In Sikhi, fasting has no religious or spiritual merit. If fasting is advised by a doctor for health reasons, it may be beneficial for the body, but it does not bring spiritual reward. Some religious traditions attach great importance to fasting and treat it as a sacred duty. Gurmat does not support this view.

Gurbani clearly speaks against fasting done as a ritual or outward show:

ਛੋਡਹਿ ਅੰਨੁ ਕਰਹਿ ਪਾਖੰਡ ॥
ਨਾ ਸੋਹਾਗਨਿ ਨਾ ਓਹਿ ਰੰਡ ॥
ਜਗ ਮਹਿ ਬਕਤੇ ਦੂਧਾਧਾਰੀ ॥
ਗੁਪਤੀ ਖਾਵਹਿ ਵਟਿਕਾ ਸਾਰੀ ॥੩॥
ਅੰਨੈ ਬਿਨਾ ਨ ਹੋਇ ਸੁਕਾਲੁ ॥
ਤਜਿਐ ਅੰਨਿ ਨ ਮਿਲੈ ਗੁਪਾਲੁ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਹਮ ਐਸੇ ਜਾਨਿਆ ॥
ਧੰਨੁ ਅਨਾਦਿ ਠਾਕੁਰ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਨਿਆ ॥੪॥੮॥੧੧॥
(Ang 873)

In these verses, Gurbani exposes the hypocrisy of people who fast. Giving up grain while secretly eating other foods is not spirituality. It does not bring one closer to Waheguru. Gurmat teaches that such practices only feed ego.

Sikhi views the human body as a precious gift, a place where the soul resides. This body must be cared for and nourished. Starving the body deliberately in the name of religion, treating hunger as a form of penance or self-torture, is not accepted in Sikhi. Guru Nanak Dev Ji rejected ritual austerities and emphasized truthful living and right action instead.

There are people who avoid certain foods while freely eating others. This selective fasting is often done to impress society or to appear religious. Such actions do not reduce ego, rather they increase it. According to Gurmat, real discipline is not in what one eats or avoids, but in controlling desire, ego, and attachment.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji taught that true fasting is the renunciation of the fruits of one’s actions. It is about letting go of selfishness, not food. A person may eat normally and still live a disciplined, truthful, and spiritually elevated life.

Fasting for health reasons is understandable. Some people rest their digestive system by skipping meals occasionally, or fast to manage illness, or to save resources. When done for practical and medical reasons, fasting is acceptable. However, it should not be confused with spiritual achievement.

Sikhi encourages balance and moderation. Neither starving nor overeating is good. Simple, nourishing food taken in moderation is recommended, especially for those engaged in Naam Abhyaas. Eating lightly helps maintain alertness and prevents laziness, while gluttony harms both body and mind and is discouraged.

The guiding principle in Sikhi is clear and simple:
fast only when necessary, for the sake of health, not for religious display.