SUNNAH FOODS & HEALTHY EATING
A Practical Guide to Sunnah Foods and Healthy Eating
[ with benefits & references ]
Carbs. Proteins. Fats.
Literally gazillions of diet experts and nutritionists today are talking about those three components of a diet. Some say carbs are bad for you while others say humans shouldn’t eat meat at all (vegetarians).
According to some dieticians, fats make you gain weight and increase the risk of various diseases. Yet there are others who say eating fats everyday is great for hair, skin and immunity!
Basically if you listen to them ALL at the same time, you can safely live your life eating NOTHING. Why listen to all the noise when the sweet voice of Sunnah is calling out to us?
The Sunnah of our beloved Prophet (S.A.W) is the best “Health advice” you will ever need to eat healthy, feel great about yourself, prevent diseases and stay physically and mentally fit. The sunnah foods ( foods Prophet Muhammad S.A.W liked and ate) should be a part of our everyday lives.
To make things easier for you, I’ve created a FULL-DAY meal plan comprising of sunnah foods that you can use as a guide for healthy eating throughout the day. You obviously don’t have to follow each and every step exactly like mentioned. Start by developing ONE healthy habit. And then gradually try to add as many nutritious items from the sunnah foods list in your everyday food as you can.
Pssttt.. I have also designed a printable checklist for you to keep a track of your daily essential sunnah food item intake!
In general, there are 4 rules of HEALTHY EATING:
- Selecting healthy organic ingredients
- Making proper food combinations
- Eating appropriate quantities of food
- Considering the timings of food consumption
Without a further ado, let’s see what sunnah foods a healthy Muslim typically eats in a day!
A) Morning
- Drink apple cider vinegar 1-2 spoonfuls in a glass of water (normal room temp). Add one teaspoon of honey if you want. OR
- A glass of water ( either lukewarm or normal temp ) with freshly squeezed lemon juice (1/2 or 1 small lemon ) with 1 teaspoon of honey.
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HEALTH BENEFITS OF LEMON:
- Aids digestion
- Detoxifies body
- Good source of vitamin C
- Aids in weight loss
- Reduces skin wrinkling
- Helps prevent kidney stones
- Reduces risk of stroke
- Reduces blood pressure
REFERENCES FROM THE QURAN & SUNNAH:
Allah says in the Quran:
” And your Lord inspired to the bee, “Take for yourself among the mountains, houses and among the trees and [ in] that which they construct. Then eat from all the fruits and follow the ways of your Lord laid down [ for you]. ” There emerges from their bellies a drink, varying in colors, in which there is a healing for people. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who give thought. ”
The Prophet Muhammad [ S.A.W] said:
” Honey is a remedy for every illness and the Quran is a remedy for all illness of the mind, therefore I recommend to you both remedies, the Quran and honey. “
hEALTH BENEFITS OF HONEY:
- Boosts energy
- Reduces muscle fatigue
- Reduces weight
- Regulates blood sugar
- Treats cough
- Heals wounds and cuts
- Heals minor burns
- Beats insomnia
- Improves digestion
- Good for skin
BREAKFAST:
Sunnah foods: Milk, Oatmeal, Black cumin, Barley
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HEALTH BENEFITS OF BARLEY:
- Helps with weight loss
- Helps to control the blood sugar levels
- Provides antioxidants
- lowers the risk of cancer
- Lowers high cholesterol
- Improves digestion
- High source of fiber
- Protects against heart disease
- Rich in vitamins and minerals
HEALTH benefits of oats:
- Very filling and help in losing weight
- Lowers blood cholesterol levels
- Rich in antioxidants
- Help relieve constipation
- Incredibly nutritious
- Can be used for skin-care
- Improve blood sugar control
REFERENCES FROM QURAN AND SUNNAH:
Allah says in the Quran:
“There is instruction for you in cattle. From the contents of their bellies, between that which is to be eliminated (from the animal’s body) and (its) blood, We give you pure milk to drink, easy for drinkers to swallow.” [Surat an‐Nahl: 66]
Allah also says in the Quran:
An image of the Garden promised to those who have fear of Allah. In it there are rivers of water that will never spoil, rivers of milk whose taste will never change, rivers of wine delightful to all who drink it, and rivers of honey of undiluted purity. In it they will have fruit of every kind and forgiveness from their Lord. Is that like those who will be in the Fire timelessly, for ever, with boiling water to drink, which lacerates their bowels? [Surah Mohammed: 15]
Aisha (r.a) said:
“When a member of the family of the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W) would fall sick, he would order that barley soup is made and then the ill person would be commanded to have some of it. He used to say, ‘It strengthens the heart of the sad person and relieves the heart of the ill person, just as one of you would wash the dirt off her face with water’.” [Ibn Majah]
HEALTH BENEFITS OF MILK:
- Calcium: Makes bones and teeth healthy and maintains bone mass
- Protein: Provides a source of energy & builds/repairs muscles
- Vitamin D: Aids in maintainance of bones
- Phosphorus: Makes the bones strong & serves as an energy source
- Vitamin A: Maintains the immune system & helps maintain vision and skin
- Vitamin B12: Maintains healthy red blood cells and nerve tissue
- Potassium: Helps control the blood pressure
- Riboflavin (B2): Converts food into energy
- Niacin: Metabolizes sugars and fatty acids
B) Mid-Morning and/or Mid-Afternoon
