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The purpose of this article is to assess the effect of religious fasting on the cognitive performance during the month of Ramadan among healthy fasting individuals.

30 students were recruited prior the month of Ramadan to compare their cognitive performance during and after fasting. The data on cognition score were collected in two phases during and after Ramadan on four occasions (two times in Ramadan and two times after Ramadan) using structured questionnaire. The level of cognition was assessed by using two approaches: mathematical problem solving and memory testing. Five questions of mathematical problem were given to the subjects and were different at each week. However, the level of difficulty was kept constant. The time and score were recorded for each respondent during and after fasting month. For the memory test, ten pictures of items of similar sizes were displayed for 30 seconds, and the subjects were asked to recall/list down the item shown in the pictures. The cognition scores were expressed as mean±SD, and repeated measures analysis test was used for differences in fasting and non‐fasting days.

As expected, during Ramadan meal frequency was lower and sleeping (nap) frequency was higher with shorter duration at night. The feeling of tiredness was higher compared to non‐fasting days. The level of cognition score for was not different during Ramadan compared to non‐fasting days. The result shows that the level of cognition is not affected in fasting.

The research shows that the cognition is not affected in Ramadan fasting.

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to explore the possible synergetic effects between food-restricted behaviour (fasting in Orthodox Christianity) and physical and mental health; and second, to ponder on the nature of fasting and to reveal the potentials monastery cuisine has, reaching outside the world of religion and entering the world of consumption.

A qualitative research approach has been applied in order to investigate the synergetic effects between fasting, well-being and anti-consumption. The analysis is based on in-depth interviews carried out in Orthodox monasteries, in particular, in three monasteries in the territory of Mount Athos and in three monasteries in Northern Greece. Additionally, ten Bulgarians who visited monasteries situated at Mount Athos have been interviewed. In a cultural materialistic perspective, this paper seeks to discuss and reveal food and eating habits patterns. It combines the social anthropology of food with the anthropology of Eastern Orthodox religion.

The discussed interrelations between fasting, well-being and anti-consumption confirm the synergetic effects, occurring at different points between them. Fasting practices definitely contribute to consumers’ health and well-being. The food-restricted behaviour and the monastery diet are presented as a means of purification not only of the soul but also of the body. Fasting is an intriguing issue that offers many perspectives for people not only within but also without the monastery walls. Food-restricted behaviour as practiced in Orthodox Christianity shall be considered as beneficial for people’s health and as such it can reveal a lot of additional spiritual values for non-believers.

Future applications of fasting practices as a non-consumptive behaviour and in view of social movements for healthy nutrition. A possibility for fasting menus as an alternative to fast food menus can be exploited.

The study provides some useful insights into the contemporary practice of Eastern Orthodox fasting and confirms that fasting is a successful means of achieving mental and physical well-being. New perspectives for monastery cuisine as a resource and brand strategy for restaurant business and tourism can be mentioned as well.

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, human resource management (HRM) has entered into a somewhat strained relationship with religious diversity. In France, the need to deal with demands for recognition of faith practices has led to the compilation of new guides to the management of religious diversity. Is religious identity a new dimension of HRM in France?

The paper begins with an examination of some examples of these documents produced by large French companies. It is revealed that they contain a set of recommendations leading to differential management of the various religious identities.

Incorporating such a practice into an HRM strategy is a mixed blessing, bringing with it both hopes and risks. On the one hand, it may help to maintain equality and boost firms’ economic performance. On the other hand, however, it may also compromise group cohesion and disrupt social ties.

In view of these contradictory tendencies, the paper concludes by asking whether the principle of secularism should be extended to the management of HR.

Social organisations and their entrepreneurial approaches are quite challenging to avail a robust and sustainable platform. Yet it is more difficult when the venture is aimed to serve an uncommon service that the target group are not aware of. Leveraging morale boosts and power of the mind through yoga and transcendental meditation practices could be an approach of a social enterprise that are outlined in this chapter. How tranquility and mental peace in the midst a huge number of people can be achieved by some innovative steps, that is also conferred here.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of fasting on blood lipid profile in fasting obese and non‐obese subjects.

