tip of the day

Yoga began with the first person wanting to be healthy and happy all the time.
~Sri Swami Satchidananda

Breaking Fast : Don’t Break Too Fast!

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You can not break it drastically because once your body tastes food, it will crave for more. It can also lead to nausea or even sickness. Also remember to chew your food thoroughly, since the digestive system has been at rest, to make the process of digestion easier.

Why breaking your fast gradually is important?

Care needs to be taken when breaking your fast. We won’t want to overburden our digestive system. The best benefit of fasting is realized when a fast is broken properly.

Taking it slow and easy is not only kind to our body, but allows us the opportunity to integrate our new-found clarity on your relationship to food.

During a fast, the body undergoes several biological changes. Enzymes normally produced by the digestive system have ceased to be produced or have been diminished greatly, depending on the type of fast performed, so introducing food slowly allows the body time to re-establish this enzyme production.

The protective mucus lining of the stomach may be temporarily diminished as well, making the stomach walls more vulnerable to irritation until it also returns to normal. Gentle reintroduction of foods, beginning with the simplest and easiest-to-digest foods, supports this process. Substances known to be irritating to the system, such as coffee and spicy foods, must be avoided during the breaking process.

Because of these biological changes, overeating immediately following a fast is much worse than overeating at any other time. Our system needs time to readjust back to normal digestion and assimilation. Not taking the proper measures can result in stomach cramping, nausea, and even vomiting.