"From Spiritual Awakening to Physical Transformation: The Benefits of Ramadan Fasting".

Understanding how fasting improves overall health, including the role of adult stem cells in intestinal regeneration, in repair, and in aging, is a fundamental interest of my laboratory.” says Omer Yilmaz, an MIT assistant professor of biology.

Masses of Muslims around the world concentrate on introspection and fast from nightfall till dawn during Ramadan, which is the "Sultan of 11 Months."  During this period of time it’s quite common that certain people might fail to embody the spirit of Ramadan and enjoy the fasting because of simply not having control over what they eat during the meal hour just before the sunrise (Suhoor), meal period after sunset (Iftar) and not consuming a proper amount of water.

If you fast throughout Ramadan, your body's biological clock also experiences a number of physical and psychological changes in addition to altering your eating and sleeping schedules. To use energy as efficiently as possible the body slows down metabolism while you're dehydrated, hungry, and fasting.

All the intricacies around how the body behaves during fasting periods have got a ton of positive effects to the health of the individual.  Fasting has been shown in several studies to help you live longer, regulate your weight, enhance your mood and attention, raise your level of energy, and improve the quality of your sleep. ‍

What should your Nutrition look like? ‍

To fulfill the quantity of energy and nutrition your body requires during the day during Ramadan, consumption of meals high in protein, carbs, vitamins, and minerals, and drinking enough water plays a huge role. However, while this is a good thing to do, it does not imply that you ought to eat all you need during Suhoor all at once because it renders your body unable to utilize all of the energy you consume, which may result in weight gain. This is simply dependent on the fact that your metabolism adjusts to Ramadan eating patterns. And as such, it’s highly advisable that one consumes about 4 liters of water every day.

Even if you acquire a good percentage of this amount from meals, fruit juice, mineral water, tea, and other beverages, you should still consume 1.5 to 2.5 liters each day. To put it simply, you need to drink two glasses of water every hour from Iftar to Suhoor.‍

So what do we eat instead

‍People usually mess-up when they opt to snack right after Iftar as a way to reduce their hunger on their way to sleep and then follow that up by skipping Suhoor, hence staying hungry till the Iftar that follows. It is highly advisable to eat during Suhoor mostly before the beginning of the fast.

Severely low blood sugar and dehydration as a result will come to unsettle you the next day and as a result, one may experience distraction and dizziness during the day.

All in all, what would be a good idea for you to eat during Suhoor to feel more lively over the course of the day? A great option is a breakfast that is light, nutritious, and filling. Dairy products and fresh vegetables like eggs, cheese, tomatoes, and cucumbers can be eaten before sunrise. In addition, you can always enjoy fruits, vegetables, and olive oil-cooked vegetables. Your body gets the vitamins, protein, and energy it needs every day from this combination.

Whole wheat bread, pasta, all of which are high in carbohydrates and fiber and are beneficial to the digestive system, should be consumed in addition to fruit. Dried organic products like dates, nuts like almonds, cashews, peanuts and almonds are additionally extraordinary food supplements. They can fill you up for long periods of time throughout the day. Your nutrition is largely determined not only by the variety of foods you consume but also by the portions you consume. Make smart food choices and eat smaller portions.‍

How to stay hydrated during Ramadan!‍

Especially on hot summer days, you should avoid daily activities that can dehydrate you during Ramadan. Use food supplements for a balanced, healthy diet that will support your daily activities if you work in hot weather or are a professional athlete who wants to fast. During the times when you are not fasting, you should continue to meet your daily requirements for energy, protein, and water if you exercise regularly. Additionally, exercise duration should be reduced by 30% during Ramadan.

A healthy option is to break the fast with foods that are easy to digest. After many long hours of fasting, people tend to eat a lot of food quickly during Ramadan. But to rehydrate your body after a long day of dehydration, try breaking your fast with soup, followed by water, ayran, or freshly squeezed fruit juice, and then eating the main course 10 to 15 minutes later. By making you feel full and assisting your digestive system, this will help you avoid overeating.

