How to fast healthily during Ramadan

With the month of Ramadan upon us it is useful to look at ways of trying to maintain a healthy diet whilst fasting. Fasting for 12 to 24 hours or more can lead to dizziness and fatigue and a lowering of metabolic rate as a means of conserving calories or energy. Here are some simple guidelines to make sure that your diet remains balanced and healthy during this fasting period:
Don't skip breakfast (Suhoor) Even though sleep may seem far more appealing than waking up to force down some food, don't skip breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Research has shown that breakfast provides the essential energy and nutrients needed for concentration, while keeping hunger symptoms like headaches, fatigue, drowsiness and restlessness at bay. In addition, it speeds our metabolic rates. It is therefore vital to ensure an adequate intake at breakfast time.
Eat a wide variety of foods When your daily intake is limited to two meals per day, you need to put extra effort into including foods from all the food groups. Our bodies need at least 40 different nutrients daily, to ensure that we grow properly and maintain good health. Although most foods contain more than one nutrient, no single food provides all the necessary nutrients. Moreover, foods have benefits that can't be replicated by a pill. So it is important to eat a wide variety of foods every day, to ensure that we get all of these nutrients. Select foods each day from each of the five food groups:
· Breads, cereals and other grain products
· Fruit and vegetables
· Meat, fish and poultry
· Milk, cheese and yoghurt
· Fats and sugars (these are low in nutrients & high in calories, so limit intake!)
Eat low glycaemic (GI) foods at breakfast to help control blood sugar levels Carbohydrates are classified according to their glucose response or glyceamic index (GI). The GI measures how fast the carbohydrate of a particular food is converted to glucose and enters the bloodstream. The lower the GI, the slower the food is converted to sugar and the longer it satisfies your hunger. Selecting low GI foods helps maintain normal blood sugar, minimises hunger pangs & satisfies appetite without providing excess calories. Also, by controlling blood sugar levels, you prevent excessive eating binges as a result of low blood sugar levels. Remember to include low GI foods at each meal, and to avoid eating high GI foods on their own, but rather to mix them with low GI foods, which will give an intermediate GI overall.
Be aware of your cooking methods By making small changes in your cooking habits, you can create great-tasting foods that are also healthy for you. Many of those treasured family-favourite recipes have a very high fat content for today's health-conscious living. Don't give up on your favourites – just convert them! Here's how:
· Always trim off excess fat from before cooking, or use venison, chicken and soya as lower fat options. Remove poultry skin & choose light meat (eg. breast).
· Cut down on fat intake during cooking:
- cook onions in a little water or vegetable stock rather than oil or butter
- use non-stick frying pans & non-stick sprays rather than oil or margarine
- bake, grill or roast foods rather than frying
- cook roasted meat or poultry on a wire rack so that the fat can drip off
- Steam or boil vegetables
- when preparing rice, noodles & other grains, season with herbs, spices & broths rather than added fat
- prepare soups, gravies & sauces in advance, so that they can be refrigerated, allowing you to remove the layer of fat that forms on top.
- Use herbs and spices to add flavour & zest to low-fat cooking. Basil, bay leaf, oregano, & rosemary add distinctive flavours & colours to meat & vegetables. Spices, like cinnamon, ginger & nutmeg enhance the sweet taste of foods, & seasoning blends, such as chilli powder, curry powder provide a complex array of flavours
· Avoid taking in too much salt
- Use garlic, dry mustard, pepper, onions, mushrooms & tomatoes to add flavour to meat and vegetables - Add sliced lemon or lemon juice to white meats & fish
· Make healthy changes to recipes Cut the fat in half - if a recipe requires cream or whole milk, use evaporated or fresh skim milk. If a recipe requires a whole egg, use two egg whites, etc.
Eat enough carbohydrate foods - especially those rich in fibre These foods provide the body with energy. They are rich in B vitamins, and are an excellent source of fibre. Hi-fibre foods also fill you up more than low-fibre counterparts. Foods high in fibre include brown rice, wholegrains, fresh fruit and raw veggies.
Remember your fruits and vegetables Fruit and vegetables add colour and variety to the menu. They are "protective" foods as they help the body fight off sickness and disease. They are also rich sources of a variety of vitamins, minerals, and fibre, and are low in calories.
Drink sufficient fluid Always include water in your diet, and cut down on caffeine-containing beverages. Caffeine is a diuretic and will not provide adequate hydration.
We all know that maintaining a balanced diet by eating healthily has a vital influence on your well being. Try following the above principles so that this fast period does not sway too much from the principles of good nutrition.

