The virtues and recommendations of fasting

الحمد لله الذي أرسل رسوله بالهدى ودين الحق ليظهره على الدين كله وكفى بالله شهيدا وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن محمدا عبده ورسوله

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send praise and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as well as his family, his companions, and all those who follow his path until the Day of Resurrection.

After a hadith of the Prophet ﷺ: "Fast and you will be healthy."
From this hadith we draw several therapies: therapy against depression, intestinal inflammation, hypertension, certain pulmonary diseases, as well as weight problems.

Fasting also helps improve the body's functioning, including the brain. It relieves the kidneys and reduces anxiety and stress. As you know, the yearly abstinence from food for a certain period, such as during the month of Ramadan, is a health and medical necessity, whether one is rich or poor. This is due to the buildup of microbes in the body, which must be flushed out and weakened. The heart also benefits from fasting, since it then has 50% of its energy available.

Indeed, blood circulation purifies the body of toxins, which revitalizes the heart and renews its energy. Prophetic Medicine gives us guidance regarding the welcoming of the month of Ramadan. Above all, this sacred month must not become a month of overconsumption, but on the contrary must be a month of moderation. Indeed, the primary purpose of this month is spiritual: we increase our acts of worship for our Lord, and we follow what our Prophet
ﷺ commanded us. Nevertheless, there are things that can help us and that are not forbidden to know.

Among the purposes of worship is staying healthy, and the fast of the month of Ramadan will allow us to regenerate, to detoxify our body, our heart, and our soul.

We will first give recommendations for the fast-breaking meal, the "iftar." First, we should break the fast with a date, as our Prophet ﷺ taught us. The date has four elements essential for fasting during the month of Ramadan: fiber, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. Next, we need to hydrate our body, since hydration accounts for a third of our fast. This can be done in several ways at the time of iftar. We can start by drinking water, having soup, or drinking an infusion or herbal tea.

We can also hydrate in small amounts with tea or coffee. In addition, we should favor healthy eating. If we don't have a date, we can replace it with a fig, since we need to replenish our glucose, a quick source of energy for the body.

We can also add whole-grain bread or barley bread to this meal, as well as a dairy product such as plain yogurt. Iftar is a simple, balanced meal. We can add some good fats to it, such as nuts—walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, or cashews—which are a source of fiber. Finally, we can finish with prunes from Agen, which will round out our meal with vitamins and minerals, and provide intestinal comfort since we will be having another meal a few hours later.

For the "foutour," it will be preferable to leave an interval of more than an hour, and ideally two hours, after iftar. To properly perform our prayers, it is best to have this meal after the tarawih. This meal should be fairly substantial, a source of vitamins, minerals, slow-release sugars, fiber, and energy. We should continue to hydrate well between the fast-breaking meal and the next meal, for example by eating watermelon or melon.

For a good intake of energy and fiber, we should be sure to alternate daily between meat, fish, and eggs. The goal is not to eat until we feel heavy, but to fill up on energy. This will also be achieved by eating vegetables and fruit, which will provide us with the necessary vitamins and minerals.
Slow-release sugars will come from eating rice, pasta, or semolina. It is also beneficial to use olive oil in your meal.

I also recommend not consuming too many spices, fats, sugar, or salt, as all of this can irritate your stomach. I also advise making herbal teas, with fennel seeds for example, or ginger, which are effective after meals. You should also avoid drinking too much coffee.
We will now talk about the morning meal, the "suhoor," which should be light. As our Prophet ﷺ said: "There is blessing in suhoor." It is recommended to eat fruits or vegetables, as the Prophet ﷺ did, for their intake of vitamins and slow-release sugars.

Our Prophet ﷺ liked to eat dates at suhoor. We can also have protein and fiber, hot drinks such as tea or coffee, and also a dairy product such as yogurt. At the end of the meal you can add rice pudding. Suhoor will allow us to fill up on energy for the day.