Male and female subjects from the International Islamic University, Malaysia (IIUM), Kuantan Campus were assessed for body compositional changes during Ramadan fasting. In total, 25 males and females volunteered to participate in this study in the holy month of Ramadan. The mean age of the volunteers was 26.5±5.86 years and the age range was 21‐45 years. The age, weight and height of the volunteers were recorded on day 1 of Ramadan and weight was also recorded on day 21. The volunteers were asked for donation of blood samples on days 1, 7, 14 and 21 of the Ramadan. The blood serum was separated and stored at −20°C immediately after each collection. The serum samples stored at −20°C were analyzed for serum glucose and lipid profile. The analysis of serum lipid profile was performed with the help of clinical kits from Bayer Health Care using Bayer Express Plus Clinical analyzer. The serum was used for the estimation of total cholesterol (TC), HDL‐cholesterol (HDL‐c) and triglycerides (TG) concentrations using kit reagents from M/s Bayer Diagnostics, whereas low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐c) was determined by calculation. The statistics were performed using MINITAB statistical software (release 8.2).

The serum triglyceride concentration was significantly reduced and the reduction was 17.48 percent from day 1‐21. The serum TC concentration also reduced from day 1‐21 and the reduction was 15.93 percent. The serum LDL‐c concentration also significantly reduced from day 1‐21 and the reduction was 21.67 percent. The serum HDL‐c concentration decreased in the first weak and second week but an improving trend was observed on day 21 of the Ramadan.

This study was not a controlled one and was conducted on free‐living individuals and therefore there is need to have controlled or adjusted physical activities studies in fasting individuals. It is always difficult to conduct experiment on human beings in the metabolic area. Furthermore, in this study it was not possible since it was a religious fasting. Another limitation is that the size of the sample was smaller than is advisable for this kind of study. However, the results were confirmed in the following month of Ramadan, as described in the paper.

The paper takes into consideration the effect of Ramadan fasting on blood lipid profile, which has ever been studied in obese individuals.

This study was designed with the aim of assessing the energy and nutrient intakes of male university students before and during Ramadan and comparing it with the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) of Malaysia.

A total of 30 male students aged between 19‐24 years from International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Kuantan Campus were recruited before Ramadan. The height, weight, waist and hip circumferences were recorded on day one of Ramadan and also recorded on day 21 of Ramadan to assess the changes. From the weight and height, the body mass index was calculated and from the waist and hip circumference, the waist‐to‐hip ratios were calculated. The respondents were requested to keep three days food record in household measurements; once prior to fasting and once during the third week of Ramadan. The records were then analyzed using Malaysian Food Composition Table and Food Atlas to get the averages of energy and macronutrients intakes of the subjects.

After 21 days of Ramadan, the results revealed that there was reduction in the body weight and there was significant (P<0.05) improvement in the waist‐to‐hip ratio of the subjects. The effect was more prominent in the normal‐weight compared to overweight respondents. The mean energy and protein intakes were significantly (P<0.001) lower than the RNI for Malaysians of similar age group. However, mean energy and protein intakes increased during Ramadan compared to the first day of Ramadan. This study indicates that Ramadan fasting does not affect energy and macronutrients intake but only the routine of intake is affected.

This research was limited to a specific group of normal and overweight students who were residing on campus of the IIUM. Their intakes might not be consistent with those at home or living outside the university campus. Another thing is that the students might have over‐reported their energy and macro‐nutrients intakes compared to what they have consumed in reality. So, the self‐reported intakes could not be ascertained. The stated factors might have confounding effects on the finding of this research.

Most research argues that the body weight loss during Ramadan fasting is due to reduced energy consumption; however, this is not true in all cases. This study infers that there is no reduction in the total energy consumption, rather there is a change in the pattern of energy intake. This brief study would help researchers planning to conduct research on Ramadan fasting and will caution fasting readers about the intakes.

