Fit and Fasting: A guide to Staying
Healthy During Ramadan

First of all, lets look at the many
benefits of fasting:
• Increases longevity
• Lowers LDL and triglyceride blood numbers
• Decreases risk of cancer
• Increases growth hormone production
• Good for brain health
• Turns on the process of autophagy (which is when cells
recycle waste material, eliminate or downregulate
wasteful processes, and repair themselves)
• Increased mental well being and clarity
• Use of your own body fat for fuel

Ramadan, Fasting, and Intentions
• Ramadan is a month when we need to look past ourselves and our
desires and focus on the true meaning of our lives. It’s a time to
really look at our shortcomings and improve as Muslims. Its about
being selfless. Its about feeding our souls rather than feeding our
desires. Its about making all things with the intention of doing
things for the sake of Allah.
So, before we talk about anything, it is good to remind ourselves why
we are fasting in the first place and to renew our intentions.
• Islam teaches everything in moderation. Nothing is ever good in
excess. If during the day, we are fasting so that we can have
complete focus on bettering ourselves as Muslims, cleansing our
bodies and souls, shouldn’t we be doing the same at night?
• When it is time to break fast, we should again always remember
Allah. Eat in moderation, just enough to satisfy, not too much. It
may be difficult at first, but with each day it will become easier.

Guidelines when breaking fast
• Break your fast with Dates and 1-2 tall glasses of LEMON
water before you eat your iftar to help avoid overeating
and to rehydrate your body.
• Why Dates? After the body has been in a weakened state
from fasting, the body needs a boost of energy. The liver
starts the process and accepts the dates due to their high
level of natural sugars. The liver then is able to transfer
these benefits to the rest of the body’s organs, which in
turn prepares the body to digest your meal.
• Otherwise, eating large amounts of food prior to this will
cause fatigue as it is too much for the organs to handle.

• Remember that food is fuel. Eat to fuel your body for prayer
and worship.
• Eat until you are satisfied, not until completely full. This will
give you energy to make taraweeh prayer, whereas overeating
will drag you down and make you tired. If you are hungry
when you come back from prayer (or just later in the night if
you stay home), eat another small meal from the leftovers at
iftar.
• Limit the amount of dessert and sweetened drinks you have
(and absolutely NO artificial sweeteners!). One to two
different pieces of dessert should be enough. If you find you
can’t control yourself after one bite of something sweet (like
me…) try eating desert only every other day. Also, get your
berries in (you can add real whipping cream and granola) for a
nice healthy and satisfying dessert.

• EAT PROTEIN. This is a must. To maintain or gain a lean
body, you must consume some protein at your meal(s). This
includes chicken, beef, eggs, turkey, lamb, etc.
• Eat lots of healthy fats! Contrary to popular belief, saturated
fats are healthy and necessary for brain function, regulating
hormone levels, cholesterol production, fertility, maintaining a
healthy body weight, and for healthy skin and hair. Avoid all
trans fats which are NOT healthy. Trans fats are found in
processed foods. Examples of healthy fats include
avocados, nuts and seeds, coconut oil, butter
(YES, butter), extra virgin olive oil, and naturally occurring fat
from meat.

• Avoid excess carbohydrates (the bad ones)
• Flour, bread, pasta, muffins, pastries, and cookies for example
are very unhealthy and damaging to the body. They are
extremely processed and genetically modified, which means
you are eating artificial food. Our bodies do not know how to
handle genetically modified foods. Because of this, our body
packs on processed carbohydrates as FAT.
• Try going thirty days without wheat this Ramadan and see
how you feel. You may be surprised not only how much
weight you will lose, but how much energy you will gain.
Introduce it after the month is over and notice how you feel.
You can still get plenty of other carbs from other sources
listed below.

• Eat FULL fat dairy. When something is labeled “low fat” it
means they have taken out the fat and replaced it with
sugar and additives that make your taste buds believe it
is fat. Fat causes NO insulin spike, meaning NO fat
storage, whereas sugar causes an insulin peak which is
needed to store fat in your fat cells. Eating fat does not
store fat. Avoid processed dairy unless you can tolerate
it. A good rule of thumb is to go 30 days without dairy
and introduce it back in your diet and see how you feel. If
it makes you feel lethargic, or causes breakouts for
example, this could mean that you have an intolerance to
dairy.

Don’t we need to consume carbs at
every meal?
No. Our bodies and brain function better on ketones, the pure
energy source that comes from the breakdown of fats. Most
people aren’t fat-adapted, meaning they do not know how to
use their own body fat stores efficiently because they are
constantly eating carbohydrates (sugar-burner). To become a fat-
burner rather than a sugar-burner, you must decrease the
amount of carbohydrates in your diet and increase the amount
of protein and fats. The first two weeks you may have
withdrawal symptoms, as processed carbs are literally addicting
to the brain.

