During Ramadan, we are to glorify God
for guiding us and we are to express our appreciation to Him. It
is a time to devote our thoughts ever more closely to God for our
soul’s growth and development in order to become more worthy
of the salvation for which we each hope and pray.
O you who believe, fasting is decreed for you as
it was decreed for those before you, that you may attain salvation.
(2:183)
Ramadan is the month during which the Quran was revealed,
providing guidance for the people, clear teachings, and the statute
book. Those of you who witness this month shall fast therein. Those
who are ill or traveling may substitute the same number of other
days. God wishes for you convenience, not hardship, that you may
fulfill your obligations, and to glorify God for guiding you, and
to show your appreciation. (2:185)
God brought you out of your mothers’ bellies
knowing nothing, and He gave you the hearing, the eyesight, and
the brains that you may be appreciative. (16:78)
The start of Ramadan is also an excellent and appropriate time
to consider the verse of the title of this article. God certainly
anticipates our weaknesses where food is concerned, doesn’t
He? How do we connect this verse to our daily lives? To our families
and communities?
He has provided us with our bodies, complete with senses, for use
in this temporary life on earth. Our bodies give us visibility so
that we are able to physically see one another. These bodies need
good care and nurturing in order to serve us well (Or, if you prefer,
call it upkeep and preventive maintenance!) Our bodies are biodegradable
structures with very complex internal functions. Their maintenance
calls for a balanced amount of food and |
exercise in order to function at their
best. This maintenance is our individual, personal responsibility,
no one else’s. We can certainly consider this gift from God
as a test He gives us. Do we honor and respect Him enough to take
proper care of this gift?
Any imbalance of diet or exercise, even excess, can result in the
malfunction, or breakdown of one or more vital body systems. We
call these breakdowns “disease” disease. A great number
of these diseases come from food imbalances, hence the old saying
that “we are what we eat.” Food supplies our bodies
with the necessary nutrients for maintaining and repairing bodily
tissues. Also important is the kind of food and drink we consume,
how much of it, and when.
Let us look at some specifics: overweight adults are two to three
times more likely to have hypertension (high blood pressure) from
the excessive intake of food or drink containing sodium (salt, canned
or preserved foods, or MSG). The hypertension can lead to stroke
or serious heart disease. Excessive intake of fats and fatty fried
foods lead to gall bladder and heart disease. So will adding sweets
to all that sooner! And in that regard, let us not forget the nasty
promise of diabetes for those who put on weight from eating those
wrong foods. Furthermore, fatty tissue in the throat area decreases
the size of the airway when we are lying down, causing potentially
serious breathing difficulties. Obesity is an important cause of
cancer of the lining of the uterus. It also increases the risk for
cancers of the color, kidney and gall bladder. All by itself, it
can shorten our lives. And not enough fiber in the diet can cause
diverticulosis and increase the risk of colon cancer. Taking in
more food than we need can be harmful throughout life. All this
because we have ignored God’s mandate to “eat and drink
moderately”! Do you see |
that God tests us with these body-gifts
from Him?
Yet even moderate amounts of weight loss can prevent these diseases.
It can help hypertensive patients lower their risk for stroke. It
can decrease the amount of the “bad” LDL cholesterol
that clogs our arteries, or weight loss with exercise may raise
the level of the “good” HDL cholesterol that cleans
out our cardiovascular system. Our energy levels and strength increase
noticeably after beginning a weight loss diet and starting to exercise.
We walk more easily and tire less quickly.
Now consider the stress of even one of those serious diseases on
the individual and their family and relationships: possible loss
of job and income, strained finances and perhaps even bankruptcy,
loss of time from school if a child, and maybe a lifetime of physical
limitations. Perhaps even death, and the devastation that causes
our loved ones. Also consider the necessary dependence upon medicines
and the disruption of that expense on the family budget.
We can see all around us the impact poor health has had upon communities;
more and more hospitals being built to serve more and more doctors,
more and more incredibly expensive drugs (as the ones previously
used no longer work), new professions emerging to provide additional
care in the increasingly overloaded system (nurse practitioners
and physician assistants), and soaring health care costs.
We know, from countless scientific studies, that our bodies have
certain basic nutritional requirements for healthy maintenance.
This comes down to a diet low in fat, with moderate protein, and
high in fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains. God encourages
us to enjoy his provisions, using our brains and understanding,
and to
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