How To Get Started With Dry Fasting
If you want to do a dry fast, here are some steps for success.
Step #1: Begin with a soft dry fast. Your goal may be 24 hours, but if you get to even half that for your first time, thats a win.
Step #2: Never jump right into fasting. You need to set up your body for sustaining itself over the fast. Make sure you get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids. Try eating avocados, salmon, or mackerel. Vegans can take a supplement with fish oil.
Step #3: Add a tablespoon of salt to whatever you eat to ensure youre putting minerals and vitamins in your body. SOS-free vegans should use a salt substitute.
Step #4: Dont push the physical activity the first time you fast. A high-intensity, sweaty workout at the gym could make you feel sick. Stick to lighter exercises like meditation and yoga instead. You might even want to skip the exercise during your first dry fast.
Step #5: Make sure you get plenty of sleep. If you need extra rest because youre not providing your body with food and thus energy, then sleep longer if you can. This not only keeps you healthy, but it makes the fast go by well, faster.
Step #6: End the fast if you feel lightheaded and dizzy. You could be dehydrated. Be on the lookout for an abnormally high heart rate, a drop in blood pressure, dry skin, and urinating less often than you usually do. These symptoms all mean you need to stop the fast and drink water.
Step #9: The next day, resume your usual eating and drinking habits.
What Else Has Changed
Another change from 2020 is that mosques have been open throughout the UK, and able to host Taraweeh prayers in the evening.
Mosques in England are asking worshippers to wear a face covering, bring their own prayer mat, and socially distance.
Many mosques have also reduced the length of prayers to minimise the time spent in congregation.
What Other Customs And Rituals Do Muslims Perform During Ramadan
Aside from fasting and giving a great deal to charity, the month of Ramadan is holy and so many Muslims will say an extra prayer at night called “taraweeh“.
When Ramadan is finished, Muslims will celebrate with ‘Eid al-Fitr‘, or the “Festival of the Breaking of the Fast”. During this celebration, children receive gifts from family and friends. Often the breaking of fast will include inviting your neighbours and those less fortunate to share a meal with.
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When Is Ramadan 2021
As with previous years, the start of Ramadan is traditionally determined by religious scholars/authorities under the cover of night as they seek to observe certain sightings related to the appearance and cycle of the moon.
For the UAE, Ramadan 2021 has started on 13 April 2021 as with numerous other countries celebrating Ramadan. These countries are Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, and most non-Arab countries in Africa.
Other countries, the likes of Iraq, Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia, had observed the month of Shaban on 14 March, which means that Ramadan came earlier on the 11th of April.
How Long Is Ramadan
Typically, the month begins on the last full moon of the particular month and lasts 29 or 30 days. In most cases, Ramadan falls between late May and late June. For the holy month to end, the crescent moon must be seen at Mecca on the 29th day. If not seen, the month goes for an extra day and ends at 30 days. However, some Muslim organizations prefer following astronomical charts to plan events and activities ahead of time.
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Ramadan In Polar Regions
The length of the dawn to sunset time varies in different parts of the world according to summer or winter solstices of the Sun. Most Muslims fast for eleven to sixteen hours during Ramadan. However, in polar regions, the period between dawn and sunset may exceed twenty-two hours in summer. For example, in 2014, Muslims in Reykjavik, Iceland, and Trondheim, Norway, fasted almost twenty-two hours, while Muslims in Sydney, Australia, fasted for only about eleven hours. In areas characterized by continuous night or day, some Muslims follow the fasting schedule observed in the nearest city that experiences sunrise and sunset, while others follow Mecca time.
Intermittent Fasting For Diabetes And Cardiovascular Disease
Eating more frequently throughout the day has been found to be associated with increased CV risk in a prospective cohort study, which showed that the hazard ratios for chronic heart disease were 1.10 for men who ate one to two times a day versus 1.26 for those who ate six times a day .
Ramadan fasting has also been shown to improve the lipid profile in healthy, obese and those with dyslipidaemia . The 2017 American Heart Association consensus statement on meal timings and frequency for the primary prevention of CV disease concluded that trials of IF resulted in a reduction of between 6%21% of total cholesterol, 7%32% of low density lipoprotein cholesterol and 14%42% of triglycerides . These IF trials also showed a decrease in systolic and diastolic BP in trials if a 67% weight loss was achieved.
Sigal Sofer, … Zecharia Madar, in, 2014
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What To Know About Fasting
Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. Abstaining from food and drink from dawn to sunset is a spiritual practice, but it also can cause physical discomfort and fatigue.
Nashville Metro Councilwoman Zulfat Suara said it is good to be aware of the effects of fasting. Normally a talkative person, Suara said she tends to be less chatty while she fasts and avoids scheduling morning appointments and meetings.
“It doesn’t mean that I’m no longer interested in the company or that I have anything against anyone, Suara said. “Not eating or drinking anything for long hours does drain you.”
