Misplaced Pages

#674325

61-639: Nyepi, a public holiday in Indonesia, is a day of silence, fasting and meditation for the Balinese. The day following Nyepi is also celebrated as New Year's Day. After Nyepi, youths of Bali in the village of Sesetan in South Bali practice the ceremony of omed-omedan or 'The Kissing Ritual' to celebrate the new year. Observed from 6 a.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning, Nyepi is a day reserved for self-reflection , and as such, anything that might interfere with that purpose

122-499: A baseline can be established. In one review, fasting improved alertness , mood , and subjective feelings of well-being, possibly improving overall symptoms of depression , and boosting cognitive performance. There is little evidence to suggest that intermittent fasting for periods shorter than 24 hours is effective for sustained weight loss in obese adults. Prolonged fasting (also called extended fasting or water fasting) involves periods of fasting above 24 hours, typically in

183-539: A 24-hour "fast day" when the person eats less than 25% of usual energy needs, followed by a 24-hour non-fasting "feast day" period) has been shown to improve cardiovascular and metabolic biomarkers similarly to a calorie restriction diet in people who are overweight , obese or have metabolic syndrome . A 2021 review found that moderate alternate-day fasting for two to six months was associated with reductions of body weight, body mass index , and cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight or obese adults. Fasting

244-584: A branch. Those species that seek pest insects are considered beneficial 'biological control agents' and their presence encouraged in biological pest control programmes. Combined, insectivorous birds eat 400–500 million metric tons of arthropods annually. Nectar feeders such as hummingbirds , sunbirds , lories, and lorikeets amongst others have specially adapted brushy tongues and in many cases bills designed to fit co-adapted flowers. Kiwis and shorebirds with long bills probe for invertebrates; shorebirds' varied bill lengths and feeding methods result in

305-414: A drop in cellular lipid levels (lipoprivation). Both the brain and the liver monitor the levels of metabolic fuels. The brain checks for glucoprivation on its side of the blood–brain barrier (since glucose is its fuel), while the liver monitors the rest of the body for both lipoprivation and glucoprivation. There are short-term signals of satiety that arise from the head, the stomach, the intestines, and

366-844: A high metabolic rate . Mammals that weigh less than about 18 ounces (510 g; 1.1 lb) are mostly insectivorous because they cannot tolerate the slow, complex digestive process of an herbivore. Larger animals, on the other hand, generate more heat and less of this heat is lost. They can therefore tolerate either a slower collection process (carnivores that feed on larger vertebrates) or a slower digestive process (herbivores). Furthermore, mammals that weigh more than 18 ounces (510 g; 1.1 lb) usually cannot collect enough insects during their waking hours to sustain themselves. The only large insectivorous mammals are those that feed on huge colonies of insects ( ants or termites ). Some mammals are omnivores and display varying degrees of carnivory and herbivory, generally leaning in favor of one more than

427-423: A meal (typically 3–5 hours after eating). A diagnostic fast refers to prolonged fasting from 1–100 hours (depending on age), conducted under observation, to facilitate the investigation of a health complication (usually hypoglycemia ). Many people may also fast as part of a medical procedure or a check-up , such as preceding a colonoscopy or surgery , or before certain medical tests. Intermittent fasting

488-510: A meal. The control of food intake is a physiologically complex, motivated behavioral system. Hormones such as cholecystokinin , bombesin , neurotensin , anorectin , calcitonin , enterostatin , leptin and corticotropin-releasing hormone have all been shown to suppress food intake. Eating rapidly leads to obesity and overeating, probably because the feelings of satiety can be slower. There are numerous signals given off that initiate hunger . There are environmental signals, signals from

549-456: A mixture of both plant and animal matter, and detritivores eat detritus. Fungi digest organic matter outside their bodies as opposed to animals that digest their food inside their bodies. For humans, eating is more complex, but is typically an activity of daily living . Physicians and dieticians consider a healthful diet essential for maintaining peak physical condition. Some individuals may limit their amount of nutritional intake. This may be

610-442: A notable quack doctor, put her patients on such strict fasts that some of them died of starvation . She was responsible for the death of more than 40 patients under her care. In 1911, Upton Sinclair authored The Fasting Cure , which made sensational claims of fasting curing practically all diseases, including cancer , syphilis , and tuberculosis . Sinclair has been described as "the most credulous of faddists" and his book

