Intermittent Fasting: A to Z (Part 1)-How this Ancient practice became a Powerful tool for Reversing Chronic Disease.

Fasting, known as upavas or langhana in Sanskrit, has been an integral part of the holistic healing system of Ayurveda for over 5,000 years. 

The practice of fasting is rooted in the principle of giving the digestive system a rest to allow the body to purify, detoxify, and cleanse itself of ama (toxins). This is not a modern trend, but an age-old tradition that emphasizes balance and individual constitution (doshas) and is also practiced for spiritual development across many ancient cultures and religions. 

3 Prerequisites for Beginner Level Intermittent Fasting-

1. Understand AMA and why must it be eliminated?

 In Ayurveda, AMA refers to a toxic, sticky residue that accumulates in the body due to incomplete digestion and faulty metabolism. The term AMA literally means “unripe,” “uncooked,” or “undigested.” It is considered the root cause of disease (amaya) because it clogs the body’s channels (srotas) and disrupts normal physiological functioning.

From a modern medical perspective, AMA can be understood as the earliest stage of inflammation in the body. This stage is so subtle that it occurs long before any abnormalities can be detected through blood tests, scans, or ultrasounds. This is precisely where Ayurveda differs from modern medicine—it addresses imbalance at the root, before disease fully manifests and is labeled with names such as diabetes, gastritis, pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, fatty liver, arthritis, spondylitis, PCOD and countless other chronic conditions.

These conditions are not isolated problems; they are different expressions of the same underlying issue—AMA accumulating silently over time. Because modern diagnostic tools are designed to detect disease only after structural or biochemical damage has occurred, AMA often goes unnoticed or unrecognized in conventional medical practice. At present, there is no definitive test to detect this primitive, early inflammatory state. This understanding is crucial before attempting intermittent fasting. Clearing AMA is therefore a foundational step for eliminating chronic illnesses.

2-Understand what 7-1-7 Rule is

Your biggest meal of the day must be in the morning hours, and smallest meal of the day must be in evening hours. When you look at the graph below, you can follow the pattern of digestive juices rising and falling during the day within the 12-hour cycle of 24 hours in a day. In reality they are well synchronized with our biological or circadian rhythm. In other words, juices rise after sunrise and come down during sunset which is again very closely connected to our internal thermostat or circadian rhythm in our Agna chakra located in the pineal gland. For more understanding of Agna chakra please read my book titled Chakra Handbook.

If you follow the 7-1-7 rule that I recommend means to eat breakfast around 7 am, lunch close to 1 and dinner before 7 pm then all of your meals are within the curve and all 3 meals are digested well because they have the appropriate digestive juices to metabolize them and release OJAS. To understand what is OJAS and how methods like Panchakarma eliminate AMA please read my book- Timeless Vitality Diet.

When you follow the average American diet and their timings, you will see the average time for breakfast is around 9-10 am when they are walking into the office or mostly at the desk by their meetings. Some skip breakfast and go for the unhealthiest option of sipping a large coffee or cold tea or large soda for hours while working. This builds up hunger during the peak and by the time they reach 2 pm they are super hungry which is when they start eating an enormous lunch. If you notice the digestive curve at 2 pm has already started to dip down. The next meal, which is dinner, is even worse because it usually comes after the digestive juices have completely disappeared from the circadian rhythm after 9 pm and for some dinner at 10 pm is a common routine.

What this means is that an average American is mostly eating the food at irrational times not realizing that more than half of his/her food is not metabolized completely and leads to accumulation of AMA. But if you stick to the 7-1-7 rule then you’re allowing the food to be completely metabolized and also maintaining the circadian rhythm of your system. Our circadian rhythm has an internal memory and when you stick to the specific times I mentioned, the internal memory kicks in automatically and starts producing digestive juices only at those specific times which in my case are 7 am in morning and 1pm in the afternoon and 7 pm always. This ensures I don’t snack because cravings are controlled and ensures my meals are completely digested leaving no room for any AMA.  Of course this method works when we are young in 20s and changes dramatically as our metabolism slows down with aging which then brings us to intermittent fasting.

3-Understand Importance of Fasting –

Fasting is the simplest way to eliminate AMA which everyone can do & must do.  Within the period of 24 hours in a day, minimum 12 hours we must be in a fasting state. This is necessary to keep the metabolism active and to keep the digestive fire or Agni active without tiring it. Always any food you eat must be between 7 am to 7 pm. 7 pm is a crucial time assuming we all sleep by 10 because the body needs at least 3 hours to digest dinner before going to bed. An average American eats dinner at 9 am and retires to bed at 10:30 pm or much later.  This person has at best been given only 1-2 hours to digest the food which means there is still some food in the upper digestive tract undigested. When he lies down it will likely first reflux into the esophagus causing GERD or gastritis & secondly since that food is only partially digested, most of it is converted into fat & will likely get accumulated in the visceral area.

Visceral fat is the fat surrounding the organs in the Manipura chakra or Metabolic chakra (liver, pancreas, stomach, duodenum, gall bladder, small intestine, kidney). This fat is a dangerous fat and stubborn in many ways and they often will show up as an increase in belly size. This term is called the mid abdominal circumference in modern medicine and has a direct correlation to metabolic syndrome. Full list of metabolic illnesses is listed in table.

