I did a lot of research about Ramadan itself yesterday, not just the food part. This month really is about self control, and cleansing oneself both physically and metaphorically. In addition to fasting from food and drink during the day, cigarettes and alcohol are also forbidden. (They usually are in Islam, but some people do these things anyway.) I don't smoke or drink, but I can imagine it would be hard to just cut yourself cold turkey from those habits. You are also supposed to pray, and use the time to bring yourself closer to God. The purpose is to build up good in your life. However, that good can be diminished by a few things too.
1. Telling lies
2. Slander
3. Gossip
4. Making false promises or oaths
5. Greed
These things are usually considered to be offensive in Islam (and with Judaism and Christianity) but they are particularly bad during Ramadan. As are swearing, fighting, doing bad deeds or actions. One is supposed to surround oneself with positive things, and not negative, unhealthy images, sounds or situations. It's kind of like how everyone tries to keep on their best behavior for an important holiday, but for Muslims this lasts for an entire month. Muslims believe that their good deeds bring a greater reward during Ramadan because this month was blessed by God. They also believe that it is easier to do good during Ramadan because this month "the devils have been chained in Hell, and so can't tempt believers. This doesn't mean that Muslims will not behave badly, but that any evil that they do comes from within themselves, without additional encouragement from Satan."1
As for the food parts, I was taking in far too many starches, and high calorie foods. Ramadan is a month were you are supposed to be healthy. Over eating, carbo-loading, or consuming extra calories to "make up" for what you skip during the day are not healthy practices, and are counter productive to fasting. From most of the places I found, they all said that it will actually make you feel more hungry during the day if you load up on all those extra calories. It will prevent your metabolism from doing a gradual slow down like it should be doing. Also, most advisers said that a Ramadan diet should contain more vegetables and fruits, less breads and carb products. It didn't say to cut them out entirely, but that they should not be the main portion of your meals. Fruit should be eaten after the meal, but with sufficient amount of time in between to allow digestion. If it's consumed too early (like right after the meal) it can cause fermentation and bloating.(2) Both of which I was experiencing, and both of which don't feel too pleasant. As I guessed correctly on my own, high amounts of sugar should be avoided, and natural sugars from organic juices and fruits should be the source of sugars instead. I was also told to avoid spicy foods, as it can upset a stomach normally, let alone an empty stomach. That would explain why I had an upset stomach the first night... spicy soup. Finally, I was taking in caffeine which is a diuretic and causes dehydration. Today is my first day without a strong cup of tea with breakfast. I'm hoping I won't feel as thirsty all day, as I drank an extra cup of regular water instead.
I found out that I should also be doing some sort of light exercise. It's actually bad to try to "conserve energy" because it prevents the bodies systems from properly using the calories consumed prior to sunrise and after sunset. It can actually lead to weight gain even while fasting! Instead of avoiding exercise, it's advised to do light stretching, or walking to keep a healthy balance. I had been doing my best not to exert myself, but now I see that it's actually possible to be counter productive in this strategy. For example, if you usually eat three small meals a day, but now you are fasting, you will consume two instead. If you start eating large amounts of food during those two meals, and you don't do regular movements or exercise, it's possible that you will have more calories in your system. Losing weight is actually a good thing for overweight people (such as myself) during Ramadan. The weight loss should come from a combination of proper diet (which means not over indulging in extra calories,) normal physical activity, and giving yourself the proper amount of sleep. That means not staying up super late knowing I have to get up early, and that my sleeping pattern will be changed by the extra fluid before bedtime.
So, now that I know what I've been doing incorrectly, I have revised my routine to include:
1. Meditation
2. Stretching/walking
3. A balanced diet
4. Better sleeping habits
I am hoping that today will be (another) fresh start. Still feeling tired as I adjust, but it's now after 10 am, and I didn't wake up thirsty this morning, so that's a good start.
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