As we move into the summer Ramadans in North America with 15 to 16 hour days and 90-plus degree temperatures, some of us will discover that fasting is about more than just abstaining from food and drink during the day, it is also about what we do when we break our fasts. In order to stay hydrated, we need roughly 5 cups of water at night and 3 at suhoor to account for the 7-8 cups of water our bodies need on a daily basis. In order to drink that much means cutting down on food intake—there’s only so much the stomach can hold at one time.
Staying up late in order to eat more is not an option for many of us. Staying up late only makes increases the possiblity of sleeping through suhoor in the morning. Increasing the length of the fast by missing suhoor is something most of us want to avoid.
Many of us are also finding that what we eat affects our fast and our health. We are less able to fast, especially as we get older or if we have any health issues already, to tolerate a diet that contains junk food or foods with a lot of salt or sugar–both of which dehydrate to body. One sister found that even though she was drinking a lot of water, the popcorn, potato chips and french fries she ate at iftars during the first week of Ramadan left her in a dehydrated condition, with a urinary tract infection . Getting treatment caused her to miss a couple of days of fasting.
Many of us are learning that summer Ramadan means being conscientious about taking care of ourselves, of what we eat and drink at night in order to maintain our ability to fast during the day.