So, if you want to lose belly fat, the foremost thing is to cultivate the habit of eating a minimum of 3 hours before bedtime. In addition, Ayurveda recommends 18 hours fasting once in 2 weeks or once a month. (explained in detail later ). Again, if you are already suffering from diseases like diabetes, cancer and are taking special treatments or injections it’s better, you do not start intermittent fasting without my supervision.

When people suddenly start intermittent fasting without understanding the basic 7-1-7 rule, their circadian rhythm is hardly used to fasting and subjecting it to prolonged hours of fasting like 15 or 16 hours can be more disastrous than beneficial. Studies done on such people who commit to 18 hours of intermittent fasting for weeks to months without much understanding of their body are prone to develop chest pain, acidity and heart problems especially when done for many months. You are depriving your body of essential nutrition, vitamins, and antioxidants which are our body’s defense mechanisms.

If you have understood the significance of AMA & fasting and the concept of 7-1-7 rules and are already practicing them with ease, now you are ready to begin intermittent fasting.

15 Minute Free Consult with Dr. Sahila

Schedule Now

 Ideal way to start intermittent fasting- Persistent daily fasting for 12 hours and long hours up to 18 hours fasting once a month is ideal for our well-being. Not fasting at all is not acceptable. Irrational eating or eating at random hours of the day is not good either because it confuses the circadian rhythm. When you eat at odd hours, when you sleep at odd hours or when you exercise at odd hours, it confuses the circadian rhythm. Some people do late night workouts after 10 pm and some people sleep during the day times due to excessive night shifts. Such people often end up having disturbances in their circadian rhythm which leads to illnesses like depression, sleep apnea, anxiety, obesity and other hormonal fluctuations like menstrual irregularities and thyroid disorders and so on.

4 Methods of Fasting for Beginner Level Intermittent Fasting-

Ayurveda shows 4 simple ways to get started without affecting your daily metabolism and ensuring optimum health. These methods are in addition to the 12 hours of daily fasting you do assuming you are already following the 7-1-7 pattern. If not, start with the 7-1-7 pattern first and then slowly start one of the following 4 steps to enjoy further benefits of fasting.

1-Liquid diet once a week- replace 1 meal with liquid diet once a week. Examples of replacement are vegetable soup, fruit juices, porridge or kanji, rice cereal or millet porridge, tea, and tender coconut water are good replacements. Remember not to liquefy meat products or eggs as part of a liquid diet.

2-Raw food once a week- raw fruits, cucumber, avocado, lettuce, carrots, coconut, sprouts & certain leaves are best when consumed raw. Leaves like spinach, kale, sprouts when eaten raw please ensure you have washed them well before consuming raw or else you can transmit certain parasites or unwanted bacteria into your gut which can cause infections. Those who already have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) are better off avoiding raw foods because it will likely make your IBS worse.

3-Fruit diet once a week- Never cook your fruits. Eat all fruits raw, including coconut and avocado. Choose a day of the week and eat raw fruit throughout the day. Remember fruits are sun cooked even when eaten raw. This is why nature has allowed all fruits to grow upwards from the ground. There is no fruit that grows underground. American methods of baking fruits in the form of pies and muffins destroys the antioxidants and nutrients in them and is best avoided.

4-Skipping 1 meal once a week- if you’re new to fasting, one of the ways to start fasting is by skipping 1 meal a week and observing how your body is reacting. Please don’t go right away to 18 hours of fasting. You will find it hard to tolerate it long term and experience lots of nutritional deficiencies.

(More advance intermittent fasting methods explained later in this blog.)

What does Sun cook mean? It means they are not uncooked; they are sun cooked. Meaning it's already infused by sun rays. All fruits, whether kiwis, pineapples, oranges, mangoes, avocado, berries, apples & all kinds of nuts (except peanuts), most of them are grown above ground and infused with solar power.  You can just wash them under water and eat them raw and you don’t have to worry about germs or bacteria. Those that are grown underground like carrots, radishes or beets need to be washed thoroughly. Nowadays cherry picking and orange picking farms are very popular, and this encourages even kids to eat raw fruits.

What about the ones who cannot fast? Sip hot water through the day to eliminate ama and this is why in most Asian countries like Japan and China, they have the habit of sipping hot tea throughout the day to remove AMA. Even their alcohol’s sake is warm. Remember water must be hot and be sipped at least every hour. Buy a thermos and fill it with boiling water and keep sipping it throughout the day. First few days you may find yourself urinating more frequently but soon your body will get adjusted to it and AMA will dissolve and you will start experiencing the 8 signs of OJAS described earlier.

Advanced Methods of Intermittent Fasting

Who are ideal candidates?

Advanced intermittent fasting is not meant for beginners. It is best suited for individuals who meet one or more of the following criteria:

1-Have practiced one or more of the four beginner level fasting methods consistently with ease.

 2-Have severe obesity, defined as a BMI class 2 and above.

 3-Are dealing with chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer, or autoimmune diseases and have seen little to no response to conventional treatments.

