BEFORE I start this series of articles, I would like to wish everyone a gratifying Ramadan that brings with it peace, tolerance, patience, forgiveness, harmony, and health. Ramadan Mubarak to all believers.
As usual, my articles will be focusing on the health part of this Holy Month. Because when you own good health, you are able to be in control of yourself, your life, your surroundings, what influences you, and the outcome of your life. With energy and health, you are able to perform the acts of worship with spirituality, which becomes even more gratifying.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), tells his cousin, Ibn Al-Abass: “Ask for forgiveness and health.” Without good health, we can neither be fully satisfied nor be able to perform the required essential Ramadan acts of worship.
We have to keep in mind that fasting makes us healthy, too. By abstaining from food over 15 hours, the body begins to detoxify and rid itself of fat deposits and toxic residue; enhance the metabolic rate; boost the immune system; extend lifespan; purify the spirit; increase mental clarity; and heighten spirituality in order to facilitate and make prayer more gratifying. The Prophet (peace be upon him) says, “Fast and you would become healthy.” Hence, fasting is not just a religious practice, but also a healthy lifestyle practice, meant to make us healthier. This has been proven through scientific evidence with intermittent fasting.
Because of the Holy Month of Ramadan, the Muslims’ month of fasting, I would have liked to explore the precious citrus fruit, much appreciated in the Middle East for its multiple uses, detoxifying characteristics, antioxidants characteristics, healing effects, and other health benefits. Both lemon and lime are always readily available in the Arab kitchen, dining table, and as a first aid remedy. They are used in most main and side dishes, soups, salads, pickles, cold and hot drinks, tea, and even desserts. The main and most popular drink for breaking fast at sunset during this Holy Month is lemonade or limeade. It is a staple beverage during the fasting period due to its richness in nutrients and antioxidants and its detoxification effect on the digestive, respiratory, and urinary tract systems.
Lemon and lime are so popular that new recipes of the drinks come up all the time. Some are made with mint, lemon grass, or other herbal green or mixed with other fruit juices. They may be added to ginger, sparkling water, on crushed ice to refresh, quench thirst, and relieve nausea and indigestion. It is a good substitute for soda and sweetened fruit drinks. Whatever way it is prepared, it is always very popular, refreshing and energizing. A squeeze of lemon can even be added to plain water to stimulate the stomach’s digestive juices, increase hydrochloric acid, assist the digestion, break down food, improve nutrient absorption (iron, calcium…), and prevent urinary tract infections (UTI).
However, before I continue exploring these two citrus fruits and their benefits, I shall discuss an important aspect of health that is much neglected during the fasting period and most of the time. I would like to briefly revisit the importance of an essential element, which is the essence of life on earth. It is water. God Almighty reminds us in the Holy Qur’an: “And We created everything alive from water.” (Chapter: 21; Verse: 30). This includes the creation of humans. Without water there would be no life on this planet.
Many of us are oblivious of water’s necessity to our bodies, organs, systems, and brains. I hear people around me say that they do not drink water, yet they fill their bodies with harmful sweetened juices, soda or soft drinks, tea, and coffee. Okay, all these sound like fluids, but some are sugar laden and contain harmful chemicals, which do more harm than good. Some are even considered negative water due to their diuretic properties that cause the body to lose water instead. While such beverages are a burden on the kidneys, pure water hydrates the cells, body, and brain; cleanses the kidneys and bladder; detoxifies the blood, organs, and systems; enhances the blood flow in the body; and allows oxygen and nutrients reach the brain and organs. No drink can equal water in its action inside the body and brain. Nothing could hydrate the cells, body, and brain better than pure water. Let us see why. Here are a few facts that should make sense to you.
The human body consists mostly of water; 75 percent of its weight is fluids, i.e. water, which means, only 25 percent is made of solids like the skull, skeleton, bones, teeth, tissues, cartilage, muscles, tendons… Have you ever seen a cadaver? That is only 25 percent of the would-have-been human being. Can you guess the percentage of water in the organs? I presume it is difficult for you to do so, unless you have previous knowledge. Well, here are the ideal percentages of water in different parts and organs of the body.
