When I hear the word fasting I always think about the Ramadan, the annual month of fasting Muslims have to undergo. I had muslim children in my former class and when the period of fasting took off, you could notice it by their refusal of chewing gum to their bad breath ( maybe a link ? ). On the other hand, I had always great admiration for them, because I desperately need breakfast in the morning in order to stay in good spirits. I have don’t have breakfast I become grumpy. Nevertheless, I have had some periods in my life that I ate really little. During those periods I was often hungry but I noticed that when you eat nothing for several hours, there is a certain turning point when you don’t feel hungry any more. It’s like you are thinking about what you want to eat and the next moment you have your mind on complete different things, anything except food. It’s a nice feeling. During this three months of Britonfolder ( almost ), I haven’t fasted at all. Probably because I needed energy for the cycling. But better late than never, so on my last day in the UK ( I will be back for another two weeks in January to finish this project ) I decided to fast. A beneficial fact is that today it is the 18th of December and as you all know do we reach the shortest day of the year, speaking of hours of sunlight. In the Muslim tradition, I thought it would be a good idea to fast from the morning till it becomes dark. At daybreak, though, I was found wanting good spirits. I had some bread with jam. The night before I slept late so I really needed some fuel to start the day. This didn’t daunt me, I decided to just start an hour later. I finished my breakfast at exactly 9 am. I went to school without lunch, without fruit or veg. I had school till 3.25 pm, so that would count for at least 6,5 hours of fasting, whether I liked it or not. I was tempted by some lollypops in school, but I didn’t want to give myself a twit for breaking my discipline for something vile as a lolly. Still, I was itching to eat something. However, I was without a shadow of a doubt to carry out my plan successfully. I allowed myself a bottle of water. Not totally according the Muslim rules ( totally not ) but for me fasting consists of being deprivated of food not of liquid. At about 2.30 pm the first consequences of my diet turned up. I felt a slight headache arising. I am prone to migraine and it’s one of the most terrible things for me to have, because the only thing I can do is lying in bed, completely worn out. I drank a bottle of water ( o,5 litres ) and the effect was spot on. I felt better immediately again. The last hour until darkness, I had to pull out all the stops to maintain my good intention. Then, at 4 pm, when it was not completely pitch black, but dark enough for me, I rewarded myself with a mince pie, the British Christmas tradition. I have fasted for no more than 7 hours, but it’s a beginning. You have to build it up in order to be beneficial. Tonight, though, is for now my last night in Oxford, so I won’t stick to that guideline. However, it gave me a good feeling, the hours when I fasted and probably I will do it again in the near future.
Fasting
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