Fasting is an important basic act of worship in Islam. Like every act of worship in Islam, there is a lot of wisdom in fasting. Moreover, the importance and significance of fasting in our lives are immense. The true teachings of love for creation and desire for welfare should be reflected in our hearts and lives through Ramadan. In addition to worship in Ramadan, it is also necessary to acquire education in some humanities. Let’s see what we can learn from Ramadan. The Teachings of Holy Ramadan Taqwa or Fear of Allah Taqwa means fear of Allah (God). Ramadan teaches us the most, taqwa. In the last verse of the verse in which Allah has declared fasting obligatory, He said, "So that you may attain taqwa." A fasting person can eat something secretly in the corner of the house if he wants. But, no one does that as the person has fear of Allah. But, we should not only fear Allah during Ramadan, we should hold fear all time. We can learn this lesson of Ramadan and apply it to our daily life by doing good deeds by knowing that Allah is watching us. Read: Ramadan Fasting with Diabetes: Best foods for Sehri and Iftar Self-control Self-control means to suppress oneself, to control oneself. In other months, we do bad things or use bad words, these happen very rarely among us during Ramadan. For the sake of the purity of Ramadan, many times we refrain from these misdeeds by thinking about the sanctity of Ramadan. This habit of self-control is formed in us only during the month of Ramadan and we need to continue this throughout the year. Patience Iftar items are ready on the table, but we are not taking anything until the Azan or the exact time to break the fast. This is patience. Someone hurts you, but you did not reply back as you are fasting. This teaches us passion. Further, Ramadan teaches us great patience even in worship. We are fasting every day and after completing the Esha prayer we are performing 20 Rakat Taraweeh prayers. This also teaches us patience, which we can use in our real life. Read 100 Years of Rocket Paddle Steamer: A Pride and Heritage of Bangladesh In other months, sometimes our laziness comes during performing obligatory prayers, but during Ramadan, our laziness does not come at all. That’s how Ramadan teaches our patience Moderate Diet It is forbidden in the hadith to eat too much and the negative effects of eating up to the throat are also mentioned in the hadith. Medical science also warns us about this. We are consciously or subconsciously careful about this in the month of Ramadan. Hence, we tend to eat less food in iftar as we have to attend Taraweeh. Moreover, we eat as little food as possible in Iftar, otherwise, it will be difficult to perform Taraweeh. We can imply this throughout the year to keep ourselves healthy. So, we can make it a habit for the rest of the year and keep this lesson in our minds. Read: Healthy Iftar Meal Recipes for Breaking Ramadan Fasting Good sense of discipline The well-disciplined feeling that Ramadan teaches us every day, from Sehri to Tarabeeh, is important to our lives, even if we don't see it. During Ramadan, every fasting person has a specific routine, according to which the person manages the whole day. We have to carry this Ramadan-given routine for the sake of welfare even after Ramadan. Helping the Poor Ramadan actually gives us a special opportunity to help the poor through Zakat and donation. During Ramadan, almost every eligible person pays Zakat to the rightful owners according to their ability. Through this Zakat, we create special sympathy for the poor, orphans, and helpless people of society. We can keep this as a habit even after Ramadan throughout the year. Read: Ramadan Fasting Benefits: Impacts on health when you fast for 16 hours Provide Food to Other The beloved Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has clearly told us that there is a great reward if we feed someone. In Ramadan, many people come forward to arrange Iftar-sehri for the helpless, aiming to get huge rewards. It awakens a kind of human feeling in us. The gentle mentality of giving food to the hungry develops in us. This is a great lesson we can make a habit even after Ramadan. Lighten the Labor of the Workers Ramadan has been instructed to lighten the burden of hardship on employees and to be kind to the workers. Workers' rights are important in Islam. His labor hours, labor value, social status, and rights are preserved in the most beautiful way in Islam. In addition, during the month of Ramadan, it has been instructed to alleviate the sufferings of the workers, and Allah forgives the person who reduces the workload