To Eat or Not to Eat

"I fast for greater physical and mental efficiency." - Plato

Yesterday, Friday, March 11th I stopped eating.

I have taken up the challenge of fasting for the first time in my life.

I will not eat a single bite of food for at least three days.

So far, it’s going very well.

Why did I take up such a horrendous challenge?

Well, there are three reasons.

First, I see it as a great test of self-determinism.

After all, I expect not eating for a few days to be rather challenging.

Second, I came across a range of articles proclaiming the incredible health benefits of fasting.

There is a fairly recent study by USC’s Valter Longo proclaiming that a three day fast can completely reset your immune system.

Who wouldn’t want to do that?

Additionally, intense cleaning of the physical and mental self sounded very intriguing to me.

If you are interested, I would encourage you to do some research on “water fasting” and its health benefits.

The third reason is the cognitive benefits of fasting.

There is a good amount of evidence supporting the claim that fasting has positive effects on cognitive functions.

Apparently, fasting increases levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which is a protein that interacts with neurons in the hippocampus, cortex, and basal forebrain. These areas regulate memory, learning, and higher cognitive functions - everything that is uniquely human. 

While it helps neurons survive, it can actually help facilitate the growth of new neurons! 

This process goes by the title of neurogenesis.

Besides facilitating the growth of new neurons, it also facilitates the development of new synapses, the lines of communication between neurons.

I do not want to bore you with too much scientific talk, but if you are interested in this, I would like to encourage you to google Mark Mattson.

He has done extensive and very interesting research on the positive effects of fasting.

On top of that, fasting as a spiritual journey has obviously been around for thousands of years.

What do Gandhi, Aristotle, Plato, Jesus, Moses, Buddha, Mohammed, Socrates, Pythagoras all have in common?

They all proclaimed fasting as an amazing tool for mental clarity and communication with the deity.

Hmm, seems like there’s something in the water here…

Anyway, I will write a little reflection on my fasting experience once I complete it.

If you are thinking about fasting, make sure to do thorough research before.

Fasting should not be taken lightly.

After all, it’s starving yourself…

If any of you have fasted before, I would love to hear about your experience!

Until then,

Stay tuned Growthinkers.

If you missed any of the last few posts, click on their title below!

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Four Lessons From Moses

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