the other third of humanness--health tips

1. Be happy

"First of all, instill this point in your mind that life is an honor and a great gift from Allah (God). It is essential to give it much respect and deference. It is not a game. It is not an idle operation, its objective is lofty and, in achieving that objective, one attains eternal happiness and contentment. In order to achieve this objective, the most essential thing is to have and keep ambition, hope, and cheerfulness in one’s heart. The most dangerous thing that essentially deprives one in achieving this objective is hopelessness and despair. 
One should steer clear of this in all circumstances."  

From, A Letter to a Dear One, by international diplomat and Islamic scholar Muhammad Zafrulla Khan

Evidence supports that depression negatively affects physical well-being. Our religions have always stated this fact, and scientific evidence is catching up, so get happy, it's a state of mind. One's inner world has the unlimited potential to be infinitely more powerful than any external condition.


2. Be clean, physically and spiritually

"The answer is that according to the Holy Qur'an the natural state of man has a very strong relationship with his moral and spiritual states, so much so that even a person’s manner of eating and drinking affects his moral and spiritual states. [...] That is why the Holy Quran has laid stress on physical cleanliness and postures, and their regulation in relation to all worship and inner purity and spiritual humility. Reflection confirms that physical conditions deeply affect the soul. For instance, when our eyes are filled with tears, even if the tears are artificially induced, the heart is immediately affected and becomes sorrowful. In the same way, when we begin to laugh, even if the laughter is artificially induced, the heart begins to feel cheerful. It has also been observed that physical prostration in prayer induces humility in the soul. As a contrast when we draw ourselves up physically and strut about with our neck raised and our breast pushed forward, this attitude induces a mood of arrogance and vain glory. These instances establish clearly that physical conditions certainly affect spiritual conditions."

 "As the soul is affected by physical conduct, in the same way sometimes the soul affects the body.
For instance, when a person experiences sorrow his eyes become wet, and a person who feels happy, smiles. All our natural actions like eating, drinking, sleeping, waking, moving about, resting, bathing etc., affect our spiritual condition. Our physical structure is related intimately to our total humanity."

-The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad

almond tea in Chicago

For spring break, I had a mini reunion with a few of my closest friends from college and met up in Chicago where Z currently works. I've been to Chicago when I was young and in my early fob days so it was definitely nice to visit again. We did the whole tourist thing and saw most of the landmarks but also got a chance to see the less glamorous parts of the city.

One of the most memorable images that I have in my mind is the Chicago downtown. We walked through it when it was really cold and raining with not enough umbrellas, but I actually enjoyed it a lot. Maybe it was the architecture or the lights or the fact that the rain made everything a little bit more peaceful, but
the whole atmosphere just felt very romantic and quite beautiful. Or perhaps it was because everyone let me walk under the only umbrella in our possession...

We had the mandatory deep dish pizza and ate at a few really good restaurants, Medici's and Prasino being my favorite meals (both brunch, not coincidentally). We also had dinner one night at a Senegalese place - Yassa Restaurant - a very homely environment with beautiful decorations. We shared a curried chicken with djolof rice, stewed cabbage and carrots. All of the flavors were spot on and cooked exactly the right amount. If you've never had West African food, you definitely must try it - especially at an authentic restaurant like this one.

One of the highlights of this trip was a little place in Chicago's chinatown called Saint's Alp Teahouse. Z wanted to make sure we went there before I left and I am so glad we did. This little restaurant is actually quite nonchalant and rather ordinary but their tea is definitely worth having. So much so that we went back two nights in a row. I had an almond milk tea initially followed by a jasmine green tea - both incredibly aromatic and stunning to the taste buds. It's a trip highlight not because of the tea itself, but because of the conversation had over the tea. The first night we sat there for hours (until the owner had to ask us to leave because his occasional glares didn't quite do the trick) and most of our discussion revolved around peace and spirituality and the various means and ways of increasing/finding/strengthening it - sometimes even good conversation can do that.

Some of the most meaningful conversations I have had in the recent past have all been over tea (and coffee but tea is just more poetic of the two. unfair world, I know). While I've been drinking tea for a long time, I've only recently begun to appreciate the act and just the idea of tea and conversation is absolutely beautiful to me. Tea is meant to be had in this way. Sipped slowly, over a long period of time, with good company, inviting meaningful conversation and reflection. That is the nature of tea. This whole notion of conversation and tea is meant to create an atmosphere to bring people closer, with its smells, the taste, the act in itself. This concept of meeting over tea or sharing a pot of tea with friends is found literally all over the world, in most cultures, I'm sure. And there are so many amazing teas out there that I could (God-willing) never get bored (my latest love, maté tea, holla). Good tea when it's well made is definitely for the soul- in all its warmth, aroma, and taste. I could literally write about tea for hours but I will stop here before I sound like a nut or a total hipster.

