the body re-hydrate three times faster than if one were to only drink water. The dates help the body to absorb the water better. How about that!

5) Definitely avoid the sugars, and that goes for carbohydrates that are easily broken down into sugars. It is the sugars in our foods that make us put on weight quickly. Instead, eat more high-protein and high-fiber foods that will help the body build on muscles. When the body has less sugars to burn for fuel, the body will turn to fat. Muscles help in fat-burning. And the best part is that this process continues while you sleep.

Healthy Eating in Ramadan

Health Tips for Ramadan

Too many Muslims tend to eat the wrong things during Ramadan, and suffer for it. Health problems can emerge as a result of excess food intake, foods that make the diet unbalanced, and insufficient sleep. Some of the common health related complaints by fasting Muslims include: increased gastric acidity, a burning feeling in the stomach, a heaviness in the stomach, and a sour mouth. Others complain of weight gain. If you are experiencing such problems, then you are not eating the right diet.

The body has regulatory mechanisms that activate during fasting. There is efficient utilization of body fat. Basal metabolism slows down during Ramadan fasting. A diet that is less than a normal amount of food intake but balanced is sufficient enough to keep a person healthy and active during the month of Ramadan. Health problems can emerge as a result of excess food intake, foods that make the diet unbalanced, and insufficient sleep. Ultimately also, such a lifestyle contradicts the essential requirements and spirit of Ramadan (Diet during Ramadan, by Mohammad Zafar A. Nomani, PhD, RD).

The following lists common afflictions during Ramadan, and the solutions.

Problems to Avoid

CONSTIPATION - Constipation can cause piles (haemorrhoids), fissures (cracks in anal canal) and indigestion, with a bloated feeling. Causes: Too much refined foods, too little water and not enough fiber in the diet. Remedy: Avoid refined foods, increase water intake, use bran in baking, brown flour when making bread.

INDIGESTION AND WIND Causes: Over-eating. Excessive fried and fatty foods, spicy foods, and foods that produce wind e.g. eggs, cabbage, lentils, fizzy drinks like Cola also produce gas. Remedy: Do not over-eat, drink fruit juices or water. Avoid fried foods.

LETHARGY ('low blood pressure') Excessive sweating, weakness, tiredness, lack of energy, dizziness, especially on getting up from sitting, paleness and feeling faint are symptoms associated with "low blood pressure". This tends to occur towards the afternoon. Causes: Too little fluid intake, decreased salt intake. Remedy: Keep cool, increase fluid and salt intake. Caution: Low blood pressure should be confirmed by taking a blood pressure reading when symptoms are present. Persons with high blood pressure may need their medication adjusted during Ramadan. They should consult their doctor.

HEADACHE Causes: Caffeine and tobacco-withdrawal, too much exercise, lack of sleep, hunger usually occur during the day and worsen towards the evening. When associated with "low blood pressure", the headache can be quite severe and can also cause nausea before Iftar. Remedy: Cut down caffeine and tobacco slowly starting a week or two before Ramadan. Herbal and caffeine-free teas may be substituted. Re-organize your schedule during the Ramadan so as to have adequate sleep.

LOW BLOOD SUGAR Weakness, dizziness, tiredness, poor concentration, perspiring easily, feeling shaky (tremor), headache, and palpitations are symptoms of low blood sugar. Causes in non-diabetics: Excessive sugar consumption i.e. refined carbohydrates especially at suhur (sehri). The body produces too much insulin causing the blood glucose to drop. Remedy: Eat something at sehri, and limit sugar-containing foods and drinks. Caution: Diabetics may need to adjust their medication in Ramadan, consult your doctor.

MUSCLE CRAMPS Causes: Inadequate intake of calcium, magnesium and potassium foods. Remedy: Eat foods rich in these minerals e.g. vegetables, fruit, dairy products, meat and dates. Caution: Those on high blood pressure medication and with kidney stone problems should consult their doctor.

