When To Stop Fasting? Warning Symptoms To Watch

You will have your goal to continue fasting for a particular time period. But from a health point of view, if you are experiencing certain warning signals, it is better to stop fasting. If neglected, fasting may go wrong, leading to severe complications like low levels of sugar and salts in blood, dehydration etc.

When To Stop Fasting? 
Dizziness – Dizziness suggests that the brain is getting deprived of glucose. It means that you should stop fasting immediately or at least shift to juice fasting.
Feeling like fainting – Means body can no longer go on without the supply of food.

Vomiting – Suggests towards gastric irritation, electrolyte imbalance in the body. A definite sign to stop fasting.

Diarrhoea – It may happen if you have chosen the wrong fruit or juice for fasting. Or if the quality of food or drink that you took while fasting was not good. If neglected, it may lead to severe electrolyte imbalance and dehydration. Hence it is better to stop fasting.

Severe burning sensation in stomach – Usual symptom in gastritis. Hence people with gastritis should always exercise extra caution before taking up fasting.

Worsening of disease symptoms – like Asthma (wrong juice selection), constipation, cold and cough, etc – This may happen due to selection of wrong juice or fruit. Usually fruits that are cold in nature are best avoided by people who are prone to respiratory conditions.

Sudden need for excess physical activity like travel – Taking good rest is one of the ideal things to do while fasting. But suddenly due to work or other reasons, if you have to take up excessive physical activity, consider stopping fasting.

Onset of periods in ladies – Ladies usually will have less physical power during periods. According to Ayurveda, fasting, excessive physical activities during periods leads to increase of Vata, hence it is not advised to continue fasting during periods.

Chest pain, stomach pain, abdominal pain – All suggests you to stop fasting.
If a person is doing fasting for spiritual benefits, he many tend to push himself to the limits. But such a practice is not encouraged, because health is the greatest gift of God.

So, live today, fight tomorrow. Stop fasting for now. Do it again, with better preparation and precaution, after consulting your doctor.

Intermittent fasting

Is intermittent fasting suitable for all? 
Dr JV Hebbar 
Any method of diet or magic fruit, when it becomes excessively famous, we need to be cautious not to generalize it to everyone. 
Not so long ago, eating mini meals multiple times in a day had become famous; now intermittent fasting is all the rage. 
In the ancient times of Bharat (India), people were having meals only two times. at around 7 – 8 am and then at around 6 pm. 
So, they were inadvertently doing what has become a fad now, called intermittent fasting. 
Then slowly meal time changed and now most of us have got accustomed to eating twice a day.
Read: How To Do Fasting? A Step By Step Guide For You
For healthy people, who have a strong stomach, who can function normally without food for long hours, intermittent fasting is suited. 
But I have seen three cases, where people with sensitive stomach, heartburn and bloating, get their symptoms aggravated due to intermittent fasting. 
If you are trying to do it and you start getting bloating, stomach disturbances, weakness etc., probably some change in the pan is required. 
Once the gastric juices are produced, if the food does not enter the stomach, some people cannot tolerate it. 
In such situations, it is ideal to include some fiber rich fruit like apples somewhere in the middle. 
It is also advisable to split the calorie of two meals to three meals, so that stomach and intestines are not left empty for longer periods. 
Ultimately, switching to two meals can be the noble goal for all of us. But we should get there slowly and gradually. Drastic changes to meal times is not ideal.