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Our
relationship with food can at times be a grievous one. Counting calories and
weighing ourselves constantly can make the eating process a burden rather than
something to enjoy. Taking time to become more aware of what we eat does not
necessarily mean restricting our diet to a certain type of food intake. It’s
more about giving attention to how we eat. This concentrates more on the process
rather than the food itself.
Dr.
Wail Abu Hendi is a psychologist with interests in dieting, obesity, and
slimness, as well as eating disorders. Abu Hendi believes that modifying eating
behavior is more effective to accomplish weight loss than traditional dieting
methods. Abu Hendi developed a therapeutic behavioral program for patients in
Egypt suffering from obesity and extreme slimness. This therapeutic behavioral
program was designed in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (may Allah’s
peace and blessings be upon him).
Eating
can be looked upon as not only something pleasurable, but also as an act of
worship. Thus, our Prophet (peace be upon him) emphasized the concept of food as
an act of worship by performing ablution prior to eating just like for prayers,
as well as having the intention—niyyah—of seeking Allah’s favor.
Like
other acts of worship, this form of worship shouldn’t take up too much time.
Dr. Abu Hendi says that we begin to feel full (satiated) after twenty minutes of
eating, regardless of the amount of food we have consumed, so dedicating
approximately 30 minutes to each meal would be better than wolfing it down.
Also, eating should not be made a secondary activity while watching television
or listening to music in order not to avert your attention from the food
unnecessarily.
Duties,
Sunnah, and Manners
The
first duty in Islam concerning eating is ensuring that the food is both
permissible (halal) and comes from a permissible source. You should also
feel satisfied with what Allah has provided you and believe that these
provisions are a blessing from Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him) once told `Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), “O Ali!
There are twelve rules a Muslim must learn to adhere to before the table (of
food), four of which are duties, four of which are Sunnah, and four of which are
manners. Knowing what you eat and its source, mentioning Allah’s name prior to
eating, being grateful for provisions, and being content with them are duties.
Sitting on the left foot, eating with three fingers, eating from the food closer
to you, and licking the fingers (used while eating) are Sunnah. Restricting the
size of each mouthful of food, chewing very well, refraining from looking people
in the face, and washing the hands (afterwards) are of manners.”
Good
or Bad?
It
is best to eat three times a day (or twice if fasting), and try to eat a variety
of foods; do not shun bread, rice, fruit, or other foods in their natural form.
Classifying
foods as good or bad according to the calories they contain can lead to
depriving the body of essential needs, which may drive the body to react
adversely. Severely depriving the body of calories may result in cases of binge
eating (excessive overeating), or nocturnal eating where a person gets up at
night half asleep, heads to the kitchen, and begins eating large amounts of
foods that were originally avoided during the day.
Try
to change your usual sitting position while eating. So, following in the
footsteps of the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) try
sitting either on both knees or on your left leg while keeping the right one
upright. It’s best not to change the position you choose before you finish
eating. If this position does not suit you, particularly at the beginning, then
you may take the position you prefer most, but try not to lean on anything. The
Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would seat himself
attentively before food.
First
and foremost say “bismillah” (in the name of Allah) before your first
mouthful. It would be preferable to begin your meal with some fruit. If you wish
to use the first three fingers on your right hand (starting with the thumb), try
as much as possible not to involve the last two fingers while eating to buffer
yourself against overeating. Incorporating the fingers into the eating process
has several merits, including increased awareness of the food you eat and
pleasure from enjoying the food’s texture.
Avoid
Overeating
Avoid
using your left hand while eating unless you are left-handed, though you may use
it to peel fruits or separate meat from bones. In any case make sure that your
left hand does not carry any food up to your mouth (due to explicit and strict
cautioning against this in the Sunnah).
A
merit of using just one hand while eating is to decrease the amount of food a
person consumes, in addition to increase awareness of the food one is eating.
Each time you notice your left hand involved in the eating process you should
pull it back and attempt to complete eating with just one hand. This will help
prevent slipping into excessive eating. Training yourself to adhere to this
procedure may not be easy at first, but repetition and ongoing trials along with
your persistence to follow the Sunnah will gradually facilitate the matter.
After
bringing something to your mouth with your right hand, do not extend your hand
once again to the plate before properly chewing and swallowing your food. This
may be very difficult at the beginning, but this is the fashion by which the
Prophet (peace be upon him) ate. Gulping down food without proper chewing, or
eating in a hurry is not healthy. This is an important reason behind obesity and
overeating. Since the feeling of satiety comes after twenty minutes of eating,
we must train ourselves to chew food properly and not to reach out for more food
before finishing what’s already in our mouths.
After
finishing your meal, it is sunnah to lick the three fingers you used while
eating. Do not be disgusted to lick your fingers, if you used them, after you
finish eating, since these fingers carried the food to your mouth.
After
you finish your meal, thank Allah and express your gratitude to Him, for this is
an imperative duty.
After
a meal, the sunnah is to wash your hands and mouth, and it is preferable to
renew your ablution.
The
above steps are guidelines for those who wish to keep in shape and maintain
their ideal weight. These steps do not involve resorting to the pains of modern
dieting, and rely completely on the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
This diet has no negative side effects since it preaches responding to our
bodies’ signals, by eating when we feel hungry and only when we feel hungry.
**
Dr Wail Abu Hendi is a psychologist with an MD from the University of ZagaZig’s Faculty of Medicine. He is the author of several books discussing issues of religion and psychology. He is also a prime contributor of the Arabic web site
Maganin.com.
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