Suhoor keeps hunger and bad attitudes at bay

Fasting in the holy month of Ramadan begins with a simple meal – suhoor. This is the meal Muslims consume just before Fajr prayer and then begin their day of abstinence from food and drinks.

This begs the question - are we eating a healthy suhoor? Unfortunately, there are some who skip it entirely. I have to confess that despite the rewards and benefits of suhoor, I find it difficult to wake up in time and fail to have one. When I miss suhoor, the best I can do is have a half glass of water.

However, there is a great deal of blessings in suhoor for the believer in this world and Hereafter. These blessings include strength for worship and perseverance to obey Allah during the day by praying, reading the Q'uran and remembering Him.

Scholars believe one who is hungry may become lazy in worship just as he may become lazy in his daily work which is a wellknown fact.

Suhoor wards off a bad attitude that may set in with hunger. The one who has suhoor is in a good mood and interacts well with others.

I agree with this because I sometimes feel I do not want to interact with anyone as I normally do when not fasting. But following my little research and observations in the last few days, I promise to start having suhoor.

According to the health experts I have interacted with during the course of my journalistic career, waking up for suhoor is truly a blessing not just spiritually but physically, too.

They say it stimulates digestion in the morning, keeps sugar levels stable and delays hunger pangs through the day.

Most importantly, if you eat a wholesome meal you can get your daily dose of essential nutrients to avoid lethargy through the day. I have come to realise that suhoor prevents our bodies from going into extreme starvation mode.

Heath experts say not eating properly can lead to poor digestion, which is a major cause of acidity, heartburn and constipation during Ramadan. This has been my main problem during Ramadan but I fail to understand why I have been ignoring such advice.

Experts also say there can be an increase in fat mass during the month, mainly around the waist due to a sluggish metabolism and a dehydrated body.

As we observe Ramadan during summer this year, experts emphasise the importance of drinking enough water.

Drinking at least 2ltr of water throughout the evening helps and for this, I give myself credit because I have been able to follow this since Ramadan started last week.

Dietitians believe suhoor is the most important meal of the day during the month for those who are fasting.

So, I may not do as I preach but let’s all make a pledge to try and wake up for suhoor to get the full rewards of Ramadan and to ward off health problems.

Till we meet again, stay healthy.