Self-denial through fasting

In our near constant consumption of food, stories, and ideas, fasting has the appeal of a load of bricks. Denial of self lacks more than just appeal. It seems foreign and antiquated, a relic of bygone religions. Sure, fasting from food has reappeared as a dieting trend, along with other purges and fads designed to reset your body clock or get you back into that old pair of jeans. But fasting as a form of self-denial—to undermine yourself—seems out of place in our society today.

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