Fasting, or abstincence from food and frequently also from drinking) for an extended period of time, is certainly not new. It has actually been practiced for hundreds of years associated with spiritual ceremonies. Fasts are performed in all of the world’s major religions, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Confucianists, Hindus, Taoists, to name a few. Even though Buddhism emphasizes discipline in eating instead of fasting, Buddhists in certain countries around the world, notably Tibet, do fast from time to time.