5 Proven Benefits of Fasting & Myths related to it

5 Proven Benefits of Fasting
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Aashu’s Dilemma

Aashu has always seen his mother fasting during Sawan month which is fifth in the Hindu calendar and comes during rainy season. Aashu knows that Fasting has always been an integral part of Indian culture and traditional values. He has seen a lot of people in his close circle doing fasting and they are especially regarded with respect. Fasting needs a great amount of patience and persistence.

Aashu needs to know the history of fasting, how this culture began, and what are the methods of fasting. He also wants to know what are benefits a person can have from fasting and at last, if there any similarities between fasting and dieting. Can we interlink a healthy lifestyle with traditional fasting to make it more potent against weight loss? He is now searching on Google to find benefits of Fasting. Let’s see what he finds:

What do you mean by fasting and how is it done?

Fasting is an old practice of avoiding the consumption of all or some specific foods for a certain period. Fasting is present in most cultures & religions with different terminologies. In Islam, it is called ‘Roza’ while in Hinduism, it is called ‘Vrata’.

Generally, fasting is observed between 24-72 hrs in which no or a certain quantity of food is allowed to be consumed.

Recent studies have shown the positive effects of fasting on the human body. But more restrictive fasting can be damaging to your health & disrupt the normal functioning of your body.  

In most fasting plans, liquids such as water & tea along with light foods such as fruits are allowed to be taken in between. This fasting plan can be followed for a day or more. While some more restrictive ones don’t allow any liquids (except water) or foods but they can only be observed for 5-10 hrs.

History of Fasting

Historically, fasting has been observed throughout different cultures & religions. Religions like Islam, Jainism, Hinduism & other religions consider fasting a compulsion to cleanse the sins. Another logic behind fasting is about controlling the untenable desire of a human being.

In Greek civilisation, fasting had been recommended as a tonic against serious illnesses. In Indian culture, fasting has always been considered a medium of reaching god & a part of penance. 

Fasting for any special purpose or time remains a significant characteristic of many religions around the world. Such as in Islam, having fast during the month of Ramadan is considered a compulsion for every Muslim. While in Jainism & Buddhism, fasting has been an integral part of meditation as a way to dissociate from the materialistic world.

If you look at the logic behind this practice, you will find the purpose of stimulating the habit of patience as it is considered food is the most basic need of a human. So, if a person can control the urge for food then he can win over any desire that arises in his life span.


“I fast for greater physical and mental efficiency.”

Plato

Benefits of Fasting

Although you can find varying forms of fasting rituals in different cultures, you can get a commonality in them that all have positive effects on your health.

We find mentions of fasting as old as the 5th century, but its scientific study began in the 19th-20th century when the effects of organised fasting on humans & animals had been observed. As nutritional requirements become more sophisticated with time, there have been constant changes in the methods of fasting in recent years.

Fasting is no longer limited to its religious significance but has become a part of different medical treatments. Dieting can also be called a form of fasting method, where you cut down the intake of high-calorie food so that you can lose weight.

Other than promoting weight loss, fasting can also help you in getting rid of other health problems. Following are some health benefits associated with fasting:

Reduces Insulin Resistivity

One recent study has found that fasting can help in controlling type-2 diabetes & reduces the risk of Insulin resistivity. Intermittent & alternate-day fasting have shown effectiveness in significantly reducing sugar levels in the human body.

But the results of fasting in controlling your blood sugar level can be different among men & women. Some studies even found no effect on blood sugar levels before & after fasting.

Protects against Inflammation

Inflammation is a normal part of our immune system to fight against infections, but chronic inflammation can seriously affect your health.

Research has shown that if inflammation is left unchecked for a long time, it can cause chronic diseases such as heart disease & cancer. Fasting can significantly reduce the risk of having chronic inflammation.

Intermittent fasting is about cutting down on high-calorie foods that are responsible for causing chronic inflammation & deteriorating your health. A study has found that people who were on 12-hour intermittent fasting had reduced the risk of inflammation by 25%.

Improves Heart Health

As more & more people are being diagnosed with heart diseases, it is now urgent to find different ways to prevent its occurrence in many vulnerable Indians, especially the old age group. 

Fasting can help you in that context as it helps you in cutting down your consumption of bad cholesterol (LDL). In another way, many fasting cultures promote adding fruits & vegetables that contain antioxidants responsible for neutralising the effects of bad cholesterol. 

A recent study on 100 people found that intermittent fasting has reduced their risk of having heart disease by 27% compared to before it. Not only that, but they also showed the lowering of the risk of damage to the coronary artery whose bust is a major cause of stroke.

Helps in Boosting your Metabolism

You may have heard many people that they opt for fasting because it helps them cut their intake of food therefore, it is good for dieting.

Short-term fasting may boost your metabolism for faster dilution of fat which speeds up weight loss. It helps in increasing the level of norepinephrine in your body which is useful in diluting extra fat.      

Can Delay Aging Process

Many studies related to fasting & ageing have shown that it can extend your lifespan by delaying the ageing process.

Monks & ascetics experience longevity because they have adopted a lifestyle that includes fasting. It helps them in distancing from foods that are responsible for many chronic diseases.

Intermittent fasting can also lower the level of free radicals & their impact on your body by adding antioxidants carrying fruits & vegetables in your diet. These free radicals are also a major reason for early deaths & chronic diseases.


“The best of all medicines are resting and fasting.”

Benjamin Franklin

How Fasting can help in Detoxification?

