Are you on a never-ending search for a diet that helps you slow down aging, makes you lose weight and feel lighter, improves skin health, improves energy levels and immunity, and helps induce feelings of calm? According to Ayurveda understanding, the best solution to attain all of this does not lie in finding the appropriate foods, but to abstain from food totally, give eating a break, and focus on fasting! Body is self-healing and given a break, it auto-heals itself in multiple ways.
The idea of fasting is not new and in most ancient traditions fasting has been practiced for improving health, optimizing body functionality, and rejuvenating the organ systems. It is a known fact that digestion consumes huge energy and in case of regular difficult digestive processes, body’s healing capabilities are compromised. During the process of digestion, the blood flow gets redirected to digestive organs that steals away the blood circulation from the areas that need healing. Thus, giving break to digestion is a huge potential for the body to get back to healing processes. Further, to keep the digestion healthy in the long run, it is important to make food choices that are digestion friendly.
Kinds of Fasting and Food Choices
Liquid Fasting Liquid fasting is an intense fasting and mostly practiced by people who already are in a state of great health. Following liquids and fluids can be consumed during this fast. - Warm water help hydrate the body.- Herbal teas help hydrate, cleanse, and provide minerals.- Infused water help detoxify and provide a host of vitamins and mineral.- Lemon water induced liver’s capability to detoxify.- Clear vegetable soups help provide nutrition and help cleanse the body.- Juices help detoxify and mineralize the body.
Intermittent Fasting Most ancient traditions have always guided on having an early dinner, keeping a gap of at least 3 hours between bedtime and dinner and follow cleansing morning practices before consuming breakfast. This pattern inherently includes the concepts of intermittent fasting! Intermittent fasting can be followed keeping the eating window anywhere from 8, 10 or 12 hours and fasting rest number of hours. Choice of right foods during intermittent fasting helps the effects of fasting to be attained at a different level. Following foods can be focused during intermittent fasting.- Whole Grains are a source of complex carbohydrates, ideal for body’s energy needs and provides steady source of energy. Consumed in moderation, these foods do not cause blood-sugar fluctuations and insulin spikes. Sources include brown rice, millets, buckwheat, amaranth and oats.- Beans and lentils are a great source of proteins and a variety included in diet each day ensures the consumption of complete proteins. Sources include kidney beans, chickpeas, and mung bean dal.- Including 5-6 different servings of fruits and vegetables provides a host of vitamins and minerals.- Nuts and seeds are a great source of good fats and proteins and serve well to satiate hunger cravings.- Herbs and spices help enhance taste in foods and are a great source of antioxidants.
Juice Fasting Juice fasting is a quick detoxification technique and can last from1-3 days maximum. Various combination of alkalizing fruit and vegetable juices are consumed on a juice fast.- Vegetables such as spinach, carrot, beetroot, lemons, and tomato are used for juicing.- Fruits like apple, papaya, oranges, and watermelon are used for juicing.- Water is consumed for hydration throughout the day.- Coconut water provides deep hydration during juice fast.- Herbal teas can be consumed during a juice fast.
Ayurveda Fasting Ayurveda fasting is a completely different approach to fasting. It is based on the premise that body should be fed light, digestion supporting foods during this fast. Simple foods that support an Ayurveda fast include:- Ginger tea with an optional concoction of various spices like cinnamon, coriander, fennel, cardamon & cumin is a staple during Ayurveda fasting to keep the metabolic fire (agni) high that is supposed to burn the toxins.- CCF (Coriander, cumin and fennel) tea is yet another staple in Ayurveda fasting. It helps remove undigested matter from the body.- Fats like ghee are highly supported in Ayurveda for its ability to lubricate the deepest body tissues.- Khichdi, a special rice and yellow split mung bean porridge is highly favored in Ayurveda during fast as it is easy on digestion, provides energy and nourishes the body tissues deeply.- Mung bean soup with vegetables, coconut milk, and a variety of spices is consumed as a staple during Ayurveda fasting.- Stewed apples and hot porridge made with oats are yet another preferred food choices during an Ayurveda fast.
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