Why did Sai Baba discourage practices like fasting, and what did he advocate for instead?

Sai Baba discouraged fasting because he believed it weakened the very faculties required for devotion. As explained in Chapter 32, he taught that without the strength provided by food, the senses become feeble and lose their capacity for spirituality. He posed rhetorical questions, asking how the eyes could see God, the tongue describe His glory, or the ears hear His praise without the 'moistness of food in the belly.' Instead of fasting, Baba advocated for moderation. He explicitly stated that while excessive eating is not beneficial, 'moderate eating is truly comfortable.' Therefore, his guidance was to properly nourish the body to enable a peaceful mind and strong senses for devotion.