Gut & Heart Healthy Diet

Allah’s Apostle said, “A believer eats in one intestine (is satisfied with a little food), and an unbeliever or a hypocrite eats in seven intestines (eats too much).” [Bukhari]

“Gut & Heart Healthy Diet” is a “One meal a day” diet (after the morning prayer/Fajr-before sleep) developed by Farhana Akter, following the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and our Creator. It is based on consuming and avoiding certain foods to promote good microbes and restore our gut ecosystem. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) adhered to a diet rich in polyphenols, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties, aiding in maintaining gut balance, weight loss, improving digestion, boosting the immune system, reducing inflammation, reducing mental health problems, and increasing longevity. It is my personal meal plan. Before starting the “Gut & Heart Healthy Diet,” consult your dietitian.

Foods to Add to Your Diet:

· Bread: Barley, wheat

· Fresh fruit: Dates, banana, olives, watermelon, pomegranate, grapes, fig, fruit vinegar, lemon

· Veggies: Pumpkin, gourd, squash, cucumber, mushroom, endive, ginger

· Animal Protein: Sea fish or grilled meat

· Oil: Olive oil

· Herb: Nigella sativa/Black seed, thyme, fenugreek, sweet basil

· Mineral: Salt

· Dairy: Cow milk or goat milk, butter, cheese

· Drink: Clean Water

· Natural sweet: Natural mountain honey

Foods to Avoid:

1. Artificial food; unnatural food, addictive food

2. Beef and pork and their fat

3. Blood

4. Unclean and unwashed fruit & meat

5. Contaminated food, rotten foods

6. Meat of sick or dead animals

7. Meat that is not slaughtered in the name of our creator

8. Onions, leeks, and garlic

9. Not too much hot and not too much cold food and drink

10. Wine, alcoholic beverages, carbonated soft drinks, intoxicants

11. Refined carbs and sugar

How to Train Your Gut:

· Start morning breakfast (suhur) with seven Ajwa dates (before Fajr prayer)

· Eat an early dinner before the night prayer (before Esha Azan)

· The recommended serving size for a bowl of soup is 4–6 ounces

· Consume 500–600 calories per day for healthy adults (depending on age, gender, and disease)

· Make most of your meals vegetables and fruits

· Do not eat bread for three consecutive days

· 2 days of intermittent fasting per week (Monday and Thursday)

· Sometimes train yourself with no-cook meals for a while

· Prefer clean raw food instead of cooked food

· Prefer fresh fruits over meat

· Eat meat once a week (Avoid meat as much as possible)

· Do not fill your mouth with more than a piece of fruit at once

· Eat just half of what’s on your plate. But don’t waste food and share food with others

· Avoid filling the stomach with food and drink. Fill one-third of your stomach with food, one-third with drink, and one-third with air

· Skip sugary drinks and coffee

· Add milk to your diet

· Drink water by sips and not gulps

· Stay active

The Quran emphasizes the importance of food quality over quantity. The Quran teaches us: “O people of faith, eat from the pure provisions we have given you” and “Eat and drink, but not to excess.” Surah Muhammad (Verse 12) indicates that whoever disbelieves in eating in moderation and overeats like cattle will be punished. Being overweight or obese puts people at risk for many diseases. Umar b. Al-Khaṭṭab (RA) once met a man with a protruding stomach. When he questioned about it he answered that it was a blessing from Allah (Subḥanahu wa taʿala). Umar (RA) corrected him by saying that it was, instead, a ‘punishment’ from Allah. ‘Umar, the second Caliph, said: “Avoid getting a pot-belly, for it spoils the body, causes diseases, and makes doing the prayer tiring. And avoid all excess, for God hates a learned man who is fat.” Al-Miqdam ibn Ma’dikarib reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The son of Adam cannot fill a vessel worse than his stomach, as it is enough for him to take a few bites to straighten his back. If he cannot do it, then he may fill it with a third of his food, a third of his drink, and a third of his breath.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi) Imran bin Husain narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: “The best of people is my generation, then those who follow them. Then, after them people will come who increase in fatness, loving fatness, giving testimony before they are asked for it.” (Jami at-Tirmidhi)