of his slaves and employees during this month. However, the opposite situation is observed in our country. We can learn this empathy from Ramadan and imply to our life after Ramadan too. Read Bangladesh’s first floating Mosque and the story of an Imam of Satkhira Suppression of Malice Fasting is the best tool to suppress evil instincts. As a result, people tend to refrain from sin and get encouragement for good deeds That is why fasting has been called the shield of salvation from sin Narrated by Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA), Rasulullah (SAW) said, "Allah Ta'ala said, 'Fasting is a shield.' Equality and Harmony All Muslims at the same time, in the month of Ramadan, abide by the same rules, refraining from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk. And collectively, that is, rich-poor, fair-black, men and women all obey the command of Allah together. Hence, the image of great unity emerged. Fasting teaches people to refrain from quarrels and fights In this way, it encourages the establishment of harmony and love between each other. Final Words These teachings and leassons of Ramadan will be effective only when we apply these in the remaining 11 months of the year. We have to spend the every day of our lives focusing on these lessons and applying them to our daily life. Read Top 10 Historical Mosques in Bangladesh

Ramadan is one of the most sacred times of the year in the Islam faith. Fasting during Ramadan is quite rigorous on these longer, summer days. So it’s quite important to eat well-balanced, nutritious, and filling meals in Iftar. Check out here 10 nutritious Iftar meal recipes for breaking Ramadan fasting.  10 Hearty Iftar Ideas and Recipes to Try at Home Strawberry Protein Smoothie You and your family members will love this Strawberry Protein Smoothie because it is really creamy and rich with a natural sweetness from the fruit. It is full of protein to give you energy & nutritions. Ingredients One and a half cups milk, 1 banana, two cups strawberries, half cup vanilla yogurt, 2 tablespoons vanilla protein powder How to prepare First, take all the ingredients in a blender, and blend for 1 minute until it reaches a creamy texture. Add more milk if required. Pour into a cup and enjoy!  Read How to Lose Weight in Ramadan? Vegetarian Lemon Rice Soup Lemon is a rich source of vitamin C and minerals; while rice is full of carbohydrates. You can try this Vegan Lemon Rice Soup recipe at home which is rich in nutrients. Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 large onion, 2 carrots, 3 garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, half cup  rice, two bay leaves, four cups vegetable broth, two cups water, ¼ cup lemon juice How to prepare First, cook the vegetables for 1-2 minutes. Next, add the vegetable broth and water and bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 30 minutes. Finally, garnish with chopped parsley and lemon slices, and serve! Read Ramadan Fasting Benefits: Impacts on health when you fast for 16 hours Chicken Shawarma Chicken Sharma is a yummy snack you might have tried in restaurants. You can prepare this delicious chicken shawarma at home easily. Its flavor is awesome and the spice blend is versatile. Ingredients  2 tbsp garlic paste, 3/4 cup olive oil, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, cumin, 1½ tsp lemon juice, 2½ pounds chicken thighs (boneless), white sauce, 1 large onion and pita, red cabbage, parsley, mint, (for serving) How to prepare First, prepare the chicken and then make the white sauce ready. Next, to serve, cut 1/4 off the top of the pita. Fill with the chicken, slather with White Sauce and top with cabbage; serve immediately. Read Delicious Watermelon Ice Cream and Cake Recipes to Try at Home Chicken Biryani Who doesn’t love Biryani. This traditional food can be tried with diverse recipes. However, you may not like heavy meals like mutton Biryani for breaking ramadan fasting. But you will of course like this Chicken Biryani for Iftar. You can easily prepare this meal at home. Ingredients Rice 1½ cups best-quality basmati rice, 6 cups water, 1 tbsp salt, 2 tbsp ghee or coconut oil Chicken 3 tbsp warm water, 1/4 cup yogurt,1 tbsp ginger and garlic (grated), 1 tbsp coriander powder, garam masala, cumin powder, turmeric, and salt, 2 pounds of chicken thighs, 3 tablespoons ghee, 1 large onion, 2 cups mixed vegetables How to prepare First, cook the rice then cook the chicken with vegetables. Next, assemble the rice over the chicken mixture and close the lid to cook for a further 20 minutes. Finally, serve with cilantro, mint, and fried onions. Read Savory Lassi: 7 Easy Recipes to Try at Home Prawn and Chicken Fried Noodles If you want to prepare a yummy and healthy dish for Iftar investing less time and energy, try noodles. Prawn and chicken can make your noodles tastier, and healthier. Not to mention, the young members of your family will love this yummy noodle in Iftar time.  