Fasting is a common form of worship among various cultures. Its spiritual benefits are widely recognized even with the diversity in the frequency, practice, and duration of the fast from one religion to another.
Fasting is the fourth pillar of Islam.
The following verse in the Holy Qur'an explains one of the main purposes of fasting Ramadan; and that is to attain taqwah, piety. {O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.} (Chapter 2, verse 183) The month of Ramadan is special and distinctive for all Muslims. It is a spiritual regime and a reorientation for the body and mind. It is a time for spiritual reflection, prayer, and good deeds.
In addition to the recognized physical benefits of fasting, its spiritual dimensions purify the soul and instill self-reflection.
On the physical level, the body uses up glucose and then starts to burn fat which lead to weight loss.
After a few days of the fast, higher levels of endorphins (hormone that enhances the mood) appear in the blood and can make a person more alert and give an overall feeling of general mental wellbeing The voluntary night prayers after Ishaa prayer, the Taraweeh prayers are another of the well-known routines of the holy month of Ramadan and one of the ways Muslims become re-connected to the Holy Qur'an. Over the course of the month, the entire Qur'an is commonly recited in Taraweeh prayers. This is an opportunity for Muslims to become spiritually connected to Allah and reflect on His words of guidance.
Unfortunately, it is evident that many Muslims are falling short on reaping the spiritual benefits during Ramadan, and they are not increasing their connection to the Qur'an and other forms of worship. Many Muslims nowadays consider Ramadan as the month of excessive cooking and eating and that is why food prices usually go up during Ramadan. Food consumption tends to rise despite fasting. Food prices usually go high before the holy month begins and continue to rise.
The Consumer Protection Association noted that food waste in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region increase by 50% to 70% during Ramadan.
Though one of the main core goals of fasting Ramadan is to feel the pain of hunger and reaching out to know the state of poor and how they suffer during the year, surprisingly people are overeating in Ramadan and gaining weight.
Some people have forgotten the main goal of Ramadan and its true perspective and that is why food prices soar during the month of fasting due to the high demand for diverse foods and beverages.
Consumers always complain that traders raise prices especially for nuts, sweets, and dates and they attribute this rise to the increase in demand. According to an economic expert, food consumption rates go up by 150% in Ramadan; meaning that they use food that would normally be sufficient for three months during.
A usual scene is always seen before the beginning of Ramadan, hypermarkets are always crowded with people stocking up with supplies for the month. Supermarket trolleys are over loaded with all sorts of food: rice, pasta, cans of this and that, dessert boxes, sambosa dough, fruits, custard, crème caramel, pudding, and much more. You can also spot some families pushing along more than one trolley.
Hypermarkets have special offers and promotions available only during Ramadan. This scene arouses an important question: isn't Ramadan the month of fasting? Isn't it the month in which we should feel what the poor feel? Ramadan is the highest month for restaurants. Hotels and restaurants prepare special menus for iftar and suhoor with high prices and no one can blame them as long as they have keen guests who even make early bookings to make sure that they have a reserved place.
According to World Food Program (WFP) hunger kills more people every year than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Some 795 million people in the world do not have enough food to lead a healthy, active life. We not only have excess food consumption, but we have an excess waste of food too. With all that extra buying and hording of food, the result is an enormous amount of food gets dumped.
An earlier study conducted by King Saud University reports that 30% of the four million dishes prepared during Ramadan will be discarded without even being eaten. This totals to a cost of SR 1.2 million.
We need to reverse the transformation of Ramadan into the month of excess food, and bring it back to what it really is: a month of more worship and less food.
Nutrition Tips
Breaking the fast with an odd number of fresh dates, or dried dates, and a few sips of water.
Fill only one third of your stomach with food and leave the other two thirds for fluids and breathing.
Avoid dehydration by drinking fresh juices and fluids in the evening. Include yogurt in suhoor because it helps to avoid thirst during fasting and it increases the immunity.
Avoid drinking too much caffeinated beverages. Avoid excessive dessert intake.
Include adequate real, wholesome food intake from each food group as much as possible in each meal.
Nutritionists advise that you break your fast with water and eat dates and fruits.
After the prayers, eat salad, vegetables, and chicken or fish.
It is important to eat a good amount of vegetables to provide enough nutrition to the body, and also to add fiber to the diet in order to avoid constipation, which is a common problem during Ramadan.
If you have sweet cravings, satisfy it by including pineapple in your meal, as it will help digest the food better.
Not only food, but electricity consumption goes to its peak during Ramadan, but electricity as well, which gives us something else to think of.
