As food recommended for fasting have greater Satttvikta, consuming only such foods during a fast is more beneficial !

Spiritual research was conducted to study the vibrations emitted from the food items : 

‘In Hindu Dharma, various fasts (upvas) are observed during festivals and vowed religious observances (vrat). For example, many people fast on Mahashivratri. Hindu women often fast during Vat Pournima, Hartalika, and other such vowed religious observances. During these fasts, everyday foods like chapati with vegetable and lentil preparation along with rice are asked to be typically avoided. Instead, a tradition of eating specific foods exists. For example, grated sweet potato, sabudana khichdi (dish from tapioca pearls), and fruits. Spiritual research was conducted to study the vibrations emitted from the regular food items and the items eaten during a fast. A pendulum was used to study these vibrations. Positive and negative energy auras of objects, premises and people can be measured with the pendulum. The research regarding this is given next.

1. Foods recommended for fasting have more positive energy aura than regular food : In this study, photographs of some regular food items and some food recommended for fasting were studied with a pendulum. The observations from the study are given next.

Different types of food	Negative Energy Aura (Metres)	Positive Energy aura (Metres)
1. Regular food Items
A. Carrot Salad	0	3.5
B. Chapati with Vegetable	0	4.2
C. Dal (Lentil dish)	0	4.5
D. Lentils and Rice	0	6.5
2.  Foods for fasting
A. Banana	0	7
B. Grated Sweet Potato	0	12
C. Sabudana Khichdi (Tapioca dish)	0	14.5
D. Sabudana Kheer (sweet)	0	16.5

Points noted from the above table are given next.

1. No negative energy aura was detected in any food item.

2. More positive energy aura was found in foods recommended for fasting, compared to regular food items.

Regular food items are good for physical health, so they should be adequately included in daily meals. Foods for fasting are good for spiritual well-being. When fasting, it is better to consume foods that increase one’s spiritual purity (Sattvikta). The study also showed that foods for fasting have more positive energy, or spiritual purity, than regular foods. From this, it is understood that the tradition of eating foods recommended during a fast is appropriate.’

– Mrs. Madhura Dhananjay Karve, Maharshi Adhyatma Vishwavidyalay, Goa. (18.6.2025)

2. If fasting foods are so beneficial, then why aren’t they eaten on a daily basis ?

The daily diet is supposed to be wholesome and providing satiety, however, a fasting diet is supposed to be simple, Sattvik (pure), and sustaining : After reading the aforementioned information, one might ask, “If foods recommended for fasting are so beneficial, why aren’t they eaten every day?” The answer to this is that the daily diet prescribed by our Sages is a nutritionally wholesome diet that provides us with an appropriate amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, etc. This diet provides us with strength, vigour, radiance, contentment, intelligence, and good health. It contains six flavours namely sour, spicy, salty, astringent, sweet, and bitter, which provide excellent nourishment to the body. Therefore, a regular meal usually includes main dishes like lentils, rice, vegetables, chapati, and buttermilk, yogurt, as well as side dishes like salt, lemon, chutney, salad, and papad. Even so, there is also a science behind ‘which flavours to consume in which season ?’

In comparison to such a wholesome daily diet, during a fast, we can only eat specific foods recommended for the fast, and those too in small quantities. These foods are meant to enhance our purity (Sattvikta). The concept on a fasting day is not to have a wholesome or satiety providing diet but simply  one for sustenance. Fasting helps control the tongue. It also serves as therapy as per the practice of  Ayurveda called langhan whereby fasting brings about a lightness and helps balance the doshas ( the humors namely vata, pitta and kapha). The scriptures say that “fasting makes youth last forever.” Therefore, Dharmashastra has prescribed only a few specific foods for fasting.’

– Sadguru Dr. Mukul Gadgil (PhD Chemistry, Bombay University), Maharshi Adhyatma Vishwavidyalay, Goa. (3.7.2025)