My recent interest in tribal prints lead me to purchase a thick, tribal print wool sweater that I absolutely love and came in handy for the cold weather. Easy to wear with boots, in all black and a colored hijab - could alternatively try colored pants as well. Perhaps maroon or dark green.

Chicago is definitely not the ideal spring break location and the very cold weather definitely elicited some violent reactions from me BUT I was still quite a bit charmed by chi-city. And what could be better than spending time with your best friends, no matter how cold the weather.

-S

in pursuit of light and love: IMAN

This past week, when I was in Chicago, I had the fortune of attending one of IMAN's Community Cafes. I had heard about this event from various people in years past but it always felt like one of those 'you had to be there' type things. After attending one myself, I can say, with full faith, that if you ever find yourself in the Chicago area, do try to go to an IMAN event because it is definitely something you have to experience. 

The Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) is a non-profit organization that works toward improving social justice by providing direct social services, encouraging arts in the community, and advocacy. The Community Cafe I attended highlighted policies to reduce youth incarceration and increase employment in the Chicago area. Crime and violence, unfortunately, seems to have become such an innate part of the city's culture that most people simply accept it as the tragedy of living. IMAN, however, embraces the problem and seeks to address it by increasing awareness and community involvement.

Sometimes, I forget what an individualistic society we live in until I'm sitting in my classroom and social issues come up as they pertain to health. For example, poverty or homelessness and health- issues that are serious and certainly complex. When we start to discuss these matters, I realize how many people are quick to place blame on the individual. I am no expert in any of these topics, but I know that the blame game is a dangerous way of thinking. It can so easily spiral into assigning value to people and lives, God forbid. I often wonder about what is missing in the classroom to yield such a mentality. It is easy to say that poor health is entirely a result of a lack of personal responsibility when we have no understanding of those suffering. Health is just one example - the mentality of assigning blame is also prevalent in issues of education, employment, and so much more. What we need is knowledge. And understanding. Understanding is what fosters human connection and provides the foundation for social justice. 

"We need more light about each other. Light creates understanding, understanding creates love, love creates patience, and patience creates unity." - Malcolm X

Even though I only spent a few days in Chitown and had little interaction with IMAN, I couldn't help but notice the soul and earnestness that emanates from the organization and all of the people there. IMAN seeks to increase understanding amongst the community about the problems of youth incarceration and is striving to address these issues. Their passion and commitment to the prophetic value of social justice is truly humbling and inspiring, may God bless them. Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, would often say that people are as equal as teeth in a comb. In this light, the Islamic civilization came to be one of the first to implement a system of social welfare by establishing means to provide support for people in all levels of society. Even in his last sermon, we find the overarching theme to be that of social justice; how significant that  his last address to mankind is one that forbids wrong-doing and injustice in all its forms. Let us never forget these tenets and the significance of a strong community in our daily lives and pursuit of knowledge. 

The community cafe, whilst pushing for the legislation to reduce youth incarceration, also featured several artists of various styles and languages. There was a beautiful Moroccan singer, Malika Zarra, who sang in English, French, Arabic, and Berber. My favorite was her rendition of the popular Arab song, Leela - very soulful and earthy. The event also featured Nahshid Sulaiman (stage name: One Be Lo), a hip hop artist with very socially conscious lyrics. My favorite were his rap lines that were done in acapella. If either of them sound like your cup of tea, do check them out. 

IMAN also provides many more services for the Chicago community and is a far more beautiful organization than my words could ever hope to do justice. Definitely visit their website to learn more about the work they are doing and their upcoming events: http://www.imancentral.org/

-S

"as if it were temporary"-- health tips

"why do you live in your body like you will be given another? as if it were temporary." - Warsan Shire. 

*The above quote is from a beautiful poet that we both love (poetry post to come soon). 

But truthfully, we are blessed with one body for this life and yet we live out our days with health being a priority for tomorrow. Islam takes a holistic approach to health and emphasizes spiritual, emotional, AND physical well being. Without one, the others can suffer and to become stronger in belief and in worship, we must prioritize health in all three realms. Below are some health tips that we have found helpful:

1. Anxiety- symptoms of anxiety or stress can be seen literally all over your body. From lethargy, back pain, headaches, stiffness, nausea, hair loss, and numerous skin problems. Mental health is often unacknowledged in many families/societies/cultures, but it is tremendously important and can create or destroy a person. In the clinic that I volunteer at, at least 75% of the patients present with some sort of mental health issue, whether that be anxiety, depression, stress, whatever. The prevalence is devastating and the lack of awareness is even more alarming. Please please please examine sources of stress and anxiety in your life and try to mitigate them as much as possible. Small changes like eating better, exercising, and sleeping can all help! 

2. Exercise- object of too many love/hate relationships. But exercise helps increases your muscles' ability to uptake glucose from your blood. Over long term, it also enhances your body's ability to store glucose. Amongst a number of other benefits, exercise can also help reduce your risk of developing diabetes! I'm not hyping it up, yall; get moving. 

