5 ms·

If there were ever a panacea, it would be fasting. The more tight and widespread the research becomes, the more that we prove what humanity has known anecdotall

by Cro_on 6y ago

If there were ever a panacea, it would be fasting. The more tight and widespread the research becomes, the more that we prove what humanity has known anecdotally throughout civilisation. From being a Roman cure for epileptic seizures, through the integral practice in most religions, and to the 21st century where we start to prove that it increases both healthspan and lifespan. I find it quite interesting that something so simple, which practically anybody can do, can have such a positive effect on one's life. You are literally healing and regenerating yourself by doing nothing! And instead of compounding medical bills you actually save money! Thank you modern science for validating my no longer fringe medical beliefs :)

mmhsieh 6y ago
while on fasts, you get an energy level and mental clarity that has to be felt to be believed. everyone should try it at least once.
- Cro_on 6y ago
  i like to persuade people by having them imagine an isolated tiger who hasn't eaten anything in a week. by force of nature their sense of smell, hearing, etc. must all be heightened so as to ensure their survival.
  - milquetoastaf 6y ago
    So you just say a bunch of bullshit...ok
  - SketchySeaBeast 6y ago
    But that's because they are incredibly hungry and food focused, at that point they don't care about taking part in other activities and just want food. That tiger would definitely not be the sort I'd care to be around.
    - Cro_on 6y ago
      understandably! it will no longer be thinking: human animal, could be dangerous.. but a tiger has evolved to be an apex predator, and not much else. our predatory speciality is more about leverage than brute force, or scavenging rather than hunting. so i think the logic still applies that cognition can be improved in a way that is beneficial to modern humans. resourcefulness implying that resources are found / conjured when they appeared to be lacking?
- koevet 6y ago
  I have been on a 18/6 and 20/4 fasting protocol for 3 months now - few up and downs but mostly sticking to it. The obvious results are weight loss (not so much, I'm within my BMI targets). I can confirm that my mental sharpness has improved but it's not the same every day. Most days I feel amazing, some other days I feel quite tired and I experience some mental fog. I still haven't found the reason for such an oscillation. I suspect it has to do with what I eat during the eating window (for instance, more sugarish food, more carbs, etc). I think I should record what I eat and compare it with the overall well-being to get to some conclusions.
  - kovek 6y ago
    I noticed that in the winter, eating mostly fruits would cause a “crash” about ~30mins-1h after my fruity meal (but dang I had a lot of energy during that time). When I ate potatoes, spaghetti, I would have a longer span of energy.
- qntty 6y ago
  I hear people say this a lot, but I've done plenty of fasting and rarely experienced this, and when I did, it was very mild. I don't know if I'm significantly outside the norm. The noticeable difference is that I feel pretty low energy after about ~24 hours of fasting.
- xutopia 6y ago
  I did a 3 day fast to see what it was all about. The energy levels were not there. I would get tired after a short brisk walk. Physically I was weaker but still had burst strength just no endurance or cardio. Mentally however I found myself unable to have too many variables in my head and my mind was not more able to focus on something but less distracted with extraneous thoughts. I could if I wanted to shut off the chatter in my brain and meditation became very easy. It is definitely a different mode for me and I do appreciate it but I'm told that many people in my family have ADD and that I might actually be showing symptoms that would go away when in ketosis.
  - adventured 6y ago
    Did you try it more than just for that three days (as in, try multiple fasts over time), and or try other variations of it (eg 16/8 intermittent fasting) to see if one of those might suit you better?
  - koevet 6y ago
    I don't think that a sudden 3 days fast will bring any immediate benefits (perhaps some weight loss), on the contrary. I see fasting more as a long term, life choice. I do feel more energetic and sharp during fasting. I recently did a full check-up (I'm 48) and all my blood/urine values were spot on - before starting my fasting protocol some values mostly related to arteriosclerosis were slightly over the recommended values. Obviously, this doesn't say much or it's far from being a scientific proof: it's just an observation. There are good chances that for a lot of people fasting would just not help and make life misearable.
    - ewindal 6y ago
      Definitely. I started deopping breakfast. At first it was hell. But you get used to it. Noe I’m down to one meal a day. It’s very convenient, and my energy levels aren’t affected by food intake.
  - Nihilartikel 6y ago
    I had a period a few years back where I did fasts up to 3 days quite frequently.. Once I got used to it they felt pretty good. But, the point I wanted to add is that they would have been very difficult for me if I wasn't also doing a pretty strict low-carb ketosis diet. Without the hunger control of keto and having my body acclimated to using stored fat as a primary energy source, fasts have been untenable.