Ingredients 1 pound fresh egg noodles, 2 chicken breasts,3 cloves garlic, 2 eggs, beaten, 1/2 pound raw king prawns, 7 ounces snow peas, 3 tablespoons light soy sauce, 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup, 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper,  1 teaspoon ground coriander, coconut oil for frying How to prepare First, fried chicken pieces, beaten eggs, and the prawns. Then, add snow peas, noodles and other ingredients and mix well. Finally, add the soy, tomato ketchup, and spices, and serve. Read 10 Grocery Shopping Apps in Bangladesh: An Overview Roasted Vegetable and White Bean Salad Are you looking for a vegetarian dish which would be both nutritious and delicious? Try this special salad recipe. To prepare this healthy and yummy dish you need just some simple and humble ingredients but it will be extraordinarily delicious.  Ingredients 1 bunch of young carrots,1 small head of cauliflower,  2 cups white beans, 4 ounces French feta cheese, Extra virgin olive oil, Sea Salt, 1 cup cilantro leaves  1/2 cup mint leaves, How to prepare First, preheat the oven to 425°F and cook the vegetables for about 26 to 30 minutes. Then, in a medium bowl, lightly dress cilantro, dill, and mint with salt and serve immediately. Read Cooking Without Oil: How and Why? Egg & Eggplant Sandwich Are you looking for an easy recipe to prepare a simple dish at Iftar requiring a few ingredients? Try this Sandwich recipe. The children and teenage members of your family will definitely like it. This dish works as a good meal for Sehri or Suhoor too.  Ingredients  1 medium eggplant, Olive oil, Salt and pepper, 1 large tomato,1 medium cucumber, 1 small garlic clove, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons plain yogurt, 4 pita bread, 4 large eggs How to prepare First, roast the eggplant in the oven at 425 degrees F for about  20 to 25 minutes. Then, to assemble the sandwiches, first, warm the pitas and cut them in half, and stuff the filling in them. Serve with cucumber and pepper to taste.  Read Grocery Shopping Hacks: Proven tips to choose best foods at grocery stores Tahini Roasted Broccoli Are you bored with common iftar items found in street shops, but don’t have much time to cook meals? If yes, you can try to prepare this healthy but easy-to-cook recipe. You would love this creamy, nutty Tahini Roasted Broccoli as your Iftar meal.  Ingredients  2 tablespoons tahini, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 large cloves of garlic,1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 4 cups broccoli,  How to prepare First, preheat the oven to 450° F. Then, Place all of the ingredients and bake for 10 minutes. Serve hot for the best flavor. Read Healthy Sehri Ideas: What to eat and avoid for Sehri during Ramadan Tomato Beef Stew You may not like eating the same kind of food for Iftar everyday. If you want to cook something special in Iftar to treat your family members, friends, and/or relatives, try this one. The whole family will enjoy this mouth-watering dish! Ingredients 1 pound beef, 3 tablespoons olive oil,3 garlic cloves,1 small onion,1 teaspoon 7 Spice, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 4 ounces tomato paste How to prepare First, cook the beef, and then, cook the rest of the ingredients. Next, mix to incorporate everything together. Finally, serve and enjoy. Read 10 Healthy Iftar Drinks for Breaking Ramadan Fasting Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal Do you want to avoid oily and spicy food at Iftar? If yes, don’t miss this recipe. This is a great healthy Iftar item that the whole family will enjoy.  Ingredients 2 cups oats, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 bananas, 1 ½ cups almond milk, ¼ cup creamy peanut butter, 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract How to prepare First, bake the combination of oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt at 375° F in the oven. Then add the rest of the ingredients and pour the wet ingredients over the oat mixture and stir to combine. Finally, bake for about 30-35 minutes. Now, it is ready to serve. Read Ramadan Iftar Ideas: Healthy foods, drinks to break your fast

