According to a prominent Saudi physician, Ramadan is the most effective prescription for leading a holistically healthy life. The holy month of Ramadan is an ideal time for the faithful to redesign and redefine their lives in accordance with the Holy Qur'an to achieve wellness in this life and salvation in the Hereafter, says Dr. Ashraf Amir, executive director of Jeddah International Medical Center (IMC) and president of Saudi Indian Healthcare Forum. On Tuesday, he gave a presentation on a Ramadan dialogue session titled "The beacon beckoning.". At the session, the chief guest was Indian Consul General Mohammed Shahid Alam.
His address focused on the link between wellness, Ramadan, and the Holy Qur'an, and he specifically mentioned "Our planet, our health," the theme of this year's World Health Day, which falls on April 7. As part of WHO's commitment to keeping humans and the planet healthy, he said Ramadan enables Muslims to achieve spiritual wellbeing as well as physical, mental, and social wellness and a life free of disease.
According to him, the Qur'an presents a complete code for Muslim personal, social, and spiritual lives. Fasting has several health benefits, including lowering blood sugar levels, improving digestion, detoxifying for a full month, enhancing willpower, and reducing stress. Along with this, fasting will foster values of socialization and family bonding, as well as strengthen spirituality by increasing worship and becoming compassionate and empathic with the poor and destitute, he said.
Ramadan is the right time to develop a healthy lifestyle, according to Dr. Amir. Exercise and a balanced diet should be part of regular physical activity, he said. Islam discourages overeating and encourages a balanced diet, which can reduce heart disease by 40 percent. A healthy diet contains half fruit and vegetables and half protein and starch," he said, pointing out that Ramadan is an ideal time to kick bad habits such as smoking, which kills 50 percent of smokers.
Consul General Shahid Alam recalled his childhood Ramadan memories in his keynote speech. "I grew up in a colliery in the northern Indian state of Jharkhand, where Muslims are a small minority and there is no way to hear adhan (call to prayer) from the mosque. So grandfather closely monitored and alerted us when it was time for iftar and we, the children, used to run around the neighborhood excitedly shouting that it was time to break fast." The Consul General urged members of the Indian community to lend a helping hand to those who have lost jobs and are struggling to make ends meet.