- hourislate 6y ago
  I have fasted 100 lbs away over the last 2 years. I adhere to an 18/6 time delay eating schedule but have done 2-3 day fasts with 1 refeed meal for a month at a time. I've also done countless 5-7 day fasts. I've gone as long as 12 days with nothing but water. There were many months where I could count the number of times I ate on one hand. My last go was every other day with just one meal on my eating days. I did that this year for all of January to the end of March and would never recommend alternate day fasting to anyone. You will mess your self and your metabolism up. You will lose a lot of muscle. Alternate day fasting should be avoided. Never over two years did I feel any of the mental clarity or more energy you speak of. I follow guys like Cole (snake diet) and even he speaks of the feeling of dying and lying in bed shivering on a 5-7 day. Are you sure about the metal clarity and energy levels, because I and the folks I know who fast don't seem to have those affects.
  - thisisbrians 6y ago
    Many, many people who follow fasting/ketogenic diets report heightened energy and focus, myself included. This usually comes after the carb/keto flu phase once adjusted to the low carb intake and after the body has gone fully into ketosis. You have to be careful to get enough salt while fasting or eating very low-carb, though, as your body can struggle to hold on to water without those carbs you're used to eating. Consuming too little salt can definitely contribute to feeling sluggish.
  - sambeau 6y ago
    When I fasted I remember the feeling of energy kicking in around day 2-3. I had moments of supreme clarity but also moments of fuzziness. The energy boost was real though. I continued to exercise quite heavily so didn't't see any muscle loss. I'm quite a big guy so there were a lot of fat reserves to melt—my skin became very greasy as if I'd eaten a very fat-heavy meal, I could even taste the oil in my mouth. I wonder if, if you are not a big eater, then the difference might be less than if you tended to be full of food, digesting away all day and night. Similarly, if there's not a lot of fat on you maybe, rather than burning fat with an energy boost, you end up burning muscle and feel tired?
  - nwienert 6y ago
- swarnie_ 6y ago
  Do you have any recommend resources around fasting? or a preferred routine? I'm very interested in reading more.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  - hispanic 6y ago
    The resource I've heard recommended most often is "The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting" by Fung and Moore. I just checked-out a copy from my library and will be reading it soon.
    - swarnie_ 6y ago
      I have no idea what a library is but i found this on Amazon for 9 British Roubles.
- agumonkey 6y ago
  I felt something a bit similar, that I assume is your brain abandoning the desire for stimulus from food, leading you to go deep into whatever else to feel something. Very nice trick indeed.
- ericmcer 6y ago
  Henry Cavill talked about the extreme dehydration he experiences prior to filming a shirtless scene, to make sure there is no water retention, and how he could 'smell water' from across the room. It makes sense biologically you would get some heightened awareness mixed with periods of extreme lethargy as your body tried to preserve itself.
rlv-dan 6y ago
How long do you need to fast for benefits? Is water the only supplement allowed? Curious
- Shermanium 6y ago
  https://cardiosmash.com/20-4-fasting-is-it-better-than-16-8-18-6-or-omad/ https://cardiosmash.com/20-4-fasting-is-it-better-than-16-8-...
- PoachedSausage 6y ago
  I have a book called Fasting and Eating for Health by Joel Fuhrman MD (ISBN 0-312-18719-X). In it, he recommends fasting for between 10 - 15 days around once every 10 years. I have actually completed a 10 day water only fast a few months ago (good use of lockdown), it takes my body around 4 to 5 days to switch completely to ketosis, then to the end of the fast I was burning through 1 pound/~0.5 kg of fat per day. You can watch it happen every morning when you weigh yourself.
  - ragazzina 6y ago
    0.5kg of fat contain 4500 calories, how did you burn 4500 calories per day?
- Cro_on 6y ago
  woow, other comment recommending fifteen day fast is a) dangerous and b) doesn't answer your question?? i fast twice per week for ~30 hours and drink copious amounts of tea and coffee. but intermittent fasting also works, the really important information is that ketosis can begin after as little as 12 hours, so basically fast for a minimum 14 hours if you want any effect at all, and everything after that is bonus. no extras in your coffees btw, though a splash of milk / coconut oil in your breakfast coffee is acceptable :)
  - PoachedSausage 6y ago
    Where is the evidence that a 15 day fast is dangerous?
hazz99 6y ago
How does a fasting mimicking diet (FMD, like the one described in the article) work? I had a skim and didn’t see a detailed explanation. What’s your experience like?
- projektfu 6y ago
  The FMD in the article was approximately 200 calories per day for 3 days, using a standardized set of allowed items (broths, etc.) This was done in preparation for each chemo treatment.
