Fasting for a day in Ramadan – food for thought

When I was first asked to try fasting for a day, my instant reaction was no. How could I survive without water, I thought? How would I wake up at 4am?

It took me a while to commit to the challenge, but once I finally signed up,  I decided to comply by every fasting rule during the month of Ramadan.

How did it turn out? Ironically, what hit me most  during my one day of fasting was the ‘taste’ of life. I understood this at the peak of my hunger pangs.

I motivated myself by thinking this is just for one day. How hard could it be to give up water and food just for a few hours? But once the ‘day’ began, I got thinking about how to manipulate the mind over body during work, Suhoor and during the event itself.

It wasn’t the easiest, I’d admit, but it was a challenge well implemented. My day had series of ups and downs but then it only kept getting better. Here are the highlights of my day:

2 am: The thought of getting up at 4am didn’t fetch me sleep so I was awake till I was done with Suhoor.

4 am: Considering I almost never eat at this hour, I couldn’t eat much. I was advised to eat sufficient amounts to carry on till Iftar, so I did eat a bowl of cornflakes and some oats and drank a mug of green tea..

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8 am: Up and ready to get to work and my reflexes are itching for food and water. I instinctively headed towards the kitchen and opened the fridge, only to realise that I wasn’t supposed to be eating!

10 am: My stomach was reminding me to eat breakfast, but I switched it on perpetual snooze.

1 pm: I need water. I look up for some tips on how to deal with thirst and acidity.

3 pm:  11 hours in and I’m now in awe of how people can do this gracefully fast for a month. I turn around to see my fasting colleagues and they’re going about their day as usual, so I just did the same.

5 pm:  I’m done with work and am considerably okay, thinking about what it’s like for people who never have basic comforts at all, let alone just for a day. I research on how the idea of Ramadan came into being and how old the concept is.

7 pm: I finally arrive at the ‘Fast for a Day’ iftar event taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre, and I join the 200-odd other fasting participants. At the event, a number of scholars shared their insights on Ramadan with the crowd. My thoughts were mostly revolving around how they were able to execute such a brilliant speech even after fasting for the entire day.

7:15 pm: It’s time to break the fast! I have a bite of a date and suddenly I feel this rush to my head. Even though I have eaten several dates in my life, this seemed different, more special and valued.

7:45 pm:  I made sure I had the right quantity of food even though binging was the first thought after I saw Kebabs, vine leaves, rice, desserts and other mouth watering foods.  Meanwhile, there were lectures on health tips, cultural values and the history of Ramadan.

8 pm: We’re handed certificates of appreciation (it did feel like an achievement after all) and we’re sent on our way.

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9 pm: At the end of the day, the fast got me thinking. I noticed how every day personal whims seem so trivial compared to what I felt the entire day. Now, I do feel that fasting doesn’t only make you think about the needy, but helps you gain massive control of your mind over body. If conducted well, there are brilliant health outcomes that come out of fasting as well. It would even say it’s addictive – now I want to see what it’s like to fast for a whole month.

Would you try fasting for a day? Tell us in the comments