The month of Ramadan is not just the time when Muslims observe restrictions on food. It is much more important that during this period they focus on their faith.
As a Muslim post affects health, what it consists of, who can and cannot fast, Aif.ru told Cardiologist, expert in cardiometabolic disorders, professor, doctor of medical sciences, foreign member of the RT AMC, editor-in-chief of the international magazine of the heart and vascular diseases, president of the Cardi-Progress Foundation, health league Mehman Mammadov.
– Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam – the main orders of Sharia. According to legend, one of the nights of this sacred month to the Prophet Muhammad was sent out the first revelation, and the Koran was given as a guide to how exactly it is supposed to live, and how to distinguish good from evil.
For spiritual growth
Muslim post is called Uraza (abstinence). In Azerbaijani, it sounds like a guns. Ramadan lasts a month of 29 or 30 days. And it concerns not only flesh. Fasting helps not to lose weight and cleanse from toxins, but to strengthen the spirit of Muslims, train self -discipline and practice in the exact performance of God’s orders. At this time, Muslims should not only observe certain restrictions on food and drink, but also abandon intimacy, since, according to the canons of Islam, all these physical needs are so powerful human needs that they can make a person dependent on them. Therefore, a Muslim needs to refrain from satisfying these needs daily in a year in order to develop his spirituality and try to devote himself to Allah.
Unlike the Great Lent among Christians, the Muslim post limits not the composition of food, but the time of eating. Believers Muslims throughout Ramadan are forbidden to eat and drink from dawn to sunset – from morning to evening prayer. If a Muslim makes a violation of the post, he must repent, and start fasting again. If the fasting person saw his fellow who does not observe the post, he must remind him of Ramadan, but not to srate and not show his superiority.
Tests by hunger, thirst and sexual abstinence contribute to the liberation of a person from the dominance of physical needs, allowing you to strive for spiritual goals and values.
Some are not recommended
In the instructions of Islam on compliance with Uraza there are relief. Unhealthy people, travelers, children, pregnant and nursing women are released from the post, as well as all people over 75 years old and those who are physically difficult or forbidden to starve. From the point of view of medicine, to refrain from Uraza should be patients suffering:
– any serious diseases requiring extraneous care (including postoperative patients);
– severe heart failure, as well as patients who have undergone extensive heart attack and stroke;
– type of type I diabetes (especially to a severe degree, with phenomena of ketoacidosis), as well as type I and II diabetes, which is poorly controlled. The fact that the disease is not controlled can be said by two or more cases of hypo- or hyperglycemia within a month;
– arterial hypertension, which is not under full control;
-diseases of the musculoskeletal system (we are talking, first of all, about older patients);
– acute infectious diseases and exacerbations of chronic pathologies;
– Mental disorders.
Those who cannot fast can fast, can feed one in need every day, thus giving alms-excretion.
The effect of uraza on the body
The most important of the many positive effects on health from compliance with Uraza, according to our expert, is that the post strengthens the immune system. Compliance with the post activates the functioning of cells that increase their internal protection against oxidative stress (external or metabolic). These cells (T-killers) remove or restore damaged cells, and also increase the flow of immune cells to the bone marrow, so that the diseases are more easily and faster. The post helps to prevent the level of chronic inflammation in the body, and therefore reduces the formation of cancer cells.
The post also helps to reduce blood sugar, since the body at this time uses fat cells, and not glucose as an energy source. This helps to eliminate metabolic disorders and normalize the level of blood pressure. The post has positively affects the intestinal flora, since the restriction of food maintains the growth of beneficial bacteria struggling with harmful microbes. The digestive tract improves: since energy is spent not on digestion, but to the operation of other systems, so the digestive tract has the ability to rest and recover.
Rules of conduct during the Holy month
So that compliance with the Uraza does not cause any harm to health, but only strengthen the body, and tempered the human spirit, our expert recommends that the following rules follow:
– Adapt the body to Uraza. It would be nice to prepare for future restrictions in advance. In Islam there is an additional post of NAFL. The Prophet Muhammad held the Uraza every Monday and Thursday. To accustom the body, try to keep a few days of fasting before the start of Ramadan. The first day of Uraza is the most difficult, but although it is stress, it is a useful stress. Spend this day calmly, do not plan any important things on it. After two or three days, the body already gets used to this regime, and keeping a post will become easier.
– Follow the power rules. After sunset, it is impossible to pounce on food – this contradicts the very principle of fasting and is also harmful to health. Eat moderately. As much as it is necessary to maintain strength, and no more. Get up from the table from the table with a feeling of mild hunger, because the signal of saturation to the brain reaches only 20-30 minutes after eating. The early breakfast should be dense, and dinner after sunset should be light. Tasty, healthy, vitaminized and diverse food will help digestion, and will maintain vigor and lightness in you for a whole day.
– Take a sufficient amount of liquid. The norm is 30 ml per 1 kg of body weight. Water consumption will help to drown out the feeling of hunger and fill an empty stomach.
– Follow the general hygiene. At night, the room should be ventilated. Wet cleaning daily. Wear clothes made of natural fabrics.
– Adhere to a special sparing regime. To make it easier to transfer the post, try to sleep as much as possible – enough for half an hour, only you have to get up no later than 16:00. But do not go to bed immediately after breakfast, since hydrochloric acid, which is produced after eating, will be thrown back into the esophagus and cause heartburn. This is especially true for patients with GERB (gastroesophagial reflux disease).
– Limit physical activity. Refuse to visit fitness, baths, saunas, limit the work in garden areas.
– Do not interrupt the regular intake of drugs prescribed by the doctor, but be sure to consult with your doctor about the transfer of the time of administration and the possible correction of the dose of drugs.
The right exit from the post
After prolonged abstinence, you should not excessively load yourself with food. To begin with, Iftar is enough for one or two dates and water or two or three olives. According to Mamedov, this will be enough for the stomach to start work again and begin to function normally. Find out liquid food: eat soup, drink ayran, compote or milk. After this start of the reception, write a break. Avoid fatty, fried food, as well as very sweet food. Carefully introduce protein products that slow down the digestive process, and give a long feeling of satiety. Eat vegetables, nuts, fruits and bread. On Sukhur, start drinking eggs, jam, cheese, oatmeal, walnuts, bread, bananas and other fruits. Try to drink about 2.5 liters of liquid per day (green tea, slightly salted water). In this case, the liquid should be at room temperature, it is worth avoiding very cold and sweet drinks. With coffee you will have to wait – this is a useful drink, but not for the disheveled abstinence of the body. But exclude carbonated drinks and sweet juices.
“Subject to all the rules, the post is tolerated comfortably, brings spiritual and physical satisfaction,” the expert summarizes. – The main thing is to observe inner purity and free oneself from bad thoughts, temptations and unworthy actions that defile a person. Let the Almighty bless you, and will accept your good intentions. ”
Source: aif.ru