bad_user 6y ago
And yet, most of what you said is bullshit that's not evidence based. "Autophagy", that famous process which supposedly happens during fasting, that miraculously regenerates us, actually happens during caloric restriction, and it's actually a daily process that happens during the night, in everyone, while glycogen stores get naturally depleted. And we have no evidence that increased autophagy levels are beneficial, quite the contrary, we have some evidence that, right after fasting, the immune system is suppressed. The bigger the caloric restriction, the larger effect on refeeding. An effect very relevant for malnourished populations that suddenly get access to food. This is basically modern quackery, medical technobabble lacking any evidence other than obscure studies done on mice. What "healers" and witches used to do, but taken to the next level. And unfortunately it is also a recipe for serious eating disorders. Hello anorexia.
- PoachedSausage 6y ago
  Someone recently posted a link on HN to a book by an Herbert Shelton MD that you might find interesting: https://web.archive.org/web/20110222200902/http://www.soilandhealth.org/02/0201hyglibcat/020127shelton.III/020127.toc.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20110222200902/http://www.soilan...
- wtetzner 6y ago
  Fasting isn't about starving yourself, or being malnourished. When you do eat, you should be getting plenty of calories, and eating well, not garbage.
- lubonay 6y ago
  Fasting != malnourishment tho. Anecdotally, I've been doing 16/8, 20/4 intermittent fasting and a couple of 24-48h fasts over the past 10 years and have not yet developed anorexia.
  - StavrosK 6y ago
    I've been doing 16/8 for the past year+ and I've barely lost any weight (BMI of 25.5ish but I'm muscular). I've always been quite comfortable going without food for 16 hours, so I'm never even hungry.
nemo44x 6y ago
Works for other things too like plants. A bit of stress ends up making them more resilient. Depriving them a bit of water and Sun can make for a stronger plant. Of course there are limits but when done right you end up with a plant that on average is stronger.
zhynn 6y ago
I always find it funny that fasting comes up so often, but a ctrl-f almost never turns up someone mentioning Ramadan. Nearly 25% of the world population fasts for an entire month, but it's almost invisible to the western world. While I don't agree with all of the details of the fast (I drink water), I think it is an admirable holiday, it's way healthier for the world than Christmas or Thanksgiving.
- roystonvassey 6y ago
  Yes. Like the GP mentioned, fasting is a ritualistic practiced in many cultures. In India, for example, there are fasting days in a month and many have certain days of the week even where they fast.
- koevet 6y ago
  I lived in Saudi Arabia for two years and did Ramadan, out of not wanting to offend my Saudi colleagues who were fasting. As a practictioner of fasting, I don't think that "modern" Ramadan has much to do with fasting anymore - at least, in the way I see fasting working for me. Reason being that at the end of each day of fasting, there is a very large amount of food being consumed, and I mean a lot. Fasting is about calorie restriction for sustained amount of time - modern Ramadan (based on the experience I had in Saudi, which is a very conservative country) is not really about restricting calories, but just shifting the time of the day in which A LOT of calories are ingested.
  - dqv 6y ago
    I've heard the same, although it was only with one person I know. I was talking to my friend about Ramadan and how I thought it was a really healthy behavior. She laughed and told me that a lot of people eat garbage (her word, not mine - a lot of fatty and fried foods) and she had to take the initiative to eat healthier stuff during Ramadan. Still, it definitely gives you the opportunity to reset every year.
  - M277 6y ago
    Egyptian here, can confirm this unfortunately. Most here just go all-in when they break their fast. In fact, I would say that they ingest more calories in Ramadan than in regular days. I advise all I know to eat with moderation, but few listen :( Personally, when I started to eat moderately when fasting, I started to feel much better. Previously, I would be very tired when breaking the fast... I would be so full that I wouldn't be able to do anything except lie down. I think that the current trends are due to people nowadays seeing it like a mega celebration, and they see that eating a lot and feeling tired after is just a sign of that celebration. Ramadan is more than just fasting, but I am going off-topic. By the way, there's a sunnah in Islam to fast Monday's and Thursday's. Some here may find it beneficial.
agumonkey 6y ago
I should dig what people were saying about fasting in the previous eras. Of course it's well known how integrated with religion it was but it was never mentioned as a physiological lever.. more like an emotional/moral act. Also it would be weird to see people in those days, allegedly not having access to the cornucopia of yummy food we have in 2020, going into fasting. Maybe more diseases on average made them realize that the less fed survived better ?

