# Fasting Source: https://spiritfold.com/Fasting Published by the Australian Spiritual Alliance on Spiritfold, licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. **Fasting** is going without food, or eating or drinking less, for a set period of time.[1] Going wholly or partly without food is found in almost every culture, East and West, and religious traditions have long treated it as a necessary or helpful way of making or keeping contact with the divine.[2] Fasting is also used as a health practice, both in alternative medicine and in newer eating patterns such as intermittent fasting.[3][4] Fasting is not safe for everyone. See Safety and good practice below before fasting. ## Description Fasting takes two broad forms that are worth keeping apart: fasting as a religious or spiritual discipline, and fasting as a health or diet practice.[3] ### Religious fasting In her entry on fasting in the *Encyclopedia of Religion*, Rosemary Rader identifies at least three common reasons for religious fasting: - to prepare for an important event or time[2] - as an act of penitence or purification[2] - as an act of supplication (asking humbly for help or favour).[2] Examples she gives from different traditions include: - **Judaism**: Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, was the one fast set by the law of Moses; four more fast days were added after the Babylonian exile.[2] - **Christianity**: seasonal fasts developed, such as the forty days of Lent before Easter, along with weekly fasts on Wednesdays and Fridays and fasts before important occasions such as baptism and ordination.[2] - **Islam**: Muslims keep the ninth month, Ramadan, as a month of fasting in which no food or liquid is taken between dawn and sunset; some stricter groups also fast each Monday and Thursday.[2] - **Buddhism**: the Buddha taught moderation rather than excessive fasting, but many monks and nuns ate only one meal a day, before noon, and fasted on the days of the new and full moon.[2] - **Hinduism and Jainism**: ascetics fasted on pilgrimage and before certain festivals. In Jainism, fasting is seen as purifying because it can remove the accumulated *karman* that weighs down the soul.[2] - **Chinese traditions**: ritual fasting (*chai*) came before sacrifices, while Daoist thought valued "fasting of the heart" over bodily fasting.[2] Practice varies within each faith: some people follow fasting rules strictly and others more loosely.[5] Many religions that include fasting allow exceptions or changes for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.[1] ### Fasting for health The *Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine* describes fasting as going without food voluntarily for varying lengths of time, used both as a medical therapy and as a spiritual practice. In the alternative medicine practice it describes: - a **water fast** allows only pure water and occasional herbal teas[3] - a **juice fast** uses fruit and vegetable drinks, although the encyclopedia notes that juice fasts are not technically fasts[3] - a fast is entered gradually, by lightening the diet over a few days, and ended just as gradually.[3] **Intermittent fasting**, also called intermittent energy restriction, is a diet trend in which eating is limited to set times, with normal eating at some times and little or no food at others. It sets rules about when and how much a person eats, not about which foods. Common patterns include:[4] - time-restricted eating, such as the 16:8 plan, with an 8-hour eating window each day[4] - the 5:2 diet, with 2 days a week of only a small amount of food (usually 2,000 to 3,000 kilojoules) and normal eating on the other 5[4] - alternate-day fasting, or "eat-stop-eat", with a 24-hour fast on 1 or 2 days a week.[4] ## Scope ### What it includes - Religious fasts and fasting as a spiritual discipline[2] - Water and juice fasts as described in alternative medicine[3] - Intermittent fasting patterns[4] ### What it is not - **It is not safe for everyone.** Some people are advised not to fast at all (see Who should not fast).[4] - **It is not a proven health treatment.** healthdirect says that while intermittent fasting can lead to weight loss, more research is needed on other health benefits. Many claimed benefits have not been confirmed in human studies, and most of the early research was done on animals. Some research suggests the benefits come from eating less overall rather than from the timing of meals, and a recent human study found that people may lose weight without gaining the health benefits seen with some other diets.[4] - **It is not a replacement for medical care.** People with health conditions should have medical support while fasting.[3] ## Traditions and lineage The origins of fasting as a religious discipline are obscure, although the practice is recorded in many ancient cultures. Some scholars link it with mourning rites; others suggest it arose from the discovery that fasting could make people open to visions and dreams. Early Christians saw fasting, along with prayer and almsgiving, as a way of easing the tension between the body and the spirit.[2] In the alternative medicine tradition, fasting is presented as one of the oldest therapies; the *Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine* says that Hippocrates believed fasting allowed the body to heal itself.[3] Rader notes that in modern times fasting has been taken up as a health practice that often takes on the character of a religious ritual.[2] ## Context ### Within Spiritualism Spiritfold has found no published source linking fasting with Spiritualism. ### In Australian Spiritualism Spiritfold has found no published source linking fasting with Spiritualism in Australia. ### A Spiritualist perspective Fasting has deep roots in the world's religions, as the descriptions above show, and Spiritualists honour the fasts kept by people of other faiths. Within Spiritualism, though, the sources on this page find no tradition of fasting, and a Spiritualist teacher would not ask anyone to go without food to develop mediumship, sit in circle or give healing. A steady, well-fed body and a settled mind serve a medium far better than an empty stomach. The health advice below, that fasting can leave people weak, anxious or unable to concentrate, is worth heeding by anyone who sits in circle. A Spiritualist who chooses to fast for their own reasons is responsible for that choice, and should follow the health advice on this page and talk to their doctor first. Teachers should take particular care with young people and anyone who has had an eating disorder, and should never treat going hungry as a sign of spiritual progress. ## Fasting in Australia ### Government health advice Australian Government health services publish advice on fasting. healthdirect, the Australian Government's health information service, has information on intermittent fasting,[4] and its Pregnancy, Birth and Baby service has advice on religious fasting during pregnancy and breastfeeding.