671-611: A result of a lifestyle choice: as part of a diet or as religious fasting. Limited consumption may be due to hunger or famine. Overconsumption of calories may lead to obesity and the reasons behind it are myriad, however, its prevalence has led some to declare an " obesity epidemic ". Many homes have a large kitchen area devoted to preparation of meals and food, and may have a dining room, dining hall, or another designated area for eating. Most societies also have restaurants , food courts , and food vendors so that people may eat when away from home, when lacking time to prepare food, or as

SECTION 10

#1732875654675

732-441: A social occasion. At their highest level of sophistication, these places become "theatrical spectacles of global cosmopolitanism and myth ." At picnics , potlucks , and food festivals , eating is the primary purpose of a social gathering. At many social events, food and beverages are made available to attendees. People usually have two or three meals a day. Snacks of smaller amounts may be consumed between meals. Doctors in

793-714: A spiritual fast as "a personal spiritual transformation". Other progressive campaigns have adopted the tactic. Fasting is practiced in various religions, and details of fasting practices differ. Yom Kippur , Tisha B'av , Fast of Esther , Tzom Gedalia , the Seventeenth of Tamuz , the Tenth of Tevet , and Fast of the Firstborn are examples of fasting in Judaism . Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av are 25-hour fasts in which observers abstain from consuming any food or liquid from sunset until nightfall

854-428: A time usually beginning after 4–5 days with no food. Fasting can increase the risk of developing gallstones for some people. This is thought to occur due to decreased gallbladder movement with no food to be digested, which can cause the bile to become over-concentrated with cholesterol, combined with the liver secreting extra cholesterol into bile as the body metabolizes fat during rapid weight loss, further exacerbating

915-416: Is a carnivorous diet (and includes insectivorous diets). Other mammals, called herbivores , eat plants, which contain complex carbohydrates such as cellulose. An herbivorous diet includes subtypes such as granivory (seed eating), folivory (leaf eating), frugivory (fruit eating), nectarivory (nectar eating), gummivory (gum eating) and mycophagy (fungus eating). The digestive tract of an herbivore

976-717: Is a metabolic disturbance which occurs as a result of reinstitution of nutrition in people and animals who are starved , severely malnourished , or metabolically stressed because of severe illness. When too much food or liquid nutrition supplement is eaten during the initial four to seven days following a malnutrition event, the production of glycogen , fat and protein in cells may cause low serum concentrations of potassium , magnesium and phosphate . The electrolyte imbalance may cause neurologic, pulmonary, cardiac, neuromuscular, and hematologic symptoms—many of which, if severe enough, may result in death. Refeeding syndrome can occur when someone does not eat for several days at

1037-755: Is a religious obligation for all Muslims unless they are children or are physically unable to fast. Lent is a common period of fasting in Christianity . Eastern Orthodox Christians fast during specified fasting seasons of the year, which include not only the better-known Great Lent , but also fasts on every Wednesday and Friday (except on special holidays), together with extended fasting periods before Christmas (the Nativity Fast ), after Easter (the Apostles' Fast ) and in early August (the Dormition Fast ). Members of

1098-427: Is a technique sometimes used for weight loss or other health benefits that incorporates regular fasting into a person's dietary schedule. Fasting may also be part of a religious ritual , often associated with specific scheduled fast days, as determined by the religion , or be applied as a public demonstration for a given cause, in a practice known as a hunger strike . Alternate-day fasting (alternating between

1159-451: Is almost always practiced prior to surgery or other procedures that require general anesthesia because of the risk of pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents after induction of anesthesia (i.e., vomiting and inhaling the vomit, causing life-threatening aspiration pneumonia ). Additionally, certain medical tests, such as cholesterol testing ( lipid panel ) or certain blood glucose measurements require fasting for several hours so that

1220-556: Is considered an example of quackery. In 1932, physician Morris Fishbein listed fasting as a fad diet and commented that "prolonged fasting is never necessary and invariably does harm". Source: Eating Eating (also known as consuming ) is the ingestion of food . In biology, this is typically done to provide a heterotrophic organism with energy and nutrients and to allow for growth. Animals and other heterotrophs must eat in order to survive — carnivores eat other animals, herbivores eat plants, omnivores consume

