Bi-weekly fasting for the whole day helps reduce cancer incidence, said Dr. Vipul Patel, Oncologist at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, and External Affairs and Media Relations Administrator at Flushing Swaminarayan Temple.
Patel was speaking to a gathering of close to 500 people on Saturday, August 2, 2025, at the ‘Obesity and Cardio Metabolic Health’ talk organized by BAPS at the Swaminarayan Temple in Melville, Long Island. These educational health awareness lectures are organized quarterly by BAPS and consist of lectures by medical professionals and visual slide-presentations prepared by the BAPS team based on National Institute of Health recommendations.
“The subject of my lecture is appropriate because we South Asians have a lot of cardiac and metabolic health issues including diabetes and cholesterol,” said Patel to Desi Talk. He also said South Asians have a habit of snacking on unhealthy and fried foods rather than fruits and nuts, and it is necessary for them to change their dilatory habits to avoid lifelong diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Referring to Noble Prize winning Japanese cell biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi’s innovative research on fasting and cell renewal, Patel spoke of how he recommended fasting for short periods to recycle and renew cells. Following Ohsumi, Patel reminded the audience of the Hindu tradition of fasting for ‘Ekadashi’ and suggested fasting if medically possible.
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Daily healthy foods Patel recommended were broccoli, kale and spinach, black beans, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, garbanzo beans, whole wheat, brown rice, quinoa, foxtail millet (kodri), barnyard millet (moraiyo), sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra) and amaranth (rajgira). “Five fresh fruits a day will give most of the vitamins and will be absorbed more easily in the intestines,” he said.
Patel also recommended salt free nuts including cashews and walnuts and dried fruit including dates and figs. The Gujarati snack of ‘khari shing and chana’ is also healthy, he said.
Urging the audience to avoid high sodium and high sugared foods, table salt, soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, olives, pickles and white sugar, Patel recommended using organic and brown sugars, honey, maple syrup, blue agave, date sugar, raw sugar and jaggery.
Patel warned against reusing oil used for frying and suggested replacing oils for healthy oils including olive, avocado and grapeseed oils, and, if these were not available, using Canola or Mazola oil.
Developing a habit of reading ingredient and nutrient labels of items in a grocery store for added sodium and added sugars and avoiding potato chips, French fries, fried and salted snacks, canned beans, processed foods, cookies and pickles was important for good health, he said.
Ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, berries, citrus fruits and salads are cancer fighting immunity boosting foods, he said, cautioning against using plastic bottles.
He stressed regular activity and exercise as of the utmost importance. Walking 30 minutes a day or 10 minutes 3 times a day is beneficial for maintaining good health, he said, adding minor weights would add to those benefits. He also emphasized the role of regular Yoga and other stretching exercises, breathing and meditation in reducing stress.
At the end, Patel suggested setting up a regular daily routine would reduce illnesses. Following up with the primary care doctor, dentist, ophthalmologist, and having cancer screening tests including mammogram and PSA should become part of healthy living, he said. Having medication pill box with one, maintaining a diabetes and hypertension records diary, and ensuring quality sleep were important for health, he said.