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Inspired & Fabulous

Health + Wellness

2 Eating Habits From The Sunnah That Revolutionized My Health

October 8, 2015

I know what you’re thinking “2 sunnahs that revolutionized my health – Girl that’s a BIG claim to make!!!” However, being a health – yoga – wellness junkie and life-long exercise freak, I can assure you that these two practices completely revolutionized my health. Way more than I could ever imagine.

Having immersed myself in nutrition and fitness books, documentaries, lectures  and blogs, adopting these 2 sunnahs made all the difference. I don’t say that lightly. You could be sipping on green juice all day long, feasting on roasted sweet potatoes, grilled crispy salmon and fresh cucumbers and baby tomatoes, but if you’ve overfed your stomach (even with the good stuff), you’ve defeated the purpose of eating healthy in the first place, haven’t you?

It took me a long time to realise that whilst what we eat is important (pure and halaal), how we eat is equally important. And that is what I learned from following these 2 sunnahs, so lets dive straight in!

1. Eating for 1/3 of your stomach (i.e. don’t overeat)

The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said:

“Nothing is worse than a person who fills his stomach. It should be enough for the son of Adam to have a few bites to satisfy his hunger. If he wishes more, it should be: One-third for his food, one-third for his liquids, and one-third for his breath.” – Tirmidhi & Ibn Majah

This made such a huge difference to my health because even though I was eating healthy, organic, whole foods, cooking my meals from scratch, snacking regularly on raw cacao, chia seed protein balls, I was eating wayyy too much for my body. In fact as embarrassing as it sounds, my portion sizes were huge! Even though my plate was filled up with roasted veggies, raw salads, gluten free grains and healthy fats – it was much more than my body needed. As a result I would often feel tired, bloated and not to mention overly stuffed!

Allah, the Most High says: “O children of Adam, take your adornment to every mosque. Eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He does not like those who commit excess.” [Sûrah al-A`râf: 31]

Avoiding excessiveness and eating moderately for you body’s needs without craving more food or feeling deprived comes down to 2 steps:

1)Listening to your body

2)Eating from a place of abundance

Listening to your body:

As you begin to eat, check in with yourself. Eat slowly and take your sweet time. It takes about 15 – 20 minutes for your brain to register that your stomach is full. So if you scoff down  your meal without properly chewing your food, you don’t give your brain a fighting chance to even register that you’re full.

Eating from a place of abundance:

When something tastes good, we naturally want to eat more of it. Though what if you’ve had a slice of cake (gluten free, made from coconut flour and frosted cacao mousse of course 😉 ) but still want more? For myself, I tackle this in two ways:

1) If I’m really, really craving another bite of raw salted caramel slices or a batch of crispy sweet potatoes – hell yeah I’ll eat it! (bring it on!!) I’ll eat it with no regret or self punishment like ‘I’ll work out extra tomorrow to make up for the cake’ – No way! Instead trust that your body can perfectly deal with occasionally eating too much, be it healthy or not.

2) If I’m not totally craving the food and just wanting to eat a little extra for more pleasure, I reminded myself that I can ALWAYS have it later. The food is not going anywhere. This is part of adopting an abundance mindset. You can always have it later. In fact, save it for when your truly craving that cake because then it tastes better too. Remind yourself that there’s always enough to go around. Even if you don’t eat it right now (because your not hungry), it doesn’t matter because you will have it again very soon.

The moment you deprive yourself of the foods you crave, you begin this mind war – where you’ll eventually binge and stuff your face with food. However, if you follow this method of either ‘eat’ or ‘postpone’, you won’t feel deprived. You’re not restricting yourself from eating more than necessary, instead your simply allowing yourself to eat everything you desire over a period of time versus all at once.

sunaheating

2.Sitting down whilst eating

Anas (may Allah be pleased with Him) reported that Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade that a person should drink while standing. Qatada reported: “We said to him: What about eating?” Thereupon he (Anas – may Allah be pleased with Him) said: “That is even worse and more detestable.” – Muslim

Let me tell you the incident on how I finally embodied this sunnah into my life, despite hearing it many times before from Alimiyyah classes and from several nutritionists/health coaches.

It was quite a busy day, I remember feeling overwhelmed and all over the place. I spent the whole day gazing around, munching on bits of food here and there. Never actually sat down to enjoy a proper meal. Just running in and out of the kitchen, hoovering over the table top and nibbling on food. Opening up the fridge, inhaling a scoop of yoghurt and then shutting the fridge door and continuing with my day. Mind you, despite snacking all day I never felt satisfied.

At night, I FELT the difference. I felt awful. I kept telling myself ‘what am I doing this?’ After that day, I made a concious decision to always sit down and eat my meals. Always. It makes such a difference. In fact, it makes all the difference. This was the last piece to the jigsaw puzzle of radiant health. By adopting this practise, I healed my relationship with my food.

sunnaheating-

If your unsure about adopting this habit, here are a few benefits of sitting down whilst eating:

-You’re in a relaxed state. As a result, you eat slower (and fewer) and actually take the time  to appreciate each bite.

