Ramadan 2018- Amazing Ways To Lose Weight During Ramadan

During the holy month of Ramadan, especially this year when fasting extends to more than 15 hours in the UAE, there is a good opportunity for people to lose weight if they follow some golden rules while choosing the food for suhour and iftar, say nutritionists and health specialists.

Many people often complain that fasting slows down their metabolism levels and eating large quantities of food during iftar especially to end fast makes them pile on excess fat.

* Intermittent Fasting

While Muslims, and other religious traditions, have maintained fasting for millennia, it has become a central feature of the health and wellness community in the past decade now that modern science has shown fasting to be the key to a wide range of health benefits. Intermittent fasting, which means restricting eating to specific hours during the day (basically what Muslims have done for 1400 years) has been shown to be among the most beneficial things one can do for their health. Insulin levels drop, human growth hormone (which stimulates muscle gain and weight loss) levels go up, cells are repaired, and there are positive changes in genes related to longevity and disease prevention. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg; studies have also shown that intermittent fasting can help you lose weight, become less insulin resistant (lowering risk of type-2 diabetes), reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body, improve heart health, remove waste from cells, prevent against cancer, improve brain health, prevent Alzheimer’s disease, and extend lifespan.

* Sick, Fat, and Nearly Dead

Nearly three quarters of American men and 60% of American women are overweight or obese. And, frighteningly, nearly 30% of American boys and girls under age 20 are either obese or overweight — up from 19% in 1980. Our generation is the first in the history of the USA that will have a shorter lifespan than their parents. 8 of the top 10 causes of death in our country are diet related. The other two are suicide and accidents. This is an epidemic of epic proportions and is all the more tragic because it is easily preventable. I am not aware of any specific obesity statistics on American Muslims but I doubt anyone who has spent time amongst our communities would argue that we fare much better than the national average.

* A Personal Note

The past 3 or 4 Ramadans have been very difficult for me personally because I found myself with almost no energy. I felt like a zombie and could barely get out of bed. I was totally lethargic and mentally foggy. I wasn’t hungry or thirsty but I was totally incapacitated. I worked at night just to be somewhat productive. It wasn’t just Ramadan though, year round I was tired. I didn’t have much energy for exercise, was relying on ridiculous amounts of caffeine to get through the afternoon, was mentally foggy, had joint stiffness and digestive issues, and had put on 20 or so extra pounds. After speaking with a few people who are specialists in health and nutrition about my lethargy and other health issues I had developed, I realized that my gut microbiome was totally imbalanced, I was insulin resistant (pre-diabetic), and that my symptoms were typical of a high sugar and carbohydrate diet.