‘Fasting improves health, functioning of body systems’

Rawalpindi: Fasting for a month not only helps improve physical and mental health of a person but also serves as a mean to improve the fabric of society by improving humanistic approach and increasing tolerance among individuals. It is a proven fact that the crime rate in Muslim countries registers a significant drop during the holy month of Ramazan.

Studies reveal that the fasting in the holy month of Ramazan is not only beneficial for healthy persons but also it has great benefits for those who are suffering from various ailments provided they follow proper diet and medication plan. Fasting improves the functioning of almost all the body systems yielding physical well-being while by minimising personal hostility, it brings peace of mind and heart as well.

Experts believe that fasting can help improve health of patients suffering from certain ailments including cardiovascular and circulatory diseases, diseases of the digestive system, diseases of the locomotor system, rheumatism, respiratory system diseases like asthma, and the early stages of malignant cancer. Giving rest to the digestive tract and central nervous system, fasting helps normalizing metabolism. The process of decomposing and eliminating waste toxic materials by means of Islamic fasting improves.

Fasting helps normalising metabolism in the body and prevents mucus diseases such as colds, asthma, sinus and bronchial troubles. Metabolism is improved through fasting that enhances the body’s capability to assimilate proteins, fats, carbohydrates, starches, sugars, minerals, vitamins and all other essential nutrients necessary because all the organs work properly due to fasting for a month in Ramazan. Fasting also gives rest to the stomach, intestines and colon enabling body organs to repair damaged structures. Piles, colitis, and gastritis etc., speedily recover under the fast. The alimentary tract becomes practically free of bacteria during fast and the small intestine become sterile.

Health experts say that fasting can also help individuals in breaking addictions to harmful substances like tobacco, tea, coffee and drugs. It also improves mental health by convincing one to maintain self-discipline and manage anger during the holy month of Ramazan. Studies reveal that fasting helps lowering blood sugar, cholesterol and systolic blood pressure. It improves health of patients suffering from mild to moderate, stable, non-insulin diabetes, obesity and hypertension. Fasting, being a natural way to normalize body weight, dissolves all unnecessary and unnatural fat deposits from all over the body and the body is relieved of a tremendous burden.

According to health experts, fasting has great impact psychologically as it brings peace of mind and heart along with tranquility. The psychological improvement can be related to better stabilization of blood glucose during fasting. Diabetics know that stress increases the blood glucose by increasing the catecholamine level and any tool to lower the stress including biofeedback or relaxation improves diabetic control.

Spiritually it keeps a person away from all the evils of modern life that results in diseases like high blood pressure, stress and heart attacks. Fasting enhances contentment that benefits human heart a lot. Experts, however, say that to get maximum benefits from fasting, one should take healthy diet at ‘Sehr’ and ‘Iftar’ such as simple ‘chapati’, whole wheat bread, ‘fruit chaat’, vegetable salads, pulses, fish, poultry, milk, yoghurt, dates, juices, soups, boiled rice, potatoes, and peas etc. One should avoid unhealthy diet such as deep-fried foods including ‘samosas’, ‘pakoras’, ‘kachoris’, ‘jalabis’, and ‘parathas’, excessive usage of spices, tea, coffee, cola or other beverages etc. because all these foods increase your blood Low Density Lipoproteins (bad cholesterol) which is bad for the health and heart.

Experts say that consumption of excessive amounts of food during ‘sehri’ or ‘Iftar’ is injurious to health. Instead, it is advisable to have a modest dinner around one to one-and-a-half hours after ‘Iftar’, but not later. Delaying dinner until the very end of the night is a dangerous practice, and it is important to finish eating at least two hours before going to bed.