TRUE ESSENCE OF RAMADAN
TRUE ESSENCE
OF RAMADAN
The month of Ramadan “Fasting Month” is once again
upon us and millions of Muslims all over the world are fasting as a religious
duty. It is a period of fasting,
sacrifice, giving, patience and self-training with the hope that these
qualities will extend beyond this month and stay throughout the year.
However,
today a lot of people are practicing fasting not only for faith and religious
reasons but because there are a lot of health benefits attached to it.
When it comes to fasting, don’t be mistaken that fasting
is starving yourself or that it will make you lose weight. In fact fasting during Ramadan is one of the
examples how you do fasting correctly!
It is time we change the old mindset that fasting is
a good way to lose weight but it is indeed an excellent way to learn
self-discipline and bring new healthy changes in your lifestyle.
Ramadan is a perfect opportunity to re-train
ourselves and get back on track of eating healthy and living in discipline.
Here
are top 5 ways that Ramadan teaches us health and life lessons:
1.
Provides
tranquility of the heart and mind:
There is an intense and important spiritual meaning
to Ramadan for those who practice fasting. Generosity is practiced by being
charitable, a sense of family bonding is taught by gathering together at the
Iftar table. Praying throughout the day
leads to peace of mind and heart.
Finding peace with your inner self and
connecting with God is an excellent way to de-stress.
2.
Helps
you over-come addictions:
Addiction comes in all shapes and forms. Ramadan
teaches you self-restraint for most of the day. This makes us ditch our
addictions and realize that life can be pretty good without them too.
TIP-
Try quitting one of your addiction this
Ramadan. It could be smoking, drinking, lying, laziness or even gossiping. It
will improve your quality of life.
3.
Spiritual
Healing/Detoxifying:
Despite of other health benefits, I believe that the
main benefit is Spiritual rejuvenation and healing during this month. Fasting
is prevention from certain things which are normally permissible and essential
in our daily lives. By fasting we avoid food and drinks for most of the day.
This gives us strength and makes us value food and empathize with hunger
stricken people.
Fasting is a great way to avoid junk and other
addictions ultimately leading to detoxification of all the toxins from our
body.
4.
Teaches
you Self-discipline/Regulation:
It is important to understand that
when you break your fast your body needs instant glucose so start with nuts and
dates. Then carry on with lots of liquid and fruits. Try to eat more protein
(fish, chicken, pulses, dals, dairy and dairy products) and in the end go for a
small amount of treat/sweet.
Over-eating and bingeing on oily
and fried food will hinder your cleansing process. Hence, try to self-regulate
your body and mind to over-come these temptations. Remember, Ramadan is a
blessed month and not your way out to lose weight!
Eating healthy and in a disciplined
manner will make you healthy and fit eventually.
5.
Learning
healthy habits:
If you are used to eating a lot of junk food and
sugary items in your day-to-day life, Ramadan could be a good time to drop
these habits. As the sun goes down, choose healthy and nutrient dense food
items to feed your body instead of jumping onto junk.
Try incorporating whole grains like barley, brown
rice, buckwheat and oats, high fiber food rather than sweets and starchy items.
This will help you eat healthy options which are richer in nutrients obviously
and lower in calories. The other benefit is that you will tend to feel less
hungry through the day.
Do not restrict yourself but eat everything in
moderation. This will teach you balance your eating and soon it will become a
habit.
Stay fit, healthy and
blessed this Ramadan!
By Dt. Manoli Doshi Mehta
Contact: +91 98330 94714/ +91 90823 04353
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