Janmashtami is the holy day on which Lord Krishna was born into the mortal world. To honour this auspicious day, many Hindus fast until the stroke of midnight on this day. Janmashtami fasting can take a heavy toll on your health because you have to fast for a really long time. As Lord Krishna was born at the midnight hour, most people break their fast only at 12 o'clock at night.
Some simple and effective fasting tips can help you to keep your physical and mental strength in this difficult fast. First things first, fasting is not healthy for your body per se. But according to Hindu scriptures, it can help you to attain control over your senses and increase your mental strength. If you are fasting for Janmashtami, you should ideally use these fasting tips to maintain good health.
If you just follow a few basic ground rules, Janmashtami fasting will not seem as hard as it seems to you now. You have to keep yourself hydrated and concentrate on conserving energy. If you can succeed in doing this, you will manage to scrape through without too much trouble.
When you are fasting, your body needs water. Water helps to fill up your stomach and neutralise the acids produced in it. So have at least 5 to 6 litres of water if you are fasting.
Have a filling mid-night snack or meal before Janmashtami. According to Hindu scriptures, the sunrise marks a new day. So eat before sunrise or else you will wake up in the morning feeling hungry.
When you are fasting, your body does not have ready sources of energy. So, do not stretch your body to the limits. Take the lift instead of the stairs, avoid too much leg work and skip gym if you can.
You are allowed to have fruits when you are fasting for Janmashtami. So have lots of fruits with high water content. Have watermelon, musk melon that are filling and also have fluids.
On the day that you are fasting, avoid citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and berries. Citrus fruits produce acids in the stomach and also cause acid reflux.
It is very important to keep yourself hydrated when you are fasting. Tender coconut water is one thing that gives you fluids as well as electrolytes.
Fruit juices are also permitted while fasting. You must have at least 4-5 glasses of juices during the day. Avoid having juice after evening as it causes indigestion.
There are a number of fasting recipes that will allow you to snack healthy while fasting. It is best if you snack a bit on sabudana recipes and singhara snacks during Janmashtami, especially if you will break your fast only after midnight.
It is not easy to go without food for a day. But where science fails, spirituality takes over. Prayers can prepare your mind for the fast and the strength of the mind is immense.
Do not stuff yourself with foods as soon as you break your fast. Avoid fried or heavy foods for breaking your fast. Diary products will also increase chances of acid reflux. So go easy and eat slowly after the fast ends.