to admire religious fasting for its discipline and commitment?

[catchingup1]

I’ve been thinking about this lately, especially with Ramadan just gone and the dry fasting of 24 hours by Jews and Mormons.

I can't help feeling impressed. Not in a gushy way, just genuinely. Going without food and water for long periods, while still getting on with normal life, work, family etc takes a level of willpower and discipline that I don’t think most people have.

It’s not even just the physical side. It’s the restraint, the routine, the intention behind it. The fact that people are doing it for something bigger than themselves, not just for a diet or health trend.

It's not just people who’ve grown up with it. There are converts every year across different religions who are doing these fasts for the first time as adults. They haven’t had years to “get used to it” and are choosing to take it on anyway. It’s a conscious decision, not just habit.

Even for people who have done it since childhood, plenty still find it challenging every year. It’s not like it becomes effortless, they’re still choosing to stick to it day after day.

Then you read so much now about people struggling with “food noise”, constantly thinking about what to eat next, cravings, snacking, not being able to switch off from it. So the idea of deliberately stepping away from all of that, even for a set period and managing your impulses like that. It does make me respect it.

I’m not saying it makes anyone better than anyone else, just that I admire the self control, discipline and commitment involved.

I came across this about the benefits of dry fasting:

www.bcm.edu/news/dawn-to-dusk-dry-fasting-leads-to-health-benefits-in-the-study-of-immune-cells

I'm of the belief that traditions like this, while often set within a religious framework, are actually highly beneficial things that stayed because they were good practices regardless. We are only recently rediscovering how healthy fasting is and the science behind it.

I don't fast for religious reasons but I have to say it's been a real revelation, especially how...fine I feel. Better then fine really. Clear headed, slimmer etc. and that's just 36 hour water fast. It feels empowering and food tastes amazing afterwards.

We were invited to fast during Ramadan to experience what others as part of an inclusivity thing at work.

I wanted to try but struggled with no water all day and by mid afternoon I had to quit.

Hats off to everyone that has the commitment to stick it out.

I used to give something up for Lent when DC were younger but would basically cheat by picking something I didn't really eat like, so maybe biscuits but could still eat chocolate.

Yes, I agree.
I grew up in a Christian household and my mum regularly fasted for a day or two at a time.
She didn’t make a big deal of it, in fact none of us kids ever realised she was doing it at the time because it was such a personal, spiritual experience for her. She’d continue to make our meals and prepare food for the family like normal. I did admire that as I got older and began to understand.

Most of the fasting that’s talked about in science isn’t dry fasting. It’s usually intermittent fasting or longer fasts where you’re still drinking water. That’s a big difference. Not eating is one thing, not eating and not drinking is another and it’s not something most health advice really pushes.

So I don’t think it’s quite right to say we’re “rediscovering” religious fasting through science. A 36 hour water fast isn’t really comparable to dry fasting especially when people are still going to work, looking after kids, carrying on as normal.

Also the idea that traditions stuck around because they were healthy feels a bit simplified. A lot of religious practices are about discipline, spirituality, routine, community not just physical health. Any health benefits are more of a side effect than the main reason they exist.

There might be a bit of overlap in terms of self control and giving your body a break, but I wouldn’t say modern “science fasting” and religious fasting are basically the same thing.

Check out the Coptic Christian/orthodox fasts. It’s not just giving up something for Lent. I think the Copts fast more than almost anybody else, but the Lent ones is particularly stringent.

What I really admire about Ramadan is the mental fasting. I honestly don’t think I’d manage. People annoy me enough when I’m not hungry and thirsty!

I'm impressed by other things tbh

Our landscape gardeners worked throughout Ramadan 😳 I felt so bad for them! And then they took Eid off (obviously!) but brought chocolates round for US. They don't even live locally to us, they went out of their way to deliver them to us, a Jewish family. They're possibly the nicest bunch of men I've ever met. But I'm definitely happier now that I'm able to offer them drinks and biscuits throughout the day!

Having worked with women who were fasting and heard how difficult it was for them, I’m more inclined to think it’s abusive, especially the lack of water.

I am not impressed. They are not helping anyone by fasting- not even themselves :
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/dry-fasting

I admire people who helps other people- Doctors without borders or local charity volonteers. They are making a difference.

I can't see how it is good for the body.
If I go more then a couple of hours I get everso hungry

I had a Muslim friend and honestly he was less than useless every year at Ramadan when he was working. He would spend a lot of time napping in the canteen every chance he got and always had a lot of headaches and obviously couldn't take anything for it. Not sure it did him any good physically.

Im not impressed by it at all. I have no interest in other people’s performative religion practices, especially when it effects school and workplaces

What is abusive?

www.bcm.edu/news/dawn-to-dusk-dry-fasting-leads-to-health-benefits-in-the-study-of-immune-cells

www.bcm.edu/news/dawn-to-dusk-dry-fasting-leads-to-health-benefits-in-the-study-of-immune-cells

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8358295/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589936824000069

https://www.dzd-ev.de/en/article/study-shows-no-negative-effects-of-religious-dry-fasting-on-blood-sugar-levels-in-people-without-diabetes

www.bcm.edu/news/dawn-to-dusk-dry-fasting-leads-to-health-benefits-in-the-study-of-immune-cells

I am sure he is not representative of all the people who fast 🙄

Workers have to pick up the slack - no one can give of their best when not earing or drinking.
More work caused if fasters collapse. It hapens

And for each one of those articles there is one that says the opposite.
I'd say listen to your body, don't starve it of what it needs. Live life.

I have worked with people who have fasted for years. Never had to pick up any slack. I don't deny that might be the case for some people but it is not across the board.

A quick google search shows the majority are positive.

Fasting gives the body what it needs and you can live life.

Well it seems you have made your mind up then op. What was the point of this post?

What's the something bigger?

Risks of Dry Fasting
The biggest risk of dry fasting is dehydration. The complications of dehydration can include:

Seizures. When your electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium are out of balance, your body can have trouble sending electrical signals from cell to cell. This can lead to involuntary muscle contractions and a loss of consciousness.

Brain swelling. When you are getting fluids again after being dehydrated, your body sometimes tries to pull too much water back into your cells. Some cells can swell and rupture during this process. If this happens to your brain cells, it can be especially serious.
Heat injury. If you dry fast during strenuous exercise or when you’re very hot, you can develop a heat injury. This can be mild, such as with heat cramps, or severe, such as with heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Heat stroke can be potentially life-threatening.**
Kidney failure. If your kidneys are no longer able to remove excess fluids and waste from your body, it can lead to kidney failure, which can be life-threatening.
Low blood volume shock. This life-threatening condition called hypovolemic shock occurs when low blood volume in your body causes a drop in your blood pressure and a drop in the amount of oxygen in your body.

Coma and death. If not treated quickly, severe dehydration can be life-threatening.

A lot of people don't fast so much as binge eat at different times to usual meal times.

So, have a massive feast before dawn, more than enough calories to see them through the day then the same at dusk, a huge feast. I've lived and worked with people who say they're fasting and they are literally rearranging their daily calorific intake to have it in 2 huge meals rather than spread over the course of the day.

What is the point of any thread on here? People can post whatever they like within reason surely?