From pollution in the environment to pesticides & fertilizers in food, we can find toxins all around ourselves. This makes it necessary to have detoxification of our body from time to time. In a general sense, detoxification means to give your body a certain time, so that it can get rid of these toxins in the body & give some relief to your organ systems.

Fasting is a good option that can serve this objective of detoxification. Fasting involves a long duration gap between meals giving relief to your digestive system. Along with that, most fasting methods only allow the consumption of fruits & vegetables that are good for the detoxification process.

Foods such as sugar, salt, alcohol, wheat products & animal products should be removed from your plate if you need to detox your body & you will find most fasting methods restrict them as well. So, by observing a fast, you can also detoxify your body.

Concept of Intermittent Fasting

In recent years, fasting methods are being adopted by fitness enthusiasts as a better way to lose weight & improve their health & lifestyle. This new concept of fasting is called Intermittent fasting.

Intermittent fasting is more devoted to the health-related benefits of having a powerful brain & body as well as a boost in metabolism. This concept has nothing to do with any religion or culture but only to achieve health & fitness goals.

Unlike other fasting methods, Intermittent fasting is less restrictive in nature. It doesn’t say what you should eat but focuses on when to eat. So, you can term it as an eating pattern rather than a diet plan. In general, this fasting method can be observed for 16 hours or 24 hours twice a week.

Here are the three most common intermittent fasting methods that you can adopt:

16/8 Method

Simplest & easiest to stick longer, it involves skipping breakfast & having an 8-hour gap between the remaining two meals such as 1-9 pm. After this, you need to observe fast or no food intake for the next 16 hours. You can also term it as 16/8 intermittent fasting.

24 hours Method

Here you just observe a fast for 24 hours continuously from dinner to dinner. You can do it once or twice a week as per your daily schedule.

5:2 Method

Under this, you cut down your consumption to 500-600 calories on two days in a week, but eat normally for the remaining five days. But one thing you need to keep in mind is that those two days should be non-consecutive in order.

All the above-mentioned methods of intermittent fasting are well-proven in cutting down your calorie intake & they help you in losing weight. But they will only work when you reduce the high-calorie food in your meals on other days as well.

What should be Eaten & what should be Avoided in Fasting

When you are doing intermittent fasting to lose weight, then your diet must contain foods that are easy to digest & low in calories. Foods such as animal products (eggs, meat, chicken), refined products & junk foods should be excluded.

Here is the list of foods included & excluded from the fasting plan:

What to Eat:

CategoryFoods
WaterBoiled
BeveragesUnsweetened drinks like green tea & black coffee, Coconut water.
Fruits Apple, Orange, Avocado, Berries, Watermelon, Grapes,
VegetablesSpinach, Beet root, Cucumber, Broccoli, Tomato, Cabbage, Sweet potato, Yellow pumpkin.
Legumes & BeansBlack beans, Chickpeas, Kidney beans, Red beans.
Soy productsTofu, Soy chunks, Soy milk, Edamame.
Nuts & SeedsAlmond, Pistachios, Raisins, Dates, Cashews, Flaxseeds, Chia seeds, Pumpkin seeds.
Whole grainsQuinoa, Sabudana, Buckwheat, Amaranth.
Healthy FatsVirgin olive oil, Coconut oil, Desi ghee , Groundnut oil.

What to Avoid:

CategoryFood
Animal Products (except dairy)Meat, Lamb, Chicken, Eggs, Seafood.
GrainsMaize, Wheat, Rice, Oats, Barley.
Sweets & sugary foodsCakes, Icecream, Pastries, Candies, Cookies, Chocolates etc.
Junk FoodsBurgers, Pizzas, Pasta, Noodles, Fries, etc.
Edible OilsSesame oil, Sunflower oil, Canola oil, Vanaspati ghee, etc.
Sweetened DrinksSoft Drinks, Energy Drinks, Fruit Juices, Soda, etc.

Myths & Truths Related to Fasting

Similar to any health or fitness concept, fasting has some myths that are about to claim unrealistic results about it. Here we are going to discuss two such myths & truths about them:

Myth 1: Fasting is the most effective way for weight loss.

Truth

No doubt, having a fast can reduce your intake of calories. But before calling it the most effective way for weight loss, we must look at some scientific results that show the other side of the picture.

Some studies have found that along with a reduction in calorie intake, you may also experience muscle loss. On the other hand, people had even experienced weight gain when they resumed eating due to slower metabolism.

So if you are experiencing such results after fasting, then it is surely not a good idea to continue fasting for weight loss.

Myth 2: Fasting is harmless & has no side-effects.

Truth

Another myth related to fasting & people mostly take it as a reality. The reason is the perception that fasting only promotes cutting down your food intake which can never have side effects.

However, research has found that fasting can cause dizziness, headaches, low blood sugar & weakness. Although none of them is serious, they can disrupt your normal life.

People who had prolonged fasting, experienced anaemia, weak immune systems & even problems with the liver & kidney. Fasting can also result in deficiencies of some essential vitamins & minerals that can also have complications.   

Conclusion

Fasting in a broader picture, can be seen as a weight loss diet or a ritual. But it has a lot to benefit for the human body. After this, Aashu knows that fasting is a powerful tool for improving overall health. There are certain benefits of fasting such as detoxification, weight loss, sugar control & improved metabolism.

Aashu is also considering going for 16/8 intermittent fasting throughout the year. Additionally, it can help give Aashu’s body a break from constant digestion, allowing it to focus on repairing and rejuvenating itself. He also came to know about myths that are associated with fasting and diet that should be added to your meal while observing a fast. This can be a good suggestion that he can pass to his mother so that she can also get the maximum benefit from her fasting habits.

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