Fast is abstinence from food, or certain kinds of food, for a period of time. Though its origin is lost in the mists of time, the custom of going on fast has played a crucial role in the practices of major religions. In the early religions, fasting had been related to the desire to keep gods friendly, or to improve food supply. Religious group, through fasting, seek pardon for their misdeeds and sins. A fast in some religions is undertaken during mourning. In others, people believe that fasting will lift their minds away from physical things and produce a state of spiritual joy and happiness.
There are important days of fasting in Hinduism, Islam, Christianity or Jainism to mention a few. Jewish law orders a yearly fast on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Muslims fast for a month before Id. Christians fast for 40 days before Lent commenmorating the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness. Christians of have some food during the fasting days. Muslim from dawn to sunset every day during Ramzan abstaining completely from food and water in this the hottest month in their countries. Buddhists and Hindus fast regularly, particularly, during religious, particularly, during religious occasions.
Mahatma Gandhi used fasting, both as a penance and as a political weapon of protest Scientists have studied the effects of fasting on the body. They know that the intake of food affects the body by increasing its metabolism. After fasting, metabolism can become as much as 22 per cent lower than the normal rate. But research has also shown that after long periods of fasting, the body tend to adjust itself by lowering the rate of metabolism itself. After fasting, a person should, gradually, resume eating. Religious groups believe that a fast promotes self-control and strengthens the will.
Fasting
The Hindu Scripture mentions an ancient saint, Dadhichi, who fasted and meditated for many years. He did it sitting in the same posture. By the time he was found, there was no body left but only bones. Saint Dadhichi was covered by a fair amount of mud, hillock mud rather than one made by white ants. It was difficult to recognise him.
At the same time, there occurred a great fight between Asuras and Suras. Suras were dying in great numbers and were on the verge of losing battle. They called an emergency meeting which was chaired by Brahma, the Creator of the Universe. This meeting was summoned to find out some way to win the battle. Lots of suggestions were put forward but nothing worked. Ultimately a suggestion was made that the only way to win the battle was to make weapons with the bones and the ribs of Rishi Dadhichi to kill devils.
This seemed a good idea that could yield results. It was decided that the Devtas would go to Rishi and plead before him or the bones for this noble cause. Under the leadership of the Brahma they straddled to Rishi Dadhichi and described to him their woes. They begged for his help without which this battle would be lost. Rishi Dadhichi agreed. He left his body. The bones were used as weapons by Asuras. Needles to say, they won the battle.
This is only one of the many mythical stories. The description of many long fasts and meditation has been given in the Bhagwat Gita and Ramayana. Fasting has helped in achieving longevity. It can store energy which helps to improve health, carry on daily rituals with zeal and achieve greater goals.
Not long ago, an Irish leader Bobby Sands died after 66 days of hunger strike in belfast jail, in Northern Ireland. Bobby Sands who was then 27 was started to have spent one third of his life in jail. The fast was carried out by this intrepid young man under the observant eyes of the jail authorities. A doctor used to visit him every day. Prior to his death every day a bulletin on his health was issued to the Press describing in detail his condition. He undertook this fast under mounting tension, anxious to give a lead to Irish people to put pressure on the British authority for solving their dispute.
Fast ‘unto death’ has become fashionable. It is a weapon in the hands of leaders who press for their demands. In religion, fasting is an old practice. Which religion does not demand fasting from its followers, whether Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jewish or Sikh? Religious leaders knew he advantages of fasting for health and incorporated in such a way that this should become a part of their mundane existence.
In a way, fasting was prevalent in the pre-historic period. Our ancestors lived in the jungle. They had to depend for food on herbs and fruits or animals they had to remain hungry for days on end. Probably this was the reason they were fit and in the best of health. This was essential to live in jungle conditions and be fit for hunting. They could survive only if they were fit.
We have a natural instinct, an appetite, a call for food by the body when required. But how many of us have a feel of “real” appetite. With the addition of condiments and frying, we make the food suitable for our taste and we tend to overeat. We eat too frequently and so we don’t know what “real” appetite is. Gradually we lose the natural instinct of body i.e. appetite, the call of body for food when it requires it. How many of us follow the natural law of the body, to miss a meal when we do not have appetite for it.
