The Prophet’s way is the best way…eating dates

The Prophet’s way is the best way…. Healthy Eating in Ramazan- Why is it considered spiritually healthy to break the Ramazan fast with dates? Can diabetes patients eat dates? “Dates (Tamr-arabic)–--The Energy-Enhancer Fruit !” Each year as part of Ramazan, millions of Muslims worldwide fast for 29/30 days from sunrise to sunset.Breaking a Ramazan fast appropriately is equally important as the fast itself – proper. It is possible to break a fast with any food available. Why Muslims Should prefer to Break Their Fast with Dates? Breaking the Ramazan fast with dates is an important Muslim tradition and valued amongst the beneficial things to eat during this holy month . The Prophet’s way is the best way. Salman ibn Amir Dhabi related that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Break your fast with dates, or else with water, for it is pure (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi).Unfortunately this tradition of sunnah way is getting replaced with “fruit chaat, pakoorass, samossas, sandwhiches etc ”’-though religiously nothing wrong in eating them . Ramazan is a spiritual month of reflection and prayer, and to appreciate the blessings of life. One such blessing is food, and it should be consumed in moderation and with divine discipline. Regarding the Prophet Muhammad (saw) breaking his fast with fresh dates, dried dates, or even water, there is of course a subtle reason for this. Fasting Muslims have an immediate need for the energy when they break their fast .One of the immediate benefits of breaking the fast with dates is that our body benefits from the date's high level of natural sugars.Sugars travel most quickly to the liver, where they are converted into energy more quickly than any other nutrient.The liver uptakes their contents more readily and hastens their distribution to the rest of the body tissues /organs. So dates are the perfect food with which to break the fast, since they quickly supply the body with the energy it needs and without making food bulky. A common mistake which many Muslim women make in Ramazan is that they spend far...too much time preparing a variety of dishes for Iftaar and for Sehar (Sehri) thus spending the majority of their time in the kitchen. This takes away from the time available for worshiping Allah. Days of Ramazan and particularly Iftaar time is the most important time to make dua to Allah and shouldn't be used up for preparing heaps of fruit chaat ,frying samoosas or pakooras or chips making it a festival of eating. Also lot of food gets wasted during Ramazan as people throw iftar parties outdo each other in putting up huge iftar spreads comprising many dishes that leave patrons biting off more than they can chew. Ramadan is a holy month where you get the chance to get in touch with Allah(st) and everyone knows Allah(ST)doesn't like people wasting food. Help the poor and the needy, feed the people who are fasting –ALLAH will bless you all without reducing your rewards .Being a good Muslim we would be the most obedient by the guidance’s of the Al-Quran and Al-Hadith (The practice of the Prophet Muhammad-saw). Dates and date palms are mentioned in the Qur'an 20 times, Prophet (saw) had preached his followers the spiritual,nutritional and health benefits of dates thus showing their importance and to consume it regularly. Prophet (saw) said: A family which has dates will not be hungry.(Muslim). Dates were the food Almighty Allah recommended and provided for Sayyidah Maryam when she felt labor pains. It was a prescription of dates to make the delivery easy, comfortable and perhaps with less pain. Allah the Almighty revealed to her the following: "Shake the trunk of the palm tree, and it will drop ripe dates on you, so eat, drink, and comfort your eyes with what Allah gave you." (Qur'an 19:25) Certain researches have also shown that dates contain some stimulants which strengthen the muscles of the uterus in the last months of pregnancy. This helps the dilation of the uterus at the time of delivery and reduces post-natal bleeding. Dieticians consider dates the best food for breast-feeding mothers. This is because dates contain elements that assist in alleviating depression and enrich the breast milk with the nutrients needed to make the child healthy and resistant to disease. Sayyidah Aishah (R.A.) used to prescribe dates for those suffering with giddiness. It is now well known that low blood sugar and low blood pressure are among the causes of giddiness. She was also reported to have used dates combined with cucumber to treat her over-slim condition.The Prophet (PBUH) would sometimes combine dates with bread. At other times he mixed ripe dates with cucumbers or combined dates with ghee. He took all varieties of dates, but preferred the variety called dates of cure 'Ajwah’ in Arabic. Sayyidah Aisha (RA) related the saying of Allah's Messenger (PBUH), "Ajwah date is an excellent remedy." (Bukhari and Muslim) "Ajwah is from Paradise (Tirmidhi). “If somebody takes some ‘Ajwa dates every morning, he will not be effected by poison or magic on that day till night.”(Bukhari). Breaking the Fast in prophet mosque Al Medinah- a rare scene to watch. as soon as devotees step through the gates of the Mosque, many children coming running from all directions attempting to invite people to break the fast with them with special type of refrigerated fresh dates of “Rotana” variety called “Rutoob”- -; or small containers of “zabadi” (yoghurt) and water. Where is it, millions of hungry people are invited to take food at one time, without any stampede - a classical example of charity, equality, discipline and hygiene to witness. Health benefits and Nutritional value differ with the variety but commonly per 100g of Dates contain- Calories-309; Total Dietary fibre (g)-7.6; Calories From Fat-4; Protein-2; Iron-1.88; Total Fat-0.4100 g ;Dates contain of Vitamin A-236 and Vitamin E (mg)- 16.8; both known to have antioxidant properties. The consumption of natural fruits, rich in vitamin A, are believed to assist in protection from lung and oral cavity cancers. Dates are also a source of iron(1.88) at approximately 11 percent of the daily recommended intake. Potassium(584 mgm), an important component of cell and body fluids that maintain blood pressure and can possibly protect against stroke and coronary heart disease, is also found in dates. ; Sodium (g)- 73.6;. Calcium(mg)-24,4; Phosphorus (g)- 38.4, sulfur ,manganese, copper and magnesium are additional nutrients in dates. A 100gram portion of dates has about 309 calories, Total Carbohydrates (g)- 73.6; Total Fat-0.4 ; Calories From Fat-4; Protein-2. and 7.6 g of dietary fiber which can prevent any constipation that might result from eating the traditionally rich foods served during Ramazan.The major antioxidants in dates are vit E; beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. These antioxidants defend cells from free-radical damage. Dates also have tannins, which have anti-inflammatory capabilities. Tannins can obstruct iron absorption. The most FAQ ; Can a diabetic patient eat Dates? Yes. Diabetics can eat dates. It is better to have limited amount of these sweet items. It provides natural sugar in the form of glucose and fructose. It depends on the severity of your Diabetes. They're natural sugar but they are VERY sweet. Having them once in awhile probably won't hurt but to be safe, ask your Physician. Dates also have a special place in Islam. In fact, they were one of the Prophet's (SAW) most frequently consumed foods. For this reason, their benefit is most likely spiritual as well as for good Health . If these benefits were purely Health related , one could perhaps consume any fruit high in natural sugars before iftar to gain similar benefits. However, the act of following the Prophet's (SAW) tradition is one way of connecting and remembering him, which is spiritually beneficial for Muslims. .