One of the five pillars of the religion of Islam is observing fast during the month of Ramadan. With this act, Muslims try to pay tribute to their Allah. It is duty of every Muslim to observe the fast of Ramadan. In the Holy Quran, the ritual of fasting has been described saying "O you who have believed, decreed up on you as fasting as it was decreed up on those before you that you may become righteous".
At the same time, it is also believed that Allah does not accept the fasting of those who indulge themselves in evil deeds.
It is usually seen that certain religious rituals are deeply based on their benefits to the human life. Fasting is one such ritual. Not only it prepares Muslims for the pious day of Eid-Ul-Fitr, but cleanses mind and body in every sense of the word. Following are some of the benefits of fasting: |
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- The lesser we eat the more body uses the stored fats. This way, it detoxify our body, thereby consuming more and more fats and cholesterol, which reduces the risk of heart blockage and high diabetes level and cholesterol level.
- Fasting helps us learn the art of self control and patience. It includes a mind exercise to curb the urge of satiate bodily desires.
- It increases the process of metabolism as well as healing process when it looks for energy from within.
- Research and studies show that fasting increases the life span of human beings.
- It is the best time to normalize your weight if you have extra flab.
These are the scientific benefits of the ritual of fasting. Almost all existing festivals in this world observe the ritual of fasting. Lent is a parallel period when fasting is observed by Christians as that of Ramadan. Other than Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and even Jewish people observe fast on various religious occasions. Such rituals make us different and superior to other creatures on earth. They give us the direction to lead a chaste life and gives us a chance to enlighten our minds.
During fasting, we prohibit consumption of eating, drinking till we offer prayers to the Almighty. During the entire month, we have food only in the early morning and then in the evening at an interval of around twelve hours. The holy month of Ramadan is all about observing self control.
But, long hours of fasting may leave one lethargic and tired. Common problems faced during the fasting period are headache, low blood pressure, constipation, gastritis etc. As we indulge in Ramadan rituals, we should also be very cautious about our health. It is a nice excuse for people who are over weight to reduce the flab, but those with an average build need to take extra care. We have come up with important tips, which you can follow during Ramadan, that would enable you to enjoy those pious days of the year: |
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- Consume food that are slow digesting. For example, you can include grains and seeds like oat, millet, wheat, barley, lentil etc. Such stuff take around eight hours to break down. This way your stomach won't remain empty and you would save yourself from constipation and gastritis.
- After reading the holy Namaz and offering prayers , when you have food, include lots and lots of fiber in it. Fiber consists of food items like whole wheat, green vegetables, beetroot, fruit with skin etc.
- A balanced diet should be taken. One should avoid fried food as well as food with high cholesterol level. Such food items include sweets, potatoes and other junk food items.
- Never try to over eat. Have that one time meal like any other regular meal you have.
- Eat healthy food items like Almonds, bananas, dates, haleem etc that would keep your body well nourished.
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Drink plenty of water between the breakfast time and bedtime to maintain body fluid.
Avoid tea or coffee with your meal. However, you can go for herbal tea instead of the usual one.
Indulge in social get togethers that may keep you busy and entertain. After all Ramadan not only shortens the distance to Allah, but also encourages brotherhood and love. Aforementioned are some of the simple ways to keep you fit during the fasting days. Cleanse your mind, body and soul by observing Ramadan with great devotion and enjoy health along.
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