Q. What are some healthy sources of
carbohydrates?
A. Anything that comes from the earth. Sweet
potatoes, squash, potatoes, carrots, quinoa, rice
, fruit, and beans (if you can tolerate them).
Q. When is the best time to have carbohydrates?
A. Carbohydrates tend to help you sleep. They
cause serotonin to be secreted which then turns
into melatonin. The best time to have carbs is at
night or after a workout.

Should I exercise during Ramadan?
“You’ll hear that you should never exercise on an empty
stomach. You’ll hear that fasted training will burn your muscles
and cause you to waste away. You’ll hear that performance will
surely suffer.” None of these things are necessarily true – and
they are even less so if you are well-adapted adapted to a low-
carb eating strategy.
Fasted training can actually result in better metabolic
adaptations (which mean better performance down the
line), improved muscle protein synthesis, and a higher anabolic
response to post-workout feeding (you’ll earn your meal and
make more muscle out of it if you train on an empty stomach).

Studies on Muslim athletes during Ramadan
show no effect on performance while fasting, as
well as better lipids in those who exercise and
fast rather than just fast. When you train in a
fasted state, glycogen breakdown is blunted and
more fat is burnt, leaving you more glycolytic
energy in the tank for when you really need it
and less body fat. Those are just a sampling of
the benefits to fasted training; there are dozens
more.
(Taken from Marks Daily Apple)

So how can I exercise without water?
• Make sure you wake up for Suhoor and if nothing
else, hydrate yourself. Drink 1-2 glasses of water.
If you are a coffee drinker, it’s ok to have 1 cup of
coffee, especially in the beginning of Ramadan to
avoid caffeine withdrawal.
• And as stated earlier, not only drinking water
before Iftar, but during the evening hours is very
important. Keep bottled water with you at all
times (preferably a non-disposable bottle), even
during your Taraweeh prayers.

Ok so, what exercises should I be
doing?
Basically, try to stick to weight/resistance
training, yoga, pilates, and walking during
Ramadan. Don’t workout TOO intensely, as you
are already going to be burning your body fat
during the day. Take your intensity down to 70%
and don’t plan on trying to break any weight
lifting records during Ramadan.

Drink water, water, and more water!!!
Having a brief 20-45 minute workout will get
your blood flowing, maintain your muscle
mass, and most importantly will give you energy
to make a yummy dinner filled with lots of
veggies and meat!

Part II
Supplements

The power of whole food vitamins
• There is no comparison of the typical vitamin pills with real whole
food supplements. Whole food vitamins have natural energy that
vitalizes and energizes the body. The human body thrives on the
energy it gets from real whole food substances, like
fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Vitamins are no exception. The
body responds far more energetically to the intake of real
vitamins, as made by nature, which have light- and electrical-
energy, completely lacking in the synthetic counterparts.
• With Purely-PAK you get all the major vitamins, including vitamins A
& D, vitamin E, the B complex, and vitamin C, plus associated
bioflavonoids and trace minerals.

Chaga Mushroom

The “Gift from God”
Rather than soft like a mushroom, chaga is hard, almost
as hard as wood. It is unique, nothing like common
mushrooms. In fact, chaga is the most nutritionally dense
of all tree growths. Known by the Siberians as the “Gift
from God” and the “Mushroom of Immortality,” this
vibrant growth has been used by humans to support
health for thousands of years. The Japanese call it “The
Diamond of the Forest,” while the Chinese deem it “King
of Plants.” For the Chinese that is saying a lot, since they
have an immense history with countless plants.
Despite this exceptional status, most Americans are
unaware of it.

Q: Where does chaga come from and
why are birch trees important?
A:Wild birch trees in northern climates. To
survive in these harsh climates, chaga
concentrates natural compounds for its
protection, and that is why it is so powerful. To
strengthen the tree, as well as heal, it makes
potent phytochemicals, including
sterols, phenols, and enzymes. Researchers have
inoculated sick trees with chaga to strengthen
them. People benefit by consuming these forest-
source phytochemicals and nutrients.

Q: What is so special about chaga?
A: It is a dense powerhouse of 215 potent and
unique phyto-nutrients. Some of these
nutrients, such as superoxide dismutase
(SOD), polysaccharides, betulin and betulinic
acid only come from a limited number of
sources. Chaga is nature’s richest source of
these unique compounds, and it delivers these
nutrients in a whole-food, bio-available form.
Chaga, and it’s constituents, are the subject of
extensive research.

Nutrient dense
In particular, it is highly rich in special phenols which are
pigment-like. These phenolic compounds are known as
chromogenic complex. Chaga can be up to 30% chromogenic
complex by weight. The chromogenic complex is highly
protective for all tissues and is only found in chaga. In the
cream base this chromogenic complex is hightly protective of
the skin. Rubbed on the skin it even helps people develop a
tan, because it contains the pigment melanin, the same
pigment responsible for dark-colored skin.
Chaga also contains wild-source minerals and is particularly
high in copper, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc, and iron.
Yet, its most potent ingredient is a special substance known as
superoxide dismutase (SOD)..

