In many cultures around the world, fasting is said to be a good thing and throughout the year, there are many religions that recommend fasting during certain religious times of the year. The first question you should ask is what is fasting? The dictionary defines fasting as “The act or practice of abstaining from or eating very little food.” Some cultures define fasting such that you do not eat any food from sunrise till after sunset. Some say that you only eat one meal in a day. Some say that you only eat fruit and have milk throughout the day. In other words, there is no set definition of what fasting actually entails.

In terms of Ayurveda and health, fasting is not recommended for everyone. If you are thinking about fasting for your health, here are some general recommendations for you. There are three doshas according to Ayurveda, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Rather than discussing only the different body types and whether or not you should fast, I am going to approach this from the angle of how strong is your digestive power according to Ayurveda. The main factor you should consider when you are thinking about fasting for your health is your digestion, not necessarily your body type.

There are four general types of digestion. They are balanced digestion, irregular digestion, too strong of a digestion, and a weak digestion. The first type is a balanced digestion and that is known as sama-agni. Sama meaning balanced and agni meaning fire. Thus, it means a balanced digestive power. Those who have a balanced digestion do not need to fast because all aspects of their diet and routine are balanced. A balanced digestion also means that your Ojas levels are higher. Ojas is the finest product of digestion and represents your immune system.

The next type of digestion is an irregular digestion known as Visham-Agni according to Ayurveda. This type of digestion tends to be irregular and thus it is correlated with Vata. Sometimes it works great and other times, not so well. Some days you will have a nice bowel movement and some days you will be constipated. With an irregular digestion, the best way to balance it is to be regular with your diet and routine. Fasting is only recommended if you are to fast on a regular basis, for example every Wednesday. A one time fast is not recommended for Vata types or those with a Visham-agni.

If your digestion is too strong, your digestive power is known as Tikshna-Agni and thus it is correlated with Pitta. If you are one of those people who must eat on time and can eat all the food you want and wont gain an ounce, then most likely you have a Tikshna-agni. Pitta people and those with a Tikshna-agni must be fed on time; otherwise they are not happy campers. Thus, fasting is definitely not recommended for them. They cannot tolerate not having food.

The last general type of digestion is a weak digestion, known as mand-agni. A mand-agni is correlated to the Kapha dosha. If you have a weak digestion, chances are that you have ama in your physiology. Ama is undigested food or toxins. You will know if you have a mand-agni, because you will tend to feel heavy all the time and not too hungry. If you have a mand-agni and/or if you are the Kapha type, it is ok for you to fast. In fact it is recommended because fasting will allow for your digestion to catch up. Again though, if you are to fast, do it on a regular basis and do not get carried away with it.

Fasting is not recommended for everyone and one should not fast over a long period of time. Even if you choose to fast, be sure to still somehow obtain all the necessary nutrients through fruits and milk. Ayurveda looks at fasting in terms of resetting the digestion and cleaning out the toxins. By not consuming as much food, your digestion will basically get some down time to clean up. But remember, everything in moderation is good for you.