Fasting
/ˈfæstɪŋ/
nounverbB1present participle
Definition
Fasting is the act of not eating any food, and sometimes not drinking, for a period of time. People fast for different reasons like health benefits, religious practices, or to feel better. It usually means stopping eating for hours or even days.
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See It in Action
The act of not eating food for a time, often for health or religious reasons
- •Many people practice fasting for 16 hours a day to improve health.
- •During fasting, you should drink water but avoid food.
- •Fasting is common in many religions around the world.
The process of going without food, sometimes described as a personal challenge or detox
- •She is fasting to help her body rest and clean itself.
- •Athletes sometimes use fasting to improve their performance.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "fasting" like "stop eating," but for a planned and often longer time, not just skipping one meal
- ✓Picture someone who puts down their plate and decides not to eat until later, like waiting for a special time to eat
- ✓It's the feeling of hunger mixed with self-control or purpose, like when you wait patiently for a treat
- ✓Sounds like "FAST-ing" → imagine someone running fast away from food to avoid eating it for a while
- ✓Think of Ramadan, where many people fast from sunrise to sunset as part of their religion
- ✓NOT like "starving" (which is unplanned and harmful), fasting is a choice and controlled
- ✓NOT like "skipping a meal" (short and casual), fasting is longer and often has a special reason
- ✓NOT like "dieting" (which often means eating less or different food), fasting means not eating at all for some time
Try Other Words
- •Abstaining: meaning not doing something, often food or drink (Use when focusing on self-control or avoiding something)
- •Going without food: simple phrase meaning not eating (Use in casual or easy explanations)
- •Dieting: eating less or different kinds of food (Use when the focus is on changing what you eat, not stopping completely)
- •Starving: suffering from lack of food (Use only when food is missing and it is harmful, not planned like fasting)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: root "fast" (to not eat) + suffix "-ing" (shows action or process)
- •Etymology: From Old English "fæstan," meaning to hold firmly or abstain from food
- •Historical development: Originally connected to religious practices of not eating as a way to show faith or self-control
- •Modern usage: Used both in religious and health contexts, including intermittent fasting for weight control or detox
Reflect & Connect
•How do you think fasting affects both the body and the mind during the time without food?
•Can fasting be helpful or harmful? What situations might change its effects?
Fill in the blanks
1.People fast by ___ food for a certain time, often for health or religion.
2.Fasting usually means not eating for many ___, not just skipping one meal.
3.Unlike starving, fasting is a ___ choice to stop eating for a while.
4.During fasting, some people still ___ water but avoid food.
5.Fasting is different from dieting because dieting changes what you eat, but fasting means ___ eating.
6.Many religions include fasting as a way to ___ self-control and faith.
7.Athletes sometimes use fasting to ___ their body and improve performance.