Yeah, now we have to use all kinds of ways to reach people back towards a decent level of sanity! Sorry you had that experience, wasn't right. Fasting has been and is incorporated in the lives of both religious and non-religious, for health reasons. Even with
ancient Greek teachings fasting was used to cure aliments and diseases. Although different to ours in some aspects and purposes; but considering a person has a decent healthy suhoor and equally nourishing sehri/iftar then it's almost like skipping one meal during the day. In fact, gives more energy to get things done at times. Where I live the fasting times are shorter, so those who have longer periods of fasting will get their rewards for that as well. Although, even when I visited such places found myself going to the parks and walking distances (without tiredness) as though not fasting. Fasting doesn't restrict us in anyway, your right, (excepting that it wouldn't be the right time to exhaust oneself unnecessarily like going jogging). On the other-hand, over-eating/gluttony combined with other unhealthy addictions does this.......which is why we are advised by the prophet Muhammad pbuh to eat a third, drink a third and leave a third of our stomachs empty.
Miqdam ibn Ma’d reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “
The son of Adam cannot fill a vessel worse than his stomach, as it is enough for him to take a few bites to straighten his back. If he cannot do it, then he may fill it with a third of his food, a third of his drink, and a third of his breath.”
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2380
Grade:
Sahih (authentic) according to Ibn Muflih