Q: What is superoxide dismutase?
A: SOD is an antioxidant enzyme needed the entire
body. SOD is the main antioxidant responsible for
counteracting superoxide, which is one of the most
common and most damaging free-radicals in the
human body. Normally, SOD is created by the
body, but by ages 25-30 the levels of enzymes
needed to create SOD in any significant amount
have diminished. This makes chaga an essential
supplement to any diet, especially for those 25
years and older.

More specifically, SODs function is to halt oxidation, especially
the toxicity of a free radical known as singlet oxygen. This is the
type of oxygen which is responsible for oxidizing and damaging
the tissues, which results in aging. It is the same oxygen which
rusts a nail. SOD blocks this damage by quenching the singlet
oxygen free radical. The SOD content per gram of chaga is
exceedingly high and accounts for many of its historical powers.
Tests performed on North American Herb & Spice’s wild chaga
prove that it contains some 10,000 to 20,000 active SOD units
per gram. This is an exceedingly high amount, far higher than
that found even in typical SOD pills. The typical SOD pill contains
from 200 to 2,000 units per serving. So the difference is
considerable. Plus, the type in pills is virtually impossible to
absorb, while the wild chaga type is well-utilized by the body

Q: What are the benefits of supplementing
chaga into a daily diet?
A: There are many benefits to the use of chaga.
Commonly, it is used as a daily tonic. It is a
powerful adaptogenic herb with an amazing
nutritional profile to support the body’s general
health and ability to balance itself. Chaga is an
excellent natural source for B-complex, plant
sterols, SOD, and beta glucan. Benefits include
improved vitality and well-being due to the high
amount of antioxidants and nutrients.

Ancient Chinese regarded it as a
longevity factor
Chaga is a health food which supports the entire system. The Siberians drink
it daily. This is why they are long-lived. The chaga drinker lives 85 to 100
years, while the non chaga-drinking person, the Inuit, lives only about 50
years. This proves that natural phytochemicals, the ones found in chaga, do
make a difference. Yet, there is more traditional use that offers evidence.
Ancient Chinese regarded it as a longevity factor, which is why they deemed it
the most complete of all growths. Japanese and Koreans use it regularly, and
look how powerful they are today. In much of Siberia, Russia, and Eastern
Europe it is an essential beverage. While the U.S. government restricts
medical claims, here is what can be said: chaga has been used as an essential
whole food supplement for many years by Russia’s long-lived peasants, as
well as long-lived villagers of Japan and Korea. These village people consume
it as a daily beverage. They prefer it over common drinks such as tea and
coffee. Because of its cleansing properties, in primitive Siberia the chaga drink
was known as “soup water,” although its taste is a pleasant combination of
tea and coffee.

Chaga is validated by Moscow’s
Medical Academy of Science
In his book The Cancer Ward Alexander Solzhenitzyn
wrote about the health benefits of chaga. His character in
the novel took it with positive results. Regardless, chaga
was then validated by Moscow’s Medical Academy of
Science, 1955, and was extensively used by the public. It
is one of Russia’s state secrets for power and strength and
was heavily used by champion Russian athletes, who
defeated all others, including the best teams America
could offer. So, the
Russians, Siberians, Poles, Romanians, Koreans, Japanese,
and Chinese all use it. This alone shows the importance
for Americans regarding this essential whole food.

Wild chaga was found to be the most
powerful adaptogen
Since the 1950s the government of the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics (USSR), in conjunction with approximately
1,200 prominent scientists, conducted over 3,000 experiments
involving 500,000 people to study the effects of adaptogens (a
substance which modifies the human body’s response to
stress).
The results of these studies were a protected Soviet secret for
40 years. The Soviet government commanded
athletes, astronauts and other Soviet elite to take adaptogens
on a daily basis to improve physical and mental work capacity.
One of these adaptogens was chaga. In fact, of all these
adaptogens, chaga was found to be the most powerful. It is
now believed that up to 80% of all diseases are mainly due to
stress.

Chaga gives you the strength that you
need to function throughout the day
Relax with a cup of chaga beverage, or experience the
power of the raw chaga drops under the tongue. Soothe
yourself with the wild, raw chaga experience. Get the
strength you need to make it through the day and much
more. Feel the power of the wild forest though North
American Herb & Spice’s chaga.
Experience the immense power of wild birch tree power.
This is the energy and power of wild-source
enzymes, notably SOD, peroxidase, and nucleases, as well
as wild sterols, phenols, B vitamins, minerals, and much
more. Take advantage of it for you, your loved ones, and
anyone else in need.

Q: Is chaga safe?
A: Yes. Chaga is completely natural and there
have been no reported side-effects in several
thousand years’ of use. Furthermore, there are
no known conflicts in using chaga. It is
completely safe to use every day, even many
times a day. It is recognized as a nutritional
supplement, and is produced under Good
Manufacturing Practices for supplements