Yes - absolutely. :-) And so we do. I think there are a lot of us who cannot fast. I suppose I just wish I could because - it seems like I'm missing out on the experience and all. It's okay though - there are still many many benefits of Ramadan. If I can stick it out here at my daughter's house (I'm in Reno, it's hot) then I can go to the masjid Friday, insha'allah. :-)
Each night they break fast after Maghrib. If I can gather the nerve to drive a strange car in a big city at night, I will go maybe tonight, insha'allah. I certainly would love to! Z T Minhas wrote: > > > The good thing about fasting is that it gives the mental strength (at > least for me) to tazkiya my nafs. On the other hand not being able to > fast should not be a barrier to taking advantage of the fact that it > is Ramadan, and this month is when revelation was revealed. We still > have to use this month to catapult strength to our nafs to purify it > for the rest of the year. > > Z T > > Linda Ghaliyaa Richard wrote: >> Incredible article. Too late for me, though, I already have diabetes >> and can't fast. :( I wish I could - I feel like I'm missing out on >> a lot! >> >> Ron Abdul Latif Coleman wrote: >>> >>> >>> This Is Your Brain On >>> >>> Although the author of this article fails to mention the fact that >>> the eating of dates upon breaking the fast is a sunnah of the >>> Prophet.s.a.w.s, it is none the less some food for thought. >>> >>> >>> Posted by Megan Meyer <http://muslimvoices.org/author/mmeyer/> >>> on August 21st, 2009 >>> >>> So here's an interesting fact about the brain: During a period of >>> fasting, a hormone is released that upsets how your body changes >>> food into energy. When that happens, it increases the number of >>> mitochondria in neurons that tell you when you're hungry. >>> >>> Neurobiologists at Yale University School of Medicine found that >>> this caused mice to overeat. The study suggests >>> <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=new-year-new-understandin> >>> >>> there's a connection between "breaking fast" and eating more that >>> you need to replenish yourself. >>> >>> >>> Typically we have noticed a trend in increased obesity and many >>> incidence of diabetes during the Holy month because of irregular and >>> inappropriate eating after breaking the fast, " said Dr. Wedad Al >>> Maidor, family physician, and member of the Dubai Ministry of Health. >>> >>> (From WAM's article 'Ahlan Ramadan' encourages Healthy Ramadan >>> <http://arabeastern.com/opinion/contents.asp?PageID=25680>.) >>> >>> >>> An article published by the American Diabetes Association doctors >>> recommend distributing calories over 2-3 smaller meals >>> <http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/28/9/2305.full> during >>> non-fasting hours help prevent type 2 diabetes. >>> >>> >>> So be careful not to binge during this month of Ramadan! >>> >>> >>> *Why Are Dates So Common During Ramadan?* >>> >>> Your brain is like a spoiled little princess; she always wants the >>> crème de la crème. >>> >>> Borrowing a metaphor from a Medical News Today article >>> <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/124282.php>, the body gets >>> energy in two ways: high-octane glucose (sugar) or cheap, low-octane >>> fat. Most of our body can take energy from either glucose or fat, >>> but the brain is pickier -- it's glucose or nothing. >>> >>> So when there is no glucose to be burned, the liver takes protein >>> from the muscles, where it is transformed into glucose then shot up >>> to the brain. >>> >>> Just one date has about 15 g of sugar -- that's a lot. So it makes >>> sense that this would be a traditional way to break one's fast >>> before Iftar (the evening meal). What better way to raise everyone's >>> spirits than a small, quick shot of glucose to the brain? >>> >>> But you only need a handful of dates >>> <http://nutrition.about.com/od/fruitsandvegetables/p/dates.htm>. >>> Don't forget about those greedy little mice! >>> >>> >>> *Fasting And Alzheimer's* >>> >>> There seem to be some mysterious benefits for the brain in >>> Ramadan-style fasting. A study conducted at the National Institute >>> on Aging showed that intermittent deprivation of food can protect >>> the brain from diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. >>> >>> [Mark] Mattson and his colleagues also shared data from research on >>> humans, which shows that populations with higher caloric >>> intakes---such as the United States and Europe---have a greater >>> prevalence of Alzheimer's than do populations that eat less---such >>> as China and Japan. >>> >>> (From Andrea Useen's article Why Religious Fasting Could Be Good for >>> Your Brain >>> <http://pokedandprodded.health.com/2008/09/17/why-ramadan-might-be-good-for-your-brain/>.) >>> >>> So how can it stave off degenerative brain diseases? Mattson claims >>> fasting can actually creative new neurons. From his article >>> <http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/118870809/HTMLSTART?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0> >>> >>> published by the National Institutes of Health, it reads: >>> >>> >>> [Dietary restriction] can stimulate the production of new neurons >>> from stem cells (neurogenesis) and can enhance synaptic plasticity, >>> which may increase the ability of the brain to resist aging and >>> restore function following injury. >>> >>> >>> Now there was one part that seemed to conflict with what doctors >>> recommend to prevent obesity and diabetes. Mattson suggest that we >>> eat more in one sitting. >>> >>> >>> ...increasing the time interval between meals is beneficial, even >>> when the size of the meals are increased to a level that results in >>> no overall decrease in caloric intake. >>> >>> >>> Perhaps both the neuroscientists and diabetes specialists would be >>> content if we slowly graze from sunset to bedtime. >>> >>> *Fasting May Even Affect Sleep* >>> >>> According to Dr. Ebrahim Kazim, a low blood-sugar level can lock the >>> brain into stages of deep sleep. He writes: >>> >>> >>> Fasting improves the quality and intensifies the depth of sleep, a >>> matter of particular importance to the aged who have much less stage >>> three and four sleep (deep sleep). The processes of repair of the >>> body and of the brain take place during sleep. Two hours of sleep >>> during the month of Ramadan are more satisfying and refreshing than >>> more hours of sleep otherwise! >>> >>> >>> While this may be true if one goes to sleep before eating, we must >>> wonder if this particular phenomenon belongs to Ramadan fasting. >>> Breaking fast at sundown would increase the blood-sugar level. The >>> question is if the evening meal would raise the blood-sugar level >>> enough to improve the depth of sleep. >>> >>> Ramadan Kareem! >>> >>> >> >> -- >> Linda >> *http://freedetainees.org <http://freedetainees.org/> >> "If we shadows have offended, Think but this, >> and all is mended, That you have but slumber'd >> here While these visions did appear..." >> - William Shakespeare >> * >> > > > > -- Linda *http://freedetainees.org <http://freedetainees.org/> "If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended, That you have but slumber'd here While these visions did appear..." - William Shakespeare * --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "bangla-vision" group. 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