A week of Danjiki (Buddhist fasting ritual) on cardiometabolic health: a case report

Impact of Religion-Based Mindful Walking Meditation on Cardiometabolic and Mental Health

Walking meditation or mindful walking is a widely performed form of Buddhist practice that focuses on mind-body interactions. We have found that this particular form of exercise was highly effective in eliciting improvements in cardiometabolic and functional fitness measures in a number of clinical populations. In some key measures, the magnitudes of benefits were greater than the traditional walking program.

A detective story of intermittent fasting effect on immunity

Intermittent fasting (IF) refers to periodic fasting routines, that caloric intake is minimized not by meal portion size reduction but by intermittently eliminating ingestion of one or several consecutive meals. IF can instigate comprehensive and multifaceted alterations in energy metabolism, these metabolic channels may aboundingly function as primordial mechanisms that interface with the immune system, instigating intricate immune transformations. This review delivers a comprehensive understanding of IF, paying particular attention to its influence on the immune system, thus seeking to bridge these two research domains. We explore how IF effects lipid metabolism, hormonal levels, circadian rhythm, autophagy, oxidative stress, gut microbiota, and intestinal barrier integrity, and conjecture about the mechanisms orchestrating the intersect between these factors and the immune system. Moreover, the review includes research findings on the implications of IF on the immune system and patients burdened with autoimmune diseases.