Global warming fuelling environmental degradation is a constant threat to our planet. We celebrate many environmental days: Earth Day, World Environment Day etc., to create awareness, contemplate, evaluate and take positive actions to mitigate unhealthy habits which are affecting our ecosystem negatively.
Ramadan is the holiest month in the calendar of Islam. During this month, around 2 billion Muslims fast from dawn to dusk as an act of their religious devotion and duty. It helps: boost physical and mental endurance; understand the trials and tribulations of the poor; contemplate and re-evaluate actions in life and rejuvenate the mind and body; purifies the soul and surroundings.
Green Ramadan can revive Islam’s long tradition of sustainability and care for the planet. It helps us shift towards a greener, sustainable, healthier, environment-friendly and non-wasteful way of life aiming to save natural resources. The overall well-being of life and the environment that we live in depends on our actions.
Sadly, during Ramadan, we start over-consuming food after the whole-day fast. It’s actually our mouth and minds, not the stomach or body, need extra food.
The Green Ramadan campaign aims to educate and inspire Muslims to green their Ramadan by reducing waste and using resources responsibly, improving the quality of life and achieving sustainable development. “Sustainable eating is choosing healthy and less processed foods with lower environmental impact, improving food security for all.”
The virtues and benefits of a Green Ramadan are innumerable. So, let’s exercise moderation and eat healthy and organic food in manageable portions.
To achieve that, we should cut down on food and avoid preparing more than necessary quantities of food to avoid food waste. After all, the number of deep-fried Piyaju and Beguni we prepare exceeds the limit, which is not consumable the next day and thrown away. Please think of the wastage of ingredients and consumption of unhealthy oil that we consume daily for the full month. If you have an air fryer, use that for frying. That’s the best choice. The usual Chhola can be boiled and mixed with Chaat spices, lots of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, green chillies and coriander leaves rather than frying in oil.
We all know the harmful effects of sugar on the body, yet, Iftar starts with highly sugar-packed juices. These can be replaced with fresh fruit juice, lemon juice with a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of honey or Chia seeds soaked in water. These are highly energy-boosting.