Hi everybody this is Monica Reinagle and you're listening to the nutrition

diva quick and dirty tips for eating well and feeling fabulous. I've got a lot of

questions from listeners about fasting. Is it safe? Is it beneficial? How

long should one fast and how often? Well as it happens we're right in the middle of Ramadan,

a religious festival during which many Muslims

fast from sun up to sundown every day for 30 days.

And in just a couple of weeks, observant Jews will be fasting in observation of Yam Kippur.

So it seems like a great time to answer your questions about fasting.

Mignon Fog here, Grammar Girl.

Before you dig into this episode, I'd like to tell you about a fantastic e-book,

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I'm excited to be one of the books contributing authors.

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People have fasted as a spiritual practice since ancient times.

Today there are a lot of people claiming that fasting also has a lot of health benefits.

And in fact, research showed that short fasts lasting anywhere from 20 to 36 hours can in fact reduce some risks for heart disease

and diabetes, maybe even cancer.

...