I dont believe too many TLC members know about this: (Ramadan)

Wake up 2 hours before Fajr (pre-dawn) prayer:

For the mother in the house, this applies especially. The rest of the family should chip in, too. It´s recommended to wake up early to perform at least two units of night prayer before helping Mama set the table for Suhoor. The family should start eating at least 45 minutes before dawn, and should stop eating five minutes before dawn breaks. The last few minutes should be spent in rinsing the mouth and performing ablution in preparation for Fajr prayer.

Some Muslims automatically start eating even more when the end of Suhoor approaches - thinking, "this is my last chance to get as much food into myself as I can, before having to starve till sunset". The wise and moderate Muslims, however, know that fasting is not akin to starving the body. They maintain a moderation in eating Suhoor.

Other Muslims skip Suhoor altogether, since it necessitates waking up in the wee hours of the morning. They prefer to eat till well after midnight and sleep late, opting to relinquish Suhoor. This course of action is also not recommended. The best option is to sleep early after `Isha prayer, and awaken 2 hours before dawn, to get in some units of the night prayer (Qiyaam Al-Layl) in addition to a nutritious Suhoor meal.

http://www.howtodothings.com/religion-spirituality/how-to-fast-during-ramadan

İ wonder what Turks have for Sahur,what is/are the main dish ?

Ours is called Ful Türkçede made of bean

And can be made with many ways,add fresh tomato ´cut into pieces´onion,grean pepper,cucumber,tahini salad...etc

Or can can be prepared in other different ways,

We also have yoghurt at sahur,those almost our traditional meals for Sahur

İt has something  to do with useful bacteria in the empty stomach

 Looks delicious.  Do you cook it? If so how? Please.

Soak beans overnight in water.

Drain, and cover with fresh water in large saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until beans are tender.

Drain and place in medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Beans and remaining ingredients can be mashed together, or the beans can be left whole and gently mixed with remaining ingredients. It is more commonly served mashed together.

Serve hot with a fried egg and pita bread.

for ingredients:

http://mideastfood.about.com/od/maindishes/r/fulmedames.htm

Thank you Seyit.  I will try it tomorrow

Afiyet olsun.

Have a good appetite.

If you learn Turkish. You can try this link for Turkish recipes:

http://www.afiyetolsun.net/

Maybe this´ll help your learning

 Teşekkür ederim.  I´ve been busy learning grammar and vocabulary but I´ve been avoiding specific translation tasks. This site will be a good reason to try

 Also we add some yellow lentil and rice,tomato cut in half,1 garlic clove,half lemon ´as a whole not juice´

and also small onion and half of green pepper ´if you like tha taste´

İ like it this way,some people just put lentil and thats all

And before its done for a while,you remove the onion,pepper and lemon.

You take what you want and put in a dish add oil,olive if you like,salt,few lemon drops,and cut the fresh tomato in pieces along with others if you want and surve

And the rest  of the cooked beans you can put in a fridge box,you squeez the other half of lemon on it,so it cover its surface and doesnt lose its colour.

İm still wondering about the Turkish traditional Sahur,or common dish ?

I can give you an idea about Turkish Sahur:

http://www.turkishcookbook.com/2007/09/rose-sherbet.php

 Seyit

You just have şerbet in Sahur ?

We have şerbet only at weddings/engagements,and we call it şerbat

 I generally have breakfast in Sahur.  I gave the link for a part of the page has meal ideas belowed: "Tarhana çorbası, eggplant with veggie filling and Turkish baklava"

Ok what do you have for breakfast then ?

Cheese,zeytin,eggs,Pide..ect ?

We also have breakfast in Sahur,its not a meal with special dishes,Ful we also have it for breakfast,but not every day. 

As you said above zeytin,peynir...

"börek" or "kızarmış ekmek" and tea

And I drink a lot of water

For Canli and Peacetrain: The Secret of Sahur

Why is it that some people is more energetic during Ramadhan, while another is weaker? The answer to this very question will help us to not only become fitter but we may be able to lose weight in the process, insyaAllah.

