There is a wiki article about fasting Fasting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia There are a few other religions that fast so maybe you could also look at the their practices.
As you'd know in Islam women have an exemption from fasting when they menstruate.
On a practical level I find there are a few things that help me get the most from fasting.
  • Use a slow cooker and get dinner on early so you're not thinking about it all day and don't have to cook just before diner time. If I'm not cooking a slow cooker meal I try to get as much prep done early in the day as possible.
  • Keep dinner simple and don't spend the night eating. Some Muslims actually put on weight in Ramadan because they spend all day cooking elaborate feasts and all night eating them. To me that seems totally self-defeating, hence my slow-cooker thing. I put the food on and try and forget about it lol.
  • Do your food shopping in the morning so you don't make hunger related impulse purchases
  • Have something with a fairly low GI for breakfast and drink a lot of water. I have a high protein cereal every morning.
  • Try and set some quiet time aside for reflection.
  • Break your fast with friends sometimes.
  • Soup is a good option for breaking your fast - it's food and drink all in one.