Should I Fast?

With Rosh Hashanah starting today, I thought it would be good to talk about fasting. When we look at this holiday particularly, it's about reflecting and self-examination; what your year has been like?

A good question to ask yourself is: Did I take care of my body and am I setting a good example for my family?

Often when people fast for religious reasons, they have some kind of panic experience the day before and massively over eat and indulge in lots of junkie food because they are afraid of not being able to enjoy it tomorrow.

If this is your attitude to fasting, then personally, I don't recommend it.

This kind of binge eating is bad for your body and sets a terrible example for those around you. You usually end up doing more harm than good.

One pound of fat contains 3,500 calories and you usually consume around 2,000 calories a day, so when fasting you are not even going to lose the equivalent of one pound of fat by not eating, so there is no need to load up on calories the day before.

In fact, easing into fasting is one way to help prepare your mind and body. A juice fast in the lead up to your fast can really help. You're filling your body with good nutrients and making sure you don't become malnourished, but as juice is fully digested in around 15 minutes, you will still be giving the digestive system plenty of rest in between each glass and preparing it for longer stretches without food.

Another way to make the fast more pleasant is to distract yourself. Many Jewish children have fond memories of family days playing games and telling stories. Keeping everyone occupied is the best way to prevent cravings and snacking.

Obviously, if you have health issues, such as diabetes or MSUD, or if you are pregnant, then you should definitely not be fasting - at least not without the supervision of a doctor. Most major religions have exemptions for these people anyway.

However, if you are fit and healthy, then fasting is actually very beneficial for your body - not just spiritually, but also physically. Fasting improves insulin sensitivity, speeds up the metabolism, improves brain function, reduces free radical damage, regulates inflammatory conditions, can help clear skin, and improve acne.

Dr Mike has a great video on some of the benefits that you can watch here:

Whatever you're doing, I hope you enjoy the season and pray that you are renewed for a sweet and good new year!