Fasting purifies not only body but also the mind. Process of fasting was, infact, devised to divest the body of its toxins which have accumulated in the body due to some wrong done to body through dietary deviations, relaxations or indiscretions. When we fast, we allow sufficient time to our body to relax, purge out toxic matters and give a new, rather renewed, lease of life to all the body organs. Fasting has been correlated with religious tenets also because being God-fearing, nobody would flout tenets and directives of religion and holy books. Sanskrit synonym for fasting is ‘Vrat’ which in turn implies determination. Let us agree on one point that a person with weak mind and determination first of all will rarely take to fasting. If, at all he begins to take to fast, he will not allow to let it reach its culmination for the simple reason that he lacks in determination. To sum up the above equation let us conclude that only a determined person can keep himself on fast.
In order to have a successful and complete fast, ‘will’ to do must be backed by strong determination. In our daily life dietary and food habits play an important part. There is sometimes a desire for one object but aversion to the other and vice versa. This chain of desires and aversions, with particular reference to our likes (weakness) and dislikes (aversions) forms the very basis of our food habits with the result that, in order to satiate our taste buds balance amongst various essential elements is unbalanced and disturbed, When certain unbalances occur, certain disorders take place in our physical system which are termed as diseases. Fasting process removes such unbalances, helps to restore proper and requisite balance amongst various elements in the body.
Points raised above need further elaboration. For instance, a person who habitually takes too much of sodium chloride is exposed to greater risk of hypertension. Others, who take too much of sugar or sugar-based foods and too heavy intake of carbohydrates, can happen to be obese, or still worse as prospective diabetics. Those, who take too much of fats, run the risk of raised serum cholesterol levels, often resulting in coronary heart disease, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, embolism, palpitation etc. Persons, taking high-protein foods, are more exposed to gouty diseases and kidney problems. Too much use of red chillies, spices, condiments are liable to create digestive problems. Strong spirituous drinks, use of tobacco in any form, excessive intake of oral iron tonics can create various hepatic upsets.
Fasting does not and must not ever mean to lead to starvation. During seven days of the week, abstain from use of one essential element (say sugar, protein, salt, fruits, saturated oils, spices, chillies, cereals, carbohydrates, drinking and smoking. During the year, a day each be allotted to fast exclusively on fruits or fruit juice(s) or milk, or why, or curd/yoghurt for milk, whey or curd (yoghurt). In certain cases it has been observed that fasting is used as an excuse for overeating or eating in plenty one’s most favourite food items. This is no way, not in the least wiser way to observe a fast. Those who subscribe to the said habit, are warned and advised never to take retort to such a type of fasting. For instance, if a person abstains from salt on one day, it does not mean that the aspirant should consume salt in excess or else take sweets or sweetish edibles or drinks in excess of his normal daily requirement.
Fasting is a healthy and natural way to purge, disinfect and deodorize the body from almost all the toxins, foreign matter, deposits and filth from body system. When the body is free from undesirable elements, as detailed above, mind will also be in a state of ecstasy and happiness,. Fasting thus provides an upbeat mood to body, mind and intellect, there is hardly any other substitute to maintain balance and harmony among these three important components.
Few Guidelines for fasting
Fasting should not mean giving up foods which are taken daily, instead, a food item should be given up for a day. For instance, on each fasting day give up taking one food item (viz salt, sugar, cereals, fats, fried foods, spices, drinks, even smoking, meat foods, poultry and dairy products etc.) Giving up a particular food should not construe that there is abstention from all other food items. It will help to break the habit of dependence on one particular food item, though for a day only in a week.
Children in growth period, pregnant women, weak, undernourished, underweight persons, weak elderly persons, Hypo diabetics (that is, only those who suffer from low sugar content in the body), persons having low blood pressure, labourers, who have to shell out and expend plenty of energy, should not take to fasting, as otherwise their various physical disorders will aggravate and worsen.
- On the day of fasting a teaspoonful (5 ml) of honey, mixed with lemon water should be taken with water, 3-4 times in the day so that the body retains its natural vitality, there is no accumulation of gas, or else water of coconut may be taken in lieu thereof.
- The aspirants can livemerely on milk and seasonal fruits or only fruits on the day of fasting, apart from use of honey and lemon juice. It will keep you agile, trim, tidy and light.
- Juices of fruits and vegetables are excellent diets for fasting. Vegetable, if boiled but not fried or cooked, retain all the essential nutrients to let the body perform its normal and usual functions.
- Fasting helps in a smooth change-over to other foods but excessive intake must be avoided, at all occasions,
- Banana and milk diet is a well-balanced, nutritive and healthy combination, apart from taking lemon juice and honey.
- Self-imposed dietary regimen is another way of fasting. Take a normal breakfast of milk with some agreeable seasonal fruit, skip over your lunch and have your near-normal dinner. A gap of 12 hours or so, between breakfast and dinner is, in itself, an ideal way to semi-starvation or moderate fasting. Care should be taken that dinner menu is not loaded with fats, sugars, salt, and spices, though there is no harm in their moderate use, simply to satiate your taste buds.
- It must be ensured during fasting periods that the body excretes normally, as heretofore, its natural secretions like urine, faeces and sweat. During summer, water must be taken, otherwise body may not be able to withstand ravages of summer heat. Similarly, during other seasons water-sodium balance should never get imbalanced and disturbed. If foreign matters fail to get eliminated from the body, there is a graver danger of their forming more toxins which may even spill over to blood stream. Elimination process of the body must not be allowed to suffer, otherwise there may be serious consequential health upsets and hazards.
- Persons suffering from T.B, epilepsy, ulcers, cancers should never resort to fasting.
- Do not extend your fasting beyond two or three days a week. Fasting should a regular weekly, bi-weekly or, at the most, a tri-weekly practice and never, casual or occasional or else resorting to the same only in cases of extreme emergent situations. Fasting should never be taken on successive days. There must be a gap of at least a day or so in-between each fast.
- Let us learn a lesson from animals who never eat during the period of illness but we, the humans, are led by the taste of the palate. Either we overeat, when not needed or undereat when needed. Animals are led by their in-built intuition whereas man, unlike animals, is driven by avarice and indiscretion. Most of the diseases are cured by the animals by abstaining from food, they lick their wounds with their saliva and thus allow the nature to have its way.
Our tongue is an indicator of our health condition. If, after fasting, all the natural excretions are excreted normally, when the tongue is neat, clean and not mapped, then one could feel rest assured that there is hardly any reason to be anxious about health. If, however, there is any odd symptom, then fast should never be stretched for any further time. Fasting is meant to provide better health and not create new problems on health front. Moreover, a fasting person should ensure that he attends to his daily chores, as usual and there should not be any slackened efforts in normal discharge of one’s duties.
A word about diet during fasting period. Fruit and vegetabfe diet is considered to be the best diet. Milk follows the said diet very closely. Meat diet should be avoided, as far as possible.