The answer is “Sahur”. People from Kedah call it “Soq” . There’s a reason why “sahur” is very recommended to people who fast. In fact, that’s the only difference from our fast and the non-muslim’s fast.

Let me try to explain it.. We all know breakfast is the most important meals of the day. Yes it provides us more energy to start our day, but there is another secret to it. Breakfast actually gives signal to our body that we are not in starvation.

You see, our body is very clever. When we are starving, the body does not react by burning more fat. It actually react by lowering down its metabolism and burn less fat to preserve them. That is why we are often weaker when we are hungry for a long time.

So Sahur, will indirectly signal the body that we are not starving ourself. And thus the body’s metabolism will switch to normal mode. Which means it burns more fat and giving us more energy to start the day. Thus we will be fitter and stronger the whole day. And since the metabolism rate is not slowed down, more fat will be burn and eventually the weight loss (Of course other factors must be taken into consideration, such as exercise, type of food etc)

http://lessoninlife.com/2007/09/30/ramadhan-tribute-5-the-secret-of-sahur/

oh wow, cool, i never have suhoor, ill start now, ,

i always gain so much weight in ramadan (at least 3 or 4 kilos :S) even though i never get hungry but i feel like i should reward my sself, lol. And the food is always so good!!!!

But its the deserts that ruin me!!!

heheh

thx roswitha thats a really useful piece of information, ill probably go off and say it to my family ( ill wait till theres a like huge family "gathering" or something)

and theyll all think im so smart!!!!

Doudi, I know, especially eating too much Baklava, ha, ha.

Fasting during ramazan is BAD for health !!!

Fasting can exacerbate conditions, including Refsum´s disease and Reye´s syndrome, he said. Neurologic problems can result.

"The longer the fast, the greater the risk of gall bladder disease," Callaway says. "The risk goes up to about 67 percent. And if you´ve lost at least 22 pounds, the risk doubles."

When you fast, your blood pressure, blood sugar and blood fats decrease, but these are transient effects, Callaway says. "They go up as soon as you eat."

Ditto for weight. Sure, a long period of fasting can make you lose about half a pound a day -- and lessen your appetite, but you gain them back once you eat, Daughaday says. Worse, you also lose bone and muscle.

http://www.geocities.com/hammihanirani/articles/fasting.html

No way

İts logical from THAT site tho!

The whole title is

fasting during ramazan is BAD for health !!!
"allah" has no idea about medicine !!!

They are fighting  the criminal islamic regime occupying Iran !!!

But handsom,do you feel it its bad  when you fast ?

Anyway,just googling and you can have many others too

Fasting has been found to be an effective treatment for psychological and emotional disorders. It helps a person to firm up his will, cultivate and refine his taste and manners, strengthen his conviction of doing good, avoid controversy, petulance and rashness, which all contribute towards a sane and healthy personality. Besides nurturing resistance and ability to face hardships and endurance, fasting reflects on outward physical appearance by cutting out gluttony and getting rid of excess fat. The benefits of fasting on health do not stop there but are instrumental in alleviating a number of physical diseases, including those of the digestive systems, such as chronic stomachache, inflammation of the colon, liver diseases, indigestion, and conditions such as obesity, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, asthma, diphtheria and many other maladies.

A Swiss physician Dr. Barsilus noted that: The advantages of hunger as a remedy exceed those ingesting medicine several times.

Thank you CANLI

may Allah reward you

 But not with too many sweets!!

We always seek the rewarding as mercy and not sweets

 Much better for the waistline!!

it is not worthy to keep talking about then

 Thanks for your trouble Ros.

Dear Handsom, 

I don´t think bones and muscle will be affected if some exercise is taken.

Well,

I was just trying to warn you guys really..

btw. I have never seen people doing some exercise during ramadan..

A good walk is enough, although I guess it would not be advisable in a hot country.  Walk more and leave the car at home.