Meat, chicken, or vegetable dishes that can be grilled, boiled, or steamed are good choices for the main course. By biting your food completely and going for a stroll a little while hours after Iftar, you can help your stomach related and cardiovascular frameworks.

It is true that Ramadan is a holy time of year, and fasting is an essential part of the holy month. However, as you can see, there are a lot of ways to fast and stay healthy and nourished, moreover there’s a huge number of benefits to it.

Benefits

According to a recent study that was published in The American Journal of Medicine, short-term intermittent fasting can assist in lowering hypertension, also known as high blood pressure.

This study adds to the growing body of evidence demonstrating that intermittent fasting can aid in heart health improvement and lower the risk of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases.

Builds Mind Capability; Fasting has likewise been displayed to have various mind benefits, for example, more elevated levels of nerve development factor (NGF). Neuronal growth, maintenance, proliferation, and survival are all regulated by this protein. In both the peripheral and central nervous systems, the growth and normal function of neurons are dependent on NGF. Fasting also makes more of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which helps old brain cells stay alive and make new ones grow. It has been suggested that having low levels of BDNF raises one's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Improves Body Composition; Fasting has been shown to have a positive effect on the body's composition. This indicates that it can improve a person's overall health while simultaneously lowering their body fat percentage.

Yes it is very true, fasting lowers the risk of cancer! You can lower your risk of developing cancer by fasting. Curious? Well, when you fast, cancer cells can't use the ketones that the liver makes from fat and fatty acids. To put it simply, fasting assists in starving cancer cells and increases their susceptibility to the immune system of the body and as a result, your risk of cancer development is lowered a tad.

Stimulates Autophagy; Autophagy is the process by which cells and tissues recycle damaged parts. Fasting stimulates autophagy. It's what keeps your cells from starving and allowing them to regenerate. Autophagy helps to prevent aging-related diseases like cancer, heart disease, and neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. It also helps to prolong life.

Researchers from MIT wrote saying, “As people age, their intestinal stem cells begin to lose their ability to regenerate. These stem cells are the source for all new intestinal cells, so this decline can make it more difficult to recover from gastrointestinal infections or other conditions that affect the intestine.

This age-related loss of stem cell function can be reversed by a 24-hour fast, according to a new study from MIT biologists. The researchers found that fasting dramatically improves stem cells’ ability to regenerate, in both aged and young mice. In fasting mice, cells begin breaking down fatty acids instead of glucose, a change that stimulates the stem cells to become more regenerative. The researchers found that they could also boost regeneration with a molecule that activates the same metabolic switch. Such an intervention could potentially help older people recovering from GI infections or cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, the researchers say.  “Understanding how fasting improves overall health, including the role of adult stem cells in intestinal regeneration, in repair, and in aging, is a fundamental interest of my laboratory.” says Omer Yilmaz, an MIT assistant professor of biology.

Reduces Inflammation; Fasting reduces inflammation, a major factor in aging. This is because fasting causes changes in the microbiota in your gut. The gut microbiome becomes richer in anti-inflammatory bacteria after fasting.

Regulates Sleep Patterns; Fasting has been linked to sound sleep for a long time. First and foremost, you should be aware that fasting does have an effect on your sleep. It can help regulate your circadian rhythm, also known as your natural sleep cycle, and make it simpler to fall asleep at night. Ghrelin Levels Are Normalized; Fasting normalizes the levels of the hormone ghrelin, which is responsible for hunger and the body's response to fasting. This is important because, unlike many other diets, fasting helps you lose weight without making you feel hungry a lot.

In a nutshell, fasting during Ramadan is hugely recommend because it alleviates a variety of health-related issues and provides numerous individuals with significant benefits. During this holy season, keep yourself and your family healthy all through this sacred month of Ramadan.

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