The real benefits of fasting

As science and technology improved in the past 50 years many old beliefs turned irrational in our opinion. That included the concept of fasting or in general terms abstinence from food. But surprisingly there has been shift in the past decade or so – one reason could be the interest of weight loss programs to promote controlled fasting to their customers. But, people in general are getting more aware of what fasting is and are more interested in understanding how it helps them lead a healthy life. There have been many studies funded to understand the effects of fasting on human body and most of them have provided very promising results.

So where did it start? Almost all early texts related to various religions – the Bible for the Christians, the Quran for the Muslims and the Gita for the Hindus – carry references to fasting. Each of the religions prescribe a set of rules to be followed while fasting. The spiritual benefits of fasting are soul cleansing and a feeling of togetherness with god. People feel emotionally attached towards god when they fast and they feel that they have surrendered their body to the holy spirit. This, many feel, helps and enables them to learn more about life and its purpose.

Biological Benefits:

It is not just the spiritual benefits that make people fast nowadays as there are many biological benefits associated with it. When one starts fasting, the digestive system shuts down as there is nothing to digest and all the energy that is generally used by the organs that digest is available for free to the rest of the body. The body after sensing that there is no food input, switches to conservation mode and runs slower than it generally does. The metabolism rate comes down so does the heart rate. I have measured heart rates of 50 beats per minute just before i finish a fast. The body temperature comes down as well so that more energy is saved in order to keep the body going for long.

Another important thing that happens is the discharge of glucose reserves. The body stores glucose in the liver and the muscles as a back-up so that the internal organs will not starve when there is no food. As many of us eat 3 (or more) times a day, the liver and the muscles do not get the opportunity to burn the stored glucose. This stored glucose is released during fasting and is rebuilt again as we start eating food the next day. Remember, the glucose store is like a battery. One needs to discharge and recharge a battery regularly to be assured of longevity – same applies to the human body.

Fasting also helps release toxins in the body, de-clogs arteries and helps in delaying diabetes and slows down cell ageing. Providing the mental strength to control hunger is an additional benefit of fasting.

How to do it?

There are many suggested ways to follow it especially if you follow a religion. But biologically fasting can be very useful if done for 18-24 hours without any food but with lots of water. Water is very important to keep the body hydrated. I once tried fasting without having any water for 20 hours and my blood pressure shot up when i completed the fast. You don’t want that to happen and so take in as much water as possible. Water also helps flush toxins through urine.

Typical frequency of fasting is once a month while i have seen people do it once a week. I think it is a subject of preference. I prefer to fast once a month and believe that my body rebuilds its reserves for the rest 29 days. But if you think you would feel comfortable by fasting once a week then go for it.

How not to do it?

Not getting too excited about fasting and having a sudden change in eating patterns must be avoided. Fasting should be considered as a normal activity and not something that is special and so no specific change in living patterns are required. But, one should monitor the body for symptoms such as high blood pressure and dizziness constantly and try compensate for it.

If you think you body cannot take 18 hours of fasting (especially the first few times) then break the fast immediately. Try increasing the time slowly month by month till you achieve 18 – 24 hours with ease.  I generally try and conserve energy while I fast by not doing heavy physical exercise and that has always helped me.

How to complete a fast?

Also one of the things I learned the hard way was to finish a fast. Never eat anything
heavy while completing the fast. The digestive system would have been shut down during the fast and when there is a sudden inflow of food to digest, the blood pressure shoots up. Ensure that more vitamins and minerals are eaten along with good amount of carbohydrates  and protein. It is always alluring to eat more when one completes a fast but try not to overeat.

Who should not fast?

People with medical conditions and pregnant women should not try to fast without the opinion of their doctor / practitioner. Diabetics – especially Type I diabetics are affected by minor changes in the blood glucose level and should avoid fasting. It is always better to check with your doctor before you start this habit to ensure it will not do any harm to your body.

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