The Right Way To Perform Intermittent Fasting in Ayurveda

There’s been a lot of buzz around intermittent fasting, as it is believed to help with weight loss and enhance bodily functions. But what exactly is intermittent fasting? Is it as beneficial for the body as it claims to be? In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about intermittent fasting.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is prolonged periods of abstaining from eating. The practice involves alternating between fasting and eating periods. In intermittent fasting, there’s no specification on the types of foods you can eat or when you should eat them. The focus of intermittent fasting is on the eating window rather than the diet. Research suggests that eating during specific times can have multiple health benefits.

The human body has the ability to function for longer periods without food, as in ancient times, hunter-gatherers did not have any facilities like refrigerators to store food. Fasting is also an integral part of many cultures and religions.

How Does Intermittent Fasting Work?

Though there are several ways to do intermittent fasting, all of them involve choosing between regular eating and fasting periods. When your body is deprived of food for extended periods of time, the fat stored in your body will start burning for energy. Our body takes glucose from carbohydrates as an energy source, but in its absence, the body will break down fat for energy. This only happens when the body is deprived of food for longer periods. 

Also Read: Health Benefits of Ayurveda Over Modern Medicine

Intermittent Fasting Plans

When it comes to intermittent fasting, there’s no perfect plan for everyone. You should adopt a plan that works best for you. Here are some of the popular methods of intermittent fasting:

16:8 method: This method involves fasting for 16 hours and eating food in the 8-hour window. In this case, if you eat your dinner by 7 p.m., you’ll be fasting for the next 16 hours. Your next meal would be lunch at 1 p.m. the next day. Usually, there’s no restriction on the food you can consume during the 8 hours.

Eat-stop-eat: In this method, you will fast for 24 hours, which means that if you eat dinner one day, your next meal will be dinner the following day. You can use this type of fasting once or twice a week.

5:2 diet: This involves restricting calories to 500-600 for two nonconsecutive days and eating normally for the rest of the days.

It is important to note that you should not consume too much food during the eating periods because if you want to achieve weight loss, you must reduce your calorie intake.

Ayurveda and Fasting

Fasting has been a vital part of Ayurveda since time immemorial. Ayurveda considers fasting an important practice that can help maintain and regain health. Optimizing metabolism is quite important in Ayurveda. Your metabolism or digestion is considered ‘agni’ and it is necessary to honor your body by giving agni a break. This simply means that you should leave a long gap between your last food at night and the first food during the day. 

In Ayurveda, it is believed that food should be eaten in small portions, with solids occupying half of the stomach and liquids a quarter. The other quarter should be left empty, which means that you should not feel completely full after a meal but satisfied. Ayurveda suggests leaving enough room in the stomach for digestion to take place properly. When you overeat, the food may not be digested completely, producing toxins (ama) in the body, which is the root cause of many diseases.

How to Fast the Ayurvedic Way?

According to Ayurveda, you should ideally start fasting at 6 p.m. for 16 hours and then break your fast at 10 a.m. However, the 16:8 fast isn’t suitable for everyone based on body type. People with Kapha body types can go on longer than 16 hours as digestion is slower. 12–14 hours would be best for Vata, and people with Pitta body types can follow 16:8 fasting.

People with Vata imbalance should not do water fast or fast for over two days. Similarly, if you have a Pitta imbalance, you should not go in water fast or fast for more than three days. If you are Kapha dominant, you can consider fasting more regularly, but not over three days a couple of times a year.  

Ayurveda also advises having regular one-day-per-week fasting, which helps strengthen digestion and eliminate the buildup of ama. One-day fast will produce the best results if taken on the same day each week. During a one-day fast, you can only consume food in small quantities. When you follow these methods, you will probably feel hungry between meals. However, you must refrain from snacking and drink water to satisfy your hunger.

Also Read: Why Do People Prefer Ayurvedic Treatments?

How to do a Proper Fast?

• You should choose a diet that doesn’t make your body feel weak or irritated. If you think you are depleted and painfully hungry, try to include more solid foods.
• Make lunch your largest meal of the day and consume smaller meals for breakfast and dinner.
• Eat only when you are hungry.
• Consuming tea made with cumin, fennel seeds, and coriander can support digestion.
• Triphala is a great detoxifier, and consuming it during fasts can help eliminate toxins from the body.
• It is better to fast on the same day every week if you are following a one-day fast.

Also Read: How Does Ayurveda Enrich Your Daily Life?

When Should You Not Perform Fasting?

Even though fasting can have various health benefits, it is advised that pregnant, breastfeeding, elderly, menstruating, underweight, or chronically ill people should not consider fasting. If you have any medical conditions, consult with your physicians before you go on a fast.

When you’re about to incorporate fasting into your healing routine, remember that Ayurveda is all about personalization. You should respect your strengths and challenges and not push your body beyond its capabilities. If you fast the proper way, it can detoxify your body, balance the doshas, enhance digestive fire, improve health, and aid weight loss. However, it is important to note that fasting should be conducted under the supervision of an Ayurvedic practitioner to achieve the maximum benefits.

Leelajani Ayurcare is one of the best Ayurvedic hospitals in Trivandrum, providing a wide array of Ayurvedic treatments under the guidance of a highly professional doctor and team. Our approach is to deliver a range of Ayurvedic treatments to heal them and make changes in their health and well-being. Take your first step towards a healthy life at Leelajani Ayurcare and book a consultation with us at 8547675555