The Major Health Benefits Concerning Fasting - Research Paper Example

Meaning of Fasting in Various Religions Fasting is to abstain from food or eat very little or abstain from certain foods, especially as a religiousdiscipline. In this one sentence make it sounds really easy and simple but in reality there are many different way to practice fasting and reason for it. I personally choose Christianity because this religion consists of the highest number of people in the United States. Fasting is the process of abstinence from having food for a particular period so as to affect the metabolism of the individual who is doing the fast. An absolute fast is done when the person abstains from eating or drinking anything for 24 hours. The most fundamental and important concept in fasting is the fact that the individual should not eat or drink anything for the period he is fasting. This is considered to be imperative with the whole idea of fasting, and if the individual eats or drinks anything during the time he is fasting then the fast would have been considered to be broken. The Bible contains multiple reasons for the method of fasting for humans. This is done to make sure that people fast and through that effect they try to reach God. Fasting in Christianity is one of the most important practices and one of the way to remind oneself of God and his sacrifice for us, through the experience of hunger we can always remember what he is done for us. Also people fast when they are going through hard times, and this those hard times fasting is a great means of getting closer to God. like this scripture said "And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven" (Nehemiah 1:4) In the bible we can find a lot of part talk about fasting like this scripture. Let us now have a look at the various ways through which Christians fast. The biblical book of Isaiah says that a person should fast in the right faith of goodness for mankind and other human beings. It talks about what is an acceptable fast and how a man should go about it. It says that the man should afflict his soul by doing the absolute fast, which means abstinence from any desires of flesh, food or water for a considerable period of time. While at the same time the Book of Daniel talks about partial fast and observes its effect on the health of the fast doer. There are some observers who believe that fasting would not solve their problems and not bring them closer to God. However, these people are not in a huge number and they live their own philosophy which is not exhibited by the rest of the Christians. There are basically four different ways of fasting for the Christians, out of which the most popular form of fasting is Lent. The period of Lent is for 40 days. Unlike Islam which has fasting as one of the five pillars of the religion, Christianity does not make it a compulsory option for 30 days, however, there are two specific days where fasting is made to be important for all Christians to practice. These two days are Good Friday and Ash Wednesday. On these occasions Christians ought to fast to reach out to God in a better way. Abstaining from food is the typical kind of fast. (Daniel 6:18) There are occasions when people abstain from both food and drink, though this is not common. (Ezra 10:6) Typically, fasts are one day in length. (Judges 20:26) Sometimes, they are three days (Esther 4:16), or even seven days; "And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days. (1 Samuel 31:13) Fasting is an extremely spiritual exercise which requires immense mental stamina for the fast doer to go through. It is the real test of the individual where God tests the person on his mental toughness and the willingness to go through a strict regime of life without food for a while. This is God’s way of testing and identifying the character of the man. If the man can go through the day without the basic essential needs of life, then he can do anything which he desires through his sheer will power. The next part of the essay deals with the nutrients and the food aspect of fasting. It shall discuss and talk about the health effect on the humans when they fast, the level of food they require and the level of fluids and other components in their body. This part studies the fundamental concepts of social science with respect to food and nutrition. Glucose is the primary form of fuel for the body, as it is the main resource behind the functioning of the brain. Once a person does not eat for 4-8 hours then the brain starts to search for glucose from the other parts of the body, as it turns to liver for the availability of Glucose. A fast might last for 24 hours, and in that period the brain would be under tremendous pressure to eke the supply of Glucose from the rest of the body. If the fast is continued for a long time then it might result in the breakdown of the body which lead to loss of weight and catabolism, where the body starts to secrete such nutrients from the muscles. The body also starts to eject fats from the muscles and the tissues since it has been deprived of the same by the individual who fasts. Since there is not enough food intake in the body, then the body is forced to take the fats from the muscles to compensate for the lack of circulation of food inside it. There are however, major health benefits with respect to fasting. Since the body has not been able to get a lot of calories, there is usually a calorie restriction on the body, which results in some positive benefits for the body. We shall list out those benefits and gain an understanding with respect to how fasting helps the body in its normal routine day functioning. Since the body is not attracting large amount of calories and there is a tight check on the entry of calories, it restricts overgrowth which is sometimes beyond the body to manage for itself. The aging process is slowed down considerably once a person starts fasting, and this is a huge motivation for a lot of people to turn to fasting. The life span of the individual is increased dramatically and the individual is also less prone to various diseases in his lifetime. Some of those diseases are cancer, cardiovascular disease as well as diabetes. Fasting has the potential to improve the health of the individual by keeping a regular check on his diet and the intake of food and other nutrients. . Reference Giving up online social networks for Lent?. (2009). Christian Century, 126(7), 13. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. http://www.biblequestions.org/Archives/BQAR349.htm http://www.ankerberg.com/Articles/islam/IS1299W3.htm http://www.essortment.com/christianity-bible-say-fasting-43983.html http://www.gaianstudies.org/articles4.htm http://www.realfooduniversity.com/part-1-what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-fast-energy-production/ Read More