Ramadan Fasting Rules & Health Tips for Beginners | Stay Healthy While Fasting

Fasting in Ramazan is a religious obligation for all muslims. It is an extraordinary event, an opportunity to adopt good, healthy habits and other spiritual blessings. It is such a splendid month which not only offers forgiveness of sins but also brings blessings to our health. Those who are new to this month should learn Ramadan fasting Rules and health tips for beginners.

Recite duas of suhoor and iftar

What is Ramadan Fasting?

Fasting in Ramadan ul Mubarak is a religious duty and one of the pillars of Islam. It is to refrain from food and drink from sehri to Iftar time. If you are a beginner or new to fasting, you must know some of the important rules and health tips during this holy month.

The Basic Rules of Ramadan Fasting

Fasting during the holy month of Ramzan ul Mubarak requires some basic rules to understand and follow, especially for beginners.

Age limit for Ramzan fasting

Ramadan fasting is mandatory for those who are at a specific age and can comply with Ramazan rules both physically and mentally. However, certain types of individuals are excluded or exempt from fasting.

Kids and Children
Physically weak or elderly persons
Patients suffering from chronic diseases
Women with menstruation and pragnacy
Travellers

Fasting invalidation actions

Breaking the fast before its scheduled time(Maghrib) is forbidden. Eating or drinking before iftar time without any crucial reason or compulsion is a sin and considered a disrespect of the sacred month. The following are those acts that lead to the breaking of fast.

Acts of intentional eating and drinking before iftar time invalidate the fast. It is a fundamental concept of fasting that everyone must know.
Inhaling of smoke(Smoking of Tobacco) or taking drugs also invalidate fast. It is, therefore, a good opportunity to quit smoking and other bad habits in Ramzan.
Intentional vomiting, which can be stopped, results in breaking the fast.
Doing sexual activity while you are on a fast not only breaks the fast but also causes the imposition of fasting for 2 consecutive months or feeding at least 60 poor.

Which actions do not invalidate Fasting?

According to the fasting rules, some acts do not cause a breaking of fast. Some of the most common and thought-about acts regarding this are as follows.

Swallowing of saliva is a natural act that can not be revoked or stopped, therefore, it does not invalidate the fast.
Vomiting, which is unintentional as per medical knowledge, is normal and does not lead to breaking the fast.
Natural actions like taking a shower and brushing your teeth do no harm your fast. You can also use Miswak[A traditional chewing stick for cleaning teeth], along with a regular prayer timetable.

Beginners Tips for a Successful Ramazan

Those who plan to fast this coming Ramazan ul Mubarak, as their first fasting experience, should know the following tips.

Planning for suhoor

Sehri is the food or meal before dawn so that you can get energy for the rest of your day during Ramazan. It is an essential part of fasting. Therefore, it is advised to eat such food at sehri, that is digested slowly. You may have the following food at Sehri.

Oats
Whole grains
Fresh fruits
Food with enough protein(Eggs and Yogurt)

Drink maximum water and stay Hydrated

It becomes very hard to cope with thirst during Ramadan, especially when you perform physical toil during fasting hours. It gets even harder when it is hot. Therefore, to keep your body hydrated, you must drink maximum water and eat juicy food(including fresh fruits and shakes) during suhoor and iftaar. Avoiding caffeine-rich drinks like coffee and tea is advised as they cause dehydration during fasting hours.

Break Your Fast Slowly

Iftar is the opening or breaking of the fast. It is the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Mohammad SAW and an extremely pleasurable moment to get your energy back and enjoy yourself. However, it is important to perform Iftar with good manners, like starting with a date and water. It is not good or recommended to break the fast with haste and greed because too much eating at Iftar may cause health issues.

Iftari meal and Balanced diet

It is very essential and crucial to know what food to include in Iftaari. One must not overlook the idea of getting a balanced diet during Ramadan. It is important to maintain your physical health along with your spiritual health to stay blessed during the fasting month. For keeping a balanced diet, include the following in your meal for a balanced Iftar.

