Fasting is the process of temporarily skipping meals in an effort to cleanse the body, give the digestion system a rest or cut calories and further weight loss. Fasting for long periods of time can put your health at risk, but missing only a meal or two is not likely to cause significant harm. However, experts are divided on whether fasting actually provides mental or physical benefits.
Reasoning
There are a variety of reasons why you might choose to fast for a meal and a half. For instance, if you want to lose weight, it follows that cutting calories by skipping meals would help you do so. However, that isn't necessarily the case, since you may make up for the calories you missed by eating even more later. Religious reasons are often the basis for fasting too. Perhaps the best-known example is the tradition of Muslims eating just a light breakfast, fasting during daylight hours and then breaking the fast with an evening meal throughout the month of Ramadan.
Pros
If you fast for spiritual, religious or psychological reasons, you may experience some benefit from the process. Fasting can help some people feel better afterward; it could be from euphoria brought on by calorie restriction or from religious beliefs, according to Columbia University's health experts. You also may also feel more focused or energetic during a fasting period.
Cons
Depriving the body of essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals prevents it from making enzymes and antibodies that are necessary to ward off infection and disease. In a 2007 article for "The Guardian," journalist Homa Khaleeli interviewed nutrition scientist Anna Denny, who stated that fasting is tied with irritability, mood swings, headaches, lack of concentration, lightheadedness and fatigue. Denny also remarked that people who fast for the purpose of cutting calories are unlikely to lose weight as a result of the act.
Considerations
Before you choose to fast for any reason, speak with your doctor and get approval. Healthy people are not likely to suffer nutrient deficiencies or any serious medical problems with half a day's fast, but people with pre-existing health conditions may experience complications that require medical attention.
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