The FastDay Forum

I love Life matters on ABC Radio National. It was RN that introduced me to the BBC Horizon program airing that night

Just caught that this is on in a few minutes in Australia..

BBC The Why Factor Fasting


Know anyone on the so-called 5:2 diet? It’s based on controlled calorie intake with 2 days each week of semi-‘fasting’ ....

But why would someone go voluntarily without food, or even water? Sometimes it’s related to religious or spiritual reasons, but is there a place in contemporary society for fasting for non-religious reasons?

That’s the question BBC producer Charlotte McDonald wanted to answer. In this piece she speaks to those who have fasted to find out why they do it, she meets Dr Michael Mosley author of “The Fast Diet” to find out about his take on the science behind fasting and why some people are opting for it as a lifestyle choice.

Other guests in the program are Dr David Grummett School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh and Dr Ian Ashley Senior Lecturer in Japanese at the University of Edinburgh



its on at 9.40am today Monday 7th October for Aussie forum members.

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/bbc-the-why-factor-fasting/4992156



this is the BBC program that you can listen to

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01g7f4l

sorry if already posted somewhere

Thanks for that. I think at the end she made it sound much harder than it is. Maybe she's right, you have to be in the right mind set. Good job I am.
Dee

Great program. BBC always produces great material.

Some of the program was devoted to the concept of fasting for religious reasons but

Dr. M featured and they followed a lady that is doing (and struggling) a 24 hour full fast. (I think it was a full liquid fast.. no eating, no 500/25% TDEE calories per pure 5:2) and her struggle through the day as it was early days in her fasting regime.
The woman was doing it for "curiousity" not for weight loss. Possibly why it was harder for her

Some points on the non religious side of things mainly from Dr. M.

- You need to go into fasting with the right mental attitude. If you go all out it only takes a few days to get used to it. - Takes about 2 weeks for the fasting hunger pang fear to diminish.

- After about 16 hours the body goes into a "repair" mode/ spring cleaning mode. Goes to "fat burning"

- Our ancestors have been used to periods of non eating and if we couldn't handle

fasting we would have been extinct.

- Once you have done it properly you never feel the fear of hunger again

- Our bodies are really adapted

- Our bodies expect to be fed, then go hungry again then be fed again.

- Nacebo effect. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocebo

- Humans are incredibly adabtable

- Normally our bodies are in a "go go" mode. When you are without food bodies switch to a different mode. It switches to a spring clean. This begins just overnight

- Body switches from protein metabolism (building) turns into protein breakdown - getting rid of "rubbish cells"

- Peope are overweight generally speaking, livers are getting clogged.

- Viscerinal internal fat is first fat to go. Declog liver and pancreas and in some cases, pancreas springs back to life.



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The religious side of things was fascinating. "Fasting sharpens the mind for religious believers"

- The program Hindu tradition of Gorva chot. fasting. Women fast for their men to celebrate their devotion to their hustband. from sunrise to first seeing the moon in the evening! The women sometimes drive around to find the moon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karva_Chauth.

- Islam - 29 days of fasting for Ramadan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan#Fasting

- Islam - Ramadam is about giving Glory to Allah. not just about denying yourself. Establishing a proper rela

- Tisha bath fasting - celebrate catastrophes strong sense of mourning connecting with fasthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tisha_B%27Av

- Christianity - giving up meat in lent. Strong sense of solidarity with Jeseus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lent#Other ... ng_periods

- Japanese Buddhist Monks that follow a ritual practice to "end their careers". the eat only products from trees after which they are "buries alive" and mummified. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/atlas-obs ... 25733.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_mummies



The woman decided btw not to fast again.