1281-400: Is host to bacteria that ferment these complex substances, and make them available for digestion, which are either housed in the multichambered stomach or in a large cecum. Some mammals are coprophagous , consuming feces to absorb the nutrients not digested when the food was first ingested. An omnivore eats both prey and plants. Carnivorous mammals have a simple digestive tract because

SECTION 20

#1732875654675

1342-433: Is not possible, as is often the case when recovering from surgery , alternatives are enteral nutrition and parenteral nutrition . To maintain a high constant body temperature is energy expensive—mammals therefore need a nutritious and plentiful diet. While the earliest mammals were probably predators, different species have since adapted to meet their dietary requirements in a variety of ways. Some eat other animals—this

1403-410: Is provided by the usual hansip , while the pecalang are redirected into security roles from their usual mundane tasks like traffic coordination to beef up the local security. These two security forces report to local village heads. In 2017, it is reported islandwide that some 22,000 pecalang are taking part for Nyepi. National police also take part, but naturally ultimately report to Jakarta rather than

1464-455: Is restricted. The main restrictions are no lighting fires (and lights must be kept low); no working; no entertainment or pleasure; no traveling; and, for some, no talking or eating at all. The effect of these prohibitions is that Bali's usually bustling streets and roads are empty, there is little or no noise from TVs and radios, limited access to Internet and few signs of activity are seen even inside homes. The only people to be seen outdoors are

1525-407: Is unique, with a crop for storage and a gizzard that contains swallowed stones for grinding food to compensate for the lack of teeth. Some species such as pigeons and some psittacine species do not have a gallbladder . Most birds are highly adapted for rapid digestion to aid with flight. Some migratory birds have adapted to use protein stored in many parts of their bodies, including protein from

1586-519: Is well documented that some ungulates such as giraffes, camels, and cattle, will gnaw on bones to consume particular minerals and nutrients. Also, cats, which are generally regarded as obligate carnivores, occasionally eat grass to regurgitate indigestible material (such as hairballs ), aid with hemoglobin production, and as a laxative. Birds' diets are varied and often include nectar , fruit, plants, seeds, carrion , and various small animals, including other birds. The digestive system of birds

1647-618: The Ancient Romans . Ancient Hebrews also adopted this posture for traditional celebrations of Passover . Compulsive overeating, or emotional eating , is "the tendency to eat in response to negative emotions". Empirical studies have indicated that anxiety leads to decreased food consumption in people with normal weight and increased food consumption in the obese . Many laboratory studies showed that overweight individuals are more emotionally reactive and are more likely to overeat when distressed than people of normal weight. Furthermore, it

1708-515: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ( Mormons ) generally abstain from food and drink for two consecutive meals in a 24-hour period on the first Sunday of each month and use the money they save for charity. Fasting is a feature of ascetic traditions in religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism . Mahayana traditions that follow the Brahma's Net Sutra may recommend that the laity fast "during

1769-421: The gastrointestinal system , and metabolic signals that trigger hunger. The environmental signals come from the body's senses . The feeling of hunger could be triggered by the smell and thought of food, the sight of a plate, or hearing someone talk about food. The signals from the stomach are initiated by the release of the peptide hormone ghrelin . Ghrelin is a hormone that increases appetite by signaling to

1830-466: The hypothalamus that produce hunger, melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) and orexin . MCH plays a bigger role in producing hunger. In mice, MCH stimulates feeding and a mutation causing the overproduction of MCH led to overeating and obesity. Orexin plays a greater role in controlling the relationship between eating and sleeping. Other peptides in the hypothalamus that induce eating are neuropeptide Y (NPY) and agouti-related protein (AGRP). Satiety in

1891-480: The pecalang , traditional security men who patrol the streets to ensure the prohibitions are being followed. Although Nyepi is primarily a Hindu holiday, non-Hindu residents and tourists are not exempt from the restrictions in Bali. Although they are free to do as they wish inside their hotels, no one is allowed onto the beaches or streets, and the only airport in Bali remains closed for the entire day. Tourists who violate

