Fasting - ways and benefits

Growing up as a kid I remember my grandmother fasting on Mondays and Thursdays. Oh, how I looked forward to these days in the week! In our place the fasting tradition followed was ek-tanu (which means eating anna or any grains once a day), mostly for lunch. So breakfast was milk and fruits or sometimes fried peanuts. As kids, we would eagerly look forward to the evenings as there would be delicious - farari food - like sabudana khichdi, sama (buckyard millet) ni khichdi , kuti (buckwheat) na dhokla, rajigra (amaranth flour) bhajiyas..........

Sometimes my father would fast on Saturdays, but he's not a big believer and the tradition was discontinued. The best example of fasting with all the 'Niyama' plus faith is what I've seen my Mother do. She, being a working lady, had not opted to do any regular fasts. But, sometimes, she would opt to fast on Tuesdays, for Gayatri Ma. I remember her rising early in the morning, taking a bath, cleaning up the puja place, making the prasad, reciting the mantras, and all this would be finished by the time we got up for school.

Personally, I can't remain hungry over a long time. It affects my equilibrium and giving fasting as a reason for explaining perplexing behavior to the world outside is, well, who's going to buy that? So sometimes if I did fast on a festival day, it had to be followed by a sumptuous feast of fast food. My husband therefore says it is feasting not fasting. The days when I stop and literally observe my intake of food I see I'm consuming more food than I need - simply because it is there, needs to be finished!!! or my stomach has been a bit slow in informing my brain that it had enough 5 bites ago! Which is why I am getting convinced about the need to fast in some way or the other. Maybe give up some food group from daily diet for a while, or go off grains for a bit.

I think fasting is great if you are looking at it for some discipline - mental and physical. The benefits of fasting are listed here and here and here. If one gains spiritual benefits too out of it, even better.

Well, this post has been inspired not by religious or scientific or even health prompts. It was the frying of the last batch of sabudana murkhus, which we had made at my mother's house just a day before lil G was born :) which brought these memories alive.

Do you fast and how do you go about it? I'd love to hear your perspective.

Comments

  1. pankti15 April 2013 at 06:47

    You reminded me of my childhood!!!
    I remember those feasts!! Actually i realize that on fasting day, we used to eat more than regular, what with Rajgara puri, sheero, Bataka ni bhaji, Buf vada, shingoda ni kadhi and sama ni khichdi!!! Phew...

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    1. Chatty Wren15 April 2013 at 16:50

      Yes ZM, I really think fasting = feasting, for some of us! Buf vada is something new to me, have never heard of it before.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous15 April 2013 at 07:03

    I have fasted hardly till now. I can't remain hungry and I keep seeing food all the time especially when I am fasting so I am better off without it :)

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    1. Chatty Wren15 April 2013 at 16:53

      Same here, keeping my mind off food is so difficult. But I am convinced about the benefits of fasting per se.

      Delete
  3. Rachna15 April 2013 at 07:29

    I don't fast at all :).

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  4. Renu15 April 2013 at 07:44

    I fast once a week, doing so for last 40 years and then on some festivals too and navratri all eight days...I do it for religious point, health benefit is the bonus:)...it brings some restrain into my life about eating..

    I eat grains once a day, rest of the time tea, milk and fruits..

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    1. Chatty Wren15 April 2013 at 16:59

      I am also convinced about the discipline bit in fasting, Renuji. I also try to fast during Navratri.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous15 April 2013 at 10:54

    I did a bit of fasting in my school and college days, just for the experience. None of us in our family are believers in fasting, so I don't really have any personal memories of it.

    I do have some memories of friends at school and college fasting. I have never seen fasting being done with so much fervour as it was in Gujarat. My friends used to eat so much later in the name of fasting, that I used to joke with them and tell them they were 'feasting', not 'fasting'. :)

    I do believe in abstaining from certain foods for a while for the good of your body and mind. To reinforce discipline, basically, as you say. I am not sure of the spiritual benefits, though. In that sense, I would term such abstinence as following a healthy diet rather than fasting. I believe we need everything in our diet (even the cheese and paneer and chocolate) for our bodies, but in moderation. Eating everything in the right proportions is the right way to go about it, I think, rather than giving up a particular food altogether.

    No offense meant to anyone, please. These are purely my own views, and not meant to demoralise or criticize anyone.

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    1. Chatty Wren15 April 2013 at 17:11

      My grandmother would tell me as young girls and even later they would fast during Adhik Masa/Purshottam Masa, and eating no salt for a whole day (mora somvar), etc. TGND, you've said it very rightly. If one fasts or abstains from certain foods for a while and there is no religious or devout reasons, then it could be very well moderate eating. And will have sustained benefits on health. Well, now to go ahead and practise it:)

      Delete
  6. LG15 April 2013 at 17:55

    I tried fasting on Ekadeshi days, but gave up because I was cranky all day, which went against the whole idea of becoming a better person.
    I can't stay without regular food. I don't eat much in terms of quantity, but make up for it in frequency.

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    1. Chatty Wren16 April 2013 at 06:41

      I am like that too on days I decide to fast. I try to eat moderately or go off something for a while, but not fast entirely.

      Delete
  7. Uma17 April 2013 at 09:01

    I used to fast before marriage (to get a good husband, you know ;-)) and after I got one, I promptly never did any fasting ;-) Talk about being grateful and all :-)))
    And, I loved the things made during the fast period too...we did more of feasting than fasting..:-))

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    1. Chatty Wren18 April 2013 at 07:02

      Lol, that was nice to read - talk about being grateful and all :) I do think fasting and feasting go together for a lot of us!

      Delete
  8. Unknown20 April 2013 at 07:03

    I know I cannot fast just because if I delay my lunch, I start feeling hypoglycemic and cranky! I cannot imagine not eating for the whole day..I'll probably bite someone's head off! :D

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  9. Chatty Wren20 April 2013 at 12:40

    He he, I get cranky too if I miss my meals, can relate to the last line v. well:)

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