""allah" has no idea about medicine !!!"

warn us by posting this absurdity?  Thank you!

If you don´t believe fasting is harmful, great!  But why get so defensive when someone expresses a different thought about it? 

then if you believe fasting is harmful why you just dont fasting. instead of posting here. also why are you so defensive about somebody else?

My question was not defensive but that is an interesting response.  Is it difficult to have someone ask questions of you? 

Come on ..

Look at this thread..

As soon as I read these posts, I have this feeling that OMG ´this is a congregation in  a mosque´ lets start ´eshedu enla......´ ..

If you believe in fasting ´just fast´ instead of posting here..

I know for sure that fasting is very harmful for the now 10-year old daughter of a friend of mine here. This Ramazan is her second, she started at 9 because that was Aisha´s age.... Whatever I tell or show with books to my friend, he doesn´t listen. That a CHILD of 10 need everything for just growing, is said but not heard. And what makes me furious is that his son of 13 does not have to fast before he is 15 because, according to my friend, he needs to grow (..)!

So that is why did you post here not for "warning".  So tell me what for this intolerance about islamic beliefs.

I would complete it

"Eshedu enla ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadun resul Allah"

Well..

It is not intolarance really..

If a person puts something in a thread about ´the benefits of fasting´, others have right to put ´the dangers of fasting´ too..

And the tolerance you are asking for is not exactly the tolarence normally believers show to others ie non believers etc.. 

Very interesting concept indeed!

´´If you believe in fasting ´just fast´ instead of posting here..´´

Hmmmm so it can be same?

İf you think that PKK is a victim of the Turkish governments,just think this way instead of posting here...?!!!!

What would harm you if we fast and also talk about it too if we want?!

İ dont know why would you feel irritated if we wish to open a thread and talk about fasting or something?!

So that you shout...´Down with the criminal islamic regime occupying Iran´´

fasting during ramazan is BAD for health !!!
"allah" has no idea about medicine !!!

http://www.geocities.com/hammihanirani/articles/fasting.html

Then you talk about tolarence ?!

What i dont understand really handsom,that you said you fast yourself !

you have right to post "dangers" of fasting. but not by insulting others. So sometimes you have to find a source other than first link on google search.

Eshedu enla ilaha illa Allah,ve (wa)eshedu en Muhammadun resul Allah"

 well done!

but why he said that here,

I haven´t done a great research about the affects of fasting, but in my opinion leaving the body without water for 12-13 hours in summer days should not be healthy at all.

And whether it´s true or not, just because someone claims something that contradicts with a religion cannot be considered like an insult unless you live in a religious state. And sorry if some people find it offending but defending your opinion by saying "Ofcourse it´s true because Allah said it" is just ridiculous where someone makes a scientific claim since the existence of God has not been proved scientifically.

 Maybe because he is (partly) right?

 yes, as you said  (maybe) but , i meant his said (Eshedu enla .....)

Queent, that is actually true.

WoW!!!

Gencturk, I think some people are also posting here from pro-islamic web sites. It doesn´t matter where he took that article from, since tehre wasn´t anything insulting in it, it was simply an article about fasting. Really, no need to get upset about it. There are people who disagree about religion and fasting, and that doesn´t mean anything bad about you. Different people have different beliefs, let´s be tolerant towards each other.

People were/are fasting for 15 centuries, I know some people who fast the whole year, no one died from fasting, no one get hurt from fasting.

yes, if you´re a healthy person, you won´t die from fasting. but it´s a scientific fact that you are losing your muscle mass when you are starving yourself. you don´t die from it most of the time though

oh let me correct and say that people did fast centuries before we (the muslims) start fasting before 15 centuries

Healthy persons should fast

sick persons shouldn´t fast

children shouldn´t fast

old people shouldn´t fast if they can´t

travelleres shouldn´t fast

no one is obliged to starve himself, fasting is the duty of the ones who can.

I am fasting since I was 15 and I feel great in this month, I even feel more healthy

 Cat,but it was !