by Cro_on 6y ago

mmhsieh 6y ago

while on fasts, you get an energy level and mental clarity that has to be felt to be believed. everyone should try it at least once.

Cro_on 6y ago
i like to persuade people by having them imagine an isolated tiger who hasn't eaten anything in a week. by force of nature their sense of smell, hearing, etc. must all be heightened so as to ensure their survival.
- milquetoastaf 6y ago
  So you just say a bunch of bullshit...ok
- SketchySeaBeast 6y ago
  But that's because they are incredibly hungry and food focused, at that point they don't care about taking part in other activities and just want food. That tiger would definitely not be the sort I'd care to be around.
  - Cro_on 6y ago
    understandably! it will no longer be thinking: human animal, could be dangerous.. but a tiger has evolved to be an apex predator, and not much else. our predatory speciality is more about leverage than brute force, or scavenging rather than hunting. so i think the logic still applies that cognition can be improved in a way that is beneficial to modern humans. resourcefulness implying that resources are found / conjured when they appeared to be lacking?
koevet 6y ago
I have been on a 18/6 and 20/4 fasting protocol for 3 months now - few up and downs but mostly sticking to it. The obvious results are weight loss (not so much, I'm within my BMI targets). I can confirm that my mental sharpness has improved but it's not the same every day. Most days I feel amazing, some other days I feel quite tired and I experience some mental fog. I still haven't found the reason for such an oscillation. I suspect it has to do with what I eat during the eating window (for instance, more sugarish food, more carbs, etc). I think I should record what I eat and compare it with the overall well-being to get to some conclusions.
- kovek 6y ago
  I noticed that in the winter, eating mostly fruits would cause a “crash” about ~30mins-1h after my fruity meal (but dang I had a lot of energy during that time). When I ate potatoes, spaghetti, I would have a longer span of energy.
qntty 6y ago
I hear people say this a lot, but I've done plenty of fasting and rarely experienced this, and when I did, it was very mild. I don't know if I'm significantly outside the norm. The noticeable difference is that I feel pretty low energy after about ~24 hours of fasting.
xutopia 6y ago
I did a 3 day fast to see what it was all about. The energy levels were not there. I would get tired after a short brisk walk. Physically I was weaker but still had burst strength just no endurance or cardio. Mentally however I found myself unable to have too many variables in my head and my mind was not more able to focus on something but less distracted with extraneous thoughts. I could if I wanted to shut off the chatter in my brain and meditation became very easy. It is definitely a different mode for me and I do appreciate it but I'm told that many people in my family have ADD and that I might actually be showing symptoms that would go away when in ketosis.
- adventured 6y ago
  Did you try it more than just for that three days (as in, try multiple fasts over time), and or try other variations of it (eg 16/8 intermittent fasting) to see if one of those might suit you better?
- koevet 6y ago
  I don't think that a sudden 3 days fast will bring any immediate benefits (perhaps some weight loss), on the contrary. I see fasting more as a long term, life choice. I do feel more energetic and sharp during fasting. I recently did a full check-up (I'm 48) and all my blood/urine values were spot on - before starting my fasting protocol some values mostly related to arteriosclerosis were slightly over the recommended values. Obviously, this doesn't say much or it's far from being a scientific proof: it's just an observation. There are good chances that for a lot of people fasting would just not help and make life misearable.
  - ewindal 6y ago
    Definitely. I started deopping breakfast. At first it was hell. But you get used to it. Noe I’m down to one meal a day. It’s very convenient, and my energy levels aren’t affected by food intake.
- Nihilartikel 6y ago
  I had a period a few years back where I did fasts up to 3 days quite frequently.. Once I got used to it they felt pretty good. But, the point I wanted to add is that they would have been very difficult for me if I wasn't also doing a pretty strict low-carb ketosis diet. Without the hunger control of keto and having my body acclimated to using stored fat as a primary energy source, fasts have been untenable.
hourislate 6y ago
I have fasted 100 lbs away over the last 2 years. I adhere to an 18/6 time delay eating schedule but have done 2-3 day fasts with 1 refeed meal for a month at a time. I've also done countless 5-7 day fasts. I've gone as long as 12 days with nothing but water. There were many months where I could count the number of times I ate on one hand. My last go was every other day with just one meal on my eating days. I did that this year for all of January to the end of March and would never recommend alternate day fasting to anyone. You will mess your self and your metabolism up. You will lose a lot of muscle. Alternate day fasting should be avoided. Never over two years did I feel any of the mental clarity or more energy you speak of. I follow guys like Cole (snake diet) and even he speaks of the feeling of dying and lying in bed shivering on a 5-7 day. Are you sure about the metal clarity and energy levels, because I and the folks I know who fast don't seem to have those affects.
- thisisbrians 6y ago
  Many, many people who follow fasting/ketogenic diets report heightened energy and focus, myself included. This usually comes after the carb/keto flu phase once adjusted to the low carb intake and after the body has gone fully into ketosis. You have to be careful to get enough salt while fasting or eating very low-carb, though, as your body can struggle to hold on to water without those carbs you're used to eating. Consuming too little salt can definitely contribute to feeling sluggish.
- sambeau 6y ago
  When I fasted I remember the feeling of energy kicking in around day 2-3. I had moments of supreme clarity but also moments of fuzziness. The energy boost was real though. I continued to exercise quite heavily so didn't't see any muscle loss. I'm quite a big guy so there were a lot of fat reserves to melt—my skin became very greasy as if I'd eaten a very fat-heavy meal, I could even taste the oil in my mouth. I wonder if, if you are not a big eater, then the difference might be less than if you tended to be full of food, digesting away all day and night. Similarly, if there's not a lot of fat on you maybe, rather than burning fat with an energy boost, you end up burning muscle and feel tired?
- nwienert 6y ago
swarnie_ 6y ago
Do you have any recommend resources around fasting? or a preferred routine? I'm very interested in reading more.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- hispanic 6y ago
  The resource I've heard recommended most often is "The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting" by Fung and Moore. I just checked-out a copy from my library and will be reading it soon.
  - swarnie_ 6y ago
    I have no idea what a library is but i found this on Amazon for 9 British Roubles.
agumonkey 6y ago
I felt something a bit similar, that I assume is your brain abandoning the desire for stimulus from food, leading you to go deep into whatever else to feel something. Very nice trick indeed.
ericmcer 6y ago
Henry Cavill talked about the extreme dehydration he experiences prior to filming a shirtless scene, to make sure there is no water retention, and how he could 'smell water' from across the room. It makes sense biologically you would get some heightened awareness mixed with periods of extreme lethargy as your body tried to preserve itself.