Ramadan is the holy month of fasting for Muslims around the world. Ramadan fasting abstains people from food and drink between the hours of sunrise and sunset. Ramadan fasting is also a form of intermittent fasting, which is popular to lose weight. Fasting of Ramadan allows followers of the Islam faith to focus on prayer and gratitude. Besides the religious significance, Ramadan fasting offers a bunch of health benefits. For instance, it is an excellent opportunity to shed extra weight as well. Continue reading to explore how to shed weight in Ramadan.  Foods to Help Weight Loss through Ramadan Fasting Ramadan happens once a year and lasts for one lunar month. During Ramadan millions of adult Muslims worldwide cycle between periods of eating and fasting. People generally eat two meals a day during Ramadan: a meal before dawn (Suhoor or Sheri) and a meal after sunset (Iftar), which breaks the fast. Some also take another meal; super. As the Ramadan fast is a type of intermittent fasting, you can take foods that are effective to lose weight. Healthy Suhoor for Weight Loss As you need to start your whole day fasting with Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal, it should be wholesome and satisfying. Make sure you take healthy foods to provide your body with sufficient energy throughout a day of fasting.  Read Ramadan Fasting Benefits: Impacts on health when you fast for 16 hours So, you need to eat a balanced meal with complex carbohydrates like wholegrain bread in place of refined white bread and proteins like cheese or eggs. If you can take this combination, it will make you feel full for longer and ensure a stable glucose level in the blood, so you don’t get too hungry during the day.  According to research restricting dietary salt leads to rapid weight loss. So, you must avoid salty foods; canned items, salted snacks, and spicy foods to lose weight. Besides, you should control your temptation to make desserts because the processed sugars inside these sweet treats and beverages can quickly gain weight instead of losing.  You can eat foods containing naturally occurring sugars like fruits, dried fruits, and honey. Moreover, make sure you avoid processed foods like fast foods and packaged foods if you really want to lose weight.  Read Ready for Ramadan? How to Prepare Your Body for Fasting? However, you should not skip suhoor; otherwise, you will be over hungry and end up overeating upon breaking fast after sunset. Hearty Iftar for Losing Weight Certainly, you will feel hungry during Iftar after the daylong fasting; but make sure you eat a healthy meal. Try to resist the temptation to cover for missed meals by sesh eating at the break of the fast. Don’t forget to break your fast slowly.  Start your Iftar with high fiber dates that contain naturally-occurring sugars. Dates help to replenish energy lost during long hours of fasting. Moreover, dates are high in nutrition as they are rich in magnesium and protein. Read 10 Healthy Iftar Drinks for Breaking Ramadan Fasting Then, take easily digestible foods like soups and salads. Finally, make sure you take portioned main meals, balanced with carbohydrates and proteins. But try to totally avoid fried or fatty foods with high caloric content. Nutritious Super During Ramadan, naturally, people who want to lose weight don’t take super except for some. If you are in the line of that some, make sure you take light items in super. As you need to take a healthy suhoor, you must keep your stomach free. You can take a little amount of rice with fish or meat along with vegetables, dal.  Drinks to Help Weight Loss through Ramadan Fasting Studies have shown that drinking water may help to lose weight. That means you need to make sure you are hydrated. Drinking a glass of water before taking a meal works well to lose weight.  Besides, other drinks such as herbal tea-infused water and unsweetened coconut water can be your best choice to lose weight. However, you need to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to prevent dehydration and help control sugar cravings.  Read Healthy Sehri Ideas: What to eat and avoid for Sehri during Ramadan Suhoor Start your suhoor with a glass of water before taking a meal. If you drink at least a glass of water, it will reduce your hunger, and ultimately you will take fewer foods and lose weight.  Generally, Ramadan happens on different dates each year depending on the Islamic lunar calendar. If this year Ramadan is in the summer season, you need to drink enough water otherwise you may experience dehydration that may cause mental confusion or tiredness.  Besides, you can take coconut water which is enriched with potassium and other nutrients.  