PEPTIC ULCERS, HEART BURN, AND GASTRITIS Increased acid levels in an empty stomach aggravate the above conditions. It causes a burning feeling in the stomach area and can extend up to the throat. Spicy foods, coffee, and Cola drinks worsen these conditions. Medications are available to control acid levels in the stomach. People with proven peptic ulcers and hiatus hernia should consult their doctor well before Ramadan.

KIDNEY STONES Kidney stones may occur in people who have less liquids to drink. Therefore, it is essential to drink extra liquids so as to prevent stone formation.

JOINT PAINS Causes: Extra salah during Ramadan increases pressure on the knee joints. In the elderly and those with arthritis this may cause pain, stiffness, swelling and discomfort. Remedy: Lose weight so that the knees do not have to carry any extra load. Exercise the lower limbs before Ramadan so that they can be prepared for the additional strain. Being physically fit allows greater fulfilment, thus enabling one to be able to perform salah with ease.

Source: Dr. Farouk Haffejee Islamic Medical Association of South Africa - Durban

Maintain a Balanced Diet for Ramadan

Healthy Eating During Ramadan

Healthy Eating During Ramadan: Strategies for a Healthy Diet

When we over-eat during Ramadan, or practice generally unhealthy eating habits during Ramadan, we will not have the energy to perform our religious obligations. Due to changes in eating and sleeping times, we tend to become more tired overall. This feeling of tiredness can be compounded by unhealthy eating habits. But there are ways to avoid such problems so that we feel energised during the day while fasting and after iftar (breaking of the fast). When it is time to attend taraweeh prayers, for instance, we will not say that we do not have the energy to make it!

Here are some tips for how to choose foods that will improve your energy level during Ramadan. These are tips that you can continue to use after Ramadan as well.

Tips for Healthy Eating

1) Eat enough calories when you are able to after iftar and during sahoor, but not too many. Maintain a balance between your calorie intake and calorie expenditure, that is, do not eat more food than your body uses. The average recommended daily allowance is 2,000 calories, but this depends on your age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity.

2) Eat a wide variety of foods. Do not focus only on deep-fried and sugary things that are so prevalent at iftar tables during Ramadan. Healthy eating is essentially about expanding the range of food choices. Include vegetables, whole grains, or fruits that you do not normally eat.

3) Our bodies are unable to ingest large quantities of food because of fasting throughout the day. Over-eating at iftar is a sure way to expand your waist-line. So keep the portion moderate, especially for high-calorie foods. Time your food intakes - for instance, eat a little at iftar, then head for Maghrib prayers, then after the prayers, you can eat a little more (perhaps fresh cut fruits or fruit juices); then head for taraweeh prayers, or reading of Quran at home; afterwads have your dinner. Be sure to give enough time for you to digest your dinner before bed-time.

4) Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes—foods high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, low in fat, and free of cholesterol. Try to get fresh, local produce

5) Drink more water. Our bodies are about 75% water. So we have to replenish our bodies with water constantly. During fasting, we do not ingest water. So after breaking of the fast, it is important to remember to drink water. Water helps flush our systems, especially the kidneys and bladder, of waste products and toxins. Eating fruits with large water content like watermelons will also be useful.

6) Limit sugary foods, salt, and refined-grain products. Sugar is added to a vast array of foods. In a year, just one daily 12-ounce can of soda (160 calories) can increase your weight by 16 pounds. See suggestions below for limiting salt and substituting whole grains for refined grains.

7) Do not be extreme. You CAN enjoy your favorite sweets and fried foods in moderation, as long as they are done occasionally and in moderation.

8) Do light exercises. Yes, even though we are fasting during Ramadan, moving about can help with blood circulation and increased energy levels. Thw worsrt thing we could do is sit still. Instead, go about yout normal routine. Coupled with the healthy diet, the energy level and feelings of well-being will improve.


We Deprive Ourselves of Certain Things

FOR

Chance to Get to Paradise


Healthy Eating Habits Tips During Ramadan
Here on the Ramadan Blog!

How to Fast Healthily During Ramadan

What to Avoid During Ramadan

Dates | Beneficial Things to Eat During Ramadan

Honey | Beneficial Things to Eat During Ramadan