Chicken meat and fish
Vegetables and fruits
Whole grains, Rice, and beans

Note: It is never recommended to overeat during or after Iftar because it may trouble you on your next fasting day.

Get enough sleep

Sleep is a basic need of the Human body, though it is disrupted to some extent during Ramadan. Therefore, it is essential to maintain and adjust your sleeping hours during the fasting month. It is very good to sleep after performing the Zuhur prayer. Sleeping after performing the Taraveeh prayer is necessary so that you can rise for Sehri again.

Health Benefits of Ramadan Fasting

Along with the spiritual and religious benefits, there are numerous health benefits to fasting during Ramadan. Some of the health-related benefits of Ramadan fasting are as follows.

Detoxification:

Many health problems are caused by overeating, which further leads to stomach and liver diseases. Ramadan fasting helps our body to get rid of toxic materials and offers great detoxification to our body.

Improved metabolism

Fasting during the month of Ramzan is also very helpful for the metabolism. The process of food digestion is sped up, blood circulation is healthy, and the chances of getting ill are, therefore, very low.

Weight management:

Ramadan ul Mubarak brings with it a great opportunity to maintain good and healthy habits. One who wants to lose weight must observe fasting in Ramadan.

Mental clarity:

One of the greatest benefits of fasting is that there is a unique freshness of mind during fasting hours. Fasting increases your attention and power of thinking. It keeps you alert and healthy.

Common Mistakes during Fasting in Ramzan

Observance of Ramzan Shareef causes a significant change in our daily routine, especially of sleep timings. Resultantly, some errors or blunders are committed due to mismanagement of the proper Ramzan timetable and overwhelming acts that cause health issues. Some of the common errors or mistakes made by beginners during Ramzan are as follows.

Skipping Suhoor: Avoiding Sehri due to laziness or other reasons is not a good thing. Neglecting the sehri meal either intentionally or unintentionally causes weakness and dehydration in the body.

Overeating during Iftar: Some people eat a lot during or after Iftar, which leads to indigestion and other health issues, along with fatigue.

Dehydration: Dehydration means not drinking enough water, which could lead to loss of energy, physical weakness, and mental tiredness. Overlooking or neglecting hydration causes thirst and frustration during fasting hours, which is not a good sign during fasting.

Consuming too many fried foods: Frequent eating of fried and oily food is also not wise in Ramazan because it creates troubles and discomfort in fasting. It is therefore suggested to eat food that is simple and healthy.

FAQs

Fasting requires avoiding or abstaining from eating, drinking, and having sexual intercourse from sehri to iftar time. Those who are elderly, physically weak, or children, are not bound to fast

During Ramadan fasting, Muslims are forbidden to eat, drink, smoke, or inhale anything because these things invalidate the fast. Acts like unintentional vomiting or swallowing of saliva do not break the fast.

The planning of suhoor and iftar regarding meals is very important for beginners in Ramzan. It is recommended by medical experts to have a balanced diet during Ramzan. Therefore, foods like oats, whole grains, and fruits are recommended for sehri, while proteins, complex carbs, and vegetables are good to eat at iftar.

It is essential to stay hydrated during Ramzan because fasting does not allow you to drink water until Ifatri. One must take enough water and eat fresh fruits during sehri to keep his body hydrated and healthy.

Some of the common mistakes during Ramzan fasting are overeating, neglecting the intake of water, or skipping Suhoor. It is always advised to rise for Sehri and have a healthy meal so you can stay energetic and hydrated during fasting hours.

Conclusion

Ramadan Fasting is a great spiritual and religious practice. Along with spiritual blessings, it is also very helpful in maintaining good health. Those who are new to fasting should know about the selection of food and make a proper diet plan for this blessed month.

It is important to avoid mistakes like skipping Suhoor, overeating, and staying dehydrated during Ramzan. Beginners need to apply these health tips and bless themselves with the coming Ramzan ul Mubarak. By keeping yourself healthy and having a balanced diet and a fresh mind, you can have a great Ramzan ul Mubarak.