Read 10 Grocery Shopping Apps in Bangladesh: An Overview But make sure you avoid caffeinated beverages like coffee and tea. If you take these drinks in suhoor, they will make the body lose even more water as they are diuretics.  Iftar After a whole day of fasting, you are thirsty. So, you must hydrate the body and prepare the stomach for food. Many like to break their Iftar with coconut water. You can limit creamy soups and focus on ones with clear broth, that is rich in minerals, with added vegetables or legumes. You can take classic lentil soup. Besides, you can take watermelon juice, green mango juice, gur syrup, star fruit juice, and musk melon juice to keep you hydrated.  Super If you are habituated to taking super after Iftar make sure you drink sufficient water. Try to have lentil soup and/ or vegetable soup at supper.  Read Cooking Without Oil: How and Why? Activities for Losing Weight during Ramadan Fasting Although you take fewer calories while fasting, do not remain inactive throughout Ramadan. So, make sure you take regular exercise. Your daily exercise will help maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle by burning excess body fat and maintaining muscle mass.  Half an hour of walking can be best for you. If you are doing high-intensity workouts, it’s best to keep the session to 30 minutes but in the case of low to medium intensity, then workout for 45 minutes.  Besides, as in the month of Ramadan, fasting changes your eating patterns, and your body needs time to adjust and adapt – so it is important to be patient.  Read Delicious Watermelon Ice Cream and Cake Recipes to Try at Home Moreover, you can do yoga to remain controlled, cool, and motivated. Every day you can do yoga for half an hour.

Ramadan fasting involves abstention from eating, drinking, and other forbidden tasks before sunrise to after sunset. It is obligatory for all Muslims from the age of puberty.  You can engage in all these acts after breaking your fasting and restart fasting the next dawn. You need to follow this cycle for a whole month. If planned well, it has long-lasting health benefits. Continue reading to know what happens to your body when you fast for 14 to 16 hours.  What happens to your body when you fast for 14 to 16 hours? Speeds Up The Metabolism Fasting assists to energise your metabolism by giving your digestive system a rest because it burns through the calories more efficiently. When your digestion is poor, this can affect your ability to metabolise food and burn fat. Fasting regulates your digestion promoting healthy bowel function. In this way, fasting improves your metabolic function. Read Ramadan Iftar Ideas: Healthy foods, drinks to break your fast Weight loss Fasting works like magic to lose weight. It can help both obese and non-obese people to lose weight. The connection to fasting is that when you fast, less energy is coming in than going out. That’s why you lose weight. When you are fasting you burn more calories than you take. As a result, you lose fat and improve body composition just by splitting those calories into two meals rather than three.  Improves Hunger When you don’t take any food for 14 to 16 hours, you experience real hunger. Fasting helps to regulate the hormones in your body so that you experience what true hunger is. Therefore, take fasting as a reset button. The longer you fast, the more your body can regulate itself to release the correct hormones. Also Read: Ready for Ramadan? How to Prepare Your Body for Fasting? Develops Your Eating Patterns Fasting is a helpful practice for people who suffer from binge eating disorders. The month-long fasting is also helpful for those who find it difficult to establish a correct eating pattern due to work and other priorities. When you are fasting all afternoon without a meal, it can allow you to eat at a set time and helps you to set your lifestyle.  Ketosis Your hormone insulin of course stays low with your break from eating. Consequently, low insulin helps you burn body fat and make ketones. The fat-burning system is called ketosis which may have the following health benefits: - More stable energy - Reduced cravings - Better appetite control - Enhanced mental acuity - Increased “good” HDL cholesterol - Lower blood sugar and insulin levels - Lower blood pressure - Improvements to metabolic syndrome Read Healthy Sehri Ideas: What to eat and avoid for Sehri during Ramadan Lower blood sugar If a person consumes carbs constantly —their blood sugar stays chronically elevated. This is known as hyperglycemia and is defined as a clinical feature of type 2 diabetes. This causes huge complications, including heart