Ayurveda is mostly about healthy balance through lifestyle changes and natural herbs. One of the practices that are important in Ayurveda for keeping the digestive system healthy is intermittent fasting. It is quite popular with dieticians these days. The method involves alternating between times when you eat and times when you do not eat and giving rest to the system. Interestingly, fasting has always been part of Indian tradition. The ideas behind intermittent fasting can be traced back to Ayurveda.
Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of digestion (Agni), meal timing, and the natural rhythms of the body, which align with today’s concept of intermittent fasting.
Let us dive deeper into the connection between Ayurveda and intermittent fasting.
Ayurvedic Principles Related to Fasting
Agni (Digestive Fire):
In Ayurveda, Agni, or digestive fire, is central to overall health and well-being, as it governs the digestion, absorption, and assimilation of food. Fasting helps strengthen Agni by giving the digestive system a much-needed rest, allowing it to reset and rejuvenate. When we continuously eat without breaks, Agni can become weakened or overloaded, leading to the accumulation of undigested food and toxins (Ama) in the body.
Fasting creates a period of digestive rest, during which the body can efficiently process and eliminate accumulated Ama, thus restoring balance and enhancing the efficiency of Agni. This rejuvenation of Agni improves digestion, boosts metabolism, and supports the body’s natural detoxification processes, promoting overall health and vitality.
Dinacharya (Daily Routines):
In Ayurveda, Dinacharya, or daily routine, is a fundamental concept that emphasizes living in harmony with natural rhythms to maintain health and balance. This routine includes specific practices for waking, eating, working, and resting, all timed to align with the body’s natural circadian rhythms and the movements of the sun. Fasting, when integrated into Dinacharya, further supports these natural rhythms by aligning meal times with the body’s peak digestive capacity.
For instance, Ayurveda recommends eating the largest meal at midday when Agni is strongest and having lighter meals in the morning and evening. By incorporating fasting into this routine, such as skipping meals during less optimal digestive times or allowing for longer periods between meals, one can enhance digestive efficiency, support detoxification, and balance bodily functions. Thus, fasting becomes a complementary practice within Dinacharya, reinforcing the principles of rhythm and balance central to Ayurveda.
Langhana (Therapeutic Fasting):
In Ayurveda, Langhana is a therapeutic approach aimed at reducing or eliminating excesses in the body to restore balance and health. The term “Langhana” means “to fast” or “to lighten.” This method is used to manage conditions caused by excess accumulation of doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha), toxins (Ama), and other imbalances. Langhana helps to kindle Agni (digestive fire), improve metabolism, and promote detoxification. Langhana is a therapy with many aspects to it and fasting from food is one of them.
Apart from fasting it also involves laghu ahara (light diet), physical activity (vyayama), Sweating (Swedana), Purging (Virechana) and Enemas (Basti) and herbal remedies, as a form of shodhana chikitsa, or cleansing therapy. Langhana is often used as a preliminary step in Panchakarma, the comprehensive Ayurvedic detoxification process.
Fasting as per Ayurveda can be complete fasting or ‘Upavasa’ or ‘laghu ahara’ or a light diet. Complete or partial fasting is done to give the digestive system rest and allow the body to detoxify. It may or may not involve water fasting. Light Diet (Laghu Ahara) means consuming a diet of light, easy-to-digest foods that are low in calories and fat. Typically includes fruits, vegetables, juices, soups, and herbal teas. There are several types of fasting, each with specific goals and methods:
Complete Fasting (Purna Upavasa): This involves abstaining from all food and sometimes even water for a specified period. The aim is to allow the digestive system to rest completely and promote deep detoxification. It is typically done for short periods, such as 1-2 days, depending on individual health conditions and under medical supervision.
Partial Fasting (Akshepa Upavasa): Involves consuming only specific types of food or beverages, such as liquids (water, herbal teas, broths) or very light, easily digestible foods. The purpose is to reduce the load on the digestive system while still providing some nutrients to maintain energy levels. Sometimes it can be fast with only a liquid diet allowed and sometimes it’s complete abstinence from grains and you eat only fruits.
Fasting for Detoxification (Virechana): This involves therapeutic fasting as part of a broader detoxification program, often combined with other therapies such as herbal treatments and Panchakarma. The aim is to cleanse the body of toxins (Ama) and balance doshas through a structured detoxification process. It is a combination of fasting, herbal purgatives, and enemas.
Seasonal Fasting: Adjusting fasting practices according to seasonal changes to support the body’s natural rhythms and balance doshas. The purpose is to align dietary practices with the changing needs of the body during different seasons, such as lighter fasting in spring to counteract Kapha accumulation. It typically involves reducing food intake or choosing specific types of food during seasonal transitions. Mostly Navratri fasting twice a year for 9 days aligns with the concept of seasonal fasting.
Intermittent fasting as per ayurveda: In Ayurveda, it’s generally not recommended to eat after sunset. So, in a way period of darkness every day, which ranges from 9-14 hrs as per the season, is the fasting period. Ayurveda also focuses on dinacharya a lot. Morning breakfast is recommended to be taken only after a bath, other cleaning activities, and prayers.
So, the fasting period goes beyond darkness hours, anyway, and stretches to around 14-16 hours. Intermittent fasting in a dietician approach does not consider body type and simply recommends 12 hrs, 14 hrs, or 16 hrs of fasting periods per day to everybody. In Ayurveda, fasting recommendations are based on body types.
Dosha Considerations are important in Ayurveda for fasting. Tailor fasting practices to your dosha and current state of health (Vikriti). For example, Vata types may require shorter fasting periods with more frequent meals, while Kapha types may benefit from longer fasting periods.
Benefits of intermittent fasting as per Ayurveda
- Detoxification: Helps eliminate accumulated toxins (Ama) from the body, enhancing overall health.
- Improved Digestion: Strengthens Agni, leading to better digestion and absorption of nutrients.
- Weight Management: Aids in reducing excess weight and balancing metabolism.
- Disease Management: Used in the treatment of various diseases caused by dosha imbalances, such as obesity, diabetes, and inflammatory conditions.
- Mental Clarity: Promotes mental clarity and focus by reducing the heaviness and lethargy associated with excessive Kapha and Ama.