Weight loss: What is dry fasting and why experts want you to do it!
Dry fasting is suddenly catching a lot of attention in India as well as abroad. In dry fasting, we eliminate water as well as food. In fact one day of dry fasting is said to be equivalent to three days of water fasting – as far as overall cleansing of the body is concerned.
There are two types of dry fasting – soft dry fast and hard dry fast.
Soft dry fast is where you brush your teeth, take a shower and wash your face. On the other hand, a hard dry fast is a fast where you do not come in touch with water at all – yes, total abstinence.
In the state where your body doesn’t get food or water, it starts the process of utilising everything available for energy, not only for food but also water – that too at the cellular level. This sort of extreme fasting will obviously put your body in distress. And it gets more stressed out to find more water.
This eventually makes your body work harder to utilize cells that are not useful and are inefficient. It also leads to autophagy, which is your body’s natural process of recycling old and damaged cells to get energy. It creates new improved cells and eliminates the bad ones. As a result, only the strong cells survive – a natural progression.BUT do not straightaway jump into dry fasting as it can be dangerous. Experts warn, it can even be fatal to the body.
STEP 1
Once you have consulted an expert and made up your mind about undertaking dry fasting, pick a date. It will be tough for you to do a dry fast when you are required to be productive
STEP 2
As a test run, first try out the soft dry fasting where you can have water and juice to check how mentally and physically prepared you are to do it. It is said that if someone has a lot of toxins in the body, the body releases excessive amounts of toxins in this fasting period, making the person feel dull and lethargic.
STEP 3
Once you pick a date, try to start mild detox a week in advance. Have coconut water and pink salt too. Eliminate caffeine from your routine and add more liquids and salad to your diet. Gradually cut down on your calorie intake and drink plenty of water, such that your urine is crystal clear before you enter the dry fasting phase.
STEP 4
Treat your body gently when you are dry fasting. Engage in activities that calm your senses like yoga, meditation etc. Avoid being in the sunlight or any environment that drains your energy. Try journaling your journey whenever you feel demotivated.
STEP 5
Do not ignore your body cues. If your body is in deep distress and telling you so, prepare to end your fast. If your body is truly hungry and not just causing grumbling sound in the tummy, take something light. Do not torture yourself.
STEP 6
Do not just snap out of dry fasting. The way out of dry fasting is the same as the way in to dry fasting. Sip on lots of water and have light liquid salads and juices.
Many people have reported miraculous benefits of following dry fasting, the top most being weight loss. So if you wish to detox your body and lose weight, this can be worth a try.
DISCLAIMER: The diet should be followed under expert supervision.