Sunnah foods: Watermelon (fruits), dates, cucumbers, olive oil & olives
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HEALTH BENEFITS OF WATERMELON:
- Boosts Immunity
- Relieves pain and muscle soreness
- Helps control high blood pressure
- Detoxifies the body
- Prevents kidney stones
- Helps with weight loss
- Relieves acid reflux
- Protects skin health
- Improves eye health
- Helps prevent cancer
REFERENCES FROM QURAN AND SUNNAH:
Allah says in the Quran:
“ It is He who sends down rain from the sky, and with it We bring forth vegetation of all kinds, and out of it We bring forth thick clustered grain. And out of the date palm and its spate come clusters of dates hanging low and near, and gardens of grapes, olives and pomegranates each similar (in kind) yet different (in variety and taste). Look at their fruits when then begin to bear, and the ripeness thereof. ” [Surah Al-An’am : 99)
Allah also says in the Quran:
He sends down water from the sky. From it you drink, and from it come the shrubs among which you graze your herds. By it He makes crops grow for you, as well as olives and dates and grapes and fruit of every kind. There is certainly a Sign in that for people who reflect. [Surah An‐Nahl: 10‐11]
It is narrated in Abu Dawood and At-Tirmidhi that the Prophet (saw) used to eat watermelon with ripe dates, saying:
“The hotness of this substance (dates) neutralizes the coolness of that (watermelon).”
HEALTH BENEFITS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES:
- Reduce risk of stroke, CVDs, and Type-2 Diabetes
- Reduce the risk of kidney stones
- Instant energy suppliers
- Keep skin supple and hydrated
- Aid in digestion
- Prevent and treat constipation
- Aid in weight loss
- Make hair healthy, soft and strong
C) Lunch & Dinner
Sunnah foods: Vinegar, vegetables, meat (specially bird meat & fish)
PRE-MEAL: 1-2 glasses of water ( 5-10 mins befoe meal ) or 1 glass of lemon water with honey 1/2 hour before meal
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I wish you the best of luck! If you liked this article, share it with your friends/family members so that they benefit from it too Insha’Allah.
What healthy eating habit are you working on these days and which sunnah food do you like best? Let me know in the comment section below. You know how much I love reading and replying to your comments! 🙂
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I have inflammation in my gut and I can’t take anything acidic like apple cider vinegar, lemon and tomato because I feel worse after that. So I gotta stick to alkaline food forever. I totally agree with you that we should all take more vegetables than meat. Lesser work for our digestive system. Thank you for this useful advice. May Allah reward you 🙂
I’d say choose one healthy meal option for each meal- dinner, lunch and breakfast. And then you can adjust the quantity/ proportions of different foods in that meal option according to your taste. Also, keep in mind the meal portion size (meaning, your portion size shouldn’t be too much that it will cause weight gain especially if you don’t want to gain weight).
How many options should I choose for a meal ?
Health but I want to gain weight 😔
Great info..loved it..i am a simple housewife but want to start the same by advicing people how to take a proper diet in the light of quran and sunnah..dua for me and help me
My duas are with you dear. You goal is beautiful, I love the concept and there sure are many Muslims out there who could really use your advice. May Allah help you achieve all your goals and bless you with reward in Dunya and Akhirah! Ameen.
Love your article…i also want to serve the ummah just like you by advicing them that this is the way of taking a proper balanced diet in the light of sunnah.. I am a simple housewife plz dua for me so that i can start
i got lot to know about sunnah food through your article.. Thanks a lot sister😊
Ohh that’s great Masha’Allah! You’re most welcome Saba ❤️
I love this page! May Allaah SWT Bless you and your organization and their families. Ameen
That’s amazing to know Mahdi 🙂 Ameen! We need your kind duas. May Allah help you in everything you do and add barakah in your life, ameen.
What about the thayyib aspect of foos? I know that milk produces nowadays isn’t the same as the milk explained in the hadith.
That’s a good question. We should definitely try eating organic/Thayyib (meaning pure) food and stay away from poultry and fish that is given feed, as well as stay away from milk, wheat, maze , barley and all the other healthy food items that are not organic and are mixed with artificial ingredients. How to do that? Since every market or store is loaded with inorganic food items mostly, and the organic pure ones are highly priced that an average man can’t afford to buy organic food on a daily basis, there’s something else we can do. I personally have created little plant pots in the backyard where I grow vegetables needed daily such as tomatoes, lettuce, lemons etc. If you are lucky enough to have some land where you can grow vegetables, keep a few chickens etc to supply healthy food on a daily basis, then you should put every effort in to do so. It’s necessary we start taking care of our health by avoiding as much of the fake, artificial, unhealthy food available in the markets these days. It takes a little bit of an effort to get organic food but it’s totally worth the effort. And some of you are probably lucky enough to live in rural areas which is great since you get healthy food everyday MashaÁllah 🙂
I am glad to know that you found the article useful Sam!