Food For Thought

By: Shabnam Lakhani, Calgary Alberta

It has been a long-held belief, as we all have been told, that if we consume less calories than we expend, we will lose weight - the first law of thermodynamics. We have, throughout decades, counted calories and recorded what we burn when we exercise. All in the pursuit of getting healthier and keeping chronic diseases at bay. And if we appear to have failed in this pursuit, it is because we eat more than we need, and we get fat because we are lazy. Losing weight, of course, is not as simple as needing to eat less. We try our best to eat right, yet still our health suffers, while we remain hungry.

So what are we doing wrong, and what changes do we need to make to improve our health? Recently, we have become aware that our physiology does not use calories neatly, by subtracting what is needed, and then turning any excess into fat. Take for example Coke. We think nothing of drinking a can of Coke with only 140 calories. A handful of almonds (20 count) may have the same amount of calories, but will produce a completely different metabolic response. But with 31 grams of sugar in Coke, our insulin levels rise substantially, thus causing us to store fat. Over a period of time, raised insulin level can cause type 2 diabetes.

We need a fundamental change in our way of thinking, about what exactly food is, and how it affects our body. I have personally given it a lot of thought recently as diabetes and heart disease is part of my family history. And according to Diabetes Canada

“One in three Canadians is living with diabetes or pre-diabetes yet knowledge of risk and complication remains low.”

(Kathleen Powderley, April 2019).

We all need to take stock of what we have been doing to our health. If we make fundamental changes in our diet and how we consume food, it will have a positive effect on our health, and hopefully In'Sha'Allah, enable us to be free from taking pills and insulin for the rest of our lives.

AVOID DRINKING CALORIES

The image of a heart healthy breakfast always contained freshly-squeezed orange juice with loads of vitamin C. I have spent many years thinking that juicing rather than eating the fruit was doing me more good. However, I did not realize that juicing removes the satiating fibre, and then increases the speed of absorption of sugar into the blood, making it not much better than the aforementioned can of Coke. Even though sugar is natural in fruit, having such a concentrated amount has a detrimental effect on one's blood glucose control.

Alhamdulillah, the recommended official food guide has changed and we are encouraged to “Make water our choice of drink” (2019, Canada’s food guide), not only for us but our children as well. Water is essential in hydration especially in dry climates such as Alberta. A lot of the time we are unaware of our thirst, putting it down to hunger, tiredness or lack of sleep. By drinking enough water, we can help maintain the correct function of our mind and body.

PROCESSED AND LOW-FAT FOOD TRAP

I had fallen for the low fat industry, hook, line, and sinker. I would buy these heart healthy oatmeal biscuits, with green writing and natural background, thinking I was doing myself some good. Little did I know that it would lead me to eat 3 times the recommended amount and still not satisfy my hunger. Low fat yogurt has the same effect. Once the fat is taken out of the product, it is then replaced with sugar. And so many of the food products that are made contain sugar: cereals, soups, ketchup, salad dressing, bread etc. And of course the sugar is usually high fructose corn syrup, which substantially increases the body’s inflammation.

It wasn’t that long ago when we were all convinced of the health benefits of margarine. It was supposed to not contain the saturated fat that causes cholesterol build up in the arteries which then leads to heart attacks. We now know that the highly toxic trans fats found in margarine has actually led to greater risk of heart disease, inflammation, and insulin resistance.

It took me a while to comprehend that fat does not make you fat, and not all calories are the same. The best way to eat is to cook the food you eat, and know what exactly is in the meals you prepare. If a loaf of bread has a long list of ingredients that cannot be pronounced, let alone understood; and if it lasts more than a month, it may not be the best thing to eat. Allah has given us a bounty of wholesome food, and we should enjoy it in moderation.

“O children of Adam..., and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess.” (Surah Al Araf, Ayah 31)

EMBRACE FASTING

Part of not indulging in excess and focusing on self-control, is fasting. Fasting should not only be for Ramadan, but as per Prophet’s (PBUH) sunnah, fasting should continue Mondays and Thursdays, when we can. Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: "Deeds are presented on Monday and Thursday, and I love that my deeds be presented while I am fasting." (Jami` at- Tirmidhi, Vol. 2, Book of Fasting, Hadith 747). Fasting focuses the mind on important matters and makes one more conscious of what one should and should not be doing.

Intermittent fasting has become popular in modern society given the increasing evidence that it has a beneficial effect on health: from the obvious weight loss, greater blood glucose control and significant improvement in metabolic health. Allah has given it to us as a gift that needs to be implemented in our lives.

It has taken me a while to really understand the benefits of good food, in moderation. It is still a learning process. And it is not always easy, especially when the convenience of ready-made products is always beckoning.

REFERENCES:

1. Canada’s food guide (2019) Involve Others in Planning and Preparing Meals, Retrieved from https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/healthy-eatingrecommendations/make-water-your-drink-ofchoice/

2. Powderley, K.2019, One in three Canadian is living with diabetes or prediabetes, yet knowledge of risk and complications of disease remains low.” Retrieved from https:// www.diabetes.ca/media-room/press-releases/one -in-three-canadians-is-living-with-diabetes-orprediabetes,-yet-knowledge-of-risk-andcomplication

3. Menk, Menk [Muslim Akhi] (2019, March 4) Scientifically Proven Benefits of Fasting Monday and Thursday [Video File] YouTube. https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkHhtrlvg8&ab_channel=MuslimAkhi

4. Quran and Hadith: Surah Al-A’raf- Retrieved from https:// quran.com/7/31 (2014) Muflihun.com Jami` at- Tirmidhi, Vol. 2, Book of Fasting, Hadith 747 retrieved from https://muflihun.com/tirmidhi/8/747

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