-It’s an act of self respect. Give yourself the dignity of sparing 10 minutes, to cancel other commitments and focus on nourishing your body.

-You prevent mindless snacking, which leads to weight gain and feeling horrid about body.

-You feel satisfied after a meal. You’re less likely to crave sugary treats or savoury snacks because you mind has registered that you’ve eaten and reached satiety.

-Makes you more attuned to your level of hunger and satisfaction. Do you stop eating when your full or when the TV program finishes? Do you only realise that you’ve consumed an entire packet of Walkers crips after the film ends? If yes, then you need to remove all distractions when eating and focus entirely on the plate in front of you.

-It’s an act of self love. This might sound a little cheesy but I really believe that sitting down and honouring your meal is an indirect way of honouring yourself. It’s a way of showing that you appreciate and love your body, so much that you treat it with respect.

By following these two habits on ‘how’ I was eating and not just ‘what’ I was eating, I quickly saw a huge improvement in my health and well-being. It amazes me at how simple yet highly effective these habits are. Now it’s over to you Beautiful – how do you intend on applying these Sunnahs into your life? What Prophetic eating habits are you currently implementing and what effect has it had on your health and well-being?

Share your insights with me and hundreds of other women in the comments below. Your insights are hugely inspirational and beneficial to us all.

signarure2If you are interested in more ways to nourish your temple and feel good in your body, check out these articles:

– How I feel Good In My Body

– The Power Of Beauty + 7 Natural Beauty Secrets (that actually work!)

– I Followed My Heart And It Led Me To The Fridge – Emotional Eating Part 1

– 7 Ways To Look beautiful Naturally

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41 Comments

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Comments

  1. Ramadan 2018 says

    May 31, 2018 at 8:53 am

    Masha these are really very good manners of eating, thanks for sharing great knowledge.

    Reply
    • Inspired & Fabulous says

      June 29, 2018 at 5:04 pm

      Aah jazakillah khair, so glad it was of benefit x

      Reply
  2. Aafia says

    February 21, 2017 at 7:30 am

    Masha Allah ! Nice Blog

    Reply
    • Inspired & Fabulous says

      February 22, 2017 at 9:49 am

      Jazakillah Khair ?

      Reply
  3. Aisha says

    January 19, 2017 at 8:45 pm

    Great tips! We really need to implement what we’re taught from the Quran and sunnah. May Allah aid us. Jazaakillah khair for sharing!

    Reply
    • Inspired & Fabulous says

      January 22, 2017 at 6:56 pm

      Ameen 🙂 BarakAllah fee for stopping by ????

      Reply
  4. Suhaila says

    October 26, 2015 at 12:21 am

    Great tips and such beneficial reminders! Love this post 🙂

    Reply
  5. Hafsa says

    October 24, 2015 at 8:17 pm

    Thank you for this informative article <3

    Reply
  6. Abida says

    October 20, 2015 at 10:36 am

    It’s so true subhanAllah, if we were to follow the sunnah more we would all be a lot healthier!

    Reply
    • Inspired & Fabulous says

      October 20, 2015 at 4:53 pm

      Yup! You summed it up 😉

      Reply
  7. BritDeshiMummy says

    October 18, 2015 at 12:05 pm

    “Take care of your health before sickness” I have written an article relating to this sunnah called “5 simple steps to a healthier you” on my blog! Little changes really to make a big difference!

    Reply
    • Inspired & Fabulous says

      October 18, 2015 at 4:37 pm

      Thank you so much for sharing 🙂

      Reply
  8. umm asiya says

    October 18, 2015 at 12:42 am

    Mashaa allah, this is wonderful. I am going to print this out and place it on the fridge. I need this reminder in my face ?

    http://www.themuslimahguide.com

    Reply
    • Inspired & Fabulous says

      October 18, 2015 at 4:38 pm

      Awwww that’s so cute! Hope it helps inshaAllah 🙂

      Reply
  9. Gemma Elizabeth says

    October 17, 2015 at 12:50 am

    Subhanullah! Such a great reminder of the wisdon of the Sunnah. Alhumdulillah!I definately need to work on all these points. Jzk.

    Reply
    • Inspired & Fabulous says

      October 18, 2015 at 4:39 pm

      JazakAllah for reading!

      It’s a beautiful journey that we’re all ‘working’ on – hope it goes well for you 🙂

      Reply
  10. Sara says

    October 16, 2015 at 8:13 pm

    The best advice is always from the Sunnah. Thanks for sharing how you implemented it.