Day 1: (Monday)

1. Intermittent fasting

2. Dates and water (Nabeedh) while breaking the fasting

3. Small meals with no bread

Day 2: (Tuesday)

1. Wheat bread and soup containing pumpkin and dried sliced meat

2. Water or Nabeedh (Dates and water drink)

Day 3: (Wednesday)

1. Small meal or cheesy vegetable soup with bread

2. Honey lemon water

3. Watermelon dates salad

Day 4: (Thursday)

1. Intermittent fasting

2. Fresh Fruit or vegetable salad

3. Cinnamon date smoothie and water while breaking the fasting

Day 5: (Friday)

1. Vegetable broth made from ground wheat and barley

2. Honey or sweet or a handful of raisins

3. Water

Day 6: (Saturday)

· Honey butter topping on bread

· Water/ a glass of milk or fresh fruit juice or barley honey lemon drink

· Watermelon Salad With Feta, Cucumber, lemon, olive oil, and black peeper

Day 7: (Sunday)

· Dried or fresh Dates and Water

· Grilled fish or meat with squash and pumpkin soup

· Yoghurt and barley bread with honey

Sample Recipe:

· Date milkshake or Banana-date smoothie

· Barley honey lemon drink

· Nabeedh/ nabeez (Soak dates or a handful of raisins in water)

· Honey butter topping on bread

· Fresh seasonal fruit salad

· Salad made of greens, brown rice, kale, beets, avocado, tomato, cabbage, grilled chicken, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, red bell pepper, salt, crumbled feta cheese, mixed nuts

· Vegetable soup with a piece of bread

· Sweetened soup made of carrot, fruit, and squash soups flavored with ginger and honey

· Slow-cooked meat barley stew

· Grilled fish or meat

· Barley and mushroom pilaf with cheese topping

· Vegetarian barley stuffed squash

· Wheat bread and soup containing pumpkin and dried sliced meat

· Vegetable beef soup

· Barley in chicken broth with the mushrooms

· Bottle gourd soup

· Lemon butter sauce

· Salad with honey lemon dressing or ginger dressing with olive oil

· Fruits with oat and dates

· Baked fig

· Oat milk in this barley porridge

· Talbina (barley flour) with grilled honey dates

· Oatmeal with milk, honey, ground cinnamon, dried cranberries and apricot, raisins, mixed nuts

Strategies to Increase Our Lifespan:

As a chosen representative of God, Allah grants you the ability to influence your health and lifespan through a few key matters.

1. Choose the right diet: Connect with your Creator and earn rewards for this world and the hereafter by selecting the appropriate diet.

2. Avoid skipping dinner: The Prophet (PBUH) usually ate dinner before the night prayer (Isha).

3. Reduce red meat: Umar ibn al-Khattab warned against excessive meat consumption, comparing it to the addictiveness of wine.

4. Stop overeating: Umar ibn al-Khattab cautioned against gluttony, highlighting its harmful effects on prayer, the body, and overall well-being. Moderation in provisions is seen as closer to righteousness, further from extravagance, and stronger for the worship of Allah.

5. Get proper sleep: A good night’s sleep helps maintain a healthy weight. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) advised taking a short nap and sleeping on the right side for better digestion.

6. Exercise regularly: The study found that exercise reduces the risk of overeating. The Prophet (PBUH) himself walked at a fast pace, emphasizing its importance.

7. Reduce stress and stay spiritually focused: Engage in dhikr to gain the blessings of Allah during fasting.

8. Being connected with blood relatives: Longevity isn’t just about a healthy diet. Connecting with close relatives positively impacts cellular health.

9. Being kind: The Prophet (PBUH) emphasized kindness, especially towards parents, correlating it with an extended lifespan.

10. Get rid of worldly distractions: Regularly remembering death helps reduce feelings of compulsive overeating.

“O Allah, guide us along the Straight Path, the Path of those You have blessed (with health and well-being) — not those You are displeased with or those who are astray (and die earlier).” [Surah Fatiha 6–7]