[1] ### Fasting in a multicultural country The Australian Sports Commission notes that, as a multicultural country, Australia has many religions with rules about food and fasting, from short fasting periods in Catholicism to routine fasting in the Mormon Church and a month without food or water during daylight for Ramadan. It encourages coaches to ask respectful questions about what people need to stay healthy while following their beliefs, and to adjust training to help people manage their energy and hydration.[5] Diabetes Australia publishes advice for people with diabetes who fast during Ramadan.[6] ## Safety and good practice ### Who should not fast healthdirect advises against intermittent fasting for:[4] - people who are underweight[4] - anyone with an eating disorder now or in the past[4] - people who are pregnant or breastfeeding[4] - children and teenagers[4] - older adults[4] - people who need to take a daily medicine with food.[4] People having treatment for cancer or taking diabetes medicines should talk to their doctor about whether intermittent fasting is safe for them. healthdirect advises everyone to see their doctor before starting, partly because the doctor may need to adjust the doses of any regular medicines, and suggests a dietitian can help make sure a person still gets the nutrients they need.[4] ### Warning signs Hunger and headaches are common at first. healthdirect advises people to stop intermittent fasting and talk to their doctor if they feel weak, anxious or irritable, can't concentrate, or can't manage their usual activities. Because the body also gets fluid from food, people may need to drink more water to avoid becoming dehydrated.[4] Long or strict fasting can also cause dehydration and low energy, and some religious diets can lead to shortfalls in nutrients such as iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, zinc or omega-3 if not managed well. These risks are higher for children, pregnant women and people with limited access to a variety of foods.[5] The *Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine* recommends medical supervision for any fast longer than three days.[3] ### Pregnancy and breastfeeding Research on the long-term effects of fasting is limited, and more is needed to know whether fasting in pregnancy is safe. Fasting may cause dehydration and fatigue during pregnancy.[1] Pregnancy, Birth and Baby advises: - anyone who is pregnant to check with their doctor or midwife before a religious fast, noting that many doctors do not recommend fasting in the second or third trimester[1] - contacting a health professional if you feel light-headed or dizzy while fasting[1] - for breastfeeding, where fasting is unlikely to harm the baby, drinking plenty of water before and after the fast and continuing to breastfeed as usual.[1] ### Diabetes Diabetes Australia says people with diabetes may be advised not to fast during Ramadan, for example if their diabetes is unstable, if they have type 1 diabetes, are unaware of hypos, are pregnant or unwell, or do heavy physical work. It advises seeing a doctor before Ramadan, never stopping insulin or diabetes medicines, and breaking the fast to treat a hypo, which is a medical emergency.[6] ## Related modalities - [Naturopathy](https://spiritfold.com/Naturopathy) - [Ayurveda](https://spiritfold.com/Ayurveda) - [Meditation](https://spiritfold.com/Meditation) ## References 1. ["Religious fasting – pregnancy and breastfeeding"](https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/religious-fasting-pregnancy-and-breastfeeding). Pregnancy, Birth and Baby, Healthdirect Australia (funded by the Australian Government). Last reviewed August 2025 (accessed 11 October 2026). 2. Rader, Rosemary. "Fasting". *Encyclopedia of Religion* (1987; revised bibliography). Gale. Via [Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/philosophy-and-religion/other-religious-beliefs-and-general-terms/religion-general/fasting) (accessed 11 October 2026). 3. Dupler, Douglas and Teresa G. Odle. "Fasting". *Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine*. Gale. Via [Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/philosophy-and-religion/other-religious-beliefs-and-general-terms/religion-general/fasting) (accessed 11 October 2026). 4. ["Intermittent fasting"](https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/intermittent-fasting). healthdirect, Healthdirect Australia (Australian Government). Last reviewed December 2025 (accessed 11 October 2026). 5. ["Fasting for religious practices"](https://www.ausport.gov.au/coaching/community/education/coaching-women-and-girls/resources/fasting-religious-practices). Australian Sports Commission, Australian Government (accessed 11 October 2026). 6. Lin, Shannon, with Lina Breik and Dyala Al Jabi. ["Managing diabetes during Ramadan"](https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/blog/diabetes-during-ramadan/). Diabetes Australia, 9 February 2025 (accessed 11 October 2026). ## Further reading - Australian Sports Commission. ["Fasting for religious practices"](https://www.ausport.gov.au/coaching/community/education/coaching-women-and-girls/resources/fasting-religious-practices). Australian Government. - Diabetes Australia. ["Managing diabetes during Ramadan"](https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/blog/diabetes-during-ramadan/). 2025. - healthdirect. ["Intermittent fasting"](https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/intermittent-fasting). Healthdirect Australia, 2025. - Pregnancy, Birth and Baby. ["Religious fasting – pregnancy and breastfeeding"](https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/religious-fasting-pregnancy-and-breastfeeding). Healthdirect Australia, 2025. - Rader, Rosemary. "Fasting". *Encyclopedia of Religion*. Gale, 1987. [Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/philosophy-and-religion/other-religious-beliefs-and-general-terms/religion-general/fasting).