    Reply
    • Inspired & Fabulous says

      October 18, 2015 at 4:40 pm

      And jazakAllah for reading ❤️‍

      Reply
  11. Amina Edota says

    October 16, 2015 at 4:13 pm

    Alhamdulillah,

    its great that we have a Sunnah rich enough to set us up for the best lifestyle ever, yet open source and affordable enough for all to access.

    The hadith I often remember is that in which the Prophet (saw) taught a young boy the manners of eating in 3 simple sentences; O young boy, say Bismillah, eat with your right hand and eat from right in front of you.*[not exact translation]*

    As much as I like reminding the young ones about this hadith, I love reminding myself – especially to start with a Bismillah. It makes the entire eating process more intentional.

    Jazaakillah for sharing.

    Reply
    • Inspired & Fabulous says

      October 18, 2015 at 4:42 pm

      Yes! Taking a moment before you eat to say bismillah and appreciate the food by thanking Allah for it, before you begin is such a peaceful and calming way to mindfully eat. It makes such a difference.

      JazakAllah for sharing your input 🙂

      Reply
  12. Foz says

    October 16, 2015 at 10:52 am

    Great tips! I think we can easily forget the 1/3 rule ( I know I do) but you feel so much better if you follow it

    Reply
    • Inspired & Fabulous says

      October 18, 2015 at 4:43 pm

      Absolutely, eating for 1/3 does wonders for making you feel light and happier afterwards too.

      jazakAllah for reading 🙂

      Reply
  13. Samar says

    October 16, 2015 at 9:33 am

    Tabarak Allah. We are really blessed as Muslims to have the Sunnah as a guide to how we live. If only we implement it more we would be the healthiest people on the planet!

    Reply
    • Inspired & Fabulous says

      October 18, 2015 at 4:44 pm

      Ha! Absolutely! If we truly followed the Sunnah, we would be the healthiest people on this earth – if only! 🙂

      Reply
  14. Karima says

    October 15, 2015 at 10:01 pm

    My worst habit with eating is that I eat too fast! I have to make an effort to east slow!

    Reply
    • Inspired & Fabulous says

      October 18, 2015 at 4:46 pm

      Tip number two of sitting down whilst eating will massively help with eating slowly!

      Reply
  15. Ruku says

    October 15, 2015 at 7:58 pm

    I love these simple yet effective reminders jazakilla khayr!

    Reply
    • Inspired & Fabulous says

      October 18, 2015 at 4:47 pm

      JazakAllah for reading my love 🙂

      Reply
  16. saima faisal says

    October 14, 2015 at 6:02 am

    nice article and very informative 🙂

    Reply
    • Inspired & Fabulous says

      October 18, 2015 at 4:47 pm

      🙂

      Reply
  17. Haya says

    October 14, 2015 at 5:55 am

    Excellent article. I loved reading it.

    Reply
    • Inspired & Fabulous says

      October 18, 2015 at 4:47 pm

      Great to hear! Thanks for reading 🙂

      Reply
  18. Jameela says

    October 14, 2015 at 4:57 am

    The answer to every problem is in the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (s). Great reminder! Jzk

    Reply
    • Inspired & Fabulous says

      October 18, 2015 at 4:48 pm

      Absolutely, 100% agreed – all our solutions can be found in the Sunnah. Thanks for imparting your wisdom. ❤️‍

      Reply
  19. Fazeelah says

    October 13, 2015 at 8:11 pm

    Beautiful post. Such great reminders from our Nabi (saw) mashallah

    Reply
    • Inspired & Fabulous says

      October 18, 2015 at 4:49 pm

      Thank you for reading my love ❤️‍

      Reply
  20. Aaliyah says

    October 13, 2015 at 6:26 pm

    Some great tips along with the best advice – from the Sunnah. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

    Reply
    • Inspired & Fabulous says

      October 18, 2015 at 4:50 pm

      Thanks for reading ❤️‍ And absolutely the best and most impeccable advice is given from the Sunnah.

      Reply
  21. myda says

    October 13, 2015 at 10:44 am

    Asalamolikum Umme Hafsa,
    Great to read this,definitely Health lies in Prophet’s Sunnah.
    Being health conscious u will also enjoy this.
    http://ummeummah.blogspot.com/2015/09/10-tips-to-boost-your-daily-routine.html

    Reply
    • Inspired & Fabulous says

      October 18, 2015 at 4:51 pm

      Wa Aleikum Salam 🙂
      Thank you so much for reading and sharing your wisdom. Will definitely check out the article. xxx

      Reply
  22. myda says

    October 13, 2015 at 10:43 am

    Asalamolikum Umme Hafsa,
    Great to read this,definitely Health lies in every Prophet’s Sunnah.
    Being health conscious u will also enjoy this.
    http://ummeummah.blogspot.com/2015/09/10-tips-to-boost-your-daily-routine.html

    Reply
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