This study indicates that during Ramadan fasting does not affect energy and macro‐nutrients intake but only the schedule of intake is affected.

Debates over ritual slaughter, sacred food, fasts, and forbidden foods, perpetuated by religion and tradition, are nothing new. Dietary obligations and prohibitions, in all their diversity, have always been the object of comment, critique, or even concern from one human group towards another. The consumption of meat (or its prohibition) has always been about more than its nutritional function. Reducing religious dietary obligations to hygienic or gustatory practices would be an unrealistic attempt to erase the diversity of the procedures which people undertake to give meaning to life, death, and the world, and to locate themselves in relation to “others”. These rites, ­legitimated by myths, inevitably provoke phenomena of influence, reciprocated within and outside groups. The selection of food – of meat in particular – plays a primordial role as a social marker, the rules of which contribute to the organisation of groups by tracing ­differences between individuals, between men and women, and between communities. Formerly attached to a totemic group and its territory, then to a religion and its society, dietary practices are globalising and encountering one-another. Questions are now raised about the management, in shared spaces, of a diversity of dietary prohibitions and obligations. These questions are at the core of this chapter, notably, what place should be reserved for dietary particularities in collective catering in human organisations? And what limits should be given to the expectations of each regarding dietary purity or fasting?

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of fasting on anthropometry and body composition in fasting obese and non‐obese subjects.

In total, 25 volunteers (male and female) were recruited during Ramadan. Age, sex, weight, height, waist and hip circumference and menstrual cycle status (in case of females) were recorded on day 1, and on day 21 weight and waist and hip circumference were also recorded. Similarly, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) was performed on days 1 and 21 for the assessment of changes in body composition. From weight and height, basal metabolic Index (BMI) was determined. Waist‐hip ratio was determined from the waist and hip circumferences.

Weight was significantly (p<0.001) reduced in obese individuals on day 21 and accompanied by significant (p<0.01) reduction in waist hip ratios. BIA showed no significant change in the intra or extra cellular water. However, there has been shift of water between the two compartments and there was a strong positive correlation (r=0.9) between the fat free mass and total body water and negative association (r=−0.9) with total body water.

This study indicates that fasting could be a useful tool for the management of body weight without having a major shift in the body composition.

Ramadan intermittent fasting (RIF) has produced heterogeneous and domain-specific effects on cognitive function. This study aims to investigate the effect of RIF on verticality perception or estimation of subjective visual vertical (SVV) in young adults. The significance of SVV is that it is essential for spatial orientation, upon which many daily activities depend.

Verticality perception was assessed with a computerized rod and frame test (CRFT) in two visual conditions: without a surrounding frame and with a distracting tilted frame. The tilted frame condition measures level of visual dependence or reliance of visual cues for posture and orientation. In total, 39 young adult men were recruited at different stages of Ramadan fasting: 21 were tested at the end of the first week (Week 1) and 18 others at the end of the third week (Week 3) of Ramadan. Also, 39 participants were recruited to serve as a non-fasting control group. Factorial ANOVA analyses were conducted to identify the main effects of fasting status, time-of-day and the interaction between them on blood glucose levels, nocturnal sleep duration and vertical alignment errors.

The main effect of fasting status on glucose level was significant (p = 0.03). There was a significant time-of-day main effect on glucose levels (p = 0.007) and sleep duration (p = 0.004) only in fasting participants. Neither the main effects of fasting status nor time-of-day were significant for rod alignment errors in both visual conditions. The interaction of fasting status and time-of-day was not significant either. This may indicate that any negative effect of Ramadan fasting on activities that are critically dependent on verticality perception and spatial orientation, such as sports and driving, may not be due to verticality misperception.

The present study was the first to investigate the effect of Ramadan fasting on spatial orientation. It demonstrated robustness of verticality perception to fasting status and the point of fasting during Ramadan. Verticality perception was also unaffected by time-of-day effects in non-fasting and fasting groups at two different points of Ramadan. This study corroborates others reporting heterogeneous effects of Ramadan fasting on cognitive function.