Fasting to Great Health

Fasting is not a new phenomenon by any means. It has its roots in all the major religions of the world. The Quran, Bible, and Torah all have some form of it present. Philippus Paracelsus, one of the fathers of Western medicine has even called it “The greatest remedy-The physician within”

The benefits

Research has shown that intermittent fasting benefits the body in various ways. Below are some of them:

• Helps with weight loss.
• May help those with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
• Decreases risk factors for diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
• Helps treat autoimmune diseases, asthma, and even cardiac arrhythmias.

God has said in the Quran,

O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous – 2:183

Muslims world over fast in the month of Ramadan (the 9th month in the lunar calendar) from dawn to dusk. Apart from food, sexual relations are also prohibited. The stress is on worship and strengthening one’s ties with God as well as empathizing with those less privileged than us.

I was introduced to the practice way back in my childhood. I would see my parents and other elders fast and would want to fast with them. It was almost a challenge. I recall keeping my very first fast when I was eight years old (This was just a practice run. I was free to break my fast whenever I wanted). Fasting becomes obligatory at puberty for Muslims. But the fascination with this ritual was too strong to be denied. The pre-dawn breakfast (suhoor) was a whole production. A feast if you will.

The celebration I knew was to come at the end of the day, was another motivation. I remember my grandmother sewing a brand new outfit for me to celebrate the occasion, and my twin brother and I being treated like royalty throughout the day.

Fast forward thirty-odd years. Although fasting for most of my adult life, I barely even gave a thought to the many other advantages that came with it.

Having been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s it excited me that science was reinforcing such an important religious ritual. One sadly, only an annual exercise for most Muslims. I started to fast as often as I could. Sometimes twice a week, as was the routine of the Prophet (pbuh)

I have no doubt in my mind that fasting did my body a whole lot of good and had a big role to play in healing my gut and bringing me back to optimum health.

Have you tried fasting?  How has it made you feel? Let me know in the comment below, I would love to hear from you!