There are a lot of methods that people nowadays use to keep themselves healthy, fit and lose weight. Some methods are scientifically proven, while others are a little contentious due to their harsh nature. While embarking on this journey to shed as much weight as possible, some even do fasts that are unheard of or generally, people have less knowledge about. One such fasting is called dry fasting. What is it? Is it useful? How to do it right? Let us look at it all.
Dry fasting is when you decide to completely detox your body and do not even feed it water. It is a 24 hour long fast, where you give your body a complete break from digestion. This releases all the toxins and you feel lighter by the end of the fast. Although, the fast may seem very tough, Indian culture and Hinduism in particular has the tradition of dry fasting since times immemorial. There are a lot of festivals that involve dry fasting, and as we have moved forward as a society, we have often linked the relevance of these fasts to better health and fitness.
Now, there is no denying that dry fasting is difficult for people who are not used to fasting. It can take a toll on your body if not done right. Let us look at some tips to get dry fasting right.
1. Always ease your body into the fast. Drink lots of water and hydrate yourself instead of eating something heavy right before the fast.
2. It is important that you do a trial run first. Keep soft fast for a day, where you give your body some sort of fuel to work with, like juices and see if you are able to do it for the entire day.
3. Choose your day to do dry fasting and begin preparing for it well in advance. Do not eat heavy, overly spicy, empty-carb laden food a couple days before the fast. Prepare yourself mentally and physically.
Eat light food prior to fasting | Unsplash
4. If at any point during the fast, your body craves some water and hydration, do not deny it. Listen to your body at all times. You can always attempt doing the fast again, but do not compromise on your well-being.
5. Just like water before the fasting period, you need to consume a lot of water till a couple of hours right after breaking your fast. Hydration is key to the transition from a fasting state to a non-fasting one.
Dry fasting is a technique that cannot be called novel, as many communities have been doing it since centuries for religious reasons, but it sure is having a sudden interest wave from fitness enthusiasts who are willing to try the method out.