Nyepi - Misplaced Pages Continue

1952-459: The proteins , lipids and minerals found in meat require little in the way of specialized digestion. Exceptions to this include baleen whales who also house gut flora in a multi-chambered stomach, like terrestrial herbivores. The size of an animal is also a factor in determining diet type ( Allen's rule ). Since small mammals have a high ratio of heat-losing surface area to heat-generating volume, they tend to have high energy requirements and

2013-546: The British Parliament and died after 66 days of not eating. 100,000 people attended his funeral, and the strike ended only after nine other men died. In all, ten men survived without food for 46 to 73 days. The American civil rights activist César Chávez undertook several spiritual fasts, including a 25-day fast in 1968 promoting the principle of nonviolence and a fast of 'thanksgiving and hope' to prepare for pre-arranged civil disobedience by farm workers. Chávez regarded

2074-567: The Ogoh-ogoh have been paraded around the village, they are burned in the cemeteries although many are displayed in front of community halls for another month or more and sometimes even purchased by museums and collectors. In 2024 the Ogoh-Ogoh parades were cancelled because of the general election being so close to the date of the festival, the regional government fearing that the parade may be used to convey political themes. Only villages, in particular

2135-496: The UK recommend three meals a day (with between 400 and 600 kcal per meal), with four to six hours between. Having three well-balanced meals (described as: half of the plate with vegetables, 1/4 protein food as meat, [...] and 1/4 carbohydrates as pasta, rice) will then amount to some 1800–2000 kcal, which is the average requirement for a regular person. In jurisdictions under Sharia law , it may be proscribed for Muslim adults during

2196-534: The amount of snacks they ate between meals was greater. One possible explanation that Lowe and Fisher suggest is obese individuals often eat their meals with others and do not eat more than average due to the reduction of distress because of the presence of other people. Another possible explanation would be that obese individuals do not eat more than the others while having meals due to social desirability. Conversely, snacks are usually eaten alone. There are many physiological mechanisms that control starting and stopping

2257-425: The body. The brain stem's involvement of food intake has been researched using rats. Rats that have had the motor neurons in the brain stem disconnected from the neural circuits of the cerebral hemispheres (decerebration), are unable to approach and eat food. Instead, they must obtain their food in a liquid form. This research shows that the brain stem does in fact play a role in eating. There are two peptides in

2318-406: The brain that a person is hungry. Environmental signals and ghrelin are not the only signals that initiate hunger, there are other metabolic signals as well. As time passes between meals, the body starts to take nutrients from long-term reservoirs. When the glucose levels of cells drop (glucoprivation), the body starts to produce the feeling of hunger. The body also stimulates eating by detecting

2379-796: The case of hyenas , allowing them to consume bones; some extinct groups, notably the Machairodontinae , had saber-shaped canines . Some physiological carnivores consume plant matter and some physiological herbivores consume meat. From a behavioral aspect, this would make them omnivores, but from the physiological standpoint, this may be due to zoopharmacognosy . Physiologically, animals must be able to obtain both energy and nutrients from plant and animal materials to be considered omnivorous. Thus, such animals are still able to be classified as carnivores and herbivores when they are just obtaining nutrients from materials originating from sources that do not seemingly complement their classification. For example, it

2440-504: The context of social injustice. The political leader Gandhi undertook several long fasts as political and social protests. Gandhi's fasts had a significant impact on the British Raj and the Indian population generally. In Northern Ireland in 1981, a prisoner, Bobby Sands , was part of the 1981 Irish hunger strike , protesting for better rights in prison. Sands had just been elected to

2501-611: The day after Nyepi, known as Ngembak Geni (Relighting the Fire), social activity picks up again quickly, as families and friends gather to ask forgiveness from one another, and to perform certain religious rituals together. Fires and electricity are allowed again, and cooking of food resumes. Nyepi can be traced as far back as 78 A.D. Most Hindu Balinese villages make Ogoh-ogoh , demonic statues made of richly painted bamboo, papier-mâché, cloth, and tinsel symbolising negative elements or malevolent spirits or even characters from Hindu mythology. After