rlv-dan 6y ago

How long do you need to fast for benefits? Is water the only supplement allowed? Curious

Shermanium 6y ago
https://cardiosmash.com/20-4-fasting-is-it-better-than-16-8-18-6-or-omad/ https://cardiosmash.com/20-4-fasting-is-it-better-than-16-8-...
PoachedSausage 6y ago
I have a book called Fasting and Eating for Health by Joel Fuhrman MD (ISBN 0-312-18719-X). In it, he recommends fasting for between 10 - 15 days around once every 10 years. I have actually completed a 10 day water only fast a few months ago (good use of lockdown), it takes my body around 4 to 5 days to switch completely to ketosis, then to the end of the fast I was burning through 1 pound/~0.5 kg of fat per day. You can watch it happen every morning when you weigh yourself.
- ragazzina 6y ago
  0.5kg of fat contain 4500 calories, how did you burn 4500 calories per day?
Cro_on 6y ago
woow, other comment recommending fifteen day fast is a) dangerous and b) doesn't answer your question?? i fast twice per week for ~30 hours and drink copious amounts of tea and coffee. but intermittent fasting also works, the really important information is that ketosis can begin after as little as 12 hours, so basically fast for a minimum 14 hours if you want any effect at all, and everything after that is bonus. no extras in your coffees btw, though a splash of milk / coconut oil in your breakfast coffee is acceptable :)
- PoachedSausage 6y ago
  Where is the evidence that a 15 day fast is dangerous?

hazz99 6y ago

How does a fasting mimicking diet (FMD, like the one described in the article) work? I had a skim and didn’t see a detailed explanation. What’s your experience like?

projektfu 6y ago
The FMD in the article was approximately 200 calories per day for 3 days, using a standardized set of allowed items (broths, etc.) This was done in preparation for each chemo treatment.

