Benefits of fasting...

[Gem]

I typically eat one meal a day, but sometimes I have breakfast as well, and sometimes I pick up a snack, but most days I just have one large meal in the evening. Not that I think that's the best. It's probably better to have 3 or 4 smaller meals. I have scientific reasons for that, but mostly, it's just what works effectively for an individual to get the right calories and nutrients.

Meal timing isn't a very high priority. Fasts fall under the 'meal-timing' category - a low nutritional priority.

[JustBe]

@gem it sounds like you are fasting without calling it that. Especially on days you’re not eating breakfast.

I do fasts where by I might have my nighttime meal then not eat till one or two pm the next day.

I think at times it’s good to let the digestive system rest and restore, but that’s my body.

[ajay00]

@Gem.

You are around 60, and I am not sure whether it is a good idea for you to have fasts since your system is not habituated to it.

You can try some intermittent fasts during times of fever or cold, or before meditation and record your observations in this regard.

If you notice betterment, you can adopt this system . If not, you can ignore it.

It is also important to observe rules and regulations of fasting such as breaking the fast with lemon or fruit juice and not solid foods which can be counter-productive. Researching can help you understand all such rules and regulations which can ensure you fast correctly and get the proper desired results.

The practice of fasting is there in most spiritual traditions and is a useful tool for character development, healing and spiritual development.

It can also help one in terms of developing self-control for proper dietetics, cutting out from junk food and other unhealthy foods which many are even addicted to.

[Gem]

Originally Posted by ajay00

@Gem.You can try some intermittent fasts during times of fever or cold,

The practice of fasting is there in most spiritual traditions and is a useful tool for character development, healing and spiritual development.

It can also help one in terms of developing self-control for proper dietetics, many are even addicted to.

Honestly, all this is a big nothing burger. At least 97% of healthy diet is getting the right calories and your essential nutrients. If that part is not in place, the fancy extras aren't going to do anything. If your diet is really good, then maybe do some little extras to optimise the last few %.

To me, fasting is a good strategy for calorie control when people want to lose weight. Many people find that restricting food to a short feeding window works well for them, but some don't.

If it's part of a spiritual practice, then might as well practice it, like Ramadam, or as the Buddhists say, don't eat after midday, I do that when I am on retreat, but in my normal life, it's just coffee, water, and a meal in the evening. Some call that intermittent fasting. I call it skipping breakfast. I do physical work, sometimes very strenuous work, so for me the whole balance is there: eat well and do lots of activity. That's why I don't get colds and other 'common' illnesses.

There are no addictive foods. The diet gurus keep insisting there are, especially sugar, but it's all hokum. There are hyper-palatable foods, which is the processed stuff, but they aren't addictive. Coffee is addictive. Sugar isn't.

People just get an idea and run with it, so the idea of fasting is one idea, and there's a story about spirituality etc, which makes an very important idea, but actually, it isn't important. It's fine, and people who like it should do it, but I think we might find the idea of fasting appeals greatly to people who do not have particularly positive relationships with food.

[ajay00]

Originally Posted by Gem

I typically eat one meal a day, but sometimes I have breakfast as well, and sometimes I pick up a snack, but most days I just have one large meal in the evening.

If what you say is true, by skipping breakfast and having just a single meal is a sort of intermittent fasting in itself.

Generally, I eat breakfast and lunch well, and tend to have a light supper before bed.

[JustBe]

The practice of fasting is there in most spiritual traditions and is a useful tool for character development, healing and spiritual development.-Ajay00

I recal in my deeper awakening process, I went through a spontaneous, no food no sleep ( or very little) for three days and pretty much everything just imploded on every level of my being. This wasn’t forced, just a natural progression in my process. So I can see why many spiritual traditions utilise this. In this way, I view my own readiness and process a natural follow on from a more conscious process.

The biggest problem with humans, is we over eat, we eat poorly at times, ( unless more conscious of yourself and food) we simply over indulge. Plus add to the picture, people want quick fixes, instant results and often dive into things to bring relief. I think a lot of practices that once were included as part of a balanced approach, often get taken to extreme believing it will bring quick results.

My experience is that less is best, balance is best, which includes the totality of your health and well-being.

Children if you notice, naturally sleep more and eat little when unwell. Instead of allowing processors a child will naturally model, to see how it can be, we panic and think they will starve and get more sick, so we substitute natural processors with other things. Yet children listen and know more directly before conditioning reveals other choices.

I think it’s important to listen to your own body more directly, learn about your balance inwardly and outwardly, listen and move more aware that way. There might be days your not hungry, listen to that, days where you might need lighter foods, listen to that, days where you need more nourishing warm foods, listen to that..the list goes on.