Her advice to those not observing the holy month is to be aware that Ramadan is underway. She suggests being mindful of people’s lower energy levels and not to make food and drink a central part of work meetings.
Muslim leaders also asked middle school and high school educators in Nashville to make accommodations for fasting students, according to a Metro Nashville Public Schools statement.
“Students may be tired, hungry, and dehydrated by the end of the school day, especially during the late afternoon,” said Sabina Mohyuddin, executive director of the American Muslim Advisory Council, in the statement. “Additionally, Muslims engage in a late-night prayer and a pre-dawn meal, which may also contribute to fatigue.”
This kind of guidance is not unique to Nashville.
“It just puts people in an awkward position,” Suara said.
What Do People Do
Many Muslims in Canada fast during the daylight hours in the month of Ramadan. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It is a time of self-examination and increased religious devotion. The fast is broken with prayer and a meal called the iftar after sunset. The evening meal usually consists of lentils or other pulses, including chickpeas. Some mosques host daily community dinners where Muslims can break their fast together during Ramadan.
Many Muslims broaden their compassion for the hungry and less fortunate when they fast. Therefore, Ramadan is also a time for many Muslims to donate to charity by participating in food drives for the poor and other voluntary activities. Muslims are encouraged to be charitable during Ramadan.
People of Islamic faith are encouraged to read the entire Qur’an during Ramadan. Some Muslims recite the entire Qur’an by the end of Ramadan through special prayers known as Tarawih, which are held in the mosques every night of the month, during which a section of the Qur’an is recited.
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Ramadan Worship And Prayer
During Ramadan, prayer is an important element for much of the Muslim faithful. Muslims are encouraged to pray and attend a mosque for special services. Nightly prayers called tarawill are common, as is rereading the Quran over the course of the month, often in the form of an epic prayer. At the end of Ramadan, before the final fast is broken, Muslims also recite a prayer called the takbeer, which gives praise to Allah and acknowledges his supremacy.
When Does Ramadan Start
This year, Ramadan started on the evening of Monday, April 12.
The Islamic holy month is always held on the 9th month of the Islamic Lunar calendar.
Since the calendar depends on the moon cycle, Ramadan falls about 11 days earlier each year.
During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk yes, even water.
When the sun sets, there is a communal meal called ‘Iftar’ where you break your fast, usually with your family or friends.
But the month of Ramadan is about more than just fasting.
You are also encouraged to do good deeds such as charity, and abstain from sinful acts such as gossip.
It’s also a month of self-reflection and a way for Muslims to develop positive habits that can be brought forward once Ramadan is over.
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Why Do Muslims Fast In Ramadan
Fasting has been enjoined on us so that we may become pious. A pious Muslim and Muslimah does whatever Allah and His Messenger have told them to do. Allah says :
“O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon ?
And Allah says in a hadeeth qudsi:
Fasting is for Me and I will reward for it. He gives up his desire and his food and drink for My sake.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 7492 Muslim, 1151.
The purpose of fasting is not to just get hungry and thirsty but it is to develop Taqwa .
Prophet said: Fasting is not just from food and drink, rather fasting is from idle and obscene talk. Narrated by al-Haakim and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami .
Prophet said: “Whoever does not give up false speech and false actions and ignorance, Allah has no need of his giving up his food and drink.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6057.It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah said: There may be people who fast and get nothing from their fast except hunger, and there may be those who pray qiyaam and get nothing from their qiyaam but a sleepless night. Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 1690 classed as saheeh by Ibn Hibbaan, 8/257, and by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 10/83. (similar hadith narrated by Ibn umar in al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, 12/382 classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb wal-Tarheeb, 1084.
So one should stay away from Un-Islamic things such as:
Dietary Patterns And Sleep
Effect of Fasting on Sleep
Effects of fasting on sleep length differ depending on the study. Fasting was associated with shorter sleep in some human studies and with increased sleep in others. Results of studies on the effect of fasting on sleep architecture are somewhat divergent. Fasting, resulting in decreased energy intake, seems to be associated with an increase of slow-wave sleep, and a decrease of rapid eye movement sleep and sleep stages 1 and 2. In the earlier studies this was explained by the restorative function of slow-wave sleep.76,77 In the 1980s it was thought that sleep was mainly for the brain and had little restorative value.78 It is now known that sleep not only is important for the brain, but also has a restorative function.79,80 The relationship is complex. In experimental studies, caloric restriction protects the brain against aging and disease. Markers of oxidative stress were lower in cultured neuronal cells treated with caloric restriction serum compared with those treated with ad libitum serum.81
The effects of the intermittent type of fasting during Ramadan differ from those of continuous fasting. In one study, the main finding was that during Ramadan sleep latency was increased and sleep architecture was modified. Slow-wave sleep and REM sleep decreased during Ramadan. The effects of Ramadan fasting on nocturnal sleep have been explained by changes in drinking and meal schedule, rather than an altered energy intake, which may be preserved.82
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Ramadan And Fasting : The Dilemma
Ramadan is not a set calendar date. It comes early every year by ten days. The result is that recently, it has fallen within one of the hottest months of the year. In the coastal resorts, many Turks work in restaurants and this is one of the busiest months when they will cater for hundreds of hungry tourists that are eager to consume English breakfasts, hamburgers for lunch and juicy steaks for dinner.
