Fasting is held in high esteem by many religious traditions and health regimens. In the Jewish tradition, fasting is taken quite seriously. On a major Holy Day like Yom Kippur, those who fast do so because they believe fasting to be good for either the body or the spirit or both. The discomfort that is produced by fasting is thought to have instructional value and is intended to help us reflect on our human frailty (We are forbidden from fasting if our physical well being is endangered by it.)