Beside handsom is muslim and fast himself,so i dont get that different beliefs issue !

Anyway, I don´t think that there is any problem with fasting of a healthy ADULT. It may be beneficial even, although there may also be some minor harms and it´s surely not a healthy way to lose weight - if that is the goal. But otherwise, I don´t see a problem with it. It may be more problematic when people don´t drink water, especially in hot places, but if you are not doing hard physical labor, not eating food is not a problem.

 We dont starve

We just dont eat,but not like starvation,so we just lose fats if we dont gain them after iftar of course

Canli, this is insulting???

 Well,i dont get his logic

We do make kids fast also so they get used to it when they are at age they must practice it

But in different ways and depends on the child age

Meaning,if he/she at very early age,they wake up,have breakfast,and their parents says thats your Sahur now you are going to fast,about few hours later at second Ezan or third Ezan again depending on age,they said come one break your fast,your Ezan calling!

So actually its both breakfast and lunch time .

İf they are a bit older,they have Sahur with elder people ,and fast too,but break their fast with second Ezan time ´Dohr´ or third Ezan tim ´Aser´ also depending on their age.

But what your friend doing with both his kids doesnt fit at any categories that i heard about ! 

Press the link and you can read it there without modifications..so yes it is!

they are fighting the İslamist on that site,so its expected too!

You would have to starve yourself to have these bad effects. So since people eat in the morning and in the evening, then it´s not a problem. However, I expect that people are gaining weight during ramazan.

Canli, I do not intend to press teh links, as I am also not pressing links of Roswitha or some others. I am reading what is posted here and I see nothing insulting there! Maybe if I press links of some other articles that praise fasting, I might also see some islamist articles there that I might find insulting! I think you are over-reacting.

 Wait another few years and you will be vanished then like what must have happened to our ancestors

How about if instead of fighting and taking offense too easily, people would post here about their ramazan meals and experiences of getting together with their families in this month?

How special is ramazan for Muslims? Do you have some special stories?

 Actually cat that what we were doing and talking about here

Traditional meals at sahur

+100000 İ agree with you

That was the main subject until someone started his warning to us.

we all want to know about meals and traditions in Ramazan in Turkey

 İt was some kind of sarcasm dear,may ALLAH give you many happy healthy years to come

Here in my country we can have Sahur out at late times,i mean when you go out late you wont feel that you are at 1 or 2 pm and people are sleeping home

Many people also go out before dawn about 2 am

And shops kebap/köfte/ful shopsstart to arrange tables even at the streets because of the numbers of people.

İts more than alive,even crowded also at late time

Cairo always awake,but in Ramazan ,it almost never sleep

So is it same too in Türkiye ?

Can we go out at late time and have Sahur between other people till dawn ?

Yes, some places serve meal for sahur. But not too much. But many bakehouses are open untill imsak. Every sahur I go and buy hot pide from bakehouse. Mmmm it´s very delicious when you eat it with cream cheese

So what did you have for Suhoor today?

I had pizza, so I feel very full,  

Nothing special, every sahur we(my family and I) eat breakfast.

What would breakfast include?

There are cheese, olives, chopped tomatos, omlette, butter, honey, jams, and tea And of course we eat them with bread or pide.

Turkish breakfast... ohhh.....

How can I say this... Turkish food is as good as freedom of speech in TR is bad... 

I completely agree with you! Esp. when you don´t eat during the day and eat at night. VERY UNHEALTHY!

I feel sorry for those children.

 I have to agree, it doesn´t appear to be very healthy.  Especially, when they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Ramadan will end and our health is fine, and  more better

so do not worry about us
God is most mercy  from  mother towards his slaves

your sorry and discussions on this subject is lose for  time and  have no feasibility of it,

because we are convinced that

Quoting elham

Ramadan will end and our health is fine, and  more better

so do not worry about us
God is most mercy  from  mother towards his slaves

your sorry and discussions on this subject is lose for  time and  have no feasibility of it,

because we are convinced that

 The only time I think it´s appropriate to fast is when your having a colonoscopy..  By the way who said we were worried about your health, anyhow?  If people choose not to eat and get sick, it´s there own stupidity then.

