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Fasting & Programming

mahdiyusuf.com

11–20 of 180 posts

Re: Fasting & Programming

#11
(Disclaimer: I'm a militant atheist now) I think I would find stopping five times a day for prayer to be a bit of a distraction, though I imagine the short bursts of meditation would be good for my concentration overall.

I tended to gain weight during Ramadan, but that's probably because my family made a big deal of every iftar, inviting extended family members, eating out and having big greasy Pakistani meals almost every night. I'm somewhat convinced that the type of food in my family would go towards explaining the early 60s life expectancy. Thankfully I married Japanese so I'm hoping that cancels it out!

I found fasting to be generally easy, even in quite long days in Saudi Arabia. Rather than hunger it was more the habit of snacking as a reaction to it that catches you out. The main tactic we had for dealing with it was (as much as possible) sleeping during the day and working at night, though I imagine you'd need a very understanding employer (or sufficient litigation) to pull that off as a full-time dev.

Re: Fasting & Programming

#12
post #5

Fasting appears in many of the world's religions. I'm curious about the roots of fasting that have been codified into religious practice. Did the ancients discover that fasting was good for you?

The fact that it was popular doesn't mean it was good. Bloodletting was an extremely popular practice too, but it's now a consensus that's it's harmful except in very specific situations.

Re: Fasting & Programming

#13
Fasting is good for your immune system as it stimulates phagocytosis. Here's a paper on Ramadan fasting:

http://www.ayubmed.edu.pk/JAMC/PAST/21-4/Latifynia.pdf

An amusing book on complete fasting by vintage american novelist Upton Sinclair here:

http://archive.org/details/fastingcure00sinciala

Personally, I fast regularly up to two weeks at a time, both for weight control and because I believe in it's overall long term health benefits.

Re: Fasting & Programming

#14
post #5

Fasting appears in many of the world's religions. I'm curious about the roots of fasting that have been codified into religious practice. Did the ancients discover that fasting was good for you?

The fact that it was popular doesn't mean it was good. Bloodletting was an extremely popular practice too, but it's now a consensus that's it's harmful except in very specific situations.

Although people did bloodletting because they thought it was good for you.

Re: Fasting & Programming

#15
> Let’s just say fasting isn’t one of them. All of my co-workers; I have worked with past and present have been extremely understanding and respectful of the [month-long] fast. Also as a by-product of this kindness they have coined the term: "Ramadan code".

If I were an employer, after reading this...

Re: Fasting & Programming

#16

Strangely, I usually put on more weight during Ramandan. I think it's a combination of work/food/sleep-pattern.

> Strangely, I usually put on more weight during Ramandan.

If you are starving, your metabolism slows down to conserve energy. I assume you eat heavy meals(high carb? sugar? oil?) when you break your fast(dinner? before morning prayers?). Slow metabolism, coupled with high calory intake when your body doesn't need it(if you go to bed after a heavy meal, what would your body use the calories for?) would be the reason for the weight gain.

Re: Fasting & Programming

#17

I am currently working in Saudi Arabia (here, fasting is a national rule , however I eat because I'm a Indian and non-Muslim) as a programmer, and I've noticed one funny thing - people just become nocturnal. They eat and work in the night and sleep during the day. This is simply the normal routine reversed. Fasting has minimal effects on them, its not fasting, just the time in which they eat is changed! They work sho…

I noticed the same when I was in Kuwait several years ago. I remember going to a mall on day during Ramonda. Most everything was closed as we were on the way and most of the shops were just opening around 6 with sunset being around 7. After 7, the place was alive with activity.

Re: Fasting & Programming

#18
post #5

Fasting appears in many of the world's religions. I'm curious about the roots of fasting that have been codified into religious practice. Did the ancients discover that fasting was good for you?

No, they saw that hunger is bad and nobody would want to go hungry voluntarily. Suffering for your faith, mortification of the flesh, self-flagellation, etc.

Certainly not a "Diet secret of the ancients", some beneficial side-effects are mostly accidental. (And to be honest, going hungry wasn't exactly hard throughout most history.)

But, well, we've got pretty deent beer out of it.

Re: Fasting & Programming

#19

I am currently working in Saudi Arabia (here, fasting is a national rule , however I eat because I'm a Indian and non-Muslim) as a programmer, and I've noticed one funny thing - people just become nocturnal. They eat and work in the night and sleep during the day. This is simply the normal routine reversed. Fasting has minimal effects on them, its not fasting, just the time in which they eat is changed! They work sho…

Humans are funny creatures. To believe on the one hand a god laid down these rules, and then in the same thought think "Well I bet he didn't think of this loophole"

Re: Fasting & Programming

#20
Fasting helps me stay focused. I wake up at 8:30 am and have my first meal at around 4pm-5pm, and I just don't get hungry, and the lack of blood sugar level spikes doesn't get in my way.
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