Again please contact me before you start any Advance Level Intermittent Fasting methods.

3 Prerequisites for Advanced Level Intermittent Fasting

1. Eliminate simple carbohydrates

Before attempting advanced intermittent fasting, it is essential to remove simple carbohydrates such as white rice, pasta, and white bread from your diet. These should be replaced with complex carbohydrates, especially millets.

To fully experience the benefits of advanced fasting, you must be comfortable cooking and consuming millets on a daily basis. If millets are new to your diet, introduce them gradually—one variety per week—to allow your gut microbiome to adapt without stress. Other suitable alternatives include quinoa and oats.

Complex carbohydrates are nutritionally dense and digest more slowly due to their natural fiber and structure. Unlike refined carbs, they do not cause sudden spikes in blood sugar. This steady metabolism helps reduce hunger cravings, stabilizes energy levels, and allows the body to smoothly transition into a ketogenic state—an essential component of advanced intermittent fasting.

2. Consume clean protein—within the right limits

 When practicing advanced intermittent fasting, protein intake must be intentional and moderated. For women, total daily protein should remain under 50 grams, and for men, under 70 grams.

I have emphasized this repeatedly across my blogs and podcasts: if the majority of your protein comes from store-bought meat, sustainable weight loss becomes extremely difficult. Most commercially available meat—regardless of what the label claims—is exposed to hormones, antibiotics, and chemical preservatives. Additionally, the time required for processing, packaging, shipping, and storage means that the meat reaching your plate is often three weeks old or more.

This delay did not exist a century ago. Our ancestors hunted, cooked, and consumed meat on the same day. Their protein was fresh, clean, and free from chemical interference. As a result, they did not experience widespread obesity, metabolic disorders, and chronic diseases that are common today.

If your goal is true fat loss and reversal of chronic disease, it is essential to gradually shift toward plant-based protein sources. The benefits are even greater when these foods are home-grown. Plant proteins not only support metabolic health but also nourish the gut microbiome far more effectively than meat-based proteins.

From a microbiome perspective, diversity and fiber-rich plant foods strengthen digestion, reduce inflammation, and improve nutrient absorption—critical factors for success in advanced intermittent fasting. To understand more about meat and chicken please read this blog titled "Is Chicken High in Protein? Yes. Should You Eat It? No. Here’s Why!"

 3. Include only healthy fats and eliminate fake foods

 When practicing advanced intermittent fasting, the quality of fats you consume matters as much as the quantity. Focus exclusively on good, natural fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, ghee, and avocado oil. These fats support hormonal balance, brain function, and sustained energy.

Even with healthy oils, moderation is key. Use small amounts in each dish, and whenever possible, choose cold-pressed oils sourced from trusted farms. Oils that are freshly milled and minimally processed retain their natural aroma, nutrients, and healing properties.

Personally, I use coconut oil sourced directly from a farm in Coimbatore, grown and milled by a relative. The difference in taste, aroma, and quality compared to store-bought oils is unmistakable. This is what real food is meant to feel like—alive and nourishing.

 At the same time, it is essential to eliminate fake foods—greasy, deep-fried, ultra-processed items that overload the body with toxins and inflammation. If you are following advanced intermittent fasting, these foods simply have no place in your diet.

Let’s be honest: this approach is not for everyone. It requires discipline, awareness, and commitment. But when practiced correctly, the benefits are profound—deep metabolic healing, sustained energy, and long-term wellness that truly lasts a lifetime. To identify fake food please read my blog "Real Food vs Fake Food: How to Spot the Difference?"

To learn and practice the advanced levels of intermittent fasting, it is essential to enroll in the Fitness 2026 Program with me. This ensures you are following the protocol safely, effectively, and under expert supervision.

In the second part of this blog, I will walk you through the 2 methods of advanced level of Intermittent fasting, complete grocery list, meal preparation guidelines, and any anticipated side effects—so you know exactly what to expect.

To enroll in the program and receive personal, hands-on guidance from me, click below.

References

1. Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Health, Aging, and Disease. de Cabo R, Mattson MP. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2019;381(26):2541-2551. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1905136.

2. Intermittent Fasting and Fasting-Mimicking Diet: Promising Strategies in Cancer Management. Zhang C, Fu F, Zhu X, et al. Current Medicinal Chemistry. 2024;:CMC-EPUB-144121. doi:10.2174/0109298673332052241008060857.

3. Intermittent Fasting Against Cancer Development and Progression: Highlighting Potential Anticancer Molecular Mechanisms. Psara E, Poulios E, Papadopoulou SK, et al. Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry. 2023;23(17):1889-1909. doi:10.2174/1871520623666230816090229.

   
   

   1. Effects of Intermittent Fasting Diet in Overweight and Obese Postmenopausal Women With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. Ranjbar M, Shab-Bidar S, Rostamian A, et al. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2025;91:103189. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2025.103189.

   2. Intermittent Fasting: A Promising Dietary Intervention for Autoimmune Diseases. Barati M, Ghahremani A, Namdar Ahmadabad H. Autoimmunity Reviews. 2023;22(10):103408. doi:10.1016/j.autrev.2023.103408.

   3.