According to Ayurveda, India's traditional system of health and well-being, your constitution falls into one of three categories, or doshas: vata, pitta or kapha. Kapha types tend to be warm, heavy and slow; pittas can be hot, competitive and muscular; and vatas tend to be slender, cool and airy. You may be a blend of doshas, but one usually predominates, and Ayurvedic thought considers illness or loss of vitality to be indicative of doshic imbalance. Dietary adjustments such as fasting can restore doshic balance and vibrant health, according to Ayurveda.
Fasting
Fasting is a method of bodily detoxification used in some spiritual traditions and nutritional programs. "It is one of the quickest ways to increase elimination of wastes and enhance the healing processes of the body," write Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D., authors of "Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine." Fasting purportedly frees the body from its digestive duties, enabling it to attend to healing other ailments and cleanse itself of impurities, called ama in Ayurvedic terminology. Ayurvedic practitioners recommend fasting as a method to restore agni, or "digestive fire." The most extreme form of fasting is a water-only diet; milder versions permit juices, broths and light vegetarian foods.
Vata Fasting
"Vata types are the most sensitive to fasting, due to their light, airy natures," write Thomas Yareda and Daniel Rhoda, authors of "Eat. Taste. Heal. An Ayurvedic Cookbook for Modern Living." "Fasting in moderation, however, is a good way for vata types to improve low-agni and excess-ama conditions." They recommend that delicate vatas avoid pure water fasts -- unlike kaphas, who may fast on water alone for up to 72 hours -- and instead include light foods and juices.
Kitchari and Kanjee
The authors of "Eat. Taste. Heal." recommend vata fasters eat only kitchari for the first 24 to 48 hours of a fast. Kitchari is a cooked porridge of basmati rice and mung dal -- split yellow lentils -- seasoned with cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. You may also add 4 to 8 cups daily of kanjee, which is the liquid poured off after cooking 1 cup rice in 10 cups water seasoned with salt, ginger and cumin. You should supplement kitchari and kanjee with plenty of plain water.
Duration
Do not follow a vata fast or any other type of fast for more than three days without medical supervision. Diabetics should not attempt fasting at all without a physician's approval due to the risk of low blood sugar, advise the authors of "Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine." In addition, it's a good idea to fast on a weekend or other time when you have plenty of time to rest and little stress. Keep track of any odd symptoms that occur during your fast -- such as rashes, headaches or emotional reactions -- which may represent toxins leaving your system. When you reintroduce solid foods following a fast, do so gradually. Start with fruits and vegetables and add grains, dairy and meats over the course of a few days.
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