by
Kirti Tarang Pande
'Charaka Samhita' , the handbook of Ayurveda, is credited to be written by Charaka. So, it is a popular misconception that Charaka was the author of the text. No, Charaka is the title given to him. Charaka, is a Sanskrit word meaning 'the wanderer'. The author was a 'wanderer'.
This is important here, because this gives us insight into 'why Ayurveda says, what it says'.
Through his wandering in nature, he discovered the most primitive, easiest and simplest way to have longevity, good health, healing, harmony with nature and most importantly, harmony with oneself- The Fruit Diet.
Since past two years, I am having fruits for dinner daily. Once a year I opt for three months of complete fruit diet. The results have been wonderful, it's not just the body, I love what it has a done to my mind and emotions.
Therefore, I request everyone to take time out once a week to go on an all fruit diet. Here are the main reasons why:
1. Increases immunity:
By making the body alkaline, it increases our immunity. Just a google search away you will find researches showing how diseases can't survive in an alkalized body. You will also find the following listed as benefits of having a body with right PH balance-
- Deeper more restful sleep
- Reduction of candida overgrowth
- Increased mental acuity or alertness
- Enhanced memory and cognition
- Easier weight loss
- Increased energy
- Better bone health
- Reduced muscle wasting
- Proper cell functioning
- Healthy tissues
- Mitigation of chronic diseases
- Improved cardiovascular health
While there are many ways to alkalize one's body, eating fruits is the most do-able one. It doesn't matter how busy your life is, it doesn't matter how much 'on the go' you are; you can always dig your teeth in an apple or peel a banana.
2. Allows the body to regenerate:
For our body fruits are the easiest to digest, assimilate and eliminate. This means when you are on afruit diet, it's a day off for your internal organs. They are not busy trying to digest your food, your immune system isn't occupied in flushing the gluten out of intestines, so they have time to do more meaningful things, like detoxing, cleansing the digestive track, rejuvenate and regenerate healthy cells.
3. Best anti-aging ever:
This you know already, fruits are rich in antioxidants which slow down aging. This is so much better than expensive, chemical creams, because we become younger from inside.
4. Makes you more joyful:
It is my experience that fruit diet made me more alive, active, happy, peaceful and more in control of my emotions.
5. Will bring you prosperity
Natures works on the principle of give and take. According to Food and Agriculture department of United Nations, fruit diet reduces our environmental footprint, and it's a significant contribution in conserving the nature. You think about nature, nature will remember you and reward you. Not to forget the Good Karma you get by saving the world!
How to do fruit diet right way?
1. Start in a sustainable fashion
Follow a pattern that's sustainable as a life long ritual, come rain or shine. So, that would be weekly fruit fasts. Just one day, every week, only fruit diet. It's easy, it's do-able right?
2. Pick right day
It's important to make the weekly, food diet ritual sustainable. I like Mondays for an all fruit diet. This is because:
- I like to start the new week on a positive note, I am doing something good for my body and for the environment
- The cleanses the sins of weekends
- Mondays have least chances of having a social commitment of dinners and lunches etc.
- Monday, is a day of Shiva- the father of yoga. Being a yogi, this day has great spiritual significance in my life. Fasting in the name of Shiva, facilitates my growth as a yogi
3. Only three meals a day
The idea fruit fast is to the take load off our body so that it gets a chance to rejuvenate and regenerate. This is not going to happen, if we keep giving it food to digest. So, just have three meals breakfast, lunch and diner. No mid meal snacking. Yes, the cup of tea, green tea, coffee, a bunch of dry fruits that's snacking. Anything other than water is snacking.
4. Stay hydrated
Sip water every 15 minutes. This way our neuro-system gets a steady supply of electrolytes and we don't feel weak. Please, don't think that guzzling litres of water in morning will help your cause because:
a. It will not result in steady supply of electrolytes
b. Tax your kidneys. Giving them a bulk to process is just the opposite of giving them a rest day.
5. Pick a mono fruit, instead of a platter
Just like nature made each one of us unique, it made every fruit unique too. This means to digest different kinds of fruits, our body needs different types of enzymes. This means more work. However, this is the rest day of our body. So don't mix fruits. If you're having oranges for lunch, eat ten oranges if you're that hungry, but please eat only oranges.
6. Have variety
Mono fruit doesn't mean no variety. Variety is essential, since it ensures more nutrition. Our body requires a plethora of vitamins and minerals, but in traces. Having different types of fruits ensures that we give the body the nutrition that it seeks. So, if you start your day with a citrus fruit in breakfast, have something fleshy like papaya or banana for lunch, you can end your day with something green like grapes.
7. Close your plate at 7pm
Please don't eat after 7pm. That's the most important part of rest day. If we stop eating at 7 and then we eat directly at 8am the next morning our body gets 13 hours of rest, including 7 hours of deep rest through sleep. This is the finishing stroke that our body needs to regenerate.
8. Eat only fruits
Remember, if you're adding, salt, sugar, honey, flax seeds etc then it's not a mono fruit diet, you will not reap the benefits.
Happy fruit fasting :)
I would love to know your experience of it.
I would love to know your experience of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment