Prime Minister Narendra Modi is known to sleep only few hours a day and keeps an extremely busy schedule. Afterall, he is the PM. It takes a disciplined life, dedicated routine and lifestyle to maintain wellness quotient to have the efficacy enough to optimally perform the task at hand. He has followed a consistent routine for almost over 50 years now. In a podcast interview with Lex Friedman, US-based podcaster and AI researcher, he shared insights about his dietary patterns, fasting schedules and precisely it has been a part of his lifestyle for over 50-55 years.
The PM observes different types of fasting practises in the entire year. In the latest podcast, Modi shared how he follows the fasting routine that aligns with the ancient Indian tradition of Chaturmas. ” During the monsoon season, we know that digestion tends to slow down, and so in this season, many people in India follow the practice of eating only a single meal within 24 hours. For me, this starts around mid-June and goes on until after Diwali, around November. For about four to four and a half months, I follow this tradition of eating only once in 24 hours,” he shared. This practice has worked in his favour so far.
Explaining the science behind his routine and highlighting the richness of Indian roots, he elaborated, “In our scriptures, there is a deep discussion about body, soul, mind, and humanity. There are ways systems in place. One of them is fasting. But it is alone not everything. Fasting is a way to cultivate discipline. During fasting, the senses are so sensitive and sharp that you can even smell water. Fasting accelerates the body’s thinking process. Many think that fasting is giving up food. Fasting is actually a scientific process,” He further added, “For me, fasting is a form of self-discipline. It is an act of devotion. It doesn’t slow me down, it makes me sharper.”
Adding on to his fasting pattern, he also mentioned about his routine during Navratri fasts when he abstain from food altogether and prefers to drink only hot water. “Drinking hot water has always been a part of my daily routine, and over time, my lifestyle naturally adapted to this habit,” he shared.
During the Chaitra Navratri that fall in the month of March- April, he revealed that he focuses m a fruit based diet. He picks one fruit and consumed it for all nine days of the festival. f I choose papaya, then for all nine days, I won’t touch anything else just papaya,” he explained. Modi reflected that fasting has been a deeply ingrained tradition in his life for over five decades.