bad_user 6y ago

And yet, most of what you said is bullshit that's not evidence based. "Autophagy", that famous process which supposedly happens during fasting, that miraculously regenerates us, actually happens during caloric restriction, and it's actually a daily process that happens during the night, in everyone, while glycogen stores get naturally depleted. And we have no evidence that increased autophagy levels are beneficial, quite the contrary, we have some evidence that, right after fasting, the immune system is suppressed. The bigger the caloric restriction, the larger effect on refeeding. An effect very relevant for malnourished populations that suddenly get access to food. This is basically modern quackery, medical technobabble lacking any evidence other than obscure studies done on mice. What "healers" and witches used to do, but taken to the next level. And unfortunately it is also a recipe for serious eating disorders. Hello anorexia.

PoachedSausage 6y ago
Someone recently posted a link on HN to a book by an Herbert Shelton MD that you might find interesting: https://web.archive.org/web/20110222200902/http://www.soilandhealth.org/02/0201hyglibcat/020127shelton.III/020127.toc.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20110222200902/http://www.soilan...
wtetzner 6y ago
Fasting isn't about starving yourself, or being malnourished. When you do eat, you should be getting plenty of calories, and eating well, not garbage.
lubonay 6y ago
Fasting != malnourishment tho. Anecdotally, I've been doing 16/8, 20/4 intermittent fasting and a couple of 24-48h fasts over the past 10 years and have not yet developed anorexia.
- StavrosK 6y ago
  I've been doing 16/8 for the past year+ and I've barely lost any weight (BMI of 25.5ish but I'm muscular). I've always been quite comfortable going without food for 16 hours, so I'm never even hungry.

nemo44x 6y ago

Works for other things too like plants. A bit of stress ends up making them more resilient. Depriving them a bit of water and Sun can make for a stronger plant. Of course there are limits but when done right you end up with a plant that on average is stronger.

zhynn 6y ago

I always find it funny that fasting comes up so often, but a ctrl-f almost never turns up someone mentioning Ramadan. Nearly 25% of the world population fasts for an entire month, but it's almost invisible to the western world. While I don't agree with all of the details of the fast (I drink water), I think it is an admirable holiday, it's way healthier for the world than Christmas or Thanksgiving.

roystonvassey 6y ago
Yes. Like the GP mentioned, fasting is a ritualistic practiced in many cultures. In India, for example, there are fasting days in a month and many have certain days of the week even where they fast.
koevet 6y ago
I lived in Saudi Arabia for two years and did Ramadan, out of not wanting to offend my Saudi colleagues who were fasting. As a practictioner of fasting, I don't think that "modern" Ramadan has much to do with fasting anymore - at least, in the way I see fasting working for me. Reason being that at the end of each day of fasting, there is a very large amount of food being consumed, and I mean a lot. Fasting is about calorie restriction for sustained amount of time - modern Ramadan (based on the experience I had in Saudi, which is a very conservative country) is not really about restricting calories, but just shifting the time of the day in which A LOT of calories are ingested.
- dqv 6y ago
  I've heard the same, although it was only with one person I know. I was talking to my friend about Ramadan and how I thought it was a really healthy behavior. She laughed and told me that a lot of people eat garbage (her word, not mine - a lot of fatty and fried foods) and she had to take the initiative to eat healthier stuff during Ramadan. Still, it definitely gives you the opportunity to reset every year.
- M277 6y ago
  Egyptian here, can confirm this unfortunately. Most here just go all-in when they break their fast. In fact, I would say that they ingest more calories in Ramadan than in regular days. I advise all I know to eat with moderation, but few listen :( Personally, when I started to eat moderately when fasting, I started to feel much better. Previously, I would be very tired when breaking the fast... I would be so full that I wouldn't be able to do anything except lie down. I think that the current trends are due to people nowadays seeing it like a mega celebration, and they see that eating a lot and feeling tired after is just a sign of that celebration. Ramadan is more than just fasting, but I am going off-topic. By the way, there's a sunnah in Islam to fast Monday's and Thursday's. Some here may find it beneficial.

agumonkey 6y ago

I should dig what people were saying about fasting in the previous eras. Of course it's well known how integrated with religion it was but it was never mentioned as a physiological lever.. more like an emotional/moral act. Also it would be weird to see people in those days, allegedly not having access to the cornucopia of yummy food we have in 2020, going into fasting. Maybe more diseases on average made them realize that the less fed survived better ?