Some sights stay frozen in memories – like a vintage photograph, greying and curling along the edges. The colours might have gotten dimmer. However, the image remains untouched by time.
Who knew that one such memory that most of us would have of our grandparents would be invariably related to intermittent fasting benefits? We would have observed that their dinner finished before the clock would chime at 7 pm. After that, they would only consume water until the following day.Recently, unexpected conversations and trends led us to a discussion revolving around intermittent fasting & its benefits, which is being introduced as a promising route to healthy living.
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What is intermittent fasting? An old concept or a new trend?
Wondering what intermittent fasting is? Intermittent fasting is different from the ayurvedic or naturopathy fasting guidelines. Like all lifestyle changes, intermittent fasting rules require commitment, discipline, and patience. Moreover, there are different ways to practice intermittent fasting—the 16:8 principle, alternate days, or even for 24 hours. Find out which fasting plans suit your body and lifestyle.
So, how does intermittent fasting work? The rules are pretty simple.
Fast for 14-16 hours, then eat within 8 hours: So, if you’re eating dinner by 8 pm, your next meal will be around noon or 2 pm the next day.
Drink lots of water!
Eat everything, but avoid bingeing: During the 8-hour eating window, the intermittent fasting plans allow you to consume food high in nutritional value. However, it’s best to eat your regular quantity and avoid fried and sugar-rich food.
Our ancestors were wise and meticulous. They found different ways to incorporate healthy living into our customs. As a result, our bodies are exhausted and overstressed by unhealthy or untimely eating. The idea of fasting is to heal, repair, and detoxify the system, giving your overworked body some loving care. Hence, following such customs in today’s world is even more important.
For example, Jains follow the tradition of chuviyar or abstinence from food after sunset. Islam talks about dry and intermittent fasting during Ramzan. Hindus observe a liquid fast during Shivratri. Vaishnavs consume fruits and liquids every Ekadashi (the 11th day of the waxing and waning lunar cycles).
While intermittent fasting can have several health benefits, it's important to be moderate to avoid potential adverse effects on your physical and mental health. As someone keen to stay fit and alert, avoid food that is unhealthy or not suited to your system.
What is the primary benefit of fasting for 16 hours?
The 16-hour fast benefits our body's fuel. Our bodies use at least 75 per cent of our energy to digest food, meaning we have only about 25 per cent for other activities. So the question is- Is intermittent fasting good? When we fast, our body has more power to detoxify itself.
The intestines use this time to process the toxins floating around and digest them well. Once that happens, the body is lighter and more robust. There is a spike in the growth hormone and a decrease in insulin.
It is found that one of the intermittent fasting benefits is the incredible increase in the human growth hormone (which usually decreases with age). The growth hormone is essential for brain function, building lean muscle, healing, and cellular longevity in adults. It also facilitates the regeneration of new immune system cells that boosts immunity and helps in longevity.
According to Dr Ganesh Puttur from the Sri Sri College of Ayurvedic Science and Research, “Fasting will help to get rid of ama. Ama refers to toxins that are the root cause of most diseases. Even if a person consumes food with the utmost care, there are chances that ama (undigested food) will be produced. Fasting helps the digestive system digest or get rid of this ama.”
There are several other benefits to fasting for 16 hours:
Better sleep
Reduces inflammation
It gets rid of toxins
More mental alertness
Better digestion, reduced bloating
Weight loss
Have you observed what happens when you’re unwell with a fever? You don’t feel like eating. The body is saying, “My systems are under stress. I just want to slow down and rest. No overload of food, please.” Dr Raghavi, a Naturopathy Consultant at the Sri Sri Ayurveda Hospital, says, “If you’re unwell, just try fasting for a day. Have water or lemon water every two hours and rest. You might find yourself feeling fine the next day!”
Different strokes for different folks
The 16-hour fast benefits are universal and diverse, making different schools view intermittent fasting plans through their unique lens. Yet, one opinion holds in every discipline: fasting is good for the human body.
According to Ayurveda, people comprise different prakrutis (constitutions) - Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Therefore, people can choose the type of fast based on their body constitution. For instance, people with pitta prakruti must consult a doctor before fasting. Ayurveda also prescribes a dry fast (no consumption of food or liquids), only liquids or semi-solid food (like khichdi), depending on a person’s prakruti (constitution). Its frequency depends on the individual: e.g., once a week /month/fortnight.