3. Honey - it truly deserves a post for itself but I have personally found it to work wonderfully on skin. It has lots of minerals and antibacterial properties that work together beautifully as an all-natural cleanser and detoxifier. It also helps purify complexion, increase moisture, and makes your skin feeling smoother. I use just a bit on moist skin and then wash it off but you can mix with yogurt or olive oil for a mask. Also, if you have seasonal allergies, a coworker told me that she goes to the local bee hive farm to get raw honey, which she finds protects her from the pollen season's unintentional havoc. Stick to raw honey, pasteurized honey is not too different from refined sugar, and loses much of its blood pressure stabilizing, anti-fungal, expectorant, and anti-inflammatory properties. 

4. Relax- Recently, I read a study on how relaxing more will actually increase productivity. Doing more constantly doesn't yield productivity - spending more time to do less allows us to be more productive, so we don't need to go back and constantly redo. At work, I am sure to squeeze my lunch break in and I find myself thinking a little clearer (though, still running around like a fiend). So don't skip breakfast. and don't skip sleep. Prioritize and establish a schedule that allows time for relaxing. For those med students that say all-nighters are a necessary part of school....I call shenanigans.


5. Slow de sukker 
You definitely do need sugar to survive. Your brain uses more glucose than your body (if you use it), so always have some fruit and protein while you study. It is okay to indulge in an unnecessarily sweet dessert every now and again, but too much sugar results in acne now, and puts the person at risk for diabetes in the future, along with weight gain, and all the fun that comes with that. Though sugar can give you temporary energy, too much makes you crash afterwards. I have also read studies that show a link between chronically high sugar diets and kidney stones. 250 grams of sugar a day showed that the kidneys in healthy people began releasing increased levels of a substance indicative of kidney distress. Before you worry, 250 grams of sugar a day is quite a lot. A slice of chocolate cake has 25 grams. Keeping your sugar intake under 45 grams is reasonable, just be careful with processed snacks and juices. Stick closely to natural sugar, like fruit because of all the vitamins and benefits that come with it. 

-S & A

cardamom and faux fur

This past weekend, Sheerin and I met in D.C. along with a few other friends. We started our weekend with a sold-out open mic night at Busboys and Poets on 14th & V st (a large lounge restaurant with an adjacent room for shows and socially conscious events). We agreed that solely a spoken word night might have been better, however, open mic was entertaining and had some talented performers. And those lacking in entertainment talent possessed remarkable courage and confidence. Compliments to the sixteen year old Indian boy with the braces who made an attempt at stand-up comedy. Your jokes about parents, homework, and girls were deeply uncomfortable, but I definitely could not do it. Their shows get so full, parts of the audience sit with and around the performer on stage. For a list of events at Busboys, click here.

We ordered a mango sorbet and feta/olive pizza (pictured below). Both nice.

The next day we stopped at Zenobia Lounge for dinner, located in the Georgetown neighborhood. We got a chicken/pita chip dish with a little too much tahini. After three identical bites, it feels like a bit of a tedious chore to continue. We also ordered a beef shwarma and mint tea, which was delicious (the tea; the shwarma was pretty basic). The cafe itself is sweet. The walls are lined with books on a variety of Arab related topics. We picked up a few on art and poetry and Sheerin, the orator she is, read a modern Syrian poem out loud. It was written by a man in letter form to his mother. The only line I can remember is:

"Is my father still adamant about cardamom?"

I would like to meet this poet's father. I am sure he has also found himself being stared at blankly by a man across a counter after being asked if he could please brew the coffee with cardamom.

 There is also a bakery, shisha, and games. Just try and beat me at checkers. We forgot to start playing, but instead listened to stories of our friend's hilarious but tragic anecdotes of life in Saudi Arabia. Afterwards, we quickly stopped at Baked and Wired, a very popular and crowded bakery/coffee shop. A photo below shows the counter of cupcakes to choose from. I ordered a red velvet and vanilla coconut to take home to my little siblings. The cupcakes are pretty gigantic and are entirely made from scratch. I was not blessed with the chance to sample the red velvet cupcake, due to waking up in the morning to the enthusiastic appetites of my siblings, but I was left with a part of the coconut one. It's actually beautiful, and I am not a soft critic with sweets.

I love maxi cardigans. I find them to be an elegant and more feminine approach to modesty. I have also purchased a multicolored floor length chiffon cardigan for when it stops feeling like hypothermia, featuring soon. My accessories included a faux fur collar scarf, knuckle rings, and a spike necklace, which you can find anywhere online, for dirt cheap. Faux fur can be intimidating, but really is easy to pull off. It looks better with a layered outfit, but can look just as nice with a simple over-sized wool sweater. Do try it. :)

Blouse-color block: Forever 21 via my friend, as a gift

Flats-black: Express for $10!

-A