Wellness via intermittent fasting

Wellness via intermittent fasting

August 2023

Naini Setalvad delineates the benefits and method of intermittent  fasting for leading a healthier and  more spiritually enriching lifeIt’s a dirty world out there—and inside our  bodies too! We accumulate toxins from our  environment by breathing, through the food  we eat, and by physical contact. We are exposed  to air pollution, water pollution, radiation,  and lack of sleep, all of which cause stress. We  consume sugar and refined foods in excess and  abuse our bodies with various stimulants and  sedatives. 

Stress triggers our body’s fight-or-flight re sponse, a primitive biochemical reaction that  puts our body on red alert. If stress continues,  our body reaches the ‘alarm stage,’ disrupting  the functioning of the immune and circulato ry systems. Our body becomes less efficient at  eliminating toxins, thereby increasing our tox ic overload. This can give rise to depression,  irritability, poor performance, anxiety, mood  swings, acidity, constipation, cardiovascular  problems, and degenerative diseases, including  cancer. 

The best way to strengthen our body’s natural  defences is to pay attention to our diet and its  effect on our body. Here is where fasting comes  into play.  

According to the Indian tradition, one should  stop eating by sunset and ‘break fast’ three  hours post sunrise. This automatically means  12–15 hours of fasting. This norm gave the body  rest and detoxified toxic materials and waste  products, thus opening the pathway to natural  self-healing and spiritual progress. Recently,  this practice has gained tremendous popularity  under the name of intermittent fasting. Here,  an eating window of eight hours in 24 hours is  provided during which two meals are allowed.  No other consumption of food is allowed in between, except for an occasional tomato or a  glass of buttermilk, This strict regulation of  meal times helps balance the blood sugar levels  

in the body and brings diabetes under control.  

Benefits of intermittent fasting 

• Aids the body’s elimination system in effec tively getting rid of waste 

• May help shed significant amount of weight • Leads to improved wellness, concentration,  and disease-prevention 

• Increases vitality 

• Boosts the immune system 

Assess your toxic load: one point for every yes  and zero for every no. If you score more than  five, you need to fast. 

• Do you feel tired when you wake up? • Do you suffer from skin problems? • Do you suffer from bloating after meals? • Do you have an alcoholic drink most days? 

The more the fruits and vegetables, the less the toxins

Food 41 

• Do  y o u  

smoke or live  with smokers? 

• Do you rarely eat fresh fruit or vegetables? 

• Do you eat red meat more than twice a  week? 

• Do you eat fried food and junk food? • Do you suffer from constant colds, hay, fe ver, or allergies? 

• Do you have mood swings? 

• Do you crave certain foods such as candy  or bread? 

• Do you put on weight easily? 

• Do you find it difficult to concentrate? • Do you often have irregular bowel move ments? 

Detoxify your kitchen  

Clear your kitchen of all the fatty, sugar-lad en comfort foods that you reach for in times of  emotional crises so that if you do go through a  stressful time, there won’t be anything in the  pantry that you should not eat. Throw out all  the white flour, white sugar, and all the oth er packaged, processed, and refined foods you  find there. Then restock your kitchen with nu tritionally sound food, using a shopping list  for guidance.  

Preparing to fast 

• Eat as much locally grown produce as pos sible since it lessens the chemical load and  retains more nutrition because it does not  have to be preserved or flown across the  world to you.  

• Consume plenty of fruits, seasonal greens,  and vegetables. 

• Opt for whole grains (whole wheat, basmati  rice, bajra, jowar, nachni, and brown rice),  dals, cow’s ghee, and rock salt. 

• Drink more water 

• Avoid milk, curd, eggs, cheese, paneer, and  non-vegetarian food 

• Cut off alcohol 

• Cut down on caffeine 

Precautions 

• Monitor your blood sugar, blood pressure,  and sodium levels. One must always fast  under supervision and constantly keep a  check on the above-mentioned parameters. 

• Avoid acidity by not staying hungry be yond your body’s capacity. 

• Avoid eating overly processed foods as  it will lead to indigestion and defeat the  whole purpose of detoxifying your body. 

Try to maintain a 12-hour gap between din ner and breakfast. If you can’t start the fast  by sunset then at least start three hours before  midnight and break your fast three hours after  sunrise. This will be a 12-hour fasting window.  Once you are comfortable with this routine,  you can increase it gradually to 16 hours. And  stay with that.  

This way you can comfortably fast your way to  a healthy body and a sound mind.  

Recipe  

MOONG SOUP  

Ingredients 

½ cup moong  

¼ tsp hing  

¼ tsp haldi powder  

½ tsp jeera seeds  

Salt to taste  

Method 

1.Wash and soak the moong for 3–4 hours in  water.  

2.Drain the water and cook the moong with  water on a medium flame  

3.Cook in pressure cooker till the moong dal is  soft and mushy.  

4.Allow the pressure cooker to cool and open  the lid.  

5.Blend the cooked dal in the blender until  smooth.  

6.Strain using a strainer and set aside.  7.Heat the ghee in a small pan. Add hing and  jeera seeds. Sauté for a minute. Add haldi pow der to it. 

8. Add the tempering to the blended dal with  salt and boil for 3–4 minutes on medium flame.  9.Serve hot.

Naini Setalvad is a nutritionist, specialising in lifestyle and immunity disorders. Her foundation, Health For You, throws light  on healthy food habits. Contact her at healthforyou@nainisetalvad. com