Ramadhan: Fadhilat

Bulan Ramadhan merupakan bulan yang mempunyai banyak kelebihan. Kedatangannya selepas dua bulan yang juga tidak kurang keistimewaannya iaitu Rejab dan Sya'ban. Bagi tujuan menyuburkan rasa tanggungjawab dan rasa ingin menambahkan ibadat kepada Allah sepanjang Ramadhan ini, di sini dibawa beberapa hadis yang menceritakan mengenai kelebihannya.
1. Abu Hurairah menyatakan : Telah bersabda Rasulullah S.A.W yang bermaksud : Apabila telah tibanya Ramadhan, dibuka pintu-pintu syurga dan ditutup segala pintu neraka dan diikat segala syaitan. -Hadis dikeluarkan oleh imam Bukhari, Muslim, Nasai'e, Ahmad dan Baihaqi-
2. Daripada Abu Hurairah daripada Rasulullah S.A.W telah bersabda yang bermaksud :Sesiapa yang berpuasa Ramadhan dengan penuh keimanan dan keikhlasan nescaya akan diampuninya segala dosanya yang telah lalu. - Diriwayat oleh imam Nasai'e, Ibn majah, Ibn Habban dan Baihaqi-
3. Abu Hurairah telah berkata : Aku telah mendengar Rasulullah S.A.W bersabda tentang Ramadhan yang bermaksud : Sesiapa yang mendirikannya(Ramadhan) penuh keimanan dan keikhlasan diampunkan baginya apa dosanya yang telah lalu. - Hadis riwayat Bukhari, Muslim, Tarmizi, Abu Daud, Nasai'e,Malik,Ahmad dan Baihaqi-
4. Daripada Abu Hurairah telah berkata: Rasullah S.A.W telah bersabda yang bermaksud : Sembahyang yang difardhukan kepada sembahyang yang sebelumnya merupakan penebus apa antara keduanya, dan Jumaat kepada Jumaat yang sebelumnya merupakan penebus apa antara keduanya, dan bulan kepada bulan(iaitu Ramadhan) merupakan kaffarah apa antara keduanya melainkan tiga golongan : Syirik kepada Allah, meninggalkan sunnah dan perjanjian (dilanggar). Telah berkata Abu Hurairah : Maka aku tahu perkara itu akan berlaku, maka aku bertanya: Wahai Rasulullah! adapun syirik dengan Allah telah kami tahu, maka apakah perjanjian dan meninggalkan sunnah? Baginda S.A.W bersabda : Adapun perjanjian maka engkau membuat perjanjian dengan seorang lain dengan sumpah kemudian engkau melanggarinya maka engkau membunuhnya dengan pedang engkau, manakala meninggal sunnah maka keluar daripada jamaah(Islam).-Hadis riwayat Ahmad, Al-Hakim, dan Baihaqi-
5. Daripada Abi Soleh Az-zayyat bahawa dia telah mendengar Abu Hurairah berkata: Rassullah S.A.W telah bersabda yang bermaksud : Setiap amalan anak Adam baginya melainklan puasa maka ia untukKu dan Aku akan membalasnya. Dan puasa adalah perisai, maka apabila seseorang berada pada hari puasa maka dia dilarang menghampiri(bercumbu) pada hari itu dan tidak meninggikan suara.Sekiranya dia dihina atau diserang maka dia berkata : Sesungguhnya aku berpuasa demi Tuhan yang mana diri nabi Muhammad ditanganNya maka perubahan bau mulut orang berpuasa lebih harum di sisi Allah pada hari qiamat daripada bau kasturi, dan bagi orang berpuasa dua kegembiraan yang mana dia bergembira dengan keduanya apabila berbuka dia bergembira dengan waktu berbukanya dan apabila bertemu Tuhannya dia gembira dengan puasanya. -Hadis riwayat imam Bukhari, Muslim, Nasai'e, Ahmad, Ibn Khuzaimah, Ibn Habban dan Baihaqi-

PENERANGAN HADIS
1. Semua hadis menceritakan betapa besarnya kelebihan bulan Ramadhan untuk kita sama-sama menghidupkannya dengan segala amalan sunnah.
2. Pintu syurga dibuka sepanjang Ramadhan, manakala pintu neraka pula ditutup. Ini menggambarkan bagaimana Allah begitu mengasihani hambaNya yang taat beribadat dan menurut segala perintahNya.
3. Syaitan diikat sepanjang bulan Ramadhan agar kita dapat menunaikan segala ibadat dengan penuh keikhlasan. Tetapi kita perlu ingat bahawa kawan syaitan yang berada pada diri kita iaitu nafsu akan menggantikan tugas syaitan jika kita lalai.
4. Pentingnya keikhlasan dan keimanan kita dalam menunaikan ibadat.
5. Puasa mampu menjadi perisai diri daripada terjebak ke lembah maksiat, begitu juga ia mampu menghapuskan segala dosa-dosa yang lepas jika kita benar-benar bertaubat.
6. Kita mesti menghidupkan sunnah yang mana yang paling besar ialah berada dalam jemaah Islam terutama di dalam mengembalikan semula khilafah Islamiah yang telah lama dihancurkan iaitu pada 1924.
7. Jauhkan daripada syirik pada Allah sama ada berbentuk perbuatan, niat ataupun percakapan. Kita mesti mematuhi segala perjanjian yang dibuat selagi tidak melanggar hukum syarak.
8. Kita mesti berpuasa pada semua anggota bukannya pada makan dan minum sahaja.
9. Bau mulut orang berpuasa lebih harum daripada bauan kasturi.
10. Orang berpuasa akan mengecapi dua kegembiraan iaitu ketika berbuka dan apabila bertemu Allah kelak.
11. Di dalam menunaikan ibadat puasa kita mesti banyak bersabar dan jangan suka berbual kosong apatah meninggikan suara apabila bercakap.

This Day in History: UiTM: 1999-2009

On 26th August 1999, Shah Alam became home to a new university. On that day, then Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir Mohamad declared that ITM was to be officially known as Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in a historic gathering held at the Malawati Stadium, Shah Alam.
The event was also witnessed by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who was serving as the Education Minister and other top university management, faculty, students and alumni.
The name change, a significant milestone in the history of the university was a catalyst for enhancing scholarship, research and service to the community. It marked the beginning of an era of unprecedented growth in enrolment, development and regeneration of the university.