I happened to interview a few persons who had reached their eighties and nineties. How is it they had survived, kept themselves fit and were still doing productive work? A secrete which I learnt and would like to share with you. They all had much smaller meals, they ate less frequently and had lighter food. Either they missed a meal or fasted now and then. One more thing, they kept their anxieties out of their minds as much as possible.
Fasting has been described as avoiding all eatables, except water. It is not a new discovery. Man has learnt a great deal about the effect of fasting on the body by continued experimentation, observation and studies for centuries. As appetite is an instinct in man, it is so in animals too. An animal stops eating when he is sick and has no appetite. Does a man do the same? Man keeps on eating even when he is sick with a disease or emotionally upset.
The silver salmon fasts for weeks while swimming upstream for hundreds of miles in search of spawning fish eggs. The queen ant eats nothing until the eggs are hatched. Many insects and animals abstain from food during hibernation. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, recommended fasting to many of his patients. He said “when you feed the sick, you feed the disease” On the other hand if you withhold food, disease ebbs away.
Many great men of history and science fasted. Socrates and Plato fasted for 10 days to attain mental and physical fitness. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the mountain and thus could not be tempted by the devil. Moses fasted and prayed for many days in the mountains. Gandhiji did many fasts lasting 21 days. Pythagoras fasted for 40 days before taking examination at the University of Alexandria. Mohammad and Buddha fasted for many days.
In Germany at Bad Pyrmont in Buchinger Sanatorium 70,000 juice fasts were conducted during 48 years period. At natural Hygiene resorts Dr. Albert Burton conducted thousands of fasts. In U.S.A., Dr. H.M. Sheldon personally supervised 30,000 fasts in 50 years. Great Paracelsus once said “fasting is the greatest physician within”. Arab physician avicenna prescribed fasting for 3-5 weeks. Plutarch said “instead of using medicine, better fast a day”.
Dr. von Seland of Russia wrote “as a result of experiments, I have come to the conclusion that consideration educationally”. In Germany, Dr. Adolph Mayor said “fasting is the most efficient means of correcting any disease”. Experimenters Dr. Carlson and Dr. Kunde of Department of Physiology, University if Chicago kept a 30-year-old man on 14 days fast. They found that at the end of the fast his tissues were in the physiological condition as those of a 17 year old youth. Dr. Kunde said that, during the fast, the weight came down by 45%. Subsequently, it was restored by normal diet. Approximately ? of the weight thus restored was new protoplasm. Fasting had brought about rejuvenation.
On 18th may, 1933 when Gandhiji was on his 10th day of fasting, he was examined by his physicians. One of them commenting on Gandhiji’s health said “from the physiological point of view the Indian leader was as healthy as a man of forty”. Dr. Louis A. Estes writing in his 1927 publication about raw food and health confirms “there is no question but that scientific fasting eliminates the bodily poison, adipose tissue and breaks down destructive cells.”
Dr. Lennart Edren led a 300 mile walkathon while on fast. A total of 30 (fasting) people walked with him with no ill effect. Bernarr MacFadden, the father of physical culture in the U.S., sponsored a fasting and health contest in 1903. After 7 days f fast J.H.Waltering captured the first placed in a 50 yard dash in 6 and 2/3 seconds. And later a mile run in just over 6 minutes.
Mr. Gilman Low from Boston lifted 500lbs. Weight 20 times in just 15 seconds. On the 7th day of fast he lifted in 19 second 500 lbs. 22 times. It was closely observed by doctors. Bernarr MacFadden a great health culturist celebrated his birthdays by parachuting from a flying plane. He died in December 1955 (born on 1st August 1868) at the age of 87. During 20 days of fast, George Hasler Johnston covered 577.88 miles. Average distance daily covered was 28.9 miles. Total loss of weight was nearly 38lbs. From the original body weight of 157 ? lbs.
Dr. Vithal Das Modi, a pioneer of nature cure in India, has supervised 35,000 fasts in his hospital Arogya Mandir, At Gorakhpur, during 48 years of his work. He has undertaken a fast for 40 days and written a diary of this fast published in Hindi Up was se labh (Benefit of fasting). It is not correct to think that a person becomes frail weak with fasting.