Take a real look at an educated version of fasting. There is a lot of false information that is spread about fasting, which makes it difficult to understand when and how to fast properly.

Fasting is believed to be a state of deprivation; however, you need to consider fasting as a brief break from the constant barrage of foods and experience that you consume.

According to Ayurveda, regular fasting will help you maintain your health!

Ayurveda defines fasting as your choice while consuming anything, be it food, a breath of air, or even thoughts and sensory experiences. While choosing to avoid what can be potentially harmful, we are opening ourselves to receive what can be beneficial and improve our minds and body.

Ayurveda does not define fasting as going without any food, however, it proposes a lighter and cleaner food intake, based on our natural constitution.

Why do we need to fast?

We often overfeed ourselves, but we are still undernourished. Our foods are laced with many pesticides, preservatives, and chemical additives. Abundant consumption of these foods can cause disease and health imbalance.

Ayurveda states that you are not only what you eat, but also whatever you digest.

If our digestive energy, or agni is low, we tend to decrease our digestive process. This leads to the accumulation of a lot of toxic waste food matter in our intestines. Over some time, these toxins cause mood swings, fatigue, fogginess, sluggishness, anxiety, etc. It is important to periodically cleanse our body of these toxins by fasting.

Benefits of fasting:

Our digestive system is one of the biggest systems in the body and uses up a majority of our energy. During a fast, our digestive system is allowed to rest, which helps our body to use the free energy for healing. Fasting helps in eliminating toxic waste and cleanses our bodies.

Our body is quite capable of healing itself, provided it is offered the right type of nutrition. With a fresh burst of energy, we can become more focused and make good decisions.

Ancient Ayurvedic practitioners proposed fasting as a means to derive spiritual knowledge and growth.

An Ayurvedic Fast:

During the fast, we must eliminate all types of refined sugars or carbs, gluten, processed foods, commercial meats and dairy products, fast foods, leftovers, caffeine, and alcohol. One must always fast be based on their constitution.

Always initiate a fast under the guidance of a medical practitioner.

When to fast?

If you generally wake up in the morning with a coating on your tongue and are feeling sluggish and dull, then you need to fast according to your constitution. This could include a water fast or a general fast till the coating is cleared.

Also, if you experience burping, bloating, acidity, or a burning sensation, then it is your body’s way of telling you that there is something wrong.

Allow your digestive system to rest and clear off the accumulated toxins. It is best to fast if you are fatigued and are unable to concentrate or focus on your work.

What to eat during the fast?

According to Ayurveda, short and regular fasting is ideal. Extended fasting can harm your digestive system. A cooked mixture of a handful of rice, split green lentils, cumin, turmeric, and salt (called kimchi) is suitable for every constitution during the fast. Also, you can have a mono diet of easy-to-digest fruits or vegetables, and juices.

A water fast or having no water or food is not recommended.

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General tips for improving your digestive health:

• Select the length of your fast appropriately. During your fast, you should not be painfully hungry, irritated, or experience weakness. If you experience any of these symptoms, please consume something solid.
• Eat only if you are hungry!
• Lunch must be your biggest meal since your digestive strength is highest during the day.
• Triphala is a gentle detoxifier that helps you get rid of toxic waste during the fast
• If you wish to fast every week, select the same day each week.
• Decrease your daily activities and exercise during the fast and allow your body to rest to ensure proper healing!
• After ending your fast, do not jump into your daily diet. Gently ease into your routine by initially consuming easy-to-digest meals. A successful fast will reduce your food cravings and you will be attracted to the natural foods which are beneficial for your body.
• Pregnant, breastfeeding, or menstruating women, or the elderly and very young individuals must avoid fasting

TIME-RESTRICTED FEEDING:

If you know anyone that has said they are doing intermittent fasting, odds are it is in the form of time-restricted feeding. This is a type of intermittent fasting that is used daily, and it involves only consuming calories during a small portion of the day and fasting for the remainder.

Daily fasting intervals in time-restricted feeding may range from 12-20 hours, with the most common method being 16/8 (fasting for 16 hours, consuming calories for 8). For this protocol, the time of day is not important as long as you are fasting for a consecutive period and only eating in your allowed period.

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For example, on a 16/8 time-restricted feeding program one person may eat their first meal at 7 AM and last meal at 3 PM (fast from 3 PM-7 AM), while another person may eat their first meal at 1 PM and last meal at 9 PM (fast from 9 PM-1 PM). This protocol is meant to be performed every day over long periods and is very flexible as long as you are staying within the fasting/eating window.

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Time-Restricted feeding is one of the easiest-to-follow methods of intermittent fasting. Using this along with your daily work and sleep schedule may help achieve optimal metabolic function. Time-restricted feeding is a great program to follow for weight loss and body composition improvements as well as some other overall health benefits.

The few human trials that were conducted noted significant reductions in weight, reductions in fasting blood glucose, and improvements in cholesterol with no changes in perceived tension, depression, anger, fatigue, or confusion.

Some other preliminary results from animal studies showed time-restricted feeding to protect against obesity, high insulin levels, fatty liver disease, and inflammation.

The easy application and promising results of time-restricted feeding could make it an excellent option for weight loss and chronic disease prevention/management. When implementing this protocol, it may be good to begin with a lower fasting-to-eating ratio like 12/12 hours, and eventually work your way up to 16/8 hours.

Is there any food or beverage I am allowed to consume while intermittent fasting? Unless you are doing modified fasting, you should not be eating or drinking anything that contains calories.

Water, black coffee, and any foods/beverages that do not contain calories are OK to consume during a fasting period.

Adequate water intake is essential during IF and some say that drinking black coffee while fasting helps decrease hunger.

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Shown in Human Studies:

1. Weight loss

2. Improve blood lipid markers like cholesterol

3. Reduce inflammation

4. Reduced stress and improved self-confidence

5. Improved mood

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Shown in Animal Studies:

1. Decreased Body Fat

2. Decreased levels of the hunger hormone leptin

3. Improve insulin levels

4. Protect against obesity, fatty liver disease, and inflammation

5. Longevity

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Shown in Human Studies:

1. Weight loss

2. Improve blood lipid markers like cholesterol

3. Reduce inflammation

4. Reduced stress and improved self-confidence

5. Improved mood

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Article by

Dr. Aakanksha Vatsal

I am a Ph.D. in Biotechnology and have specialized in environmental microbiology and biochemistry. I have an experience of 10 years in the field of scientific research. I have also published 2 manuscripts as a first author, which have been received well in international journals.