MODI IN FASTING

courtesy to ''The Times Of India
K.M.RADHA
WASHINGTON:
It has now been more than 96 hours since Prime Minister Narendra Modi has had a morsel of food. He has been subsisting only on hot water, not even lemon juice he was initially reported to be drinking. This is about the time experts say the process of ketosis sets in. The body starts to break down ketones from fatty tissues to use as fuel, instead of the usual glucose from the carbs we consume.

READ ALSO: PM Narendra Modi enthralls a rapturous crowd at Madison Square Garden

There was a time when ketosis was considered a critical response to fasting, but more recently researchers have said that depending on the individual, the body is resilient enough to subsist on little or nothing, perhaps up to three weeks in cases of water fasting. In fact, in recent years, many low-carb, high protein dieters go on such burn-the-fat binge-fasting — also known as muscle sparing — to lose weight.

READ ALSO: PIO cardholders to get lifelong Indian visa, PM announces at Madison Square

What is less well chronicled is the effect of such fasting on the functioning of the mind. As anyone who has skipped a meal or two in a day can attest, an empty stomach is not the best friend of cool head or clear thinking. Typically, those who undertake fasts go into a low metabolic state, avoiding vigorous activity and quietly settling into a restful state.

READ ALSO: Modi overshadowed Nawaz Sharif at UN: Pak daily

Narendra Modi is not only NOT doing that, but he has also embarked on a rigorous,

almost tear-away schedule in the US that can burn-out a younger, fitter man chowing down good, healthy, regular meals. And he's doing that after a jetlag-inducing journey that long-distance flight veterans can tell you fatigues the mind.