How does a non-Muslim deal with the Ramadan Fast?
https://www.asocenter.org/node/526
A while back the doctors informed me that my blood sugars were heading the wrong way and unless I made some drastic lifestyle changes, old age would probably involve amputations and a heart attack would come without the need to pop little blue pills.
I went from slug to weird exercise freak. Started out
with walking and then I started watching YouTube videos, which got me into weird
things like sprinting and Tyson-push-ups. The more people told me to do gentler
things, the more I decided that I needed to push harder.
Whilst the exercise part is fun, it does require discipline
and you have to fight hard to remember to do things, especially when modern
lifestyles offer “temptations,” particularly in the food and booze department.
My job title of “Business Development Director,” implies that I do have to
spend time entertaining, which inevitably means I do have days when drinking
alcohol is necessary (I admittedly like good wine) and good food (I am a
partner in a foodie site). So, it is a challenge to do things your actually
doesn’t want you to do.
Then, there’s the sad truth that body actually doesn’t
really burn much. If my walking pedometer is to be believed, a 10km walk, which
takes about an hour burns about 500 calories. A single Mars bar blows that away.
Calories run on the converse of money where its inevitably easier to pile on calories
than it is to burn them (as opposed to it being easier to spend than earn money).
I try to be more controlled about food, which is a
challenge since I live in Asia, where rice, specifically the white variety is a
staple in just about every cuisine (white rice being high on the glycemic index)
and I also love having a beer or sweets (though in this case, the most lethal
place for me being the UK, where toffees made of condensed milk are heavenly).
I try to load on up fibers like okra and protein (eggs, chicken and pork), when
I do eat out.
Then, I met a few people who told me to try intermittent
fasting. Wasn’t sure if I had the discipline to do it. Just about everyone on
YouTube said it would be good for anyone with blood sugar issues and so,
finally when Ramadan 2024 arrived, I thought I would give it a shot.
https://www.kelsey-seybold.com/your-health-resources/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-intermittent-fasting
Since I’m not Muslim, I don’t have a religious
obligation to fast and at that stage, I avoided food but for the most part
stuck to water. It was surprisingly easy. Once in a while I had food in the
morning and then didn’t eat until I got back. Would at exercise and then eat.
I actually felt pretty good. Days went by without too
much of a problem. I focused on the hours I went without food as every expert
on the topic points out, its about the hours. So, doing a 24-hour fast wasn’t
an issue. I simply avoided food but drank plenty of fluid.
This year, I’ve tried something different. I’ve been
less intense on the exercise part since October of last year and, unfortunately,
the tummy seemed to shrink a little is starting to make a reappearance.
So, when I started trying to follow the fast, which I
started on Monday (3 March 2025 or the third day of Ramadan), I tried to
challenge myself to do it without water. Apparently, Ramadan’s Dry Fast is like
a turbo-charged version of intermittent fasting:
As a caveat, I don’t have a religious obligation to
fast. So, I don’t follow the supposed timing strictly. In the last few days, I’ve
broken the non-drinking water part before the non-eating part. Refraining from food
is relatively easy when you’ve got water in the system.
No water for a prolonged period is a challenge. In the
first two days, I’d sneak out to the toilet to rinse my mouth just to get the slimy
feeling out of the mouth. It was especially challenging on day two since I was
active physically and it was a relatively hot day. Once I got home (about 18:40),
I grabbed the water because the need to drink had reached a stage where rinsing
wouldn’t help. Went for a sprint session and I had to interrupt dinner to focus
on drinking. That night the salvation was coconut water:
It also helped that the boss, who is Muslim, decided
to pass me some porridge prepared by the mosque. So, it was like a reward for
the end of the day.
Days three and four have been relatively easy. Helped
that I haven’t done much intensive work. A colleague asked if I felt any pangs watching
him eat and drink during lunch. I felt fine.
Its early days, so I can’t tell you that I’m a fan of
the fast. Can’t tell you if I’m going to be a believer. I keep telling myself
that if I made it through yesterday, I can make it through to today. If the
Bangladeshi workers who do back breaking work in the sun can go without food or
water during the day, why can’t I? Not sure how long I’ll last with this but I’m
glad I am trying to get a taste of what my many Muslim friends are focused on
every month.
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