This is not the winter months when the hours of daylight are shorter and very few tourists trickle through the door of the restaurant. This is different, the stakes are higher and the goal posts have moved.
Workers have the choice to abstain, offering money to charities instead as a penance for not completing the fast. However most will attempt to fast, because they have done it every year since the transformation from a boy to a man, or a girl to a woman. The ability to undergo this test of strength is firmly ingrained into their characters and lifestyle.
When Does Ramadan The Islamic Holy Month Of Fasting And Prayer Take Place In 2021
Ramadan, the holy month of fasting and prayer for Muslims that lasts for 30 days, begins on April 12 in 2021. The ninth month of the Islamic calendar ends on May 11 this year.
The Muslim calendar follows the phases of the moon . Its calendar year is shorter than that of the more commonly used Gregorian calendar, so Ramadan begins 10 to 12 days earlier each year.
The dates for Ramadan may vary across countries as they are dependent on the appearance of the crescent moon.
Fasting can take place throughout the Islamic calendar year, but it is primarily associated with Ramadan. Muslims are expected to fast every day from dawn to sunset.
The Muslim Council of Britain, the U.K.’s biggest Islamic organization, explains: “Muslims around the world fast during daylight hours, meaning they abstain from eating, drinking or engaging in sexual relations for the duration of their fast. Young children, pregnant women, the old, the sick and travelers are examples of those who are exempt from fasting.”
Muslim Aid, a U.K.-based NGO, advises: “Fasting is a key part of Ramadan and all those of able body and sound mind should fast during this Holy time.”
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Are There Differences Between How Sunni Muslims And Shia Muslims Observe Ramadan
For the most part, no. Both Sunni and Shia Muslims fast during Ramadan. But there are some minor differences for instance, Sunnis break their daily fast at sunset, when the sun is no longer visible on the horizon , whereas Shia wait until the redness of the setting sun has completely vanished and the sky is totally dark.
Shia also celebrate an additional holiday within the month of Ramadan that Sunnis do not. For three days the 19th, 20th, and 21st days of Ramadan Shia commemorate the martyrdom of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed who was both the revered fourth caliph of Sunni Islam and the first “legitimate” imam of Shia Islam.
Ali was assassinated in the fierce civil wars that erupted following the death of Mohammed over who should lead the Muslim community in his stead. On the 19th day of the month of Ramadan, while Ali was worshipping at a mosque in Kufa, Iraq, an assassin from a group of rebels who opposed his leadership fatally struck him with a poisoned sword. Ali died two days later.
Ali is a hugely important figure in Shia Islam. His tomb in nearby Najaf, Iraq, is the third-holiest site in Shia Islam, and millions of Shia make a pilgrimage there every year. Although Sunnis revere Ali as one of the four “rightly guided” caliphs who ruled after Mohammed’s death, they do not commemorate his death or make a pilgrimage to his tomb.
Rationale For This Practice Recommendation
Ramadan fast is a ubiquitous religio-cultural practice that is found in varying forms across the world including India. It is evident from the above reports that India has good number of Muslim population, which is projected to increase in the coming years, and majority of Indian Muslims observe fasting during Ramadan, the prevalence of diabetes is on a rise in Indian population. Furthermore, fasting during Ramadan is associated with multifactorial risks in diabetes patients. Collective analysis of these aspects urges the development of clinical practice guidelines for diabetes management during Ramadan fasting in India. This review highlights the evidence based management options for diabetes control by using various pharmacological agents.
Mohamed Hassanein, … On behalf of the International Diabetes Federation , in collaboration with the Diabetes and Ramadan International Alliance, in, 2017
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Why Do The Dates Of Ramadan Change Every Year
For religious matters, Muslims follow a lunar calendar that is, one based on the phases of the moon whose 12 months add up to approximately 354 days. That’s 11 days shorter than the 365 days of the standard Gregorian calendar. Therefore, the Islamic lunar calendar moves backward approximately 11 days each year in relation to the regular Gregorian calendar.
So that means that the first day of the month of Ramadan, which is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, moves backward by about 11 days each year.
This has a large impact on how people experience Ramadan from year to year. When Ramadan falls in the winter, it’s much easier to fast: the days are shorter, which means you don’t have to fast as long, and it’s colder out, so not being able to drink water all day isn’t as big of a deal because you’re not sweating as much.
Conversely, when Ramadan falls in the summer, fasting can be brutal. In many Muslim countries in the Middle East and Africa, summer temperatures can reach levels usually reserved for the deepest bowels of hell.
And in some Northern European countries such as Iceland, Norway, and Sweden , fasting can last an average of 20 hours or more in the summer.
