In Ayurveda, the gentle way to detox your body is via Fasting. In India, back in the day, fasting was practiced, on important days - like amavasya, purnima, navmis, jayantis, ekadashis, which practically was twice or thrice in a week. In this fasting, one consumed - primarily fruits, yoghurt, sabudana, or other things, which help to reduce the acidity and keep the body cool Ayurvedic doctors recommend that half your stomach should be filled with solid food, a quarter with liquids, and a quarter left empty. You should end the meal feeling satisfied but not full. The little space in our stomach, helps enzymes to perform or else they might not be utilised much- leading to accumulation of the same. This might lead to laziness, being tired, and low mood. Short fasting and intermittent fasting has proven benefits in promoting autophagy (self-eating/ auto-cleaning) thus clearing most toxins in the body. Fasting also activates the stem cells of the immune system and helps them to regrow and repair. Fasting helps in the production of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and helps in neuro re-generation. Intermittent fasting helps to activate the acute immune response which is very much important for fighting infections Fasting Therapy is a Millennial way to eat before the sunset and after the sunrise. Fasting Therapy, helps in the below things: 1.Reduce body weight 2.Improved sleep 3.Improved flexibility 4.Improved skin5.Improved gut health 6.Lowers risk of type-2 diabetes7.Improves hormonal imbalance While the list can go on, below are a few surprising ways, Fasting contributes to improved Gut Health : Increase in Good Gut Bacteria: Popularly known as Gut Flora, a human body- due to its habits increases the bad gut flora, keeping very little space for the good gut bacteria to work. However when we fast, the bad ones starve and become week, making the Good Gut Bacteria - do its job, which is boosting immunity and overall healthCleaning of Small Intestine : Cleaning of our small intestine usually is activated when one has fasted more than 4 hours or for longer periods. The cleaning results in reducing the number of bacteria in the organ, leading to reduction in fermentation, bloating, and all of the other unpleasant symptoms one feels post overeating! Keeps Gut Integrity Intact: Daily fasting leads to activation of the gene that strengthens the gut barrier to protect us from harmful microbes, toxins, and other substances that can trigger immune reactions. Fasting for longer periods can also stimulate autophagy (triggered after about 16-18 hours of fasting) and stem cell regeneration (triggered after 4 to 5 days of fasting), two more mechanisms that could help heal a damaged gut.Reset the Gut : Digestion is a very over -working and complicated process. When one is fasting, it helps the internal organs, glands relax and take a break - which leads to rebooting of the gut- resulting into better performance , giving better results Start the Fasting Therapy during this lockdown for gut sake!Inputs by Dr Manoj Kutteri, Wellness Director Atmantan Wellness Centre

Read the original post:
Improve your gut health with fasting therapy - Times of India