Quoting elham

your sorry and discussions on this subject is lose for  time and  have no feasibility of it,

because we are convinced that

 Different people, different opinions.

 How dare you HAVE an opinion.....and how DARE you express it!   

 Sorry, obstinacy is in the DNA of all Dutch.....

I thought you and others became doctors   to say Ramdan is harmful, so i said do not worry

 No, we didn´t have to become doctors to know that starving yourself doesn´t appear to be healthy. 

 To my point of view, fasting shouldnt be seen as "starving" only, it has more on spiritiual level... as far as i know, islam is not forcing you to fast when you have health problems...

 I understand the significance of fasting spirtually.  I myself have fasted before and felt terrible afterwards..and therefore I know for me personally it was not healthy for my body.  If other people have no trouble with it, more power to them.

 well its normal having difficulties at first times, but you get used to in time... the interesting point is, you start to understand that you are able to survive with that less food, then you judge yourself as a monster of consumer

 This is not REAL fasting!

Real fasting is not eating for days, sometimes weeks on end.  The longest I have fasted for is 10 days.

You eat every day, sometimes quite large meals, as soon as the sun goes down!!!  Sorry, but the only sympathy you have from me is that you may not drink during the day time.  You need water more than food, and it is very unhealthy to go without water, especially if it is hot...

this is so weird....really,

first of all, imagine you tried to afst for the first time when youre 20- somethin´

its probably gonna be sooo hard! youll feel like youre dying!!!

but, first of all, nine is young, TOO young, you only fast 1/4 of a day, like, when i was nine, i used to eat as asoon as i cam from school,

and BTW, taht whole boy thing... is SO wrong!!!!

Taht is not  a way of judging whose to fast and whose not to fast!

i remember, i wanted to fast when i was 7, becayse i wanted to sita round the table with my family, (of course my mom said NO waY!), and as long as your young like from whatever age to like 14, you can break your fast if u get tired, but after 14 its like try to stand it...

but if youre sick or smthg OF COURSE you should break your fast, like iw as sicka  couple of days ago, i didnt want to break it, but my dad said i had to to take my medicine, and my brother had a really important match, and he also had school, so my adda told him to break so he can have energy to play and not get tired, and on days taht we have exams, your mind needs food to think and energy so break, and all these things are okay, in Islam you have a million excuses to break your fast, but if your e healthy, then okay,fast

*** The point of fasting, is not to feel hungry and then go PIG OUT!!!

it´s to thank god for what you have, and for what he gave you,

imagine how hungry you are at least you know that ina  coupel of hours youll be eating.... what about all those ppl taht ahve nthg??? Now you know how they suffer....

Those ppl in countries that dont ahve water.... fasting from water is a way to show you how important water is... how we should save it and not take it for granted, isnt that the most (one of them)important global messages theyre sending out now???

SAVE WATER!! EVERY DROP COUNTS...so i guess thats another message you learn, its like thanksgiving....except you eat at the end of the day, and thank god for what he gave you and for what you have...

And everybody should fast at their capability, and like for me .. fasting is SO easy, i was just saying that to my dad and he was like tell taht to smbdy in anothe rplace in the world theyll think your crazy and taht you have this enormous crazy will power o fast in the HOTNESs and the SUN and to SWEAT and got to school and stillf eel okay, taht why they ahve to get used from when theyrer young, (but not that young) so Trudy your friend is (sorry) WEIRD!!!

No sorry needed, Doudi, I told him he is not weird, he is crazy! All he did was laugh and told me I would never understand. Maybe he is right, but I won´t give up that easily. I stubborn and he knows that...

For hamdsom

Ýn case someone would start talking about Sahur or something and how do we enjoy fasting Ramadan

 We eat it too.. it´s so delicious