Page 13 - Seniorstoday October 2022 Issue

the war with the bulge. South Sea, Keto, it running smoothly, we need to rest its
Atkins, intermittent, Mediterranean, no
carbs – you name it, every single diet plan
bowed out of his experiments. A sharp
brain given to wit and enjoyment of all that
life has to offer, he never gave up trying
different methods to lose weight, but was
eventually resigned to his girth, but with
mirth.
A healthy mind in a healthy body is
reflective of the age old conviction on
mindful living to stay healthy, not just
physically but mentally too. While
physical exercises play their role in good
health, fasting too plays its role. If fasting
is an integral part of Hinduism ( or Sanatan
Dharma ), it is a common practice in several
other religions like Christianity, Islam,
Judaism, Sikhism and so many other faiths.
Many of the fasting practices are linked
to festivals while several other are linked
to lunar positions. Myriad other practices
have evolved over a period – driven by
individual needs or recommendation by
health experts.
Several Hindus fast on Mondays,
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays,
depending on their ‘ishta devi-devatas’ or
on Ekadashi or Sankashti or Angarika or
on the occasion of Mahashivartri or Ganesh
Chaturthi or Navaratri. Muslims maintain
‘roza’ from sunrise to sunset for a period of
30 days during their ninth month Ramadan
(Ramzan), after spotting the crescent moon.
Christians fast during the 40 days period
of Lent, when they remember the various
events leading up to the death of Jesus
Christ. While these are illustrative, several
other religions have similar practices on
various occasions.
Our body is an engineering marvel
working to clock work precision created
by nature or the divine. If we have to keep
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #40 | OCTOBER 2022
system periodically so that it can keep
inveterately functioning between our
birth and death. Fasting is but a way of
abstinence to give that much needed rest
and recoupment. These facts are validated
by various medical practices like ayurveda,
naturopathy, allopathy, homeopath,
allopathy, unani and several other medical
researches and studies.
To illustrate, in Ayurveda the central
premise is that our health is dependent on
‘agni’ or digestion. If our digestion is good,
we will be healthy. If our digestion is poor,
it will lead to poor health. A bad digestion
or a low agni will disturb the fine balance
between the various digestive elements or
doshas like vata, pitta and kapha, leading to
accumulation of ‘aama’ or toxins/wastes in
our body and cause poor health or disease.
To maintain the fine balance and keep
the digestive system working efficiently,
fasting is a necessary practice. All schools
of thoughts on fasting and medical practices
converge on the rationale of fasting.
In essence, fasting or abstaining from
food is observed by people for specific or
extended periods for spiritual or medical/
therapeutic or general health reasons. It
purifies the body, boosts stamina, enhances
endurance, stabilises blood pressure levels,
regulates sugar levels, promotes focus and
nourishes physical health for a good life.
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