Amal Al-Sibai

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — In our search for better health, studying different cultures helps learn ways of eating and living that correlate with increased mental and physical vitality and longevity.



We can accustom our taste buds to try and enjoy new foods used in some societies that help prevent disease, and stay away from those that increase the risk of illness.



For example, Seventh Day Adventists, who are members of a religious sect in the United States, are strict vegetarians.



Studies of these groups show that their incidence of heart disease is about half that of the average US population.



Seventh Day Adventists follow a vegetarian diet and they have increased longevity and a lower incidence of cancer, high blood cholesterol levels, hypertension, and obesity than the average meat-eating population in the US.



Let us take a look at what some Islamic dietary practices have to offer for improving health.



First of all, the prohibition of alcohol is one health advantage. Heavy drinking of alcoholic beverages damages the liver and increases the risk of developing cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, larynx, liver, and breast.



For people battling a stubborn weight problem, the advice of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to eat only when hungry and to stop eating before becoming fully satiated may be very helpful.



This well-known HadIth is akin to many of the weight-loss tips recommended by modern day nutritionists: “We are a people who do not eat unless we are hungry, and when we eat, we do not fill out stomachs.”



When you feel the urge to grab a cookie from the cupboard, stop and ask yourself if you really are physically hungry.



Often we eat due to boredom, or as an outlet for unexpressed emotions when under stress, or to keep busy when watching TV or surfing the net.

These unhealthy eating habits can lead to weight gain.



As previously mentioned, moderation in eating is important. Overeating at meals stresses the stomach and entire digestive system, leading to poor assimilation of nutrients, and possibly indigestion, flatulence, heartburn, and a feeling of sluggishness and laziness.



Nutritionists today and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) discourage sleeping immediately after eating as this can impair digestion, cause heartburn, and leave you feeling heavy and bogged down.



A healthy addition to our diet and a replacement for butter, margarine, vegetable shortening, and most vegetable oils is olive oil.



Olive oil is mentioned in the Qur’an and it is the oil of choice in Islamic cuisine; it is mainly a monounsaturated fat and helps lower the “bad” LDL cholesterol. Dr. Andrew Weil, the well-known revolutionist in nutrition and healthy living, said: “Populations that rely heavily on olive oil as their main dietary fat have lower rates of both heart disease and cancer than Americans and most Europeans do.”



Meat was eaten only occasionally and was not a staple diet in the early Islamic days.



We could benefit from applying this practice now. Red meat (beef and lamb) is high in saturated fat, cholesterol, calories, and these days hormones and antibiotics are also reportedly added to livestock feed.



The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was known to regularly eat barley in broth or soup.



Unlike the common white rice, a favorite among Asians and Saudis, barley contains fiber, which helps maintain healthy intestinal function and also helps reduce cholesterol levels. Barley is rich in the B vitamins folic acid and niacin, magnesium, calcium, and potassium.



For those who have affliction of a raging sweet tooth, switch from eating empty calorie desserts like doughnuts, cookies, baklawa, candy, and chocolate to nutritious and naturally sweet dates.



It was the practice of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to eat seven dates every morning. Dates have good amounts of vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron. So dates make a healthy snack for both children and adults.



The field of nutrition is continuously expanding and evolving to discover and sometimes re-discover foods and micro-nutrients that can enhance our health.