FASTING - A way of life
Three years ago this month, I started water fasting, once a week, for 24 hours.
I really enjoy water fasting for many reasons - body and mind health; fitness; personal growth. I think it’s a way of life, it’s not simply a specific diet choice for limited periods of time. I understand why so many religions incorporated fasting in weekly practices or during specific days, commemorations or periods. I know do water fasting twice a week, for 24 hours.
My brother David was living in Jerusalem three years ago and introduced me to fasting. I started one Friday, my day off any sports practice at the time. The idea was to have dinner on Thursday and not have any food, only water, until the dinner of the day after. Pretty straightforward and not too hard since one third of the time I would have spent it sleeping.
The first time was hard, so to speak, because there were chocolate cookies at work and my colleagues all got a sandwich for brunch to eat at the office. So my mind knew there was readily available chocolate, and my body was smelling freshly made sausage, cheese, bacon (or whatever else people got) sandwiches.
The second time was already a bit easier. It was the same exact day, but my cravings were less acute. From the third time on, always the same day setup, I didn’t particularly care for food. Except for an early-afternoon food pang, I actually arrived home in the evening after work without even feeling hungry. What a discovery! Also, during fasting my mind was clearer and I felt just as energetic as when eating.
With time the mindset and body reaction transferred to other aspects of life. I realize now I lived life incidents with a “fasting” point of view. I became more patient and more enduring. Actually, it’s not only being able to resist more, so to speak. Yes, fasting strengthens one’s will because you literally have been training restraint. But actually my mind and body literally don’t even have certain cravings, wises or impulses anymore.
I’m an elite multi-sport athlete and yet I can train after a fasting period before eating anything and feel great, without feeling the need to eating. I might feel hungry but feel less cravings. I can “let go” with ease of mundane things or needs realizing they are not that necessary.
Now, I’m far from being an ascetic. I’ve also never fasted for more than 24 hours, something I want to change. But as the cliché goes - life is a constant learning curve. Nobody ever really finishes learning, growing, evolving, trying, testing, and enjoying in life.
I’ve started researching the topic - fasting - in its historic and religious components, as well as the scientific one. Since fasting is new to science studies, and there are many ways to fasting - think of intermittent, water, prolonged, dry, just to name a few - a lot is being discovered and a lot more can be found.
There are predicted and expected body reactions during fasting. It’s about teaching the body how to be efficient as much as training your mind to let go.
And ultimately let’s not forget that fasting and the transformation that brings is personal and unique.