Fasting may initially cause discomfort, such as nausea, stomach aches, or headaches. However, do not panic and give up! That is just your body cleaning itself of toxins. Sometimes, after a fast, there is a temptation to eat more than usual. Watch out for this tendency, and avoid it. The idea of fasting may seem more difficult than the act of fasting itself. How you feel after fasting is the only question you need to ask. If you’re tired and sick, you must speak to a nutritionist. And if you’re feeling light, enthusiastic, and fresh, you know you’re doing the right thing.
We can stay healthy and fast wisely when we understand food and its gunas (attributes).
It’s best to consult a doctor or a nutritionist before you start adopting fasting as a way of life.
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Written by: Resha Patel
(Based on inputs by Dr Ganesh Puttur, Vice-Principal, Professor and Head, Department of Panchakarma, Sri Sri College of Ayurvedic Science and Research; Dr. Raghavi, Naturopathy Consultant at the Sri Sri Ayurveda Hospital.)
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Frequently Asked Questions On Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting gives the body a 13-14 hour break in which it recharges itself. Intestines process the enzymes well, making the body feel lighter, a spike in growth hormones and reducing insulin production, and facilitating the regeneration of new immune system cells.
Intermittent fasting benefits one's health but may not suit the person if practiced incorrectly. For example, suppose people don't do intermittent fasting properly and use a calorie-deficit diet. In that case, they start losing their hair, have low blood sugar, feel colder, and experience irregular or missed periods. So to observe a fast correctly, one should understand how does intermittent fasting works? It's important to approach it safely and healthily and consult with a healthcare professional before starting.
It is okay to exercise while observing intermittent fasting because it helps in hormone optimization, aiding the weight loss and enhanced metabolism we desire as the 16-hour fast benefits. However, time your workouts appropriately. If you're doing longer workouts, scheduling them during your feeding window may be best, so you have enough energy to get through them. Also, try not to overdo it. Overdoing exercise during intermittent fasting can be stressful for the body. Instead, give your body plenty of rest and recovery time between workouts.
Yes, fasting intermittently reduces the fat cells in the body as our intestines get more time to digest food and the rest of the time, it chips away at the stored fat cells. This reduces our weight and ensures we don't gain more weight. However, it's important to approach intermittent fasting healthily and sustainably to achieve these benefits. Extreme calorie restriction or prolonged fasting can be harmful to your health and may instead increase belly fat over time by slowing down your metabolism.
Intermittent fasting involves not eating for 13-14 hours and then only eating in an 8 hour window. If you have your food by 8 pm then next meal is at 2 pm. So from noon to 8 pm or 2 pm to 10 pm, consume foods of high nutritional value. Consuming lots of water during the fasting period is recommended.
It is possible to gain weight while intermittent fasting, like any other diet or eating pattern. However, maintaining a calorie deficit and consuming a healthy and balanced diet is crucial to weight loss with intermittent fasting. If you eat high-caloric and fast foods during the 8-hour eating window, you will lose the intermittent fasting benefits and instead start gaining weight. Instead, focus on delicious foods with high nutritional value. However, you may still gain weight if you consume too many calories during your feeding window or compensate for the fasting period by overeating.
Depending on your diet and the dedication with which you d fasting, you can lose between two to six kgs easily with intermittent fasting and also experience loss of inches of fat.
Exercising regularly, focusing on healthy diet options, and fasting intermittently to give the body time and space to digest foods properly can easily reduce stomach fat.
Finishing meals by sunset or 7 pm allows you to keep your food consumption window of noon to 8 pm. From 8 pm to noon, you can focus on intermittent fasting and drinking lots of water.
Replace rice with brown rice or any other foods of high nutritional value to get the best out of your intermittent fasting period.
Sleeping gives our body functions and mind a rest and does count as a fast period but it is important to leave a gap of few hours after waking up to make sure that intermittent fasting rules are being followed.
Fasting for 13-14 hours is recommended as the best time period for intermittent fasting and it gives the best results.
