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COLIN O'CONNOR/TORONTO STAR
Toronto teacher Jeewan Chanicka reads the Qur'an, readying himself for Islam holy month.
Aug 31, 2008 04:30 AM
Noor Javed
STAFF REPORTER
If even a tiny sliver of the moon is seen tonight, either by the unaided human eye or the precise eye of a telescope, tomorrow will mark the first day of the lunar month of Ramadan.
For the next month, Muslims across the GTA will spend their days fasting, and nights in worship. This year, with most of Ramadan falling before the fall equinox, the first few fasts will extend to nearly a 15-hour period, testing the faith and resolve of many – especially those in need of their daily caffeine fix and sugar high. But when the hunger pains hit, what is it that motivates the faithful to stay away from food and water all day? And when the mind and soul are appeased, is the body in agreement?
We offer a spiritual and physical breakdown of a fast, from the perspective of Jeewan Chanicka, who begins fasting this week, and from Dr. Iva Lloyd, a naturopathic doctor, to find out when the two states agree and when they don't.
5 a.m. – HOUR ONE
In the wee hours of the morning, before the sun even begins to appear in the horizon, Jeewan Chanicka will be awake, fuelling up for the first fast. While one would expect gorging, Chanicka is unable to, filling up only on a few pieces of toast, vitamins and water.
At this time, the day ahead looks long; 15 hours is no joke. But before the panic sets in, Chanicka is reminded that he is not doing this alone. Around the world, a billion followers of Islam are joining him in this spiritual cleansing. At least he knows, like many in the world don't, that when evening comes, he will have food. That calms his mind, and lets him focus on the day ahead.
As he eats, his body is unaware this is the last thing it will be fed until nightfall. So, as it does usually, his stomach begins to digest the food immediately. It takes more than two hours for digestion to finish, at which point the stomach will call again for sustenance.
10 a.m. – HOUR FIVE
There are few things that test your patience as do hunger and children. Chanicka is tested with both, in his Grade 8 class, and his stomach begins to growl. It doesn't help that he has a fast metabolism, and constantly needs to eat.
He takes a deep breath, pushing in his rumbling stomach, in hopes that it will stop. He takes another deep breath, reminding himself Ramadan is not just about cleansing the body, but developing patience and good character. He smiles at his students, and continues the lesson.
His stomach isn't quite as understanding. It digested the food hours ago, and is eager for more. The toast that he ate has already travelled to the small and large intestine, where its nutrients have been absorbed in the blood. Cue hunger here. Not only is his stomach empty, but his blood's energy bank is slowly depleted. Gurgling, tiredness, restlessness ensue.
3 p.m. – HOUR TEN
During lunch time, as Chanicka watches his students eat, his sense of smell heightened, he mentally plans out his menu tonight. This is when the hunger pangs are the greatest, his stomach cramping, and his body weakening. But just as quickly as the pain comes, it is gone. Once that moment is over, Chanicka can see the finish line.
He knows it's a biological process but, in his mind, he also knows the strength has come from God. He is astounded at how much the body can do, when it has the will to.
The hunger symptoms eventually dissipate once the body realizes that it will not be fed. So it begins to search itself for other stored forms of energy, looking in its stores of fats and carbohydrates for glucose.
8 p.m. – HOUR FIFTEEN
In some ways the final few hours before sunsets are the easiest and the hardest. But Chanicka is patient, aware this is just another step to bring him closer to God and his faith. Reflecting on how the first fast has been, he thinks about the 29 more to come and what he wants to learn from the month: humility, patience and self-restraint.
Hunger returns, triggered by the low level of glucose in his blood, begging for nutrients. This time, the mind is involved. His internal clock knows something is out of whack. It also knows dinnertime is fast approaching. As the mind anticipates food, the mouth becomes dry and the body tired.
The sun begins to set, the prayer call begins. The Chanicka family take a seat, say a prayer. The fast is broken with a sweet date – fulfilling a tradition more than 1,400 years old. One date's natural sugar begins fixing the imbalance. The sugar rushes in, replenishing blood and restoring energy. By next week, the body will adapt to this cycle.
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