Healthy Fastening
during Ramadan
Importance of Drinking
Water in Sehar & Iftar
In the Holy Month of
Ramadan, we all happen to fall in the midst of the summer heat and feel the
importance of water. Because most devout fasters tend to forgo water for fried
fatty food and soda, caffeine and sweetened beverages, they end up with internal
dehydration, weight gain and kidney damage. People have gotten into the habit
of over eating so such an extent that they leave no space for plain water. By
doing so, they defeat the purpose of fasting and neglect an essential aspect of
health as well as harm their bodies.
Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him) recommended allocating one third of the body’s capacity for food,
one third for drinking and one third for breathing. Unfortunately, modern
lifestyles with excessive accessibility of fatty, fried foods have led us to
over-stuff ourselves with heavy meals, leaving little space for water and
breathing.
Cold drinks, Coffee,
excess tea and caffeine in soda and energy sweetened drinks are negative
fluids. Due to their diuretic properties, they dehydrate the body, resulting in
water loss instead. Insufficient plain water intake stresses the body systems
(adrenal glands) and puts a load on certain organs (kidneys), leading to
elevated blood sugar levels, insulin and blood pressure, toxin deposits,
increased urine output and higher risk of urine and bladder infections and
renal failure.
Water encourages the
elimination of toxins through the renal, digestive and glandular systems
(urine, bowel movement, perspiration). When such poisonous deposits remain too
long in the body they cause an overload of internal toxicity.
Muscles also require
sufficient water to perform. With water shortage, energy is sapped and they
start aching. Workouts and simple daily chores become difficult to perform.
Water makes up 22 percent of bone mass. Without it, the bones begin to ache and
fail to rebuild and keep strong. The joints suffer as well.
Without sufficient
water intake, the cleansing organs fail to operate adequately to purify the
blood. The blood starts building toxins due to the burdened kidneys.
Dehydration also causes painful chronic urine and bladder infections, which tax
the kidneys as well, resulting in damage or failure.
When the body is
dehydrated, it draws water from the intestines, resulting in acid reflux,
constipation, hemorrhoids and insufficient nutrient assimilation. The digestive
tract starts to suffer without our awareness of the underlying cause.
Insufficient water intake results in low energy, fatigue, disorientation,
failing memory, dry eyes and skin, muscle, back and headaches, irritability,
anxiety and anger.
The respiratory tract
also suffers from dry conditions. Mucus in the airways and nose becomes thick
and harmful and attracts infections. Dry cough, blocked nose, asthma,
sinusitis, chest allergies and recurrent colds and infections can be symptoms
of water shortage.
Body functions like
breathing, perspiration and digestion require one and a half liters of water
daily in order to operate the different systems and organs optimally. With this
quantity of water expended, the body needs to replenish the daily loss; or
else, we start feeling fatigued and slower mentally and physically.
We conclude that,
nothing substitutes for water — not a thing. No drink — no coffee, no tea, no
alcoholic beverages. Not even fruit juices.” He explained that water and other
drinks do not produce the same effects on the cells, organs and systems.
Therefore, the body needs a continuous new supply of pure fresh water to
complete certain functions that cannot be done by adulterated waters like
caffeine, soda, energy and sweetened beverages and alcohol in particular. Not
even fresh fruit juices can perform the same tasks, especially on the cellular
level when it comes to quenching body and brain cells.
Enjoy the freshness of
water and how it cools your body and energizes you!