We said the body is made of 75 percent of water, then the brain consists of 85 percent water; the blood has 90 percent; the muscles hold 75 percent; the kidneys contain 82 percent of water; and finally the bones are made of 22 percent. Of course other organs like the skin, cartilage, tissues, liver, cells, heart, and more, also need plenty of water to function optimally. We know how the skin wrinkles with insufficient fluids. Take a look at the skin of a person who is dehydrated. It is wrinkled. When you want to plump your skin and look young, just drink enough water. When the cells suffer water shortage, they shrink and their performance suffers. With inadequate water intake, the joints begin to ache. Due to the shrinkage of cartilage and less synovial fluid between the joints, friction between the bones occurs and the cartilages wear out, and become painful.
These are just a few examples of what happens to the body, so that you can imagine what happens to the shrinking brain, which results in a failing memory, low cognitive performance, disorientation, spacing out, mental decline, poor blood, oxygen, and nutrient circulation, blood clots, slower movement, lethargy, and frailty. The condition leads to strokes, blood clots, heart attack, kidney failure, and more.
Water is a necessary support of the body structure, organs, and systems. The detoxification systems cannot function efficiently without sufficient water intake. These systems depend on it for perspiration, stool elimination, blood cleansing, and urine output. Dehydration can bring about fatal results like inadequate internal functions and serious toxicity, causing tremendous damage to organs and systems alike.
Unfortunately, most of us are dehydrated to a certain extent without us realizing it, making our kidneys work harder to filter our blood properly and do their job. Such overload is usually passed on to other organs like the liver. Some of the burden affects our detoxifying glands and organs, which begin to show signs of inefficiency and failure. As little as 5 percent of water loss from the body, symptoms start emerging in different ways in different individuals.
Next week, I shall explore the side effects of an even slight dehydration in the body, brain, organs, and different intricate systems.
References:
• Fasting can Help You Live Longer by Dr. Mercola
• www.healthyfoodhelp.com
• http://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/6-horrible-things-that-happen-to-your-body-when-you-dont-drink-enough-water/#sthash.BquTk3Js.dpuf
N.B.:
Individuals with medical conditions or on medication should consult their physicians when they decide to introduce anything new in their diet even if it is natural.
— [email protected]
As usual, my articles will be focusing on the health part of this Holy Month. Because when you own good health, you are able to be in control of yourself, your life, your surroundings, what influences you, and the outcome of your life. With energy and health, you are able to perform the acts of worship with spirituality, which becomes even more gratifying.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), tells his cousin, Ibn Al-Abass: “Ask for forgiveness and health.” Without good health, we can neither be fully satisfied nor be able to perform the required essential Ramadan acts of worship.
We have to keep in mind that fasting makes us healthy, too. By abstaining from food over 15 hours, the body begins to detoxify and rid itself of fat deposits and toxic residue; enhance the metabolic rate; boost the immune system; extend lifespan; purify the spirit; increase mental clarity; and heighten spirituality in order to facilitate and make prayer more gratifying. The Prophet (peace be upon him) says, “Fast and you would become healthy.” Hence, fasting is not just a religious practice, but also a healthy lifestyle practice, meant to make us healthier. This has been proven through scientific evidence with intermittent fasting.
Because of the Holy Month of Ramadan, the Muslims’ month of fasting, I would have liked to explore the precious citrus fruit, much appreciated in the Middle East for its multiple uses, detoxifying characteristics, antioxidants characteristics, healing effects, and other health benefits. Both lemon and lime are always readily available in the Arab kitchen, dining table, and as a first aid remedy. They are used in most main and side dishes, soups, salads, pickles, cold and hot drinks, tea, and even desserts. The main and most popular drink for breaking fast at sunset during this Holy Month is lemonade or limeade. It is a staple beverage during the fasting period due to its richness in nutrients and antioxidants and its detoxification effect on the digestive, respiratory, and urinary tract systems.
Lemon and lime are so popular that new recipes of the drinks come up all the time. Some are made with mint, lemon grass, or other herbal green or mixed with other fruit juices. They may be added to ginger, sparkling water, on crushed ice to refresh, quench thirst, and relieve nausea and indigestion. It is a good substitute for soda and sweetened fruit drinks. Whatever way it is prepared, it is always very popular, refreshing and energizing. A squeeze of lemon can even be added to plain water to stimulate the stomach’s digestive juices, increase hydrochloric acid, assist the digestion, break down food, improve nutrient absorption (iron, calcium…), and prevent urinary tract infections (UTI).
However, before I continue exploring these two citrus fruits and their benefits, I shall discuss an important aspect of health that is much neglected during the fasting period and most of the time. I would like to briefly revisit the importance of an essential element, which is the essence of life on earth. It is water. God Almighty reminds us in the Holy Qur’an: “And We created everything alive from water.” (Chapter: 21; Verse: 30). This includes the creation of humans. Without water there would be no life on this planet.
Many of us are oblivious of water’s necessity to our bodies, organs, systems, and brains. I hear people around me say that they do not drink water, yet they fill their bodies with harmful sweetened juices, soda or soft drinks, tea, and coffee. Okay, all these sound like fluids, but some are sugar laden and contain harmful chemicals, which do more harm than good. Some are even considered negative water due to their diuretic properties that cause the body to lose water instead. While such beverages are a burden on the kidneys, pure water hydrates the cells, body, and brain; cleanses the kidneys and bladder; detoxifies the blood, organs, and systems; enhances the blood flow in the body; and allows oxygen and nutrients reach the brain and organs. No drink can equal water in its action inside the body and brain. Nothing could hydrate the cells, body, and brain better than pure water. Let us see why. Here are a few facts that should make sense to you.
The human body consists mostly of water; 75 percent of its weight is fluids, i.e. water, which means, only 25 percent is made of solids like the skull, skeleton, bones, teeth, tissues, cartilage, muscles, tendons… Have you ever seen a cadaver? That is only 25 percent of the would-have-been human being. Can you guess the percentage of water in the organs? I presume it is difficult for you to do so, unless you have previous knowledge. Well, here are the ideal percentages of water in different parts and organs of the body.
We said the body is made of 75 percent of water, then the brain consists of 85 percent water; the blood has 90 percent; the muscles hold 75 percent; the kidneys contain 82 percent of water; and finally the bones are made of 22 percent. Of course other organs like the skin, cartilage, tissues, liver, cells, heart, and more, also need plenty of water to function optimally. We know how the skin wrinkles with insufficient fluids. Take a look at the skin of a person who is dehydrated. It is wrinkled. When you want to plump your skin and look young, just drink enough water. When the cells suffer water shortage, they shrink and their performance suffers. With inadequate water intake, the joints begin to ache. Due to the shrinkage of cartilage and less synovial fluid between the joints, friction between the bones occurs and the cartilages wear out, and become painful.
These are just a few examples of what happens to the body, so that you can imagine what happens to the shrinking brain, which results in a failing memory, low cognitive performance, disorientation, spacing out, mental decline, poor blood, oxygen, and nutrient circulation, blood clots, slower movement, lethargy, and frailty. The condition leads to strokes, blood clots, heart attack, kidney failure, and more.
Water is a necessary support of the body structure, organs, and systems. The detoxification systems cannot function efficiently without sufficient water intake. These systems depend on it for perspiration, stool elimination, blood cleansing, and urine output. Dehydration can bring about fatal results like inadequate internal functions and serious toxicity, causing tremendous damage to organs and systems alike.
Unfortunately, most of us are dehydrated to a certain extent without us realizing it, making our kidneys work harder to filter our blood properly and do their job. Such overload is usually passed on to other organs like the liver. Some of the burden affects our detoxifying glands and organs, which begin to show signs of inefficiency and failure. As little as 5 percent of water loss from the body, symptoms start emerging in different ways in different individuals.
Next week, I shall explore the side effects of an even slight dehydration in the body, brain, organs, and different intricate systems.
References:
• Fasting can Help You Live Longer by Dr. Mercola
• www.healthyfoodhelp.com
• http://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/6-horrible-things-that-happen-to-your-body-when-you-dont-drink-enough-water/#sthash.BquTk3Js.dpuf
N.B.:
Individuals with medical conditions or on medication should consult their physicians when they decide to introduce anything new in their diet even if it is natural.
— [email protected]