disease. In this situation, fasting may be part of the solution. Studies have shown that fasting lowered average blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. Promotes Longevity The younger your body is, the faster and more systematic your metabolism will be. But none of us are getting younger anymore. Therefore, we have to be careful about the process of ageing and relative health issues. You need to remember that the primary effect of ageing is a slower metabolism. Naturally, when you eat less, the less toll it takes on your digestive system. There is a saying- the less you eat the longer you will live. If you believe it, surely it is for you. Read Savory Lassi: 7 Easy Recipes to Try at Home Improves Your Immune System Fasting contributes to improving your immune system by reducing free radical damage, regulating inflammatory conditions in the body, and starving cancer cell formation.  Science has already proved that fasting has a direct connection with Autophagy.  The term Autophagy refers to a natural process in which the cells of a human body can clean out the damaged, dysfunctional, or unnecessary components. Autophagy strengthens the immune system of human health. Contributes To Self-Enlightenment Fasting surely helps you to connect to life because you can get enough time and energy during fasting to practise reading, meditation, and yoga. The digestive system is one of the most energy-absorbing systems in the body. When you have no food in the digestive system, you get more energy in the body.  Besides, fasting creates self-enlightenment in you by helping you feel better both consciously and physically. When your body is light and your mind is clear, you become more aware and grateful for the things around you. Read Delicious Watermelon Ice Cream and Cake Recipes to Try at Home Clear The Skin And Prevent Acne Fasting can help clear the skin as your body is temporarily freed from digestion. Thus, it’s able to focus its regenerative energies on other systems. Not eating anything for a long time helps the body to clean up the toxins and regulate the functioning of other organs of the body such as the liver, kidneys, and other parts. Brain health During fasting, your body burns fat and thus fuels your brain. Naturally, your brain runs entirely on glucose. But when you are fasting, it elevates ketone levels leading to better performance in a variety of mental tasks. It is natural that the ageing brain doesn’t lose its ability to use ketones.  Promotes good sleep Research has shown that fasting may assist to enhance our body's sleep-wake cycle.  Generally, overeating can induce disturbed sleep. During fasting, you eat less, allowing you to sleep better. Read Cooking Without Oil: How and Why? Reduces stress Fasting reduces cortisol (stress hormone) levels and inflammation.  Besides this, fasting allows you to understand how it feels to starve for long hours. Thus, you can be grateful for the food you have. It also makes you sympathetic to those who can’t afford food everyday and encourages you to help those people which in turn gives mental peace. Therefore, fasting is beneficial for your mental health. Heart health Fasting is beneficial to your heart health also. It not only reduces body weight but has also been shown to improve other influential factors of heart health.  Fasting reduced low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides in some of the most rigorous studies leaving positive impacts for heart health.  Fasting also improves multiple cardiovascular risk markers. Read Culinary Schools in Dhaka for Basic Cooking to Professional Chef Courses More productive time Of course, fasting gives you more productive time as you have to invest less time in meal preparations, eating, and cleanup. Besides, ketosis provides a steady energy source for your brain in the form of ketones without having to deal with rapid blood sugar fluctuations, which can enhance sustained concentration. Bottom Line So far, we have discussed the health benefits of fasting in Ramadan. No doubt, fasting is a very popular weight-loss method. It serves as a reset system of the digestive system of a human body. Fasting promotes autophagy which is good for the human immune system. Furthermore, fasting leaves positive impacts on the heart and brain. Besides, realisation of hunger during fasting makes you a grateful, kind and sympathetic person. Fasting helps you to feel satisfaction with your current achievements or possessions. On the whole, Ramadan fasting helps you live a longer, healthier and peaceful life.  Read 10 Grocery Shopping Apps in Bangladesh: An Overview