Nyepi - Misplaced Pages Continue

2562-446: The daylight hours of Ramadan . Newborn babies do not eat adult foods. They survive solely on breast milk or formula . Small amounts of pureed food are sometimes fed to young infants as young as two or three months old, but most infants do not eat adult food until they are between six and eight months old. Young babies eat pureed baby foods because they have few teeth and immature digestive systems. Between 8 and 12 months of age,

2623-522: The different regions of the world, as culture influences the way people eat their meals. For example, most of the Middle Eastern countries, eating while sitting on the floor is most common, and it is believed to be healthier than eating while sitting at a table. Eating in a reclining position was favored by the Ancient Greeks at a celebration they called a symposium , and this custom was adopted by

2684-526: The digestive system improves, and many babies begin eating finger foods. Their diet is still limited, however, because most babies lack molars or canines at this age, and often have a limited number of incisors . By 18 months, babies often have enough teeth and a sufficiently mature digestive system to eat the same foods as adults. Learning to eat is a messy process for children, and children often do not master neatness or eating etiquette until they are five or six years old. Eating positions vary according to

2745-423: The early 20th century, fasting was promoted by alternative health writers such as Hereward Carrington , Edward H. Dewey , Bernarr Macfadden , Frank McCoy , Edward Earle Purinton , Upton Sinclair and Wallace Wattles . All of these writers were either involved in the natural hygiene or new thought movement. Arnold Ehret 's pseudoscientific Mucusless Diet Healing System espoused fasting. Linda Hazzard ,

2806-528: The entire body. In anorexia nervosa, people restrict their calorie intake out of fear of gaining weight. This malnutrition leads to an unhealthy weight, significantly impacting overall health. Bulimia is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating, involving the consumption of a substantial amount of food within a short period. Subsequently, individuals engage in maladaptive behaviors, such as inducing vomiting, excessive physical activity, and using laxatives as compensatory measures. If eating and drinking

2867-411: The fat stored in adipose tissue. Adipose tissue secretes the hormone leptin , and leptin suppresses appetite. Long-term satiety signals from adipose tissue regulates short-term satiety signals. Cessation of eating within two hours of sleeping can reduce body weight. The brain stem can control food intake, because it contains neural circuits that detect hunger and satiety signals from other parts of

2928-411: The first week and 0.3 kg per day by the third week. In early fasting, during periods of high gluconeogenesis, roughly two-thirds of weight lost is lean muscle mass as opposed to fat. After the gluconeogenic phase, however, the ratio of body fat lost to lean tissue lost becomes roughly 7:6. There is no sound clinical evidence that fasting can promote longevity in humans. Refeeding syndrome

2989-1076: The hypothalamus is stimulated by leptin. Leptin targets the receptors on the arcuate nucleus and suppresses the secretion of MCH and orexin. The arcuate nucleus also contains two more peptides that suppress hunger. The first one is cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART), the second is α-MSH (α- melanocyte-stimulating hormone ). Physiologically, eating is generally triggered by hunger , but there are numerous physical and psychological conditions that can affect appetite and disrupt normal eating patterns. These include depression , food allergies , ingestion of certain chemicals, bulimia , anorexia nervosa , pituitary gland malfunction and other endocrine problems, and numerous other illnesses and eating disorders . A chronic lack of nutritious food can cause various illnesses, and will eventually lead to starvation . While changes in appetite can result from various physical and psychological conditions, including depression, allergies, and anxiety; anorexia and bulimia are specific eating disorders that profoundly impact

3050-469: The intestines, as additional energy during migration. Birds that employ many strategies to obtain food or feed on a variety of food items are called generalists, while others that concentrate time and effort on specific food items or have a single strategy to obtain food are considered specialists. Avian foraging strategies can vary widely by species. Many birds glean for insects, invertebrates, fruit, or seeds. Some hunt insects by suddenly attacking from

3111-409: The liver. The long-term signals of satiety come from adipose tissue . The taste and odor of food can contribute to short-term satiety, allowing the body to learn when to stop eating. The stomach contains receptors to allow us to know when we are full. The intestines also contain receptors that send satiety signals to the brain. The hormone cholecystokinin is secreted by the duodenum , and it controls

SECTION 50

#1732875654675

3172-458: The next day and include other restrictions. The fasts of Esther, Gedalia, Tamuz, and Tevet all last from dawn until nightfall and therefore length varies depending on the time of the year. The Fast of the Firstborn is not biblically mandated and can therefore be ended early in the case of a seudat mitzvah . Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan each year. The fast includes refraining from consuming any food or liquid from dawn until sunset. It

3233-596: The other. Since plants and meat are digested differently, there is a preference for one over the other, as in bears where some species may be mostly carnivorous and others mostly herbivorous. They are grouped into three categories: mesocarnivory (50–70% meat), hypercarnivory (70% and greater of meat), and hypocarnivory (50% or less of meat). The dentition of hypocarnivores consists of dull, triangular carnassial teeth meant for grinding food. Hypercarnivores, however, have conical teeth and sharp carnassials meant for slashing, and in some cases strong jaws for bone-crushing, as in

3294-667: The range of 5–20 days. In early fasting, the body operates under a relatively high level of gluconeogenesis , though this eventually decreases as the body's metabolism switches into ketosis , causing ketones to replace glucose as the primary energy source in the central nervous system . As prolonged fasting continues, drastic decreases in sodium , potassium , magnesium , and other minerals are noted, which can lead to hyponatremia . In some diet systems, these losses are offset with non-caloric electrolyte supplements, such as electrolyte beverages. Typical observed weight loss under prolonged fasting averages at 0.9 kg per day during

3355-437: The rate at which the stomach is emptied. This hormone is thought to be a satiety signal to the brain. Peptide YY 3-36 is a hormone released by the small intestine and it is also used as a satiety signal to the brain. Insulin also serves as a satiety signal to the brain. The brain detects insulin in the blood, which indicates that nutrients are being absorbed by cells and a person is getting full. Long-term satiety comes from

3416-877: The rules could face deportation. On the afternoon and evening before Nyepi, accessibility on roads is limited. Many local roads are closed for the parade in the evening, making it difficult to navigate by car or scooter. Most local restaurants close early and many ATMs are switched off with the cash removed until the day following Nyepi. The indirectly-state-owned consumer communications provider Telkomsel shuts down all internet access, while privately owned ISPs remain operational. Some hotels/resorts choose to shut down WiFi coverage, while others choose to let it remain operational. Electricity remains operational in Bali, while being shut off in Nusa Penida (2023). The only exceptions granted are for emergency vehicles responding to life-threatening conditions and women going into labor. On

3477-434: The situation. Fasting is often used to make a political statement, to protest , or to bring awareness to a cause. A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt, or to achieve a goal such as a policy change. A spiritual fast incorporates personal spiritual beliefs with the desire to express personal principles, sometimes in

3538-498: The six days of fasting each month and the three months of fasting each year". Members of the Baháʼí Faith observe a Nineteen Day Fast from sunrise to sunset during March each year. Although practitioners of alternative medicine promote " cleansing the body " through fasting, (as though it were a diagnostic fast) the concept of "detoxification“ is marketing myth with few scientific basis for its rationale or efficacy. During

3599-682: The traditional villages, were allowed to hold the parade. The festival is related to those observed by Hindus in the Indian subcontinent , although the dates are not the same due to the different calendars. For example, the Hindus of Maharashtra term their new year Gudi Padwa (in Marathi : गुढी पाडवा). The Sindhis, people from Sindh , celebrate the beginning of their calendar year as Cheti Chand . The Manipuris celebrate their new year as Sajibu Nongma Panba . The Hindus of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka also celebrate their new year as Ugadi . Security

3660-437: The village or regency level. Fasting Fasting is the act of refraining from eating , and sometimes drinking. However, from a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (before " breakfast "), or to the metabolic state achieved after complete digestion and absorption of a meal. Metabolic changes in the fasting state begin after absorption of

3721-502: Was consistently found that obese individuals experience negative emotions more frequently and more intensively than do normal weight persons. The naturalistic study by Lowe and Fisher compared the emotional reactivity and emotional eating of normal and overweight female college students. The study confirmed the tendency of obese individuals to overeat, but these findings applied only to snacks, not to meals. That means that obese individuals did not tend to eat more